INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON

STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN KENYA CERTIFICATE OF

SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION IN KIRINYAGA
COUNTY, KENYA

NJANGI P MUIRURI
E55/CE/21985/2012

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS OF EDUCATION DEGREE IN THE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL
MANAGEMENT, POLICY AND CURRICULUM STUDIES IN OF
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

NOVEMBER, 2019
 DECLARATION

I confirm that this research project is my original work and has not been presented in

any other university/institution for certification. The project has been complemented

by referenced works duly acknowledged. Where text, data, graphics, pictures or tables

have been borrowed from other works – including the internet, the sources are

specifically accredited through referencing in accordance with anti-plagiarism

regulations.

Signature Date
Njangi P. Muiruri
E55/CE/21985/2012

Supervisors’ Declaration
We confirm that the work reported in this project was carried out by the candidate
under our supervision as University supervisors.

Signature Date
Dr. Mukirae Njihia
Lecturer,
Department of Educational Management,
Policy and Curriculum Studies,
Kenyatta University

Signature Date
Dr. Joseph Mungai
Lecturer,
Department of Educational Management,
Policy and Curriculum Studies,
Kenyatta University

ii
 DEDICATION

Special dedication to my household for tirelessly offering me the requisite support and

continually encouraging me to achieve the highest.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The compilation of this report wouldn’t have materialized without the assistance,

backing and guidance of innumerable characters and parties whom I am obliged to

thank. Firstly, I give my sincere appreciation to God Almighty for the robust health

granted unto me during the development of this project. Secondly, I profoundly

acknowledge my supervisors, Dr. Mukirae Njihia and Dr. Joseph Mungai for their

persistent advice and supervision throughout the entire period of doing this work.

Their feedback in the development of this work greatly influenced its success. I also

recognize my colleagues for their moral encouragement in seeing that this work was

completed successfully. In addition, I give thanks to the management and

administration of Kenyatta University who granted me a chance to undertake my

postgraduate degree programme in this prestigious institution. Lastly, I am grateful to

my family for their perseverance in times of my absence just to guarantee the

accomplishment of this project.

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION........................................................................................................ ii
DEDICATION........................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................ iv
TABLE OF CONTENT ............................................................................................. v
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ viii
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... ix
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................. x
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1

1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Background to the Study.................................................................................. 1
1.3 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................. 8
1.4 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................ 8
1.5 Objectives of the Study .................................................................................... 9
1.6 Research Questions .......................................................................................... 9
1.7 Significance of the Study ............................................................................... 10
1.8 Limitation and Delimitation of the Study ...................................................... 11
1.8.1 Limitations of the Study..................................................................... 11
1.8.2 Delimitation of the Study ................................................................... 11
1.9 Assumptions of the Study .............................................................................. 12
1.10 Theoretical Framework of the Study ............................................................. 12
1.11 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................. 14
1.12 Operational Definitions of Terms .................................................................. 15

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................ 17

2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 17
2.2 Influence of School Leadership on Students’ Academic Performance ......... 17
2.3 Influence of Monitoring on Student Academic Performance ........................ 21
2.4 Influence of Personnel Management on Student Academic Performance ..... 24
2.5 Influence of Target Setting on Students’ Academic Performance ................. 26

v
2.6 Summary and Research Gaps ........................................................................ 28

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............ 29

3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 29
3.2 Research Design............................................................................................. 29
3.3 Location of the Study ..................................................................................... 29
3.4 Target Population ........................................................................................... 30
3.5 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size ......................................................... 30
3.5.1 Sampling Technique .......................................................................... 30
3.5.2 Sample Size ........................................................................................ 30
3.6 Research Instruments ..................................................................................... 31
3.7 Pilot Study...................................................................................................... 32
3.7.1 Validity of Instruments ...................................................................... 32
3.7.2 Reliability of Instruments .................................................................. 32
3.8 Data Collection Procedure ............................................................................. 33
3.9 Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 33
3.10 Logistical and Ethical Considerations ........................................................... 34
3.10.1 Logistical Considerations.................................................................... 34
3.10.2 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................ 35

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS, INTERPRETATION

AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................................. 36
4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 36
4.2 General and Demographic Information ......................................................... 36
4.2.1 General Information and Return Rate ................................................ 36
4.2.2 Respondents’ Highest Educational Qualifications............................. 38
4.2.3 Respondents’ Length of Service in their Current Position ................ 39
4.3 Influence of School Leadership on Students’ Academic Performance ......... 41
4.3.1 Principals’ Leadership Behaviour Influence on Students’ Academic
Performance ....................................................................................... 43
4.3.2 Qualities of Principals’ Leadership Behaviour Influencing Student
Academic Outcome ............................................................................ 46

vi
4.4 Influence of Monitoring on Students’ Academic Performance ..................... 49
4.4.1 Principals’ Monitoring Practices on Students’ Academic
Performance ....................................................................................... 52
4.4.2 Challenges Encountered by Principals in Monitoring ....................... 54
4.5 Influence of Personnel Management/Incentives on Student Academic
Performance ................................................................................................... 57
4.5.1 Motivation of Teachers by the Principals .......................................... 59
4.5.2 Modes of Motivating Teachers .......................................................... 60
4.6 Influence of Target Setting on Students’ Academic Performance................. 61
4.6.1 Kinds of Targets Set in Secondary Schools ....................................... 63

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 65
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 65
5.2 Summary ........................................................................................................ 65
5.3 Conclusions of the Study ............................................................................... 66
5.4 Recommendations of the Study ..................................................................... 67
5.5 Suggestions for Further Research .................................................................. 67

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 68

APPENDICE ............................................................................................................ 74
Appendix I: Consent Letter .............................................................................. 74
Appendix II: Questionnaire for Principals, HODS, PTA And BOM
Chairpersons ................................................................................ 75
Appendix III: Student Council Chairperson Questionnaire ................................ 81

vii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: School Management Index Score by Country .......................................2

Figure 1.2: Average Mean Performance in Aberdare Region (2013-2017) .............7

Figure 1.3: Conceptual Framework ........................................................................14

Figure 4.1: Categories of Respondents by Size ......................................................37

Figure 4.2: Principals' Leadership Behaviour Influence on Students’ Academic

Performance .........................................................................................44

Figure 4.3: Influence of Monitoring on Students’' Academic Performance ..........53

Figure 4.4: Influence of Incentives on Students’ Academic Performance .............57

Figure 4.5: Target Setting Influence on Student Academic Performance ..............62

viii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Sampling Frame ................................................................................. 31

Table 3.2: Reliability Statistics ........................................................................... 33

Table 3.3: Data Analysis Matrix ......................................................................... 34

Table 4.1: Academic Qualifications of Respondents .......................................... 38

Table 4.2: Length of Service of Respondents ..................................................... 40

Table 4.3: Leadership Styles of the Principals .................................................... 41

Table 4.4: Leadership Qualities of Principals ..................................................... 47

Table 4.5: Principal Practices on Monitoring ..................................................... 50

Table 4.6: Motivation of Teachers by Principals ................................................ 59

Table 4.7: Form of Motivation in Kirinyaga East Sub-County Secondary

Schools ............................................................................................... 60

Table 4.8: Targets Set in Secondary Schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County .... 64

ix
 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

APA : American Psychological Association

BoM : Board of Management

CEP : Centre for Economic Performance

DEB : District Education Board

H/M : Head Master or Mistress

HoD : Head of Department

KCPE : Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

KCSE : Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

KEMI : Kenya Management Institute

KNEC : Kenya National Examinations Council

NACOSTI: National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation

PED : Primary Education Development

PTA : Parent Teachers Association

SIP : School Improvement Project

SPSS : Statistical Package for Social Sciences

UAE : United Arab Emirates

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

x
 ABSTRACT

Studies globally have attempted to examine the influence of managerial practices of

principals on academic performance of the students. However, no published studies
have been done to establish the influence of principals’ management practices on
students’ academic outcome in secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County,
Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence of
principals’ school management practices on students’ academic performance in
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in Kirinyaga East Sub-County,
Kirinyaga County. The objectives of this study were to: find out the influence of
school leadership on students’ performance in KCSE; establish the influence of
monitoring on students’ performance in KCSE; find out the influence of personnel
management of students’ performance and to establish the influence of target setting
on students’ performance. The study was based on contingency theory. The study
adopted a descriptive research design. The study target population was 432
comprising of school principals, heads of departments, boards of management
chairpersons, parent teachers association chairpersons and student council
chairpersons all drawn from 36 secondary schools. The respondents were grouped
into strata and simple random sampling technique used to select a sample of 207
subjects. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed with the aid of
Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. The overall response from all the
respondents was 73.91%. The study established that the principals practised more
than one leadership style with the most preferred being instructional and
transformational leadership. Further, 78.4% of the participants strongly held that
principals’ leadership influenced students’ academic performance. It was also
established that monitoring had great influence on student academic performance
given a mean of 4.36 (SD = 0.61). Further, the study established that 67.3% of the
respondents were skeptical on whether motivation influenced students’ academic
performance. In addition, with overall mean of 4.61 (SD = 0.49), it was revealed that
target setting had influence on students’ academic performance. The study concludes
that the principals adopted contingency measures in their leadership styles. The study
also concludes that leadership, target setting and monitoring have a high influence on
students’ academic performance. The study recommends that Teachers Service
Commission should recruit adequate teachers in public secondary schools so that the
principals may focus on school management as opposed to being in classes most of
the time. The study also recommends that the political leaders should work
harmoniously with school management for the benefit of the students and schools.
The study further recommends that the principals should continue exercising
instructional and transformational leadership styles in their schools.

xi
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the background to the study, the problem statement, and

objectives of the study as well as the research questions that the study sought to

answer. In addition, the chapter presents the significance of the study, the scope of the

study and the assumptions made during the study. Lastly, the theoretical framework,

conceptual framework and definition of terms as used in this study is also presented.

1.2 Background to the Study

The determinants of students’ academic performance and on policies that improve

performance have been largely documented particularly in societies where emphasis

is laid on performance rather than acquisition of skills and knowledge. Similarly,

school performance, frequently, is solely evaluated through output measures such as

wastage rates, completion rates, progression rates and more so through examination

classification (Sarrico, Rosa, & Manatos, 2012). Although there are varying aspects

with the potential of negatively affecting educational standards, a fundamental factor

to be considered in this regard is school management practices of the principals.

Despite the literature providing detailed discussions on school performance measures,

gaps still exist and which warrant investigation with regard to contributing factors of

that performance in as far as school managerial practices is concerned (Sarrico et al.,

2012).

1
According to the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), better management of

school has been associated with improved pupil academic achievement in both the

developed and the developing countries (Lemos, 2014). In fact, Lemos (2014) posits

that school management practices, in comparison to other factors such as teaching

quality, competition and class size, has been found to have a superior impact on

students’ academic outcome. The management practices are classified under 5

specific key areas which include incentive/personnel management, leadership, target

setting, monitoring and operations (Liberto, Schivardi, & Sulis, 2013). These

practices differ significantly across countries with regard to their adoption (Lemos,

2014) as Figure 1.1 illustrates.

