Department of Planning and Curriculum

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A study of the role of the head teacher in instructional supervision in Kabarnet and Salawa divisions of Baringo district
(2012-01-26) Dr. Kimosop, Maurice Kibet
The primary purpose of this study was to find out how headteachers carried out their roles as instructional supervisors in selected schools in Kabarnet and Salawa divisions of Baringo district. The sample was composed of 6 schools, three from each division. The data collecting instruments were administered to headteachers to find out how often and how effectively they supervised instruction in their institutions. Information was sought from heads of departments on how they supervised the teaching of subjects in their respective departments. Questionnaires were also administered to teachers to find out how they carried out instruction in order to verify how effectively they were supervised. Although the overall responsibility of instructional supervision rests on the head teacher, he must delegate some of the supervisory duties to heads of departments and the way teachers perform instructional duties indicates how effectively supervision has taken place. It was therefore important to seek information from these three parties. This study focused at finding out if the headteachers had the expertise to supervise instruction, the frequency in which they carried out supervisory tasks, the kind of supervisory techniques they used and the nature of staff development in their schools. It also sought to find out how headteachers fostered the selection, development, use and evaluation of instructional materials. In a nutshell, the study sought to verify the effectiveness of instructional supervision in schools in light of findings of various researches done in the field of instructional supervision and whether supervisory practices were in line with the statutory requirements put in place by the Ministry of Education. The research instruments used included questionnaires, interview schedule and observation guide. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. Percentages were used to determine how often instructional supervision was done and the adequacy of suitable instructional resources in the schools. The research findings showed that half of headteachers were aged between 31 - 35 years, while none was above 45 years. There were also more male teachers than female teachers. Among the headteachers a majority were BEd graduates and only one had a Masters degree; more than half of the headteachers had a teaching experience of over 10 years but a majority of them had a short experience of less than 5 years as headteachers. The Kenya Educational Staff Institute and Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association were the only bodies that seemed to organise some form of in-service courses for headteachers. The frequency of performance of instructional supervisory practices by headteachers were found to be low especially in the areas of classroom observations, checking students' notes and teaching lessons. Activities that were found to be frequently performed by heads of departments included signing schemes of work, co-ordinating teaching, inducting new teachers and motivating students to learn. The least performed duties included checking students' notes, inspection of teaching, stimulating teachers to teach and punishing inefficient teachers. Data on learning resources indicated that although schools had resources, most of them were inadequate and of poor quality. Resources that were adversely inadequate included teachers, textbooks, workshops, teaching aids and libraries. It was recommended that headteachers and heads of departments should undergo in-service training in the techniques of carrying out supervisory practices. It was further recommended that headteachers should be more involved in observation of teachers' classroom performance than they are. It was recommended also that the local community and parents should participate more in the provision of quality learning resources. It was suggested that further more elaborate research be conducted to find out the nature of courses headteachers should undergo in order to enhance their supervisory performance; the role to be played by the bodies affiliated to the Ministry of Education in the in-servicing of headteachers and the role of the local community and the parents in the provision of the learning resources.
Reactions of Schools’ Headteacher Toward Computer Use in Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools in Tharaka-Nithi County in Kenya
(International Journal of Information Science and Education, 2013) Mbugua, Zachariah Kariuki; Muthomi, Mercy Wanja; Githua, Bernard Nyingi
Technology innovation has become a common-place phenomenon with widespread use of computers in society. The use of computer in Kenyan classrooms is still in its infancy and the perceptions and experience of head teachers do play an important role in promoting computer use in schools. However reactions of schools head teachers toward computer use in secondary schools has not been established. The purpose of the study was to investigate the reactions of schools head teachers toward computer use in teaching and learning in secondary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County. The study sought to find out the reactions of head teachers toward computer use in teaching and learning. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The research was carried out in 31 secondary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County. The subjects were head teachers in secondary schools that were randomly sampled. The sample size was 31 head teachers. The research instrument used was a questionnaire. The reliability coefficient of at least 0.7 was used in the study to test the degree of internal consistency of research instrument. The data obtained was scored, coded and analysed using descriptive statistics that included frequencies, percentages and graphics. From the study it was found out that the head teachers exhibit positive reactions toward computer use in teaching and learning. The findings of this study may help to reveal the significant role of the head teachers as technology leaders in meaningful integration of computers in teaching and learning.
