Socialization practices and participation of female principals in managerial duties in public secondary schools in Kenya: case of Kathiani sub-county

Abstract

In Kenya, available information shows that most schools are headed by male teachers. At Kathiani Sub-County in Machakos County, only 14 out of the 31 public secondary schools are headed by female principals. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to establish the relationship between socialization practices and female principals’ participation in managerial duties in public secondary schools in Kathiani Sub-county in Machakos County.The target population for the study consisted of all the 14 female principals, 13 female deputy principals, and 159 female teachers from public secondary schools in Kathiani Sub-County. The sample size was 127 respondents of the target population. Descriptive research design was employed in this study in order to address the study objectives. The research hypothesis was tested using simple regression analysis at the .05 level of significance. The study findings revealed that socialization practices had a significant influence on female participation in managerial activities within schools in the study area; F (1,100) = 28.192; p ≤.05; R= .469. The study concluded that a male-dominated culture that underpins socialization in most societies makes women play a subordinate role to that of men. The study further concludes that women can also be good and effective leaders owing to their approachability and ability to emotionally share and empathize both with students and staff on work related issues. The study recommends that government policy of one-third gender rule in Kenya be enforced strictly so as to help in having more women appointed to leadership positions and act as role models to the students. Similarly the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should reorient the school curriculum so that the female story can be fairly presented without connotations that are likely to nurture negative stereotypes. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be beneficial to education policy makers to help them in making decisions aimed at making female teachers participate actively in managerial duties at the national and institutional levels in Kenya.