School Headteachers’ Hubristic Leadership Behaviour, Teachers’ Work Motivation and Job Stress in Public Primary Schools, Lagos State Education District V, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship among headteachers' hubristic leadership behaviour, teachers' work motivation, and job stress in public primary schools in Lagos State Education District V, Nigeria. Given growing concerns about how leadership styles affect teacher wellbeing and performance, the research focused on hubristic leadership, marked by excessive self-confidence, dominance, overestimation of ability, resistance to criticism, and authoritarian decision-making as a possible driver of teachers' psychological and professional outcomes. Using a descriptive survey design, the study targeted all public primary school headteachers and teachers in the district, drawing a representative teacher sample through multistage sampling. Three standardized, expert-validated and pilot-tested questionnaires measured hubristic leadership behaviour, work motivation, and job stress. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis at the 0.05 significance level. Results showed that hubristic leadership behaviour significantly increased teachers' job stress, with higher perceived hubris associated with greater occupational stress. Work motivation showed a significant negative relationship with job stress, meaning more motivated teachers reported lower stress. Jointly, hubristic leadership and work motivation significantly predicted job stress, accounting for a substantial proportion of variance, with hubristic leadership as the stronger predictor. The study concludes that headteachers' self-centredness, authoritarianism, and lack of participatory leadership significantly contribute to teacher stress, while strong work motivation protects against it. It recommends that educational authorities, particularly the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) should strengthen leadership development programmes emphasizing emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, humility, participatory decision-making, and interpersonal competence to improve teacher wellbeing and school outcomes.