The Role of the Community in the Management of Forests in Kenya: A Case of Elgeyo/Marakwet County
(hrmars, 2013) Cheruto, Kipkoech Lydia; Kipkoech, Limo Robert
The sustainability of life on earth is closely linked to better legal mechanism that spells out ways and means to manage forests in a sustainable way. Good management of forests in Kenya, ensures that the present and future generations’ livelihood is secured. This study investigated the role of the community in the management of forests. The study was guided by the theory of “network governance” advanced by Miles and Snow (1986). The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was Forest officers, members of youth groups, the provincial administration the local community and other stakeholders. The data was collected using both questionnaire and interview schedules. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the target population from the youth groups and the local community while convenience sampling technique and purposive sampling was used to select the members of provincial administration, forest officers and other civil servants. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The study established that local participation is imperative hence, there is need for more institutional capacity building, transparent, effectiveness and efficiency management of forests. Keywords: Community, Environment, Forest, Involvement, Management
Participatory Governance in Secondary Schools: The Students’ Viewpoint in Eastern Region of Kenya
(Journal of Education and Practice, 2015) Dr. Mulwa, David M.; Dr. Kimosop, Maurice K.
The purpose of the study was to determine the students’ view on participatory school governance in secondary schools of the Eastern region, Kenya. Participatory school governance implies the involvement of stakeholders in the decision making process in schools. The objectives of the study were to identify the key decision makers in selected management tasks in secondary schools as perceived by students in Eastern Region, Kenya and to establish the students’ opinion on their involvement in decision making in secondary schools of Eastern Region, Kenya. It was also meant to identify structures within the secondary school system which are used for students’ involvement in decision making process in secondary schools of Eastern Region, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population was 28441 students of the secondary schools of Eastern Region of Kenya. A sample of 720 respondents was selected through multi-stage sampling procedures. Data was collected by the use of a questionnaire and was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistical tools. The findings were that the key decision makers in curriculum and design were the teachers, principals and students. In students’ management and welfare, it was the principals, teachers and Boards of Management while in school community relations it was the principals. The students said that they should be involved in decision making and in their view, their involvement is very important. Though there is emphasis on the application of students’ governance through the students’ councils, students believe that since teachers’ interfere with the process of electing their leaders, then the structure of governance is the prefects system.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEADTEACHERS’ LEVEL OF INTEGRATION OF COMPUTERS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULUM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THEIR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
(International Journal of Education and Research, 2015-01) Dr. Mulwa, David Musyoki; Dr. Kimosop, Maurice Kibet
The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between headteachers’ level of integration of computers in the management of curriculum in secondary schools and their personal characteristics in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties of Kenya. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. A total of 63 headteachers’ from 63 schools with functional ICTs were purposively selected. The data was collected by use of a questionnaire. Data was analysed by the use of Pearson Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis. A significant relationship was found between the age of the headteacher, administrative experience and ICT training, and the level of integration of computers. Gender and academic qualification were found not to be significantly related to level of ICT intergration. It is hoped that the study will benefit education policy makers and headteachers in adopting effective ICT integration strategies in secondary schools
TIVET Trainees Attitudes Towards Technical Training in TIVET in Nyeri County, Kenya
(International Journal of Education and Research, 2016) Kagema, Josephat; Kimiti, Richard; Waihura, Wanjohi Erastus
Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Institutions provide a major link in the Kenyan economy by providing technical skilled personnel who occupy the mid-level positions. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of graduates of technical training institutions in Nyeri County, Kenya. This study wanted to establish TIVET trainee’s attitudes towards technical training in TIVET. The research was based on Context, Input, Process and Product Theory which holds that obtaining information about a situation to decide on educational needs and to establish programme objectives. The study adopted a descriptive study design and was located in Nyeri County. The target population comprised of 10 heads of applied sciences department, 45 supervisors from the companies where the trainees were attached and 275 trainees. The sample size used in the study comprised of 10 HODs, 55 trainees and 8 supervisors. The study employed the questionnaire was the primary data collection instrument. The research instruments were piloted to test for reliability and validity. The Reliability Coefficient for the TIVET Heads of Department Questionnaire was 0.767 and the TIVET Graduates Questionnaire at 0.748. All the above Reliability Coefficients were between 0.6 and 1.0 showing that the three questionnaires were reliable. Data analysis procedures employed were both quantitative and qualitative procedures using SPSS computer program. The Study showed that majority (62.5%) of the HODs and trainees (58.3%) noted that TIVET training was regarded as low class education by the public. The study found out that majority (62.5%) of the HODs noted that TIVET was theory based training and as such the trainees were less exposed to the practical aspects of their training a view that was supported by majority (77.1%) of the trainees. Based on the premises of discussions of the above findings, the study concludes that the public has a perception towards TIVET training as being a lower class education.
