Secondary school principals play crucial roles in determining the success or otherwise of educational institutions. However, very little has been documented about these roles. The primary objective of the study was to examine the impact of principals’ leadership attributes, school effectiveness, and study environment on students’ academic achievement in Lagos State. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and utilized a multistage sampling technique to select 10 public secondary schools and 150 teachers in two local government areas. A validated questionnaire was used to gather data from the teachers. The 2024 NECO Mathematics score of students in the selected schools was used to measure their academic performance. Findings revealed a significant positive correlation between principal leadership attributes (engagement, r = 0.557; system thinking, r = 0.607; leading thinking, r = 0.654; self-awareness, r = 0.620) and school effectiveness. The effect of the study environment on students’ academic performance was statistically significant (b = 1.138, p < 0.05). Self-awareness had a significant effect on students’ academic performance. The study concluded that policymakers and education management should prioritize professional development programs focused on enhancing principal self-awareness and leadership skills to enhance secondary school effectiveness and students’ performance outcomes.
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