HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES AND THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT This research work was to determine the correlation between human resource practices and secondary school students’ academic achievement in Calabar Municipality of Cross River State. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. A survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of three hundred (300) students was randomly selected from a target population of 1,870 SS3 students drawn from sixteen (16) public secondary schools in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area from which, male stood at 783 (41.87%) while female stood at 1087 (58.13%). Data for the study were obtained using Human Resource Practices and Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement (HRPSSSAA). The instruments were validated by experts. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant relationship between mentoring programmes, tutoring programmes, early warning system and graduation coaching and secondary school students' academic achievement. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended amongst others that parents, teachers, academic leaders should demonstrate collegiality personally, and encourage many other aspects of socialization and personal support that are needed to facilitate success in the students; the schools should use administrative data both to monitor dropout at the school level and to promptly identify and intervene with individual students at an early stage; the school should set up structural supports that are adjustments necessary for the middle to high school environments, and also the social and behavioural challenges that adolescents face as they transit to adulthood. Suggestions for further studies were also presented.