Figure 1.1: School Management Index Score by Country

Source: Lemos (2014)

The centrality of effective leadership has been supported by various research studies

in successful and effective schools as well as student academic outcomes (Salfi,

2011). From time to time, different countries globally have had educational reforms

with emphasis on the value of school leadership in its enhancement as well as

effectiveness. Wide ranging research has shown the substantial outcome of leadership
2
on the academic performance of the learners in schools (Leithwood, Seashore,

Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). It is contended that leaders considered effective

employ ancillary but weighty influence on students’ academic outcome and on school

effectiveness (Gurr, Drysdale, & Mulford, 2005). Today, the current practice is one in

which educators are moving from heroic leadership that is considered obsolete

(Lashway, 2003) to distributed leadership (Spillane, 2006). Distributed leadership, for

instance in Washington, D.C has been found to have statistical significance

particularly in Mathematics subject (Monique, 2009). In Kenya, Mathematics subjects

was one of the poorly performed subjects in 2017 KCSE with nearly 90% of the

candidates scoring grade C and below (Otieno, 2017).

In the United States of America (USA) many districts and states are spearheading

reforms aimed at making principals to be accountable for school performance (Heck,

2011). This was necessitated by the realization that strong leadership by the principle

indirectly affects school academic performance. Similarly, Australia has over the last

30 years pursued educational reforms with the intention of raising the achievement

standards of students (Cruickshank, 2017). An area of interest in education reforms in

Australia is the school leadership. England too has over the couple of years witnessed

a remarkably consistent effort in education reforms that are aimed at holding school

principals accountable for improving student performance on whether national or state

tests (Leithwood & Day, 2008). The interest on school leadership demonstrates the

seriousness with which it is considered to be influencing student academic outcome.

3
Personnel management is concerned specifically with human resource management

and entails rewarding and promotion of employees, sanctioning non-performing

teachers, recruiting the best teachers and retaining the best ones (Liberto et al., 2013).

Student achievement data (Heck, 2009) is logically used as the base upon which

school management and teacher performance could be judged. It is not uncommon to

observe celebrations and rewards among school management and teachers whose

schools are greatly ranked through exam classification. In Chile, for instance, tutors

working in well performing schools are rewarded collectively by the National

Performance Evaluation System of Subsidized Schools (OECD, 2017). This is part of

key specific management area (incentive/personnel management). Equally, there

should be sanctions for underperformance because in as much as those producing

better results are appreciated and rewarded, it is essential that school management and

teachers shouldn’t fail to be blamed or fail to take a portion of blame when the

learners perform poorly.

Keller, Neumann, & Fischer (2016) note that in Germany and Switzerland, teacher

motivation predicts student interest in a subject and subsequently their academic

performance. The fact that teachers matter was found to be central as determinant of

learners academic accomplishment (Hattie, 2009). Empirical evidence shows the

criticality of roles that teachers play in as far as student outcomes is concerned (Abell,

2007; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005; Kunter et al., 2013; Sadler, Sonnert, Coyle, Cook-

Smith, & Miller, 2013). The Kenyan education system is one in which teachers have

limited chances of being extrinsically rewarded and perhaps it could be a cause for the

bad performance of students in their national examinations. It is worth noting that

4
manpower is the chief resource in any sector. Therefore, the hallmark of school

success and progress is dependent on the adoption of best practices in personnel

management (Mugera, 2015).

Namfukwe (2016) in Zambia reveals that monitoring and evaluation influences

teacher performance towards the improvement of teaching as well as learning. Ideally,

this means that it will have a spiral effect by influencing the students’ performance.

Tools for monitoring progress have in the recent past been considered core in

achieving success (Scherman & Fraser, 2017). Performance monitoring has been

established to have positive impact on mathematics subject scores in public secondary

schools in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Tavares, 2015). This influence was primarily observable

among learners with major learning disabilities as well as low performing students. In

monitoring, principals have to exhibit such behaviors as individually meeting with

teachers and discussing student progress, discussing academic performance results

with teachers, using tests in assessing progress towards goals of the school, apprising

tutors in writing of the performance of the school and informing students of the

academic progress of the school (Chappelear & Price, 2012).

Target setting motivates an individual to exert effort, persist and focus their attention

to produce the desired outcome. According to Idowu, Chibuzoh, & Louisa (2014),

target setting for the students in Nigeria showed that their performance improved

when closely monitored. Where targets are set, students usually make an observation,

judgment and react to their inner perception of target progress and where there are

commitments made, then it becomes a base against which comparison can be made

5
between performance and the set targets. Whereas self-assessment of improvement

raises and sustains incentive, apparent incongruity between the targets and

performance creates a dissatisfaction whose effect will be demonstrated by one

putting in extra effort (Idowu et al., 2014). Target setting does not only exert pressure

to the students to deliver but also teachers as well. This means that teachers will also

put in extra effort to achieve the set and maintain or to continuously improve on the

targets.

Student performance in KCPE in Kirinyaga County is good and this is not reflected in

their performance in KCSE or even when compared to the neighbouring counties (see

Figure 1.2). In an investigation by District Education Board [DEB] (2013), it was

revealed that the average entry behaviour of students in this sub-county who were

joining form one was 59.2 percent at KCPE level and this mark continually declined

to 45 per cent at the time the students undertake their KCSE examinations. This

revelation in the considered opinion of the researcher warrants to be investigated in

order to establish what transpires to lead to the decline of the marks since these

students are from same geographical area and family background and join post

primary schools in the same locality. There is a perception among parents that the

academic performance of students is influenced by the school management and

teachers.

6
 7 6.42

6
5.06
4.83
Mean Performance

5
4.09 3.91
4 3.66
3.24 3.1
2.94 2.93
3

2 1.64

Aberdare Region

Figure 1.2: Average Mean Performance in Aberdare Region (2013-2017)

School principals being the principal managers in educational institutions are

considered as playing a central role in educational achievement while the teachers

translate policy into action. The foregoing discussion imputes that ineffective teachers

and school management would have the students whose academic progress is

inadequate. The pattern of low performance would run across regardless of individual

student potential in their achievement academically. The fact that the students perform

better in KCPE perhaps would mean that their background may not be significant

leaving emphasis to be laid on school management in secondary schools. It is against

this argument that the study sought to find out the influence that school managerial

practices has on the academic performance of students. Specifically, the practices are

studied are leadership, monitoring, target setting and personnel management.

7
1.3 Statement of the Problem

According to Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), better school management has

been associated with better student academic performance. Much literature on

educational outcome in Kenya has been dominated with such factors as quality of

teaching, class sizes, instructional resources, competition and background of the

learners among others with little emphasis being attributed to school management

practices. Despite the primary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County performing well

in KCPE examinations, the same performance is not translated in KCSE examinations

as the performance in almost all schools is below average. This lower performance in

KCSE comes in light of the foregoing factors that have been studied and their impact

on educational outcome established. Unless, the causal factor of the below average

performance in Kirinyaga East Sub-County is established, the performance of the

students could continue to deteriorate and spark an uproar among concerned

educational stakeholders. It is against this background of below average performance

and the less studied concept of school management practices that this study sought to

investigate secondary school management practices that could be contributing to this

state of affairs.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to establish ways of improving secondary schools

students’ academic performance in KCSE examinations in Kirinyaga East Sub-

County by studying school management practices.

8
1.5 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to;

1. Find out the influence of school leadership on students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County.

2. Establish the influence of monitoring on students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County.

3. Find out the influence of personnel management on students’ performance in

KCSE in Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County.

4. Establish the influence of target setting on students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County.

1.6 Research Questions

The following are the research questions that the study sought to answer.

1. What is the influence of school leadership on students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County?

2. What is the influence of monitoring of students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County?

3. What is the influence of personnel management on students’ performance in

KCSE in Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County?

4. What is the influence of target setting on students’ performance in KCSE in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County?

9
1.7 Significance of the Study

The study may be significant to various parties and groups who are interested in

educational matters. First the study may be significant to the school management and

administration personnel as they would understand the influence of management

practices on students’ performance. Correctional strategies would be taken by the

school managers with the aim of improving the students’ academic performance in the

likely event that management practices are considered the possible cause of poor

performance. Secondly, the study may be of significance to the teachers. The study

may provide an opportunity for the teachers to improve their decision making

strategies. It would serve as an eye opener to the teachers who are involved in the

decision making of the school in order to yield outcome that may be considered

appropriate in enhancing the student performance.

Thirdly, the study may be significant to the researchers who would be interested in

conducting related studies. It would provide literature that may form the basis of their

work as well as for comparison purposes. The study may also provide foundation for

further research among scholars in the education field through suggestions that are

provided in this work. In addition, the study may provide literature to those who are

interested in general knowledge on the impact of school management practices on

students’ academic performance in Kirinyaga East Sub-County. Lastly, the study

contributes to the body of literature by offering an understanding on managerial

practices in secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County.

10
1.8 Limitation and Delimitation of the Study

Presented hereunder are the study limitations and delimitations.

1.8.1 Limitations of the Study

The researcher encountered uncooperative respondents who were unwilling to

respond to the questionnaires as they believed the study was about a fault-finding

mission on the school management practices that were contributing to the poor

performance in examinations. However, to overcome this limitation, the researcher

succinctly explained the purpose and significance of the study to the respondents as

well as assuring them of confidentiality, privacy and anonymity. In addition, given

that the study was conducted during the official school working hours, this meant that

the researcher had limited time to conduct a comprehensive study. To counter this

limitation, the researcher was able to seek permission so as to have adequate time to

conduct the study.

1.8.2 Delimitation of the Study

The study was carried out solely in the secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-

County despite there being other schools in the larger Kirinyaga County. The

researcher had to confine the study to one region due to financial and time constraints

that would not allow the study to be conducted in an expanded geographical region.

The defined regional scope of the study also meant that the findings of the study could

not be generalized to all the secondary schools in Kirinyaga County. Furthermore,

despite there being wide ranging factors that contribute to poor academic performance

11
in secondary schools, the study only concentrated on understanding how the school

management practices were influencing the students’ academic performance.

1.9 Assumptions of the Study

The study was based on the assumptions that;

1. School management practices have an influence on the students’ academic

performance.

2. The management practices were practised by the principals.

3. The respondents were honest, sincere and truthful in their responses.

1.10 Theoretical Framework of the Study

This study was based on contingency theory (Fiedler, 1964). The theory was proposed

in 1964 by Fred Edward Fiedler, an Austrian psychologist. This theory works on the

presumption that there is no single best way to organizational leadership and decision

making, but the optimal course of action is one that is contingent (dependent) upon

the external and internal situation. The theory offers no specific management

principles that are applicable in any situation. Contingency theory emphasizes both

the situation in which the leader operates and the leader’s personality.

The situation concept of this theory comprises three factors which determine the

favorableness of the various situations in an organization. The first factor is the

leader-member relations which deal generally with the group atmosphere and feelings

such as confidence, loyalty and trust that the group has for its leader. Similarly, in the

school scenario, the relations between the principals and the parents, staff, students as

well as the community is integral in ensuring the effective and successful

12
management of the schools. School managers must be in a capacity to inspire

confidence, loyalty and trust among their members.

