EQUITY-FOCUSED RESOURCE ALLOCATION MODELS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

The study investigated the effectiveness of equity-focused resource allocation models in reducing educational disparities across diverse student populations in Nigerian public schools. The study was guided by four research questions and three hypotheses. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 9,324 public secondary school stakeholders in six states across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A stratified multistage sampling technique was used to draw 540 respondents, including school administrators, teachers, education board officials, and budget officers. The instruments for data collection were a structured questionnaire titled "Resource Allocation Equity Survey" (RAES), interview guides, and documentary analysis checklists. The instruments were face-validated by experts in education economics, policy, and evaluation. Reliability was established through a pilot test using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.88. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaire administration and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-tests and ANOVA). Qualitative data from interviews and case studies were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that while Nigeria has adopted funding formulas intended to reduce disparities, their implementation suffers from inconsistencies and political interference. Disparities persist across geopolitical zones, urban-rural divides, and gender categories. The study concludes that existing models do not adequately serve equity objectives. It recommends a national realignment of funding formulas using equity weights, transparency frameworks, and performance-based disbursements. The implications include the need for data-driven, context-sensitive planning in educational financing. One major limitation was the exclusion of private schools, and a suggestion for future research is to conduct a comparative analysis between public and private institutions using equity metrics.