Towards an ICT Integrated Management of School Curriculum: A Review of the Status in Secondary Schools in Uasin-Gishu and Nandi Counties, Kenya
(Journal of Educational Policy and Entrepreneurial Research (JEPER), 2016) Dr. Kimosop, Maurice Kibet; Dr. Mulwa, David Musyoki
This paper delvesinto the status of integration of ICTs in the management of the teachinglearning process in secondary schools in two counties of UasinGishu and Nandi in Kenya. The main objective of the study was to examine the nature of ICTs in the schools, the capacity of users, and the level of integration of ICTs. The study employed the descriptive survey design. A total of 342 educators comprising of 57 head teachers and 285 teachers from 63 secondary schools at various stages of ICT integration were selected. Purposive sampling was used to select the head teachers and schools with functional ICTs while the teachers were selected using stratified random sampling. Data was collected through a questionnaire and an interview schedule. Data was analyzed descriptively by use of SPSS programme version 17 for frequencies, means and percentages. The results indicated that there was an acute shortage of computers but the few available were easily accessible to users. There was a high level of utilization of ICTs for the purpose of management of exams whereas integration into curriculum delivery and decision making was low. Most respondents were only trained on basic introductory computer programmes but few had been trained on application programmes for teaching and management. The study recommended that acquisition of computers be enhanced and the training of ICT to focus more on specialized application skills rather than basic operational skills. Head teachers should source for ICTs that enhance the performance of curriculum management practices. It is hoped that the study will benefit education policy makers and head teachers in adopting effective ICT integration strategies in secondary schools
Awareness and practice of servant leadership style through service in central Kenya conference secondary schools
(SAVAP International, 2016-12) Mulongo, Meshack Ambani
Examining Factors Contributing to Indiscipline in Primary Schools in Nyeri Central Sub-County, Kenya
(Pedagogical Research, 2018) Kagoiya, Patrick; Kagema, Njogu
School discipline is a core indicator of school effectiveness. Learner management is crucial and educational researchers need to focus on factors leading to indiscipline in schools. Guided by Planned Behaviour Theory that explores on guidance, counseling and good classroom management the study used the survey research design to sample 91 teachers randomly selected from 13 schools. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 head teachers. The research instruments used was Head Teachers’ and Teachers’ Questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.76. Data obtained was coded and analyzed quantitatively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS ver. 19). Its presentation was done by use of charts, tables, percentages and frequencies. The study found out that 55% of the teachers used guidance and counseling in enforcing discipline in schools while 7.1%) still use corporal punishment. The study concludes that absenteeism, truancy and lying were found to be prevalent in many schools and those teachers and parents are to take a great role in discipline management of learners. We recommend re-training of teachers on alternative methods of discipline. It is expected that the findings of the study will benefit education policy makers to use acceptable disciplinary procedures in schools.
Critical Appraisal of Teacher Education Programmes in Achieving Curriculum Goals in Kenya
(IJCI, 2018) Njogu, Kagema
This paper makes a critical appraisal of teacher education programmes in achieving curriculum goals. Teacher education refers to the policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school and wider community. Although ideally it should be conceived of, and organized as, a seamless continuum, teacher education is often divided into several stages, especially in Kenya. This paper, therefore, makes a critical evaluation of teacher education programmes in the Kenya school curriculum. It develops an understanding of the concepts in teacher education and the diversity of curriculum for teacher preparation at the respective stages from the neophyte or pre-primary stages to continuing education. It further examines the educational trends of post-independent Kenya in respect to teacher preparation as well as the diverse global perspectives. A comprehensive landscape of teacher education in Kenya is provided, drawing from the history. Finally, the paper dissects the emerging challenges of teacher education in Kenya in the realm of attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and makes recommendation of the prospects in this field associated with this kind of education in the attaining of the overall goals of education in Kenya
The School Curriculum and Its’ Influence on Teacher Motivation in Curriculum Implementation in Kenya
(Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2018-07) Kagema, Josphat
A review of empirical studies on teacher motivation indicates decreasing levels of motivation among secondary school teachers ultimately leading to minimal achievements of the projected Kenya’s Vision 2030. This study examined the school curriculum as a determinant of secondary school teacher motivation in Kenya in curriculum implementation. The research adopted a survey study design, adopting mixed methods research approach with an aim of fortifying and converging both quantitative and qualitative data. The respondents were sampled from 46 secondary schools located in Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties of Kenya. The findings of this study inform curriculum planners, education leadership and policy makers on the school curriculum as a core determinant of teacher motivation in secondary schools that influence curriculum implementation in Kenya.