The second factor related to the concept of situation in contingency theory is the task

structure. Task structure according to Fiedler refers to the clarity of tasks and the

means to the accomplishment of the tasks. The tasks of the teachers have to be clearly

explained and structured by the school principals. Tasks are viewed unfavorably when

they are vague and unstructured and the team as well the leader have little knowledge

on how they could be achieved. A high degree of task structure increases employee

motivation and this could probably be observed in the students’ academic

achievement.

The third factor is position power which refers to the amount of reward-punishment

authority that the leader can exercise against the group members. School principals

possess inherent power in their position to direct their members and provide

punishment or reward. The reward and punishment system could aid the members to

perform better in fear of sanctions or strive towards being rewarded. This could

essentially be seen in the students’ performance.

This theory was appropriate as it deals in particular the manner in which managers

have to approach situations which is all about management. There are numerous

situations that are bound to occur in a school setup. In recognition of the fact that

there is no single best way to managing the school situations, it will be incumbent

upon the principals to make use of the contingency perspective. The principal has to

13
determine the managerial approach that would be the most effective in handling a

given situation. There is need for principals to understand situational differences and

avoid the classical “one best way” arguments and respond appropriately to these

situations given their management roles. This management approach means that the

principals have to depend on their judgment and experience in responding to a given

situation.

1.11 Conceptual Framework

School Management Practices

High student academic achievement

Monitoring

Student Outcome (Dependent variable)

- High student completion rates

Leadership

Target setting

Personnel management

Intervening variable
-

Independent variables Principals’ training

Figure 1.3: Conceptual Framework

Source: Researcher (2019)

Figure 1.1 shows the dependent variable (students’ academic outcome) as being

influenced by the independent as well as intervening variable. The figure shows that

variables such as performance monitoring, school leadership, target setting and

incentives/personnel management have direct impact on the student outcome both in

14
terms of academic achievement and completion rates. In the event that these

independent variables are not fully realized by the school principals, training of

principals which is an intervening variable could be vital in the attainment of student

outcome.

1.12 Operational Definitions of Terms

Attitude – How educational stakeholders feel or think about school management

practices in relation to the students’ performance in KCSE.

Communication – The process and medium employed by principals to pass

information in the school.

Decentralization – The transfer of authority from central school board to other unit

heads of the school.

Expertise – The managerial competence, skills and knowledge that principals exhibit

in an effort to improve the students’ academic performance.

Governance – It relates to the power to define expectation or verify performance or

decision-making.

Impact – The influence or effect that management practices has on the students’

academic performance.

Leadership – The process of guiding and enlisting the energies and talents of parents,

students and teachers towards achievement of common educational goals.

Management – The act of the principals in utilizing the leadership skills of planning,

organizing, staffing, directing, controlling and decision making with the intent of

improving academic performance.

15
Management practice – Managerial skills and behavior exhibited by school

managers and administrators in performance of their duties.

Monitoring – Observation of students’ academic progress in their subjects on an

ongoing basis.

Personnel management – Encompasses leading, motivating, training, inspiring and

encouraging teachers.

Performance – The level of students’ academic achievement in examinations.

Target setting – The identification of academic milestones to be achieved by the

students.

Teaching/learning resources – All the materials used by the teachers to enhance the

delivery of the content of the lesson.

16
 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

In this chapter, the study presents the literature review based on various themes

arising from objectives of the study. The literature is reviewed from such sources as

journal articles, published theses and dissertations, books, conference proceedings,

internet and other credible information sources. The chapter eventually concludes

with a summary and the gaps identified in the course of the literature.

2.2 Influence of School Leadership on Students’ Academic Performance

Numerous educational reforms in the past years have purposed to raise the academic

achievement standards among students and in Australia, these reforms have placed

school leadership in a position of being great interest in global education

(Cruickshank, 2017). The interest in school leadership is based on the belief that it can

significantly influence whether directly or indirectly, the teaching and learning quality

in schools, and as a result student achievement. School leadership is increasingly

gaining recognition in the role it is playing in improving the academic outcomes of

learners (Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016) and hence the need to interrogate how it

influences academic performance of students in Kirinyaga East Sub-County.

Leithwood, Jantzi, & McElheron-Hopkins (2006) suggest that besides classroom

teaching, leadership style is the biggest second influence on student learning. In

educational related literature, the most and regularly cited theories are

transformational leadership and instructional leadership (Robinson, 2007). These two

17
theories have been endorsed by researchers as being appropriate leadership models for

school principals despite the availability of various theories on leadership (Hallinger,

2010; Shatzer, Caldarella, Hallam, & Brown, 2014). Instructional leadership model

posts that the principal should concentrate his/her efforts in promoting better student

academic outcomes as well as being keen on the improvement of classroom teaching

and learning quality (Day et al., 2016). According to Muasya (2018), instructional

leadership practices and student academic performance are strongly associated.

Transformation leadership, on the other hand, strives to establish a school culture and

vision in which school teaching and learning quality is enhanced, personnel are

developed which overly improves the institution (Shatzer et al., 2014).

The study by Salfi (2011) in Pakistan sought to identify elementary and secondary

school principals’ successful leadership practices. The study was confined to the

principals who were working in government institutions and the data collected from

students, parents, teachers and principals. The study findings revealed that according

to majority of the principals whose schools were successful, the principals involved

the community and parents in the school improvement process, emphasized their self-

professional development as well as that of their teachers, developed and maintained

rapport among the school community personnel and involved various stakeholders in

the decision making process. In addition, the principals empowered others to lead by

distributing leadership responsibilities through delegation in the entire school,

promoted a culture of trust, support and collaboration. The principals also developed a

shared and common school vision. This study finding imply that principals may adopt

leadership qualities that are effective for school improvement. However, it raises

18
questions as to whether the findings can only be applicable to countries with similar

socio-economic status and hence the need for other studies on this aspect of

leadership.

Wang, Drysdale, & Gurr (2016) explored the characteristics and practices of

principals in four Singaporean primary schools that were considered successful. The

data were collected from school board members, parents, students, teaching and non-

teaching staff and the school principal. The study established the school principals

contributed greatly to success in their respective schools. The principals were found to

display various characteristics. Among them are enhancing the professional

development of both teaching and non-teaching staff, establishing meaningful

partnerships with key stakeholders both within and outside the school. Worth noting

in this study was the principals describing as their leadership style as having been

built upon the legacy of the principals they were succeeding. This may imply that

regardless of the characteristics of leadership of the principals, they are expected to

match those who precede them. Whilst this study focused on primary schools, the

current study focused on secondary schools. Furthermore, the fact that the study only

studied four schools may imply that the sampled schools could be inadequate to

generalize the findings. Hairon & Goh (2015) in Singapore noted that distributed

leadership was exercised within relatively tight empowerment boundaries. However,

it was also noted that there was evidence of genuine collective engagement and shared

decision making.

19
In Cyprus, Kyriakides, Kythreotis, & Pashiardis (2010) interrogate through a

longitudinal study the effects of school heads’ leadership on learner academic

achievement. The study findings inferred that the leadership style of school principals

plays a prominent role in learners’ academic outcome. Despite this study stressing the

role the leadership style plays as a factor in contributing to student academic

achievement, Kyriakides, Kythreotis, & Pashiardis (2010) note that a debate exists

about this factor as one category is edged on the proposition that there is a direct

influence of this factor on student academic achievement whereas another category

opines that there is an indirect influence of this factor on student academic

achievement. It was thus necessary to conduct this study so as to interrogate these

claims and see which studies would be supported.

Alhosani, Singh, & Al Nahyan (2017) identify educational leadership as a variable

that plays a significant role in aiding enhance academic attainment of the learners in

United Arab Emirates (UAE). Khaki & Safdar (2010) refer to educational leadership

as the guiding process in which energies of parents, students and teachers are directed

towards the achievement of common educational goals. Educational leadership is thus

aimed at creating a synergy among teachers, students and parents in order to realize

what the school stands for and work towards its attainment. This means that despite

the principals being the managers and administrators of the institutions, they have to

consult with parents, teachers and students and not make unilateral decisions.

20
2.3 Influence of Monitoring on Student Academic Performance

According to Lezotte (2010), monitoring of teaching and learning entails close

examination of both learner academic results as well as the effectiveness of classroom

procedures. Monitoring of learning is tracked through parameters such as assessment

of test scores, products developed by students, performances among other learning

evidence. Monitoring of teaching is through self-reflection of teachers themselves and

by their supervisors through teacher evaluation. Assessment results of test scores is

used in the planning of individual learner instruction as well as in informing decision

making and planning for the entire school. Data realized from school and classroom

practices in monitoring is used to modify the teaching of the teachers so as improve

student performance.

Sarrico et al., (2012) examine school management practices and their influence of

school academic outcome in Portuguese secondary schools and monitoring was once

of the objective under study. The study found that the schools do not have well

developed performance management and self-evaluation measures. Despite majority

of the schools monitoring examination results, completion and progression rates, the

schools lacked a systematic and formal way of doing this and hence found difficulties

in understanding the reasons for the obtained results. This implies that unless the

Portuguese secondary schools develop a systematic and formal framework for

performance management and self-evaluation, the schools are likely to make no

improvement in the academic outcomes. This is because, the reasons underlying the

results obtained are yet to be ironed out. The stakeholders involved in the monitoring

exercise in this study were teachers with more responsibilities such as class teachers,

21
heads of departments and directors. The study fails to include other stakeholders who

have vested interests in educational performance and among them are the parents as

well as the board of management.

In Mombasa County, Mwatsuma, Mulambe, Mrope, & Cherutich (2012) interrogate

the role of leadership in primary schools performance. The study findings show that

effectiveness of principals in monitoring the staff has a significant correlation with the

mean score of the school. The fact that there is an improved school mean score

demonstrates that in one way or another, student performance is influenced by

monitoring practices of the principals. Staff monitoring entails, the attendance of

classes by the teachers as well as their teaching methodologies. Unlike this study

which was conducted in primary schools in Mombasa, the present study was

conducted in secondary schools in Kirinyaga County. The study locale differences

constitute a research gap that the study sought to fill and determine whether there

could be any association between monitoring practices in primary and secondary

schools in as far as performance is concerned.

Waweru & Orodho (2014) in their study in Kiambu County sought to establish the

impact of monitoring teaching and learning process has on learners’ performance

academically. Contrary to other studies, this study findings illustrate that monitoring

of teaching and learning process, singly, does not translate to enhanced learners’

performance academically. This finding contradicts the findings of many scholars

who hold the view that strict monitoring practices by principals has a positive

influence on students’ academic performance. This contradictory findings are an

indication of existence of a research gap. Hence it was vital for this study to be

22
conducted in order to establish whether the present study would agree or disagree

with the other majority of scholars.

Monitoring of learner progress has been identified as a strong indicator of their

academic achievement. Continuously monitoring the student progress could help

evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning process and consequently help

teachers to make better informed instructional decisions (Safer & Fleischman, 2005).

Essentially, this means that by making informed decisions about instructions, the

teachers can adjust their instructions to the benefit of the learners. However, this

could be problematic as each student could have their own progress and therefore for

the teachers to adjust their mode of instructions to suit all the students may not be

tenable.

