Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR) Volume.16, Number 5; May-2025; ISSN: 2837-3707| Impact Factor: 7.80 https://zapjournals.com/Journals/index.php/gjear Published By: Zendo Academic Publishing pg. 9 INFLUENCE OF THE OPEN SCHOOL CLIMATE ON TEACHERS JOB PERFORMANCE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE 1Ogbuanu, Henrietta Chidi Ph. D, 1Udeani, Justina Ph. D, and 1Aroh, Mercy Oluchi Ph. D. Article Info Abstract Keywords: Open school climate, teachers' job performance, school administration, secondary education, Enugu State. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.15546511 This study examines the influence of an open school climate on teachers’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools in Enugu State. An open school climate, characterized by transparency, collaboration and mutual respect among stakeholders plays a critical role in enhancing teachers' effectiveness and overall job satisfaction. This study employs a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study is 1077, principals 286 and teachers 791 .collecting data from secondary school teachers and administrators through structured questionnaires. The principal mean rating in research question 1, range from 2.91-3.05 while teachers mean range from 2.96to3.03,. The value for cluster means for principals and teachers are 2.99 and 3.00, respectively, with standard deviations of 0.81 and 0.81. The finding demonstrate that an open school climate influences teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. In research question 2, the principal mean range from 2.92-3.02 while teachers’ mean ranges from 2.97 to 3.02, with a standard deviation of 0.82. Findings reveal that an open school climate fosters professional commitment, motivation, and improved teacher-student relationships, which positively impact instructional delivery and school administration. This study highlights the need for school leaders to cultivate an environment that promotes trust, shared decision-making, and open communication. It recommends that policymakers and education administrators implement policies that sustain an open school climate to enhance teachers’ productivity and improve educational outcomes in secondary schools. Introduction Education is the grease resource that society can provide to a child. Education is an agent of change toward formation of the intended projection, which requires education reform to meet the obligation with the compulsive 1 Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu. Email: ogbuanuhenriettac@gouni.edu.ng, tinaudeani@gmail.com, and mercyluchie@gmail.com https://zapjournals.com/Journals/index.php/gjear Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 10 detailed information to achieve the goals, vision, and mission toward academic excellence (Entoh and Abdullah, 2019). According to Obiakor and Oguejiofor (2020), qualitative education remains the fulcrum for global development and freedom. There are different levels of education in Nigeria, which include pre-primary, primary, secondary, and higher education (federal republic of Nigeria (FRN), 2013). However, in this study, the researcher focused on secondary school education. Secondary education is the education received after primary school and before the tertiary level. Fabunnia in Abdulrasheed and Bello (2015) defined secondary school education as the form of education that children receive after primary education and before the tertiary level. Secondary school education is an important level of education in Nigeria, where a solid foundation for higher education and useful living is laid (Ogbu, 2014). The quality of a nation’s educational sector, especially secondary education, depends considerably on teachers (Emu and Nwannunu, 2018). Teachers are human resources that make school and education objectives a reality. According to Ibikunle and Afolakeni (2021), teachers are indispensable for the effective running of schools and education systems. Teachers are the implementers who impact learners, values and ideas that are considered vital to socio-cultural, political and economic development through the teaching of basic relevant concepts. According to Offorma and Chukwuma and Nosike (2016), teachers are the people that coordinate all the factors in teaching and learning process to promote educational objectives. Healthy interpersonal relationships are required for a teacher to e well on top of his work, hereby enhancing his/her job performance (Abubakar, Udechukwu, Ogbuoji and Chuwujekwu, 2016). Job performance is the overall behaviors in relation to the job. It assesses whether a person performs a job well or otherwise. Job performance is the implementation of an action or one’s ability (Fauzilah, Noryati and Zaharah in Ibikunles and Afolakami, 2021). Teachers’ job performance is the duly performed by a teacher at a particular period in the school system is achieving organizational goals (Obilad inWachira, Gitumu and Mbugua, 2017). One of the factors that seem to influence teachers’ job performance is school climate (Okeke-James, Igbokwe, Ogbo, Ekweogu and Anyanwu, 2020). School climate is a general term that refers to the feelings, atmosphere, tone, ideology, or milieu of a school. School climate is a broad term and concept that embraces the classrooms, libraries, workshops, laboratories, instructional materials, and the school environment in general (Ibikunle and Afolakemi, 2021). Wang and Degot (2015) also postulated that school climate includes academic, community, safety, and institutional environment dimensions that encompass just about every feature of the school environment that impacts cognitive, behavioral, and psychological development. According to Peretomode, (2014) and Nwangwu (2017), there are six types of school climate: open, autonomous, controlled, familiar, paternal, and closed school climate. In this study, the researchers focused on an open school climate. Open school climate reflects a climate in which the principals, teachers and students are accessible and actively prepared to jointly achieve school objectives. The open school climate is defined and characterized by sincerity, frankness, genuineness, low hindrance, low disengagement, average intimacy, high esprit of teachers, high