This study investigated Institutional Management Variables as correlates of Teachers’ Job Effectiveness in Special Needs Schools within Cross River State, with particular emphasis on the relationship between school leadership style, professional development, and teachers’ job effectiveness. Employing a survey research design, the study targeted a population of 294 teachers across the 25 Special Needs Schools in the state. A census approach was utilized to include the entire population in the study. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled the Institutional Management Variables and Teachers’ Job Effectiveness Questionnaire (IMVTJEQ), which employed a four-point Likert scale. The instrument’s validity was rigorously established through expert review by scholars from the Department of Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Calabar. Reliability testing, conducted via a pilot study involving 50 teachers outside the research area, yielded a high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranging from.89 to.91, indicating strong internal consistency.
The findings revealed that both school leadership style and professional development exhibit significant positive relationships with teachers’ job effectiveness in Special Needs Schools. Consequently, the study concludes that institutional management variables constitute critical determinants of teachers’ job effectiveness in this educational context. Based on these results, it is recommended that school authorities and education policymakers in Cross River State prioritize the development and implementation of leadership programs that emphasize transformational and participatory leadership styles. Such initiatives should aim to equip school administrators with the requisite skills to effectively motivate and support teachers, thereby fostering improved job effectiveness and enhancing educational outcomes in Special Needs Schools.