The commitment of the school managers towards ensuring success is also determined

through internal school assessment as determined by the number of examinations that

students undertake in a certain period. The number of examinations sat for instance in

a particular term is an important way of evaluating the learners’ performance. The

internal determination of student assessment is a managerial function of the school

principals. The number of internal assessment could help the students improve their

academic performance. In as much as internal assessment could help improve

students’ academic performance, this cannot be done in isolation. Multi-faceted

approaches have to be adopted as no single strategy could work alone in increasing

student engagement and performance (Cunha & Heckman, 2008). Guinea and Indian

observations indicated that teachers who are ill-trained in instructional methods and

evaluation techniques are unable to gauge individual learning needs of the students

23
and consequently could not produce the desired enhanced academic performance of

the students (Carron & Chau, 2006). The administration of examinations should

promote higher order thinking skills as opposed to promoting rote memorization

which is achieved from exclusively the use of traditional paper and pencil test.

2.4 Influence of Personnel Management on Student Academic Performance

The task of managing the school including human resources solely rests with the

principals, in their absence the deputy principals. Their management practices have

the potential of impacting the performance of the student either positively or

negatively. The management of a school is comparable to the management of a state.

As such, principals have to be sociologists, psychologists, economists and politicians

(Farah, 2013). The tasks of principals are unique and extra knowledge and standards

are required to apply it. Just like citizens are after deliverables in managing a state, the

principals must also have deliverables in the management of schools evaluated

through academic performance. Quality education through school management cannot

be achieved when the school managers and administrators are not trained and their

skills in personnel management are wanting. In order to acquire managerial skills and

competently implement them, school managers need training in not only school

management but also personnel management. The need of the principals to undertake

training in educational management cannot be overemphasized.

Motivation, rewards and sanctions are among the personnel management managerial

practices that principals perform to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved. Clearly

spelling out the motivation, rewards and sanctions will help teachers to know what is

expected in the unlikely event that they perform otherwise than expected. Mose

24
(2015) in Nyamira County examines the effect of motivating teachers on the

performance of students in public secondary schools. The study findings showed that

in highly performing schools, all teachers, including those recruited by the Board of

Management (BoM) are motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. It was

established in the study that intrinsic motivators can help teachers to perform beyond

the expectations of educational stakeholders. Although the researcher also cautions

that extrinsic motivators cannot be ignored because of the influence it has on teachers.

Motivated teachers will tend to work in a manner that would produce the desired

outcome. In a similar way, the teachers will also work while trying to ensure that they

are not sanctioned for their performance. Their performance would be notable through

the academic performance of the students.

Jerotich (2015) conducted a study in Elgeyo Marakwet County on the influence that

motivation of Kiswahili teachers has on student academic performance. The study

collected data through document analysis and questionnaires. The study found a

statistically significant relationship between levels of Kiswahili teacher motivation

and student performance in Kiswahili subject. The study solely examined the

Kiswahili teachers who teach the languages. Perhaps there could be differences on the

impact that motivation has on different subjects. However, the current study examined

the influence that motivation of teachers has on the student academic performance in

general without delimiting to any specific subject or group of subjects.

Sobe (2013) examines the motivational practices of principals in Kuria West and their

effect on teacher performance. The study identified motivational practices such as

recognition of teachers’ efforts through material incentives, tours and oral praises.

25
The study also identified motivational practices such as sharing of co-curricular

activities and sharing of responsibilities like those of guidance and counselling.

Ocham (2010) on the other hand, postulates that recommendations from their

principals on attending workshops and seminars as well as participating in decision

making in the school tended to motivate the teachers. Whereas the study by Sobe

(2013) examined the primary schools principals, the current study examined the

principals in secondary schools with an expanded sample size from different target

populations.

2.5 Influence of Target Setting on Students’ Academic Performance

Target and goal setting allows learners to choose the milestones they want to achieve

in their academic life. Principals should be able to set their school targets and have

them cascaded down to individual teachers as well as the students. Learners who

know what they want to achieve know where they have to concentrate and make

improvement. Target and goal setting gives teachers and students short-term

motivation and long-term vision. Idowu et al., (2014) in Nigeria interrogated the

effectiveness of target setting on academic performance of students in English

language. The study findings revealed that the performance in English language

performance among the students improved given the higher mean scores that were

reported. The researcher subsequently recommended target setting as a strategy

towards enhancing academic performance of students, particularly in English

language.

In Kentucky, Dotson (2016) notes that students, teachers and school managers have

been using target setting in the previous years. The utilization of target setting,

26
according to Dotson (2016) has seen tremendous improvements in both local and state

assessments. Furthermore, the study reports that the students who are now meeting the

benchmarks for tertiary education minimum qualification for enrolments has

significantly increased. This means that target setting by school principals, teachers

and students is a strategy that can be used to enhance student academic performance.

The performance targets piloted was on a short-term basis and produced the desired

results. It may as well be possible for student academic performance targets set to

produce or over-achieve the desired outputs in the long-term.

Hastie (2013) considers target setting as important academic achievement indicator in

schools. Students were used as the respondents in this study in which Hastie (2013)

sought to find out whether their own target setting would have an influence on their

academic achievement. The study findings established that majority of the students

who had set their own academic targets were typically showing improved academic

performance as opposed to those who had no set academic targets. Students can easily

set their own academic targets in schools which have also set targets. The targets set

by the school should be the minimum threshold expected of the students in their

academic performance. Students who set for themselves targets higher than those of

the school are likely to exceed those set by the school and strive to achieve their own

set targets.

Despite some studies indicating that target setting is related to improved academic

performance among the students, other studies report otherwise, arguing that there is

little theoretical rationale in supporting target setting as leading to enhanced student

academic performance. In Missouri, United States of America, Conley (2016)

27
explored target setting on student academic achievement using mixed-methods

design. The study findings established that target setting did not have any adverse

influence on student academic performance. This controversy in literature about the

influence of target setting on students’ academic performance necessitated this study

to be conducted to determine what the findings may agree with in relation to previous

related studies.

2.6 Summary and Research Gaps

School management and administration lies within the powers bestowed upon the

principals. The management practices employed by the principals has in one or

another a direct or indirect influence on the students’ academic performance.

However, some researchers argue against some of the managerial practices having

influence on students’ academic performance. Although some of the managerial

practices may have been done in other countries and other counties in Kenya, it was

noted that there were no published studies that focused on secondary schools in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County. Furthermore, the fact these studies were done elsewhere

means that these findings cannot be automatically generalized to be a true reflection

of the all the schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County as there could be unique

conditions that may determine the outcome of the findings. In addition, it is worth

noting that the reviewed studies employed different data collection instruments,

different research designs and different study participants. It was thus necessary to fill

these gaps in relation to these identified differences through this current study.

28
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents details about the research design adopted in implementing the

study, the study locale, the target population and the sampling techniques as well as

the sample size. In addition, the chapter presents the research instruments used to

collect the data, piloting aspects of validity and reliability. Lastly, the chapter presents

how data were analyzed and the logistical as well as the ethical considerations that

were observed in conducting the study.

3.2 Research Design

This study was implemented through the use of a descriptive research design.

According to Martens et al., (2009), descriptive research design is used to obtain

information concerning the current status of a phenomena to describe what exists with

respect to variables or conditions in the situation. The design was chosen because it

enabled the researcher to collect data to assess current managerial practices for

improvement. In addition, this design was considered suitable because the instruments

used collected data that could be analyzed descriptively.

3.3 Location of the Study

The study was carried in all the secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County in

Kirinyaga County. The choice and suitability of this locale was due to logistical

reasons particularly in terms of ease of access and proximity to the researcher.

Furthermore, this locale was chosen by the researcher based on the fact there are no

29
published studies or literature concerning principals’ school management practices in

as far as this locale is concerned.

3.4 Target Population

The study target population was 432 drawn from all the secondary schools in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County. The population comprises of BoM, PTA, student

councils, HODs and the school principals. The BoM, PTA, student councils

chairpersons and HODs were included in the study as they were deemed to privy to

the management practices of the school principals.

3.5 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size

3.5.1 Sampling Technique

The fact that the population is not homogenous informed the researcher to group it

into strata that comprised of the principals, HODs, BoM, PTA, student council.

Simple random sampling technique was employed to recruit the chairpersons of BoM,

PTA, student council and the principals as well as HODs.

3.5.2 Sample Size

The sample size for the study was calculated using Yamane's (1967) formula;

n=

Where,

n= Sample size

N= Population size

e= 0.05 (level of precision)

30
Hence, the sample size is calculated as

n= = 207

The sample size for the study was thus 207. The sample size is presented in the

sampling frame in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1: Sampling Frame

Strata Population Size Sample Size Percentage

Principals 36 17 8.2126

HODs 288 139 67.1498

Student Council Chairpersons 36 17 8.2126

BoM Chairpersons 36 17 8.2126

PTA Chairpersons 36 17 8.2126

Total 432 207 100.002

3.6 Research Instruments

Questionnaires were used as the data collection instruments. The researcher adopted

the use of questionnaire given the distributed nature of the respondents. Using other

data collection instruments would have been costly in the long run. The researcher

prepared two sets of questionnaires. The first set of questionnaire was for the school

principal who is involved in the day-to-day management of the school. The other set

of questionnaire was for the other respondents and had similar questions. The

questionnaires were structured based on the objectives of the study. The first section

collected general. The remaining four sections which were arranged based on the

study objectives had questions under each of the objectives.

31
3.7 Pilot Study

A pilot study of the research tools was done in two schools that were earmarked after

the pilot study. It was necessary to earmark these schools so as to avoid picking the

same schools during the actual data collection exercise. The purpose of the pilot study

was to test the worthiness of the instruments and ensure that they are suitable for the

study. The pilot study assisted the researcher to identify flaws in the research tools

and ensure that there was no ambiguity in the questions. Based on the responses from

the pilot study, the researcher made adjustments to the research instruments in order

to ensure their clarity and that the respondents understand the questions as intended.

3.7.1 Validity of Instruments

Content validity was achieved by ensuring all the study objectives had adequate

representation in terms of the questions asked. In addition, content validity was also

achieved through supervisors review and judgment of the instrument as they are

experts in the educational field. Their feedback and suggestions were incorporated in

the final instrument.

3.7.2 Reliability of Instruments

The internal consistency reliability was determined by conducting pilot studies twice

over different periods in the same environment and with the same subjects and

thereafter correlated the scores of both tests to determine the stability of the

instrument by computing the Cronbach’s Alpha value. The reliability coefficients

were determined based on George & Mallery's (2003) guidelines where “>0.9 −

Excellent, > 0.8 – Good, > 0.7 – Acceptable, > 0.6 – Questionable, > 0.5 – Poor and < 0.5

32
– Unacceptable.” A reliability coefficient of 0.796 was obtained from the pilot study and

the instruments were therefore considered acceptable for the study.

Table 3.2: Reliability Statistics

Cronbach’s Alpha Cronbach’s Alpha based N of items
on standardized items
.775 .796 10

3.8 Data Collection Procedure

The researcher first obtained permits to conduct the study from relevant authorities.