thrust and consideration of the school head (Coda, Dasilva and Custodio, 2015). According to Nwangwu (2017, in an open school climate, the members of the school are creative, innovative and freely interact with one another. An open school climate is healthy unlike other school climates in achieving general school objectives (Okorji, Igbokwe and Ezeugbor, 2016). Despite measures taken by both the state and federal governments in Nigeria to enhance teachers’ job performance, teachers’ job performance in Enugu State seems to be low, which is the worry of the present study. Furthermore, other concerns of researchers are students’ poor performance in both internal and external examinations, and the host of disciplinary cases, which have been reported by principals involving teachers’ poor Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 11 performance (Eze, 2018). The attitudes of some principals are equally devastating, as they issue orders arbitrarily and use abusive language on teachers and usually side where there is a problem among staff or students. It is against this background that the researchers conducted a study on the influence of an open school climate on teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Enugu State. Statement of the Problem The decline in thee learning outcomes of students at the various levels of education in Nigeria and Enugu State in particular has triggered some concerns from education stakeholders about the job performance of teachers in educational institutions. In Enugu State in particular, stakeholders in education are worried about the drop in students’ academic performance over some years now, both in internal and external examinations between 2018 – 2023as observed by the researchers are alarming. Teachers who are supposed to play a crucial role in achieving learners’ goals and objectives are also complaining of irregularity in salary payment, poor working conditions and leadership styles. The reason could be attributed to the school climate, and when not addressed, the students will continue to perform poorly. Purpose of the Study The general purpose of the study was to determine the Influence of Open School Climate on Teachers’ Job Performance in Secondary Schools in Enugu State. Specifically, the study determined the; a) The influence of the open school climate on teachers’ job performance teaching and learning in secondary schools in Enugu State. b) Influence of opening-up school climate on principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools in Enugu State. Research Questions The following research questions guided the study; i) To what extent does the open school climate influence teachers’ job performance in teaching and learning in secondary schools in Enugu State? ii) To what extent does the open school climate influence principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools in Enugu State? Methods This study used descriptive survey techniques, which are appropriate for gathering information from a sample of the typical tire population using questionnaires as research tools. The sample of secondary school teachers considered representative of the population to determine the influence of the open school climate on teachers’ job performance. A structured questionnaire with the title “Influence of Open School Climate on Teachers’ Job Performance in Secondary School (ISCTJPQ)” was used as the method for collecting data. The survey’s 15 (15) questions are broken up into two groups called clusters. Cluster A only has eight elements, while Cluster B has seven. The survey responses were graded on a four-point scale. The extent scale consists of Very Great Extent (VGE) 4 points, Great Extent (GE) 3 point, Low Extent (LE) 2 points, and Very Low Extent 1 point. Three specialists from Godfrey Okoye University, two in Educational Management and one in measurement and evaluation, all from the Faculty of Education, were given the questionnaire to determine the instrument’s face validity. They carefully considered the study’s objectives, research questions and hypothesis as they evaluated the instruments precision, sufficiency. The researchers used their suggestions and opinions to improve the instruments before using the final data collected for the study. Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 12 The researchers and research assistants distributed the questionnaire to the respondents. The researchers hired two research assistants on the course of a one-day meeting. The researchers instructed the research assistants, who received lessons on how to react to the comments and ask questions in a suitable manner. The researcher examined the data and achieved the research objectives using mean scores and standard deviation. The average value of the option made it possible to establish the extent. If the computed mean score was 2.50 or greater, the item was evaluated as being to a big extent if it was 2.50 or lower. The criterion means of 2.50: 10/4 were calculated by dividing the total number of response option = 4+3+2+1 = 10/4. A significance level of 0.05 was chosen to test the null hypothesis using the t-test statistics. According to the decision rule for the hypothesis, the hypothesis us bit rejected when the t-calculated value is less than the ----- Results The results of the study are presented in tables (1) one according to the research question and null hypothesis. Research Question 1: To what extent does the open-school climate influence teachers’ jo performance in teaching and learning in secondary schools? Table 1: Mean scores and standard deviations of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences teachers’ job performance. S/N ITEMS Principal 286 Teachers 791 Overall, 1,077 The open school climate influences teachers’ job performance. X SD X SD X SD DEC 1 Teaches are exposed to adequate staff development programmes. 3.01 .80 2.99 .82 3.00 .81 GE 2 School management exhibits positive attributes toward teachers. 2.97 .81 3.00 ..83 2.99 .82 EGR 3 Teachers are involved in decision-making. 3.05 .82 3.02 .79 3.03 .80 GE 4 There is mutual understanding between students and teachers. 