INFLUENCE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT FACTORS ON TRANSFER OF TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN NYERI COUNTY KENYA

Abstract

Despite heavy investments in training and development, low quality education standards and challenges in workplace environment have been a sticky problem in the Kenyan education sector. The general objective of this study was to assess the influence of work environment factors on transfer of training for public secondary principals in Nyeri County. Specifically the study sought to establish the influence of leadership support, resources support, job autonomy and management policies on transfer of training for public secondary principals in Nyeri County. The study was anchored on Learning Transfer Model. Organization Theory was adopted to guide the study. The scope of study was Nyeri County. The target population comprised of 226 Principals of public secondary schools. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw a sample size of 69 respondents to participate in the study. The study used descriptive research design. Structured questionnaires comprising of open and closed-ended questions were distributed to the Principals. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20 was used for onwards analysis of data. Data was analyzed using descriptive tools including averages, percentages, frequency distributions and variability measure. Simple and multiple regression analysis and correlations were used to correlate dependent and independent variables. The study established that management policies had the greatest influence in transfer of training (r2=0.234) followed by job autonomy (r2=0.166), leadership support (r2=0.142), with least being resources support (r2=0.096). Overall relationship between dependent and independent variables was 35.6% (r2 = 0.356). Therefore, variation in transfer of training for Principals in Nyeri County is explained by 64.4% of other factors other than work environment. The regression model (F(4,58) = 8.009, p = 0.001<0.05) indicated that the predictor variables were reliable and significantly better prediction of the level of transfer of training for school heads. The study thus concluded that leadership support, resources support, job autonomy and management policies influence transfer of training. Inadequacy in resources, unsupportive leadership and policies and limited autonomy, limited the level of training transfer in school management. The study recommended that policies be developed to improve the work environment factors to enhance the level of transfer of training for Principals. The findings of this study will provide a deeper insight on enhancing training transfer for Principals to the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission and other education stakeholders.