The researcher then booked appointments with the principals of the relevant schools

and explained the purpose of the study. Further, the researcher sought consensus from

each school principal on the appropriate date and time when the data could be

collected from all the respondents. In scheduling for the data collection, the researcher

ensured that there would be no clash of time or dates. On the agreed data collection

dates and time, the researcher personally administered the questionnaires to the

respondents. The researcher was available the entire period of data collection to

clarify issues that the respondents raised. The filled in questionnaires were collected

after giving the respondents adequate time to answer them.

3.9 Data Analysis

The study collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data obtained

from the closed ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid

of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and the descriptive

statistics computed included frequencies, percentages and mean. The output was

presented through the use of frequency distribution tables, pie charts, and bar graphs.

33
Qualitative data were analyzed through the content analysis technique in which the

data were organized into broad themes and interpreted based on the study objectives.

Table 3.3 provides a summary of how each section in the questionnaire was analyzed.

Table 3.3: Data Analysis Matrix

Section Data analysis technique Presentation
General information Descriptive statistics using Graphs, pie charts and
SPSS tables
Objective one Descriptive statistics using Tables and graphs
SPSS
Objective two Descriptive statistics using Tables, graphs and
SPSS and content analysis thematic narration.
technique
Objective three Descriptive statistics using Graphs and tables
SPSS
Objective four Descriptive statistics using Graphs and tables
SPSS

3.10 Logistical and Ethical Considerations

Presented hereunder are the logistical requirements that the researcher fulfilled in

order to gain lawful access to the data collection locale as well as the ethical issues

related to researching human subjects.

3.10.1 Logistical Considerations

Logistical requirements in this study were the authorizations that the researcher

obtained in order to ensure successful access to the data collection field. The

researcher obtained various permits and authorizations among them a permit from

National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), authorization

from Kirinyaga County Commissioner and a permit from Kirinyaga County Director

of Education. All these documents were presented to the school heads after which the

researcher was granted successful access to the data collection fields.

34
3.10.2 Ethical Considerations

According to Neuman (2007), “ethics refers to principles of conduct that are

considered correct and appropriate especially to those of a given profession or group.”

Ethical considerations are part and parcel of everyday practice of doing research. This

study abided by the ethical practices in the field of research. It is important that

research ethics are observed in order to protect the participants against psychological,

social and financial harm arising from the research process as well as the research

output (Creswell, 2012). The American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics code

provides the basis for research ethics. The Ethics code offers general guidelines and

specific guidance for research activities.

As a matter of general guidelines, the respondents were informed about the purpose of

the study; their right to decline participation and or withdraw from the study once it

has started; reasonably foreseeable factors that may influence their willingness to

participate; the significance of the study; the limits of confidentiality and privacy and

who the participants can contact with questions during the data collection process.

The respondents were informed of their rights through a consent letter attached to the

questionnaire. Furthermore, the researcher did not present the work of others as his

own. Appropriate citations were made to give credit to the work of others where

reference was made. The researcher did not also falsify the data and this was ensured

by the researcher’s supervisor.

35
 CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS, INTERPRETATION AND

DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings, interpretations and discussions according to the

study objectives as the follows;

1. Influence of School Leadership on Students’ Academic Performance.

2. Influence of Monitoring on Students’ Academic Performance.

3. Influence of Personnel Management on Students’ Academic Performance.

4. Influence of Target Setting on Students’ Academic Performance.

4.2 General and Demographic Information

This section presents general as well as demographic details of the study respondents.

4.2.1 General Information and Return Rate

This study was conducted in 36 secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County with

a total population of 432 and a sample size of 207 respondents. The data were

collected from principals, HODs, student council chairpersons, BoM chairpersons and

PTA chairpersons. The major problem encountered by the researcher was that the

study was being conducted during the official classroom hours. This meant that the

researcher had limited time in distributing the questionnaires to the respondents who

were spread across the sub-county. However, the researcher in some instances

requested for permission from the school management in order to get adequate time to

collect the data from the respondents.

36
The researcher thoroughly examined all the collected filled in questionnaires to

ascertain their completeness. Any questionnaire that would be have been more than

10% incomplete would have been discarded as they would have had missing data that

could mar the quality of the research. Category of respondents by size based on their

response is as presented in Figure 4.1 based on proportional representation of each

category of the sample size.

Figure 4.1: Categories of Respondents by Size

Figure 4.1 shows that 13 (8.5%) of the respondents in the returned questionnaires

were principals, 98 (64.1%) were HODs whereas the response from chairpersons of

student councils was 17 (11.1%). In addition, the questionnaires were received from 9

(5.9%) chairpersons of BoM while 16 (10.5%) were PTA chairpersons. Based on the

sample size of all categories of respondents, the cumulative response rate as a

37
percentage of the sample size was 73.91%. The acceptability of the completion rate

was based on the guidelines by Gordon (2002) where a response rate of “60% -

Marginal, 70% - Reasonable, 80% - Good, 90% - Excellent”. With the overall rate of

73.91%, the return rate was considered reasonable and hence suitable for the study.

The researcher was unable to collected the other questionnaires since at the time of

collection, some of the respondents were not available in their stations neither had

they left the filled in questionnaires with any other person to facilitate their collection

by the researcher.

4.2.2 Respondents’ Highest Educational Qualifications

The researcher sought to find out the highest educational qualification of the

principals, HODs, chairpersons of BoM and chairpersons of PTA. This was

considered important because theoretical foundation of managerial practices is core in

the successful management of any institution. The findings are presented in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Academic Qualifications of Respondents

Academic Qualification Frequency Percentage

Master’s Degree 75 55.1

Bachelor’s Degree 57 41.9

Higher Diploma 4 2.9

Total 136 100

Note n = 136

Table 4.1 shows that the number of respondents was 136 as opposed to 153 because

the chairpersons of the student council were not among the respondents to this

question. The findings show that 75 (55.1%) of the respondents had master’s degree,
38
57 (41.9%) had bachelor’s degree whereas 4 (2.9%) of the respondents had their

highest qualification being higher diploma. None of the respondents had Ph.D. nor

certificate as being their highest qualification. The study shows that, school principals,

who are charged with the responsibility of school management had 11 of them with

master’s degree whereas only 2 had bachelor’s degree as their highest educational

qualification. Educational qualification is relevant as it is designed to offer

professionals in the educational field the opportunity to engage in systematic and

analytical enquiry into the theory and practice of leadership and management in

education. The knowledge and skills gained from educational courses could be used

to improve their own practice in their educational institutions managerial roles.

The study findings mean that the respondents are able to critically examine the

educational institutions and systems in which they work and achieve outcomes for

stakeholders. Achieving academic outcomes in a school in a collaborative effort that

cannot be left with the principals alone. In addition, the fact that some of the

respondents undertook master’s degree courses means that they want to enhance their

scope of understanding about managerial skills and practices that today’s learning

environments demand. Kulkarni, Lengnick-Hall, & Martinez (2015) stress the

importance of educational qualifications in management positions. The scope of

management widens when one progresses educational qualifications and particularly

in curriculum which has in it elements of management embedded.

4.2.3 Respondents’ Length of Service in their Current Position

The researcher sought to find out how long the respondents had held their current

positions. This was necessary as the respondents would be more informed of the

39
managerial practices of the principals since they occasionally met to discuss matters

concerning their schools. The findings are presented in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2: Length of Service of Respondents

Length of Service Category of Respondent Total
Principals HODs BoM PTA f %
Chairpersons Chairpersons
Less than 1 year 0 7 0 9 16 11.8
Between 2-3 years 1 27 0 7 35 25.7
Between 4-6 years 8 23 3 0 34 25
Above 7 years 4 41 6 0 51 37.5
Total 13 98 9 16 136 100
Note n = 136

Table 4.2 shows that the total number of respondents is 136. This is because the

student council chairpersons were not asked to respond to this question. The findings

show that 16 (11.8%) of the respondents had served in their current position for a

period of less than one year while 35 (25.7%) of them had served for a period of

between 2-3 years. In addition, the findings show that 34 (25%) of the respondents

had served in their current position for a period of between 4-6 years whereas 51

(37.5%) had served in their current positions for at least 7 years. It has to be noted that

BoM chairpersons serve for a term of 3 years that can be renewed once up to a

maximum of 6 years whereas the PTA chairpersons serve for a period of 1 year but

eligible for reelection to represent parents up to a maximum of 4 years.

These findings imply that the respondents, in particular, HODs, BoM and PTA

chairpersons have had at least a considerable time to have experienced the managerial

practices of the principals in their respective schools. All the principals except one

40
have been in leadership positions for at least four years. This period could be

considered as relatively adequate having exposed them to school management and

administration environment. From the study findings, it could be inferred that given

the years of service in their positions, the respondents would comfortably respond to

the questions asked as they are familiar with their school principals and all practices

related to school management that they exhibit.

4.3 Influence of School Leadership on Students’ Academic Performance

The first objective of the study was to establish the influence of principal leadership

on students’ academic performance. Leadership is one of the core tenets of

managerial practices in schools. The researcher sought to find out the leadership

styles of the principals. This data was collected from principals, HODs, BoM

chairpersons and PTA chairpersons with the student council chairpersons being

excluded because they may not be conversant with leadership theories. The findings

are presented in Table 4.3.

Table 4.3: Leadership Styles of the Principals

Leadership Category of Respondent
style Principals HODs BoM PTA
Chairpersons Chairpersons
f % f % f % f %
Instructional 10 7.4 38 27.9 3 2.2 6 4.4
Leadership
Autocratic 0 0 0 0 1 0.7 0 0
Leadership
Democratic 6 4.4 28 20.6 0 0 0 0
Leadership
Transformation 4 2.9 42 30.9 7 5.1 10 7.4
al Leadership
Laissez-faire 0 0 16 11.8 0 0 2 1.5
Leadership
Bureaucratic 0 0 0 0 5 3.7 7 5.1
Leadership
Note n = 136
41
Table 4.3 shows the responses to the questions are more than the sample size of the

study. This is because the question was a multiple response one and the respondents

were allowed to indicate more than one response where applicable. The percentages

are computed based on the sample size of the participants who did not include the

chairpersons of the students’ council. The findings show that 10 (7.4%) of and 38

(27.9%) of the principals and HODs respectively cited that they practised instructional

leadership. Three (2.2%) and 6 (4.4%) of the BoM and PTA chairpersons respectively

cited that the principals practised instructional leadership. One (0.7%) of the BoM

chairpersons indicated that the principals practised autocratic leadership. None of the

other respondents cited that the principals practised autocratic leadership.

The study further found that 6 (4.4%) and 28 (20.6%) of the principals and HODs

respectively indicated that the principals practised democratic leadership. None of the

BoM and PTA chairpersons cited that the principals practised democratic leadership.

Four (2.9%) and 42 (30.9%) of the principals and HODs respectively cited that the

principals practised transformational leadership. It was also found that 7 (5.1%) and

10 (7.4%) of the BoM and PTA chairpersons respectively cited that the principals

practised transformational leadership. According to 16 (11.8%) of the HODs and 2

(1.5%) of the PTA chairpersons, the principals practised laissez-faire style of

leadership. In addition, the study according to 5 (3.7%) of the BoM and 7 (5.1%) of

the PTA chairpersons cited that the principals practised bureaucratic style of

leadership.