3.00 .80 3.01 .82 3.01 .81 GEE 5 Teachers are constantly motivated 2.91 .83 3.00 .83 2.98 .83 GE 6 Teachers are properly supervised 3.01 .79 2.99 .82 2.99 .81 GE 7 Teachers are respected by students 2.95 .80 3.02 .83 3.00 .82 GEE 8 Teachers’ routine duties do not interfere with their instructional delivery efforts. 3.00 .84 2.96 .81 2.97 .82 GE 9 There is a proper relationship between schools and host communities. 3.01 .85 3.03 .81 3.03 .82 GE Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 13 Cluster mean/SD 2.99 .81 3.00 .81 3.00 .81 GE The data analysis on table one (1) above shows that the mean rating of principals’ and teacher job performance on the extent to which open school climate influences teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. The above table shows that the principal mean range from 2.91 – 3.05 while the teacher’s mean range from 2.96 - 3.03. The value of the cluster mean for the principal and teachers are 2.99 and 3.00 with standard deviations of.81 and.81. The standard deviation of the respondents demonstrated homogeneity in their responses. The findings show that the findings of the study signifies that open school climate influence teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Enugu State. Research Question 2: To what extent does the open school climate influence principals’ job performance in administration in public secondary schools? Table 2: Mean scores and standard deviation of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences principals’ job performance in administration. S/N ITEMS Principal 286 Teachers 791 Overall, 1,077 Open school climate influences job performance in administration when: X SD X3.01 .83 X SD DEC 1 Principals adopt a democratic leadership style in school administration. 2.92 .80 3.04 .83 2.98 .83 GE 2 Principals are supportive of teachers’ industrial delivery effort. 2.99 .83 3.04 .83 3.03 .83 GE 3 Principals operate an open-door policy. 2.97 .83 3.02 .83 3.02 .83 GE 4 There is mutual understanding between teachers and principals. 3.02 .81 3.02 .80 3.02 .80 GE 5 Principals create a conducive environment for teachers and students. 2.92 .80 3.05 .82 3.01 .82 GE 6 Principals create an enabling environment between host communities and school management. 3.01 .85 3.03 .81 2.97 .82 GE 7 When principals allow teachers to participate in recreational activities in school. 2.99 .83 2.97 .82 2.97 .82 GEE Cluster Mean/SD 2.97 .82 3.02 .82 3.00 .82 GE Data analysis on table two shows that the mean ratings of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools. In the above table, the principal’s mean ranged from 2.92 to 3.02, while teachers’ mean ranged from 2.97 to 3.05. The values of the cluster mean for principals and teachers were 2.97 and 3.02, respectively, with standard deviations of.82 Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 14 and.82. The findings show that open school climate influences principal job performance in the administration of secondary schools. Table 3: Summary of t-test analysis of mean ratings of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. Group Ղ X SD DF P-Value Decision Principals 286 3.01 .85 H01: rejected 1,075 .060 Teachers 791 3.03 .81 .060 Data in table three for principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climates influence teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Enugu State shows that 1,075 degrees of freedom, the p-value.060, which is greater than the 0.05 level of significance set for this study. It is an indication that the null hypothesis was rejected and therefore, no significant difference was found between the mean rating of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Enugu State. Table 4: Summary of t-test analysis of mean ratings of principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences principals’ administration of secondary schools; Group Ղ X SD DF P-Value Decision Principals 286 2.97 .82 1075 .055 H02: rejected Teachers 791 3.02 .82 Data in table four for principals and teachers on the extent to which open school climate influences principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools shows that 1,075 degree of freedom, p-value was.055, which is greater than 0.05 level of significance set for the study, which shows that the hypothesis was not rejected, and therefore, there was no significant difference between the mean rating of principals on the extent to which open school ciliate influence principals job performance in the administration of secondary school schools in Enugu State. Discussion: The results of the survey show that the open school climate influences teachers’ and principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools in Enugu State to a certain extent. The evidence from the finding of the study revealed that teachers who are exposed to adequate staff development programmes in school management exhibit a positive attitude toward teachers; teachers are involved in decision making. Principals adopt democratic leadership styles in administration; there is mutual understanding between students, teachers, and principals. The findings of the study are in line with Okeye (2012) and Paige (2016), who stated that an open school climate greatly influences teachers’ job performance and principals job performance in the administration in secondary schools. The findings of the study are in agreement with Yusufu and Adigun (2010), who posited that an open climate is the most predominant climate in Nigerian secondary schools. Conclusion The study examined the influence of school climate on teachers’ and principals’ job performance on administration on secondary schools in Enugu State. The open school climate influences teachers’ job performance and principals’ administration to a great extent. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were proffered; Global Journal of Education and Allied Research (GJEAR)16 (5) pg. 15 1. Principals should create a more balanced and open school climate to encourage innovation and creativity and motivate more teachers to increase their job performance. Educational planners and stakeholders 2. principals and teachers to help adopt the needed school climate that will promote teachers’ and principals’ job performance in the administration of secondary schools in Enugu State. REFERENCES Entol, N. & Abdullah, M.K. 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