An Analysis of Teacher Performance Appraisals and their Influence on Teacher Performance in Secondary Schools in Kenya
(Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 2018-07) Kagema, Josphat; Irungu, Cecilia
Every organization has an objective towards optimum performance and the employees are the key drivers in achieving that. It is necessary therefore that the employees’ performance reach optimality for the success of the organization which is a primary goal of every organization including learning institutions. The present research investigated the influence of teacher performance appraisals on teacher performance in secondary schools in Kenya. Employing stratified and simple random sampling methods, 46 secondary schools with 460 teachers in two counties in Kenya were taken as samples. The variables under research included teacher remuneration, government policies, school administration, the school environment, and the school curriculum, which were under investigation in form of comparisons, explanations, and relationships on the aspects of teacher motivation to perform well. The research found that teacher appraisals influenced teacher performance. In general, the teachers perceived that government policies are unfavorable to them in terms of career advancement and introduction of the policies in place. The paper concludes with recommendations on application of the appraisal system to motivate teachers and thereby improve the performance of learners. Keywords: Teacher Performance; Appraisals, Motivation; Management
Faculty Beliefs about Multilingualism and a Multilingual Pedagogical Approach
(ERIC, 2019) Kiambati, Kellen; Meiramova, Saltanat
Language skills are the ultimate 21st century social skill, linked to creativity, problem solving, and the ability to effectively communicate. Knowledge of teachers’ beliefs is central to understanding teachers’ decision-making in the classroom. In an interconnected and globalized world, foreign language is a global competency, and multilingualism is an essential social skill. Multilingualism plays a significant role in developing the intercultural skills necessary for global talent in a globalized workplace, for an effective and engaged cosmopolitan global citizen, and it is an essential tool in addressing complex global issues. In this study a sample of 151 faculty members participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The secondary data were collected from the documents in the ministry of Education. Study revealed that faculty beliefs affect multilingualism. The value of R2 of .45 indicates that 45% of the variations in multilingualism in learning is explained by faculty beliefs in general. This means that the universities need to take into consideration the multilingualism while teaching in institutions of higher learning.
Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitary Facilities and Pupil Participation in Education in Public Primary Schools in Kenya: A Case of Gichugu Constituency, Kirinyaga County
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019) Mwaruvie, John; Gachahi, W. Michael; Githaka, W. Priscah
Provision of safe water for consumption and appropriate sanitation facilities have variously been advocated as critical forerunners to pupil participation in primary school education. However, these facilities are not consistently provided, that in various schools, water and cleanliness services are in dilapidated condition and thus expose pupils to obvious health risk and unsafe learning environments. This study investigated the access to clean water for drinking and sanitary facilities and pupil participation in education in public primary schools in Gichugu Constituency, Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; assess the relationship between availability to safe drinking, establish the provision of sanitation facilities and pupil participation in public primary schools. The research design used in this study was the descriptive survey and the theory that guided it was the Social Constructionist of Sahlin. The target population covered 75 head teachers in public primary schools in Gichugu Constituency. Krecjie and Morgans formula was used in sample size determination which yielded a sample of 63 respondents and simple random sampling to select the study sample. A self-scoring questionnaire administered to the sampled respondents was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, namely frequencies and percentages were used in data analysis and was aided the computer software SPSS version 20. The findings were represented in form of frequency tables and narrations. The research revealed that most schools had hygienic and water for drinking available to the learners. The study also revealed that academic participation improved in schools where pupils had hygienic drinking water, while absence of clean water for drinking led to poor school. The study established that poor sanitation amenities led to occurrence of infections which affected learners’ participation in curricular activities. Lack of clean conveniences added to absenteeism and high occurrences of diseases among pupils in primary schools. In line with the findings, the study commends that the, National and County Governments and the local community should ensure that all public primary schools in Gichugu Constituency have been supplied with piped water in order to control infections that affect pupils’ attainment of education. Education stakeholders ought to underscore the provision of adequate sanitation facilities schools so as to advance pupils’ hygiene and participation in school.