42
It can be inferred from the study findings that the widely practised leadership styles

were instructional and transformational styles. These findings concur with the

assertion by Robinson (2007) who notes that instructional and transformational

leadership styles are styles that are regularly cited in the educational literature as well

as practised. These two leadership models have been endorsed by various scholars

and this implies that they have been deemed to be of influence in the academic arena.

By widely, practising instructional leadership, the principals can concentrate their

efforts in promoting better student academic outcomes as well as being keen on the

improvement of classroom teaching and learning quality. Furthermore, the study

findings imply that by widely practising transformational leadership, the principals

can inspire their teachers to perform better as well as engage them in ways that inspire

them to higher levels of commitment with the intention of improving the academic

outcomes of the students.

4.3.1 Principals’ Leadership Behaviour Influence on Students’ Academic

Performance

The researcher sought to find out from the respondents whether principals’ leadership

had influence on students’ academic performance. The respondents were requested to

indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree on whether principals’ leadership

has influence on students’ academic performance using a 5 point Likert scale. The

findings are presented in Figure 4.2.

43
Figure 4.2: Principals' Leadership Behaviour Influence on Students’ Academic
Performance

Figure 4.2 shows that 11 (7.2%) and 38 (24.8%) of the principals and HODs

respectively strongly agreed that leadership influenced students’ academic

performance. It was also found that all the BoM and PTA chairpersons strongly

agreed that the principals’ leadership had influence on the students’ academic

performance. Six (3.9%) of the student council chairpersons strongly agreed that

44
leadership influenced students’ academic performance. Further, 2 (1.3%) and 31

(20.3%) of the principals and HODs respectively noted that leadership influenced

students’ academic performance. Seven (4.6%) of the student council chairpersons

agreed that leadership influenced students’ academic performance. Fourteen (9.2%)

and 2 (1.3%) of the HODs and student council chairpersons respectively were

undecided on whether the principals’ leadership influenced the students’ academic

performance. Fifteen (9.8%) of the HODs and 1 (0.7%) of the student council

chairpersons disagreed to the assertion that leadership influenced the students’

academic performance whereas 1 (0.7%) of the student council chairpersons strongly

disagreed that leadership influenced students’ academic performance.

This finding resonates with those of Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe (2008), Alhosani,

Singh, & Al Nahyan (2017) and Muasya (2018) who concluded that the leadership

dimension has a greater impact on students’ academic performance. This finding

implies that schools where principals practice effective leadership are likely to have

high retention. Learners tend to transfer out of schools characterized by managerial

problems due to poor leadership. Furthermore, the findings may also mean that in

schools where principals exhibit effective leadership and perform well, there may be

high enrolment as parents would want to admit their children to such well performing

schools. Through leadership, the principals may influence or inspire the attitude and

behavior of teachers and ultimately students’ outcomes. Contrary to the findings by

Waweru & Orodho (2013) who noted that literature concerning school based

leadership practices adopted by the principals aimed at improving the academic

performance of the students presents a mixed range of results, the findings of this

45
study establish that there is a relationship between principals’ leadership influence

and students’ academic outcomes.

4.3.2 Qualities of Principals’ Leadership Behaviour Influencing Student

Academic Outcome

The researcher sought to establish the qualities that the principals had which were

considered as influencing the student academic performance. This was necessary as it

would help the principals in low performing schools to adopt some of the best

practices that would help them improve their schools’ academic performance. The

respondents were requested to indicate the extent to which they agreed with the

statements on a 5 point Likert scale. The findings of mean and standard deviation are

computed and presented in Table 4.4.

46
Table 4.4: Leadership Qualities of Principals
Statement Principals HODs BoM PTA Student
Council
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
The principal 4.44 0.75 4.21 0.78 4.09 0.91 4.35 0.66 4.37 0.54
strives to improve
the classroom and
learning quality
The principal 1.30 1.36 1.89 1.76 1.09 0.84 1.23 0.84 1.20 0.31
involves the
community and
parents in school
improvement
process
The principal 4.06 0.87 4.67 0.22 3.84 0.97 4.43 0.93 2.41 2.98
emphasizes the
professional
development of
their teachers
The principal 3.77 1.59 3.56 0.89 3.19 0.97 3.42 1.01 3.24 0.89
builds and
maintains rapport
with the school
community and
other
stakeholders
The principal 4.92 0.28 4.71 0.57 4.13 0.82 4.74 0.29 4.09 0.94
involves various
stakeholders in
school decision
making process
The principal 4.54 0.34 4.41 0.96 4.86 0.64 4.07 0.75 4.14 0.98
delegates
leadership
responsibilities to
other teachers
The principal 3.81 1.05 2.19 1.98 2.09 2.58 1.35 2.04 1.88 2.34
supports the
culture of trust,
collaboration and
support
Note n = 153

This was a multiple response question and the respondents were allowed to indicate

more than one response where appropriate. This means that the number of responses

to the questions was more than the number of respondents. Table 4.4 shows that

several qualities were deemed by the respondents as those possessed by effective

47
leaders. According to the respondents, the principals’ efforts in striving to improve

classroom teaching and learning quality is a major given their mean on this statement

which showed principals (M = 4.44, SD = 0.75), HODs (M = 4.21, SD = 0.78), BoM

chairpersons (M = 4.09, SD = 0.91), PTA chairpersons (M = 4.35, SD = 0.66) and

student council chairpersons (M = 4.37, SD = 0.54). It is established from this finding

that almost all the respondents were of the same opinion that improvement of

classroom and learning quality is a significant characteristic of effective leaders given

that the standard deviations obtained from the respondents is very small.

The study also found that emphasis on the professional development of the teachers is

another quality of effective principals given their mean distribution which showed

principals (M = 4.06, SD = 0.87), HODs (M = 4.67, SD = 0.22), BoM chairpersons

(M = 3.84, SD = 0.97) and PTA chairpersons (M= 4.43, SD = 0.93). The small value

of the standard deviations obtained means that the respondents were almost of the

same opinion that emphasizing on professional development of teachers is a good

quality of principals. The study findings further show that involvement of various

stakeholders in school decision making process by the principals is another key

quality of a principal given that the respondents’ standard deviations were small

where the principals (M = 4.92, SD = 0.28), HODs (M = 4.71, SD = 0.57), BoM

chairpersons (M = 4.13, SD = 0.82), PTA chairpersons (M = 4.74, SD = 0.29) and

student council chairpersons (M = 4.09, SD = 0.94).

In addition, the respondents cited that effective principals delegated leadership

responsibilities to other teachers and the standard deviations computed was not spread

which means that the respondents were of almost the same opinion given that

48
principals (M = 4.54, SD = 0.34), HODs (M = 4.41, SD = 0.96), BoM chairpersons

(M = 4.86, SD = 0.64), PTA chairpersons (M = 4.07, SD = 0.75) and student council

chairpersons (M = 4.14, SD = 0.98).

The findings of this study closely resonate with those of Salfi (2011) in Pakistan who

identified various traits associated with successful and effective school principals and

whose schools were performing well. This implies that the leadership practices of the

principals in Pakistan could as well be generalized and applied in current study locale

and produce the desired outcome regardless of the differences in socio-economic

status of these regions. Furthermore, the findings also support those of Wang,

Drysdale, & Gurr (2016) in Singaporean primary schools where they identified other

characteristics key among principals in high performing schools.

4.4 Influence of Monitoring on Students’ Academic Performance

The second objective of the study was to examine the influence of monitoring on

students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County.

This was necessary as monitoring of the student performance helps the principals

make informed decisions regarding the vision of their schools. The respondents were

requested to indicate the extent to which they agreed with the statements on a 5 point

Likert scale. The findings of mean and standard deviation are computed and presented

in Table 4.5.

49
Table 4.5: Principal Practices on Monitoring
Statement Principals HODs BoM PTA Student Council
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
The principal monitors the classroom attendance 3.52 1.06 3.02 1.98 3.13 1.62 3.47 1.71 3.06 1.83
of the teachers
The principal monitors the teaching 2.36 2.45 1.31 3.12 3.49 2.01 3.61 2.37 3.58 2.49
methodologies of the teachers in class
The principal monitors and discusses individual 2.06 2.52 2.37 2.08 1.85 3.74 2.81 1.79 1.98 2.97
learner academic progress
The principal emphasizes the need for regular 4.25 0.95 4.36 0.92 4.58 0.77 4.22 0.89 4.64 0.63
internal assessments in the school
The principal discusses the overall school 4.54 0.91 4.89 0.67 4.23 0.74 4.31 0.69 4.52 0.71
performance
Note n = 153

50
This was a multiple response question and the respondents were allowed to indicate

more than one response where appropriate. This means that the number of responses

to the questions was more than the number of respondents. Table 4.5 shows that the

mean scores of the statements ranged from 1.31 (SD = 3.12) to 4.89 (SD = 0.67) and

the overall mean was 3.26 (SD = 0.89). The principals widely emphasized the need

for regular internal assessments (M = 4.25, SD = 0.95) as well as discussing the

overall school performance (M = 4.54, SD = 0.91). The least monitoring practice by

the principals was monitoring and discussing individual learner academic progress (M

= 2.06, SD = 2.52). This may perhaps be attributed to the observation that principals

have a heavy workload which may make them not afford time for some monitoring

activities. The HODs cited that the principals emphasized the need for regular internal

assessments (M = 4.36, SD = 0.92) as well as discussing the overall school

performance (M = 4.89, SD = 0.67). Further, according to the HODs, the least

monitoring practice by the principals was monitoring the teaching methodologies of

the teachers while they are in class (M = 1.31, SD = 3.12). This may be attributed to

fears that one has when they are aware that they are being observed.

The study also noted that the BoM chairpersons cited that the principals insisted on

the need for regular internal assessments (M = 4.58, SD = 0.77) as well as discussing

the overall school performance (M = 4.23, SD = 0.74). In addition, the BoM indicated

that the principals barely monitored and discussed individual learner academic

progress (M = 1.85, SD = 3.74). The study also found that according to the PTA

chairpersons, the widely practised monitoring activities by the principals were

emphasizing on the need for regular internal assessments (M = 4.22, SD = 0.89) and

discussing the overall school performance (M = 4.39, SD = 0.69). Similarly, the

51
student council chairpersons cited that principals’ emphasis on the need for regular

internal assessments (M = 4.64, SD = 0.63) and discussion of the overall school

performance (M = 4.52, SD = 0.71) were widely practised.

It can be noted from all the respondents that their principals’ widely emphasized on

the need for regular internal assessments and discussing the overall school

performance as part of monitoring activities. This finding implies that these

monitoring activities could be having a higher influence on the academic performance

of students in Kirinyaga East Sub-County. These findings corroborate the monitoring

practices identified by Lezotte (2010) and Sarrico et al., (2012). They noted that the

principal ensured that internal assessments were done regularly and the overall

performance arising from these assessments were discussed. These findings mean that

the principals are to develop performance management measures as well as self-

evaluation measures for their schools and the frameworks developed be utilized in the

improvement of student and school academic outcomes.

