IMPACT OF SCHOOL SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the impact of school safety management practices on teachers' job performance in public secondary schools in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was anchored on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 245 principals and 5,068 teachers (N = 5,313) drawn from public secondary schools in the three senatorial zones of Plateau State. Using the Taro Yamane formula at a 5% margin of error, a sample of 372 respondents (52 principals and 320 teachers) was drawn through a multi-stage sampling procedure; 350 questionnaires (94.1%) were correctly completed and used for analysis. Data were collected using two validated, structured instruments: the School Safety Management Practices Questionnaire (SSMPQ) and the Teachers' Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ). Reliability of the instruments was established using Cronbach's Alpha (α = 0.87 and 0.84 respectively). Data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and multiple regression at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that physical safety measures (r = .612, p = .000), psychosocial safety practices (r = .548, p = .000), emergency preparedness protocols (r = .589, p = .000), and security infrastructure management (r = .647, p = .000) each had a significant positive relationship with teachers' job performance, and jointly accounted for 53.9% of the variance in job performance (R = .734, R² = .539, F(4,345) = 101.24, p = .000). The study concluded that robust school safety management practices are a critical determinant of effective teacher performance in Plateau State. It was recommended that school administrators, state government, and policymakers prioritize and institutionalize comprehensive safety management systems to create an enabling environment for optimal teacher output.