Abstract
This study examined students’ perceptions of leadership styles and their influence on the learning environment in private secondary schools within Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study with a population of 12,500 students from private secondary schools within Port Harcourt Metropolis. Sample size of 388 students were selected for the study using Taro Yamene formula for the determination of the sample size. A structured questionnaire titled: “Students' Perceptions of Leadership Styles on Learning Environment Questionnaire” served as the main instrument for data collection. The items were developed using a 4-point scale for the method of data analysis, mean scores and standard deviations were employed to analyze the research questions, which provided insight into the degree of agreement with each item and the variability of responses. Furthermore, the hypotheses were tested using Z-test statistical tool at 0.05 level of significant. Results indicated that leadership styles greatly influence learning environment. Male and female secondary school students perceived autocratic leadership style as negatively affecting learning environment. It was recommended among others that democratic leadership style should be embraced by school heads to encourage inclusivily, dialogue and students involvement to encourage a positive and conducive learning environment.