4.4.1 Principals’ Monitoring Practices on Students’ Academic Performance

The researcher sought to establish from the respondents on whether they thought the

principals’ monitoring practices have any influence on the students’ academic

performance. The respondents were requested to cite the extent to which they agree

with monitoring influencing academic performance of students and this was

determined on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly

Agree. The findings are presented in Figure 4.3.

52
Figure 4.3: Influence of Monitoring on Students’' Academic Performance

Figure 4.3 shows that all the 13 (8.5%) principals strongly agreed that monitoring

influenced students’ academic performance in Kirinyaga East Sub-County. In

addition, 51 (33.3%) and 47 (30.7%) of the HODs respectively strongly agreed and

agreed that monitoring influenced the students’ academic performance. All the 9

(5.9%) BoM chairpersons agreed that monitoring influenced students’ academic

performance while 11 (7.2%) of the PTA chairpersons agreed that monitoring

influenced students’ academic performance whereas 5 (3.3%) were undecided on

whether monitoring influenced students’ academic performance. Further 15 (9.8%)

53
and 2 (1.3%) of the student council chairpersons respectively agreed and disagreed

that monitoring influenced the academic performance of the students in Kirinyaga

East Sub-County.

The findings mean that generally, the respondents were of the view that monitoring

activities influenced academic performance of the students. This finding supports that

of Mwatsuma, Mulambe, Mrope, & Cherutich (2012) in Mombasa County whose

interrogation on role of leadership in primary schools performance established that

there is a significant correlation between effectiveness of principals in monitoring and

mean score of the school. The study findings imply that for a school to be well and

high performing, monitoring would be key in ensuring that this is realized.

Furthermore, the fact that monitoring has an influence on the academic performance

in primary schools as well as in secondary schools means that this is a managerial

practice that can be adopted in the learning institutions. Principals therefore, in being

committed, will work towards ensuring there are strong monitoring practices and a

framework as well as monitoring policy designed so as to have a standardized way of

undertaking managerial activities on monitoring. Monitoring has to be multi-faceted

as no single technique can produce the desired enhanced academic performance of the

students.

4.4.2 Challenges Encountered by Principals in Monitoring

The researcher sought to find the challenges that were encountered by principals in

monitoring as a managerial practices in their schools. This was necessary so as to

inform the way forward and also provide the basis for giving recommendations and

suggestions regarding school management. This was an open ended question in which

54
the respondents were required to give their own opinion on the challenges that were

encountered by the principals in school management.

It was established that 126 (82.35%) of the respondents attributed a challenge to

inadequate teachers available in their schools. Limited teaching staff in the schools

means that the principals may be required to undertake class lessons and therefore fail

to have time to conduct other practices related to monitoring which are key in school

management and help impact on academic performance. This finding is related to the

study by Silman & Simek (2009) in Turkey who also found that limited staff in the

schools was burdening the principals who have to take classroom lessons as opposed

to engaging in managerial practices that would influence academic performance. The

situation is likely to be dire given the high transition from primary schools to

secondary schools while the teachers’ workforce yet to be increased.

Seventy four (48.37%) of the respondents cited political interference as a challenge

encountered by the principals in school management. Political interference was also

cited by Mutinda (2015) as in some cases the political leaders in the community

would tend to micromanage the schools within their areas of jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the recent policy by TSC on delocalization of teachers has seen political

leaders mobilize their communities to eject newly deployed principals particularly

those who had come from poorly performing schools. Such kind of actions would

definitely have a negative implication on the school management. Some of the

principals may succumb to the political pressure in the management of the school. In

the event that they succumb to the political pressure, then they are likely to poorly

manage the schools and as a result experience poor academic performance. It is only

55
the principals and their teachers who understand what it takes to monitor the school

and be able to produce the desired academic outcomes.

Thirty seven (24.18%) of the respondents cited poor financial literacy as an

impediment to effective school management. The school principals are the principal

accounting officers in their respective schools. This finding means that some of the

day to day activities that have financial implication and require funds to support

monitoring, teaching and learning would be jeopardized if the funds are ill managed.

Some of the actions that are unconsciously taken by the principals may lead to

improper use of the school funds. A similar finding was made Mapolisa et al.(2014) in

Zimbabwe who noted that some of the school principals lacked accounting literacy

necessary for effective management of school finances. Financial resources are at the

core of majority of the school activities including monitoring and lack thereof would

mean that activities and managerial practices meant to improve the student

performance would halt. Given the limited budgets that schools operate on, it would

be disastrous for the financial resources to be misappropriated or misused.

The study also noted that 7 (4.58) of the respondents cited that there were no clear

policies on what monitoring entailed. This is despite the fact that the respondents in

their majority had agreed that monitoring had influence on the academic performance

of students. The availability of monitoring policy tends to standardize the operations

and practices in the school. Four (2.61%) of the respondents further cited poor school

infrastructure as impediment to effective monitoring. Effective monitoring should be

accompanied by adequate and relevant infrastructural structures meant to support the

teaching and learning. Some of the subjects are practical-based and the absence of

56
proper and adequate infrastructure would make it difficult to achieve the objectives of

monitoring.

4.5 Influence of Personnel Management/Incentives on Student Academic

Performance

The third objective of the study was to investigate the influence of personnel

management/incentives on student academic performance. This was important

because human resource is the most important resource in any organization. The

respondents were requested to cite the extent to which they agreed whether personnel

management influenced academic performance of students and this was determined

on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. The

findings are presented in Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4: Influence of Incentives on Students’ Academic Performance

57
Figure 4.4 shows that all the 13 (8.5%) principals and 90 (58.8%) of the HODs were

undecided on whether incentives influenced students’ academic performance in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County. In addition, 8 (5.2%) of the HODs and 9 (5.8%) of the

BoM chairpersons disagreed that incentives to the teachers by the principals

influenced the academic performance of the students. Whereas 15 (9.8%) disagreed, 1

(0.7%) of the PTA chairpersons agreed that incentives influenced the academic

performance of the students. Further, all the 17 (11.1%) agreed that incentives

influenced the academic performance of the students. This finding is a clear indication

that the respondents were skeptical about the influence that incentives/teacher

motivation has on academic performance by students. This finding implies that in as

much as teacher motivation may be having some influence on the academic

performance of students, the gravity of its influence could not be comparable to the

influence of other managerial practices.

The findings of this study do not fully concur with those of other majority of

researchers such as Mose (2015), Jerotich (2015) and Sobe (2013) who postulate that

teacher motivation has a strong influence on the academic performance of students.

This finding may perhaps be attributed to the fact that majority of the teachers had

their schools lacking motivational incentives and subsequently without being

motivated, the teachers may not be aware of whether or not this could have influence

on school performance. While motivating teachers, it is also important to sanction

those who may be bad performing. It’s worth noting when teachers get used to being

motivated particularly, material incentives, then they are likely to drop making more

efforts to help the students improve in their academic performance.

58
4.5.1 Motivation of Teachers by the Principals

The study sought to find out whether the principals motivated their teachers. This was

necessary as it could perhaps help understand whether this may help in further

understanding the foregoing finding. The researcher asked the respondents to indicate

whether the principals motivated their teachers. The findings are presented in Table

4.6.

Table 4.6: Motivation of Teachers by Principals

Category of Motivation of Teachers
Respondent
Yes Not Sure No
f % f % f %
Principals 13 8.5 0 0 0 0
HODs 2 1.3 56 36.6 40 26.1
BoM Chairpersons 0 0 0 0 9 5.9
PTA Chairpersons 0 0 0 0 16 10.5
Student Council 0 0 0 0 17 11.1
Total 15 9.8 56 36.6 82 53.6
n=153

Table 4.6 shows that all the 13 (8.5%) principals cited that they motivated their

teachers while only 2 (1.3%) of the HODs cited the principals motivating their staff.

This means that only 15 (9.8%) of the respondents cited that the principals motivated

their teachers. It was also found that 56 (36.6%) of the HODs were not sure of

whether the principals motivated their teachers whereas 40 (26.1%) cited never. It was

also found that all BoM, PTA and student council chairpersons cited that the

principals did not motivate their teachers. This implies that at least half (53.6%) of the

59
respondents indicated that the principals did not motivate their teachers. Interestingly,

it was also noted that those who agreed that teacher motivation had influence on

students’ academic performance are those whose principals motivated their teachers.

This may perhaps serve to explain why only 11.8% agreed to the view that teacher

motivation improved the academic performance of students. As opposed to the

findings of this study Crawford (2007) notes that rewarding teachers by whichever

means is a passive way of improving performance of the students.

4.5.2 Modes of Motivating Teachers

The researcher sought to find the modes that the principals were using to motivate

teachers in their schools. This was a question that was to be answered by the

respondents who had indicated that the principals in their schools were motivating

teachers. The findings are presented in Table 4.7.

Table 4.7: Form of Motivation in Kirinyaga East Sub-County Secondary Schools

Category of Respondent Form of Motivation
Material Incentive Oral Praises Certificate Awards
f % f % f %
Principal 2 13.3 10 66.7 1 6.7
HODs 0 0 2 13.3 0 0
Total 2 13.3 12 80 1 6.7
Note n = 15

The total number of respondents was 15 which corresponds to those who cited that the

principals were motivating their teachers. The study findings from Table 4.7 show

that 2 (13.3%) of the principals cited that they gave material incentives as a form of

motivation whereas 10 (66.7%) simply orally praised their teachers while 1 (6.7%)

60
gave certificates as a way of motivating the teachers. In addition, 2 (13.3%) of the

HODs cited that the principals orally praised the teachers as a way of motivating

them. The study also noted that no principals facilitated the teachers through trainings

nor gave them any tours. The respondents also did not cite any other modes of

motivations that the principals were using to inspire the teachers. These findings

imply that the principals were using both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to motivate

their teachers. Such motivators were also found by Sobe (2013) in Kuria West as

being used to motivate teachers. The fact that majority of the principals orally praised

their teachers as a way of motivating them may be because this is the easiest

motivator that incurs no costs.

4.6 Influence of Target Setting on Students’ Academic Performance

The fourth objective of the study was to find out the influence of target setting on

students’ academic performance. The respondents were requested to cite the extent to

which they agreed with target setting as influencing academic performance of

students and this was determined on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from Strongly

Disagree to Strongly Agree. The findings are presented in Figure 4.6.

61
Figure 4.5: Target Setting Influence on Student Academic Performance

Figure 4.5 shows that 13 (8.5%) of the principals and 47 (30.7%) of the HODs agreed

that target setting influenced students’ academic performance whereas 51 (33.3%) of

the HODs strongly agreed. Further, all the BoM, PTA and student council

chairpersons strongly agreed that target setting influenced students’ academic

performance in Kirinyaga East Sub-County. Generally, the findings imply that there is

a strong indication that the respondents highly believe target setting has influence on

the academic performance of the students. This study complements those of other

researchers such as Idowu et al., (2014) in Nigeria, Dotson (2016) in Kentucky who

noted that in schools where principals were setting targets, the schools were typically

62
showing improved academic performance as opposed to those who had no academic

targets. This study is also not in agreement with that of Conley (2016) in Missouri,

USA who argues that there is little theoretical rationale in supporting targeting setting

as leading to enhanced student academic performance as it was noted that there was

no adverse influence of target setting and students’ academic performance.

