The effectiveness of student involvement in decisionmaking and university leadership: A comparative analysis of 12 universities in South-west Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines student involvement in university leadership and decision-makingand its impacts on leadership effectiveness in universities in Nigeria. The study uses adescriptive survey conducted among students and staff in all 12 of the public and privateuniversities in South-West Nigeria.1 The research findings indicate that there is a significantrelationship between student involvement in decision-making and leadership effectiveness.It also reveals that there are significant differences between decision-making with studentinvolvement and decision-making without student involvement. Conversely, no significantdifference was found in leadership effectiveness between decision-making in public andprivate universities. The study finally reveals that there is a significant relationship betweenthe management-student relationship and teaching effectiveness. The results therefore showthat, for leadership and teaching effectiveness to be improved in Nigerian universities,provision should be made for the adequate involvement of students in decision-making onimportant matters relating to university administration.