DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AS DETERMINANTS OF ACADEMIC- ADMINISTRATOR’S JOB PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

0ne important aspect influencing the outstanding performance of Nigerian public colleges of education is the job performance of their employees. Academic administrators play a crucial role in combining administrative and academic duties, making their work essential. However, stakeholders expressed displeasure with their job performance. A scarcity of research on the factors influencing academic administrators' job performance at public colleges of education in Southwest Nigeria made this study necessary. This study examined the influence of demographic factors (age, gender, educational qualification, work experience, and job status) on the job performance of academic administrators in public colleges of education in Southwest Nigeria. Academic administrators from nine (9) public colleges of education, including deans, heads of departments (HODs), directors of academic programmes, and deputy provosts, made up the study group.Descriptive survey research design was used in this study; the study involved a total enumeration of 312 academic administrators across nine public colleges of education. Data were collected using two researcher-developed instruments: the Demographic Factors Questionnaire (DFQ) and the Academic Administrators Job Performance Questionnaire (AAJPQ). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression analysis, were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that academic administrators’ overall job performance in research, teaching, administrative duties, and community service was at a low level. The regression analysis showed a significant joint contribution of demographic factors to job performance (R = 0.995, R² = 0.991, p < 0.05), indicating that 99.1% of the difference in job performance could be attributed to the demographic variables. Specifically, age, educational qualification, and work experience had significant positive contributions to performance, while gender and job status did not. The study concluded that demographic factors, particularly age, qualification, and experience, are critical determinants of academic administrators’ job performance. It recommends targeted professional development, strategic staff deployment, and institutional policy reforms to enhance performance and educational quality in public colleges of education.