Principals’ administrative practices influencing students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Yatta sub county, Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Education plays a critical role in the development and transformation of nations throughout the world. The goal of this research was to establish the influence of principals’ administrative practices on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Yatta sub-county of Machakos County, Kenya. In this regard, the study set out to: determine the influence of capacity building of teachers on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools; establish the influence of providing learning resources on students' academic performance in public secondary schools; establish the influence of instructional supervision on students' academic performance in public secondary schools; and determine the influence of goal setting on students' academic performance in public secondary schools. The instructional leadership theory served as the theoretical framework for this research. Descriptive research design was used in this study. The focus of the study was on students’ academic performance in KCSE in Yatta Sub-County of Machakos County, which had 58 principals and 750 teachers. A total of 19 principals and 228 teachers were included in the study sample. The sample was selected using both systematic and random sampling methods. Data was collected from the sampled principals and teachers by administering questionnaires. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed a lot of consistency between principals' and teachers' opinions on the four areas under study. Both principals and teachers held true the fact that principals’ administrative practices greatly influenced students’ academic performance. On further probing, some teachers expressed concern on the level of commitment by some principals to support the same. Principals' failure to adequately provide resources and implement capacity building programs was cited as some of the reasons for the prevailing dismal student achievement in KCSE. Principals’ administrative practices were found to have a positive significant correlation with students' academic performance. Similarly, teachers’ responses yielded a significant positive correlation with principals' responses on provision of learning resources and students' academic performance. It was also revealed that the principal's level of instructional supervision had a discernible effect on students' academic achievement. Finally, it was determined that if principals stopped setting academic goals for their students, learners’ performance in the classroom would suffer greatly. The results established that there was need to enhance students’ academic performance in public schools in Yatta Sub- County which was below the national mean. Some suggestions provided were adequate capacity building programmes for the teachers, provision of learning materials, improved instructional supervision and goal setting strategies. On the basis of the research findings, it was concluded that principals’ administrative practices positively influenced students’ academic performance in Yatta Sub-County. It was proposed that the ministry of Education should formulate and implement a strategy to step up teacher capacity building programmes; and that learning resources are provided in a timely manner. To further improve students’ performance, it was proposed that principals in public secondary schools should design effective instructional supervision strategies and that they should involve all teachers and students in setting of performance goals in order to ensure ownership of such goals by the three parties.