PRINCIPALS' EFFICIENCY TOWARDS UTILIZATION OF AI-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL AGE IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

This study examined principals’ efficiency towards the utilization of AI-driven applications for sustainable school management in the digital age in Delta State. Four research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised all 474 principals of public secondary schools in Delta State. A total of 237 principals from 237 public secondary schools was used as the sample size, selected at 50% using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. A 20-item self-structured questionnaire designed by the researcher and titled “Principals’ Efficiency in Utilization of AI-Driven Applications for Sustainable School Management Questionnaire (PEAIASSMQ)” was used for data collection. Both the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were established. Data collected and collated were analyzed using mean statistics, with a criterion mean of 2.50, and standard deviation statistics. Findings of the study generally revealed, among others, that principals were inefficient in utilizing AI-driven applications for sustainable curriculum and instructional management, personnel management, decision-making management, and teaching-learning resource management in the digital age in secondary schools.Among the recommendations proffered from the findings was that the Delta State Government, in conjunction with the Post Primary Education Board (PPEB) and other educational authorities, should organize consistent compulsory capacity-building programmes and continuous professional development (CPD) training for principals on AI-driven applications and digital leadership, particularly in the areas of curriculum and instructional management, in order to improve principals’ efficiency in using AI tools for the sustainability of instructional, administrative, and decision-making processes in public secondary schools in the digital age.