INFLUENCE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCEDURES ON GOALACHIEVEMENT IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE,NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of recruitment and selection procedures on goalachievement in private secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study adopted adescriptive survey of correlational type. The population consisted of principals andteachers from all registered private secondary schools in the state, while the targetpopulation was 30 private secondary schools with 30 principals and 661 teachers. A sampleof 264 respondents (30 principals and 234 teachers) was selected using purposive andproportional sampling techniques. Data were collected using a researcher-designedquestionnaire, validated by experts and tested for reliability (r = 0.86). Descriptivestatistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to answer research questions, whilePearson’s product-moment correlation was employed to test hypotheses at 0.05significance level. Findings revealed that recruitment and selection procedures weremoderately implemented, with formal practices such as advertising vacancies andverification of academic qualifications being more consistently applied than structuredinterviews, teaching demonstrations, and reference checks. Goal achievement in privatesecondary schools was also found to be moderate, with improvement in students’ academicperformance but less consistent attainment of other institutional objectives. Inferentialanalysis indicated significant positive influences of recruitment (r = 0.652, p < 0.05) andselection procedures (r = 0.618, p < 0.05) on goal achievement. The study concluded thatwhile recruitment and selection practices contribute meaningfully to goal attainment, theirmoderate implementation limits optimal institutional performance. Recommendationsincluded standardizing recruitment and selection processes, enhancing regulatoryoversight, and promoting merit-based appointments to strengthen staff quality and improveschool outcomes.