Evaluating Principals’ Role in Curriculum Supervision through Effective Transformative Leadership
(Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2019-04) Kagema, Josphat
This paper makes a critical examination of the role of school principals and managers in enhancing curriculum supervision and reinforcing prudent teaching practices. This is through a plethora of activities such as analyzing teacher’s performance, providing meaningful feedback, enhancing collegial approaches in the school and developing instructional strategies that will help to achieve the curriculum goals. The administrators and school management also need to provide the instructional resources required to achieve the learning outcomes. It therefore calls for collaborative efforts between the school and the community within. A focus therefore is made on the nature of leadership that can drive to broadly achieve the overall school’s goals. Effective leadership has been examined by scholars and the concurrence is that there are appendages to it ranging from instructional leadership, transformative leadership, moral leadership, participative, contingency and managerial. A school principal need to blend the six approaches so that they are geared to learner’s achievement, work ethics and values, democratic ideals and social justice. Finally, the paper looks at the emerging concepts and trends in school supervision and how they have shaped the delivery of curriculum goals and directions of schools. It proposes on the direction that educational policy makers should adopt in view of making bringing success to school leadership for effective curriculum delivery.
Evaluating Principals’ Role in Curriculum Supervision through Effective Transformative Leadership
(Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2019-04-23) Kagema, Josphat
This paper makes a critical examination of the role of school principals and managers in enhancing curriculum supervision and reinforcing prudent teaching practices. This is through a plethora of activities such as analyzing teacher’s performance, providing meaningful feedback, enhancing collegial approaches in the school and developing instructional strategies that will help to achieve the curriculum goals. The administrators and school management also need to provide the instructional resources required to achieve the learning outcomes. It therefore calls for collaborative efforts between the school and the community within. A focus therefore is made on the nature of leadership that can drive to broadly achieve the overall school’s goals. Effective leadership has been examined by scholars and the concurrence is that there are appendages to it ranging from instructional leadership, transformative leadership, moral leadership, participative, contingency and managerial. A school principal need to blend the six approaches so that they are geared to learner’s achievement, work ethics and values, democratic ideals and social justice. Finally, the paper looks at the emerging concepts and trends in school supervision and how they have shaped the delivery of curriculum goals and directions of schools. It proposes on the direction that educational policy makers should adopt in view of making bringing success to school leadership for effective curriculum delivery.
Challenges Facing Technical Training Institutes in Kenya: A Case of Nyeri, County
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019-09) Kagema, Josephat; Wanjohi, E. Waihura; Kimiti, Richard; Kimosop, Maurice
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was deemed as a key ingredient for Kenyans Economic development by offering mid-level technical managers for industrial transformation. The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges facing Technical Training Institutions in Nyeri County, Kenya. The Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Theory formed the major theoretical framer for this study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 330 respondents among them Heads of Applied Sciences Department, Field Intern Supervisors and 275 interns from TVET institutions in the County. The study employed a questionnaire and interview guide as data collection instruments. The questionnaire and the interview guide were piloted to test for reliability and validity. Data analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative procedures using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 19 computer programme. Qualitative data was categorised into themes, coded and entered into the computer for analysis. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics (Chi-Test). The study showed that majority of the Head of Departments (HoDs) and TVET interns noted that TVET training was regarded as low-class education by the public. The study found that the respondents agreed that the technical institutions have well organized programmes for learners. The study also concluded that the technical institutes were poorly equipped for the market demand and often resulted in training with obsolete equipment. The Ministry of Industrialization together with the Ministry of Education should allocate more funding to technical institutions since they prepare middle level employees who are the key pillars of Kenyan’s achievement of the Vision 2030.
