Linking Organisational Climate to Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from Lagos State Senior Secondary Schools, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between organisational climate and students’ academic performance in Lagos State senior secondary schools, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design with a correlational approach to enable the collection and analysis of quantitative data on the relationship between the variables. The population comprised 8,956 teachers across 326 public senior secondary schools in Lagos State. A sample of 480 teachers was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, including an additional 20% to account for non-response. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed, involving the selection of 30 schools across six education districts and 16 teachers from each school. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and records observation. Organisational climate was measured using the adapted Organisational Climate Index (OCI) developed by Megan Tschannen-Moran (2006), while students’ academic performance was assessed through records of credit passes in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination from 2020 to 2022. The validity of the instrument was established through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.944 and a significant Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (χ²(45) = 16,154.902, p < .01). Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.96, indicating excellent internal consistency. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), employing descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between organisational climate and students’ academic performance (r = 0.628, p < 0.05). Further analysis showed that community engagement emerged as the strongest positive predictor (β = 0.490), followed by collegial leadership (β = 0.285) and academic press (β = 0.275), while teacher professionalism showed a significant negative influence (β = −0.383). The study concluded that organisational climate is a major determinant of students’ academic performance. It was recommended that educational authorities promote policies that enhance collegial leadership, strengthen school-community partnerships, and foster supportive school environments to improve academic outcomes.

Keywords: Organisational Climate, Students’ Academic Performance, Community Engagement, Collegial Leadership, Academic Press, Teacher Professionalism.