Relationship between the roles of Students’ Councils in Strikes Management Strategies: Case of Public Secondary Schools in Central Kenya
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019-09) Wanjohi, N. Esther; Kinyanjui, Josphat; Gitumu, Margaret
The ministry of education has compelled public secondary schools to constitute students representative councils in order to involve learners in decision making process and to provide a forum for students’ voice in school management so as to effectively address students’ problems. However, despite the constitution of students’ councils and their representation in the schools’ Board of Management, school strikes continue unabated and the relationship between school administrators and students remains unenthusiastic in public secondary schools in Central Kenya. The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between the role of students’ councils and students strikes in public secondary schools. The objectives of the study were to; establish the roles of the students’ council presidents and assess their attitudes towards strike management strategies used by administrators in secondary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was guided by Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs. The target population consisted of 847 students` council presidents in public secondary schools. The researcher employed simple random sampling technique and Gay’s sampling formula of 10% was used to determine the sample size, therefore 10% of 847 yielded a sample size of 85 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, aided by computer software SPSS version 21. Analyzed data revealed that the student council presidents were largely unaware of their functions relating to strike management strategies and that they felt left out in the strategies employed by their schools ( =3.30 on a scale of 1-5). The study further established that the student council presidents’ attitudes towards strike management strategies used by administrators were negative ( =1.71) on the scale used of 1-5. It had been hypothesized that there was no statistically significant relationship between strategies used in strike management and the role of SC presidents. To test the hypothesis, regression analysis was done, which yielded a coefficient of the role of student council presidents in strike management strategies was 0.106 and a tstatics of .330 with a p-value of 0.746. The null hypothesis was thus accepted and it was concluded that the role of student council presidents’ does not significantly influence strike management and thus has a non-significant positive relationship with strike management in schools. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that there is need to strengthen students’ councils and sensitize the presidents on their roles in strike management strategies in secondary schools. This implies the need to enforce adherence to the implementation of the student council policy with a view to compel schools to actualize the democratization of management practices in secondary schools in order to incorporate students concerns in decision making processes.
Effectiveness of Counselors in Managing Discipline in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya: Case of Mt. Kenya East Selected Counties
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019-09) Njoka, N. Johannes; Kimotho, W. Flora; Gitumu, W. Margaret
Various innovative approaches to shaping of students’ discipline have been introduced in schools since the banning of corporal punishment; one such strategy is the involvement of school counselors as an alternative to corporal punishments, unfortunately the effectiveness of such strategies have not been clearly documented. This study sought to analyze the effectiveness of school counselors in promoting learners’ discipline in public secondary schools in three Mt. Kenya East counties. The study was guided by the following research objectives, to analyze the prevalence of students’ indiscipline and evaluate the effectiveness of involvement of counselors in shaping discipline in public secondary schools. The hypothesis was that there was no relationship between the involvement of counselors and level of discipline. The target population comprised of 421 heads of counseling from all the 421 secondary schools from which a sample of 42 counselors were selected using the stratified random sampling. Questionnaires were used in data collection. Analysis of data was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of the study indicated that counseling was minimally used to promote student discipline in secondary schools. The findings from the test of hypothesis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the involvement of counselors shaping students’ discipline in public secondary schools. In order to establish whether a significant statistical relationship existed between prevalence of indiscipline and use of counseling in controlling misbehavior among learners in secondary schools, Pearson r correlation was computed which yielded r = + .097, n = 42, p < .0005. The null hypothesis was thus accepted and it was concluded on the need to strengthen counseling to enhance discipline. The study recommends enhancement of counseling with a view to integrating counselors in school management and decisionmaking organs such as Boards of Management.
Influence of Principals’ Collaborative Practices on Students’ Performance in Secondary Schools in Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties, Kenya
(Journal of Education, 2019-11) Irungu, Cecilia; Kagema, Josphat; Gachahi, Michael
Despite the fact that Kenyan children have more opportunities to attend school, there still remains large gaps in learning outcomes. This stagnation in learning is confirmed by results of national examinations including Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). According to KCSE examinations results analysis, performance in secondary schools in different parts of Kenya is still below expectations and this trend is worrying. The number of students in Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties who have continuously scored grade D+ and below every year have consistently remained high compared to those attaining university minimum admission grade of C+ and above. This low performance has persisted despite most schools having adequate and well trained teachers as well as adequate facilities. This study examined the influence of principals’ collaborative practices on students’ performance in Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties, Kenya. The study involved a sample of 205 principals and 367 teachers selected from 436 secondary schools in the two counties. The researchers used validated questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data from teachers and principals respectively. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that principals’ promotion of collaborative practices was higher in Kirinyaga than in Murang’a County. It was noted that secondary schools in Kirinyaga County post better results in KCSE than those in Murang’a County and the study concluded that collaborative practices enhanced academic performance. This study recommended that principals should promote collaborative practices in their schools. This can be done through engaging stakeholders in networking and linkages that promote collaboration and can lead to better academic performance.