The findings of this study imply that the principals set minimum performance

threshold for their schools. The consequence of this is that the teachers will exert

more effort in their teaching in order to achieve the set targets. Similarly, targets set

for each individual student based on their ability will help the students to study

bearing in mind that they have targets that they have to strive to achieve individually

and not collectively. Further, the fact the respondents indicated target setting was

considered to improve the academic outcome of the students means that there was

appraisal done to evaluate the performance.

4.6.1 Kinds of Targets Set in Secondary Schools

The study sought to find out from the respondents whether their schools had set long

term or short term targets towards academic achievement. It is worth noting that short

term targets helps keep an institution on the track towards achieving long term targets.

The findings are presented in Table 4.8.

63
Table 4.8: Targets Set in Secondary Schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County
Respondent Kind of Target
Short term Long term Both long & short term
f % f % f %
Principal 3 1.96 0 0 10 6.54
HODs 18 11.76 3 1.96 77 50.34
BoM 1 0.65 0 0 8 5.23
PTA 3 1.96 2 1.31 11 7.19
Student Council 9 5.88 0 0 8 5.23

Table 4.8 shows that 3 (1.96%) of the principals and 18 (11.76%) of HODs cited that

short term targets were set in their schools in addition to 1 (0.65%) of the BoM cited

the same. Further, 3 (1.96%) of the PTA and 9 (5.88%) of student council

chairpersons indicated that short term targets were set in their schools. Three (1.96%)

of the HODs and 2 (1.31%) of the PTA chairpersons cited that there were long term

targets set by the principals in their schools. It was also found that 10 (6.54%) of the

principals and 77 (50.34%) of the HODs indicated that there were both short and long

term targets that were set in their schools. Eight BoM as well as student council

chairpersons who each represented 5.23% of the respondents cited that there were

both short and long term targets that were set by the principals. Additionally, 11

(7.19%) of the PTA chairpersons cited that the principals set both long and short term

targets in their schools. According to these findings, majority of the respondents

indicated that their principals set both long and short term targets for their schools.

The implication is that the succeeding principals could easily adjust to the targets set

by their predecessors as they will be able to find both the short and long term targets

with a clear road map on how to achieve these targets.

64
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the summary, conclusions and recommendations based on the

study findings. In addition, the chapter presents suggestions for further research.

5.2 Summary

The first objective of the study was to find out the influence of principals’ leadership

on students’ academic performance. The study found that the principals depended on

a variety of leadership styles in the management of their schools as there is no single

leadership style that can be suitable to be applied in all the situations that may be

encountered in the schools. However, more than three quarters of the respondents

cited the widely practised styles as instructional and transformational leadership.

Furthermore, the study established that at least three quarters (78.4%) of the

respondents either agreed or strongly agreed to the view that the principals’ leadership

influence the students’ academic performance.

The second objective of the study was to find out the influence of monitoring on

students’ academic performance. Monitoring helps to ensure that all the programmes

set will have an influence on the academic performance of the students. The study

established that 95.42% of the respondents were of the strong opinion that monitoring

influenced students’ academic performance in Kirinyaga East Sub-County. Further, it

was established that regular internal assessments in the school and discussions of the

overall school performance were the main practices associated with monitoring in the

schools in Kirinyaga East Sub-County.

65
The third objective of the study was to establish the influence of incentives/personnel

management on student academic performance. The study established that the

overwhelming majority (67.3%) of the respondents were undecided on whether

teacher motivation had any influence on students’ academic performance. This could

be attributed to the fact that in majority of the schools, the principals were not

motivating their teachers in any form. The last objective of the study was to determine

the influence of target setting on the academic performance of students. The study

noted that all the respondents were of the view that target setting influenced academic

performance of the students given the overall mean 4.61 (SD = 0.49) that was

established. Furthermore, the study revealed that more than two thirds of the

principals had set both long and short term targets.

5.3 Conclusions of the Study

The followings are the conclusions made from the study findings. First, the study

concludes that the principals adopted contingency measures in their leadership styles.

The principals did not only depend on one leadership style, but a variety of styles

with the widely preferred styles being instructional and transformational styles.

Secondly it is concluded that the principals’ leadership had influence on the academic

performance of the students. Thirdly, the study concludes that monitoring has a

significant influence on students’ academic performance. Finally, the study also

concludes that target setting highly influences the academic performance of students.

66
5.4 Recommendations of the Study

From the foregoing discussion, the following are recommendations made by the

study.

1. The Teachers Service Commission should recruit adequate teachers in the public

secondary schools so as to ensure adequate staffing which would relieve the

principals of some classroom duties and assume full managerial duties.

2. The political leaders should support the school principals in their management

duties as opposed to interfering with them. As constituent leaders, the political

leaders should have meaning engagement with school principals through

structured discussions in order to have a common goal. The principals should as

well create links in order to harmoniously work with the political leaders.

3. The principals should continue setting both short and long term targets in order to

aid the incoming principals easily adjust to the targets set by their predecessors.

5.5 Suggestions for Further Research

The following are suggestions for further research as arising from this study.

1. A study of the reasons and impact of political interference in the management of

schools.

2. A study into the causes of low teacher motivation in secondary schools in

Kirinyaga East Sub-County.

3. A study on the level of influence of various leadership styles on students’

academic performance.

67
 REFERENCES

Abell, S. K. (2007). Research on science teacher knowledge. In S. K. Abell & N. G.

Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 1105–
1149). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Alhosani, A. A., Singh, S. K., & Al Nahyan, M. T. (2017). Role of school leadership
and climate in student achievement: The mediating role of parental
involvement. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(6), 843–
851. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-05-2016-0113

Carron, G., & Chau, T. N. (2006). The quality of primary schools in different
development contexts. Paris: UNESCO.

Chappelear, T. C., & Price, T. (2012). Teachers’ Perceptions of High School

Principal’s Monitoring of Student Progress and the Relationship to Student
Achievement. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation,
7(2), 23–39.

Conley, L. (2016). An Exploration of Informed Student Goal Setting on Achievement

in a Widwest Middle School (Dissertation). Lindenwood University, Missouri.

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluating

quantitative and qualitative research. Boston: Pearson.

Cruickshank, V. (2017). The Influence of School Leadership on Student Outcomes.

Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5(9), 115–123. https://doi.org/ 10.4236/jss.
2017.59009

Cunha, F., & Heckman, J. J. (2008). Formulating, Identifying and Estimating the
Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation. Journal of
Human Resources, 43(4), 738–782. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.43.4.738

Day, C., Gu, Q., & Sammons, P. (2016). The Impact of Leadership on Student
Outcomes: How Successful School Leaders Use Transformational and
Instructional Strategies to Make a Difference. Educational Administration
Quarterly, 52(2), 221–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X15616863

Dotson, R. (2016). Goal Setting to Increase Student Academic Performance. Journal

of School Administration Research and Development, 1(1), 13–21.

68
Farah, A. I. (2013). School management: Characteristics of effective principal. Global
Journal of Human Social Science, 13(13), 17–22.

Fiedler, F. E. (1964). A Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness. In L.

Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 1, pp.
149–190). Austria: Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-
2601(08)60051-9

George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and
reference 11.0 update (4th ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Gordon, N. (2002). A question of response rate. Science Editor, 25(1), 25–26.

Gurr, D., Drysdale, L., & Mulford, B. (2005). Successful principal leadership:
Australian case studies. Journal of Educational Administration, 43(6), 539–
551. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230510625647

Hairon, S., & Goh, J. W. (2015). Pursuing the elusive construct of distributed
leadership: Is the search over? Educational Management Administration &
Leadership, 43(5), 693–718. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214535745

Hallinger, P. (2010). Leading Educational Change: reflections on the practice of

instructional and transformational leadership. Cambridge Journal of
Education, 33(3), 329–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764032000122005

Hastie, S. (2013). Setting Academic Achievement Goals in Primary Schools (Thesis).

The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning. New York: Routledge.

Heck, R. H. (2009). Teacher effectiveness and student achievement: Investigating a

multilevel cross‐ classified model. Journal of Educational Administration,
47(2), 227–249. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230910941066

Heck, R. H. (2011). Principals’ Instructional Leadership and School Performance:

Implications for Policy Development. Educational Evaluation and Policy
Analysis, 14(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.2307/1164525

Hill, H. C., Rowan, B., & Ball, D. L. (2005). Effects of Teachers’ Mathematical
Knowledge for Teaching on Student Achievement. American Educational
Research Journal, 42(2), 371–406. https://doi.org/10.3102/000283120420023
71

69
Idowu, A. I., Chibuzoh, I. G., & Louisa, M. L. (2014). Effects of goal-setting skills on
students’academic performance in english language in Enugu Nigeria. Journal
of New Approaches in Educational Research, 3(2), 93–99.

Jerotich, K. R. (2015). The Effect of the Level of Motivation of Kiswahili Teachers

on Performance of Students in Secondary Schools in Elgeyo Marakwet
County, Keiyo Sub-County, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(29),
1–6.

Keller, M. M., Neumann, K., & Fischer, H. E. (2016). The impact of physics teachers’
pedagogical content knowledge and motivation on students’ achievement and
interest. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(5), 586–614.
https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21378

Khaki, J. E. A., & Safdar, Q. (2010). Educational Leadership in Pakistan: Ideals and
Realities. Karachi: Oxford University Press.

Kulkarni, M., Lengnick-Hall, M. L., & Martinez, P. G. (2015). Overqualification,

mismatched qualification, and hiring decisions. Personnel Review, 6(3), 22–
29. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2013-0204

Kunter, M., Klusmann, U., Baumert, J., Richter, D., Voss, T., & Hachfeld, A. (2013).
Professional competence of teachers: Effects on instructional quality and
student development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 805–820.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032583

Kyriakides, L., Kythreotis, A., & Pashiardis, P. (2010). The influence of school
leadership styles and culture on students’ achievement in Cyprus primary
schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(2), 218–240.

Lashway, L. (2003). Distributed Leadership. Research Roundup, 19(4), 1–5.

Leithwood, K, & Day, C. (2008). The impact of school leadership on pupil outcomes.
School Leadership & Management, 28(1), 1–4.

Leithwood, K, Seashore, L. K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How

leadership influences student learning. New York: Wallace Foundation.

Leithwood, Kenneth, Jantzi, D., & McElheron-Hopkins, C. (2006). The development

and testing of a school improvement model. School Effectiveness and School
Improvement, 17(4), 441–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450600743533

70
Lemos, R. (2014). In brief: Does management matter in schools? (No. CEPCP424).
Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from
http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/abstract.asp?index=4434

Lezotte, L. W. (2010). What effective schools do: Re-envisioning the correlates.

Indianapolis: Solution Tree.

Liberto, A. D., Schivardi, F., & Sulis, G. (2013). Managerial practices and students’
performance. Retrieved from https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/conferences/2014-
world-management-survey/Documents/Managerial_Practices_and_Students_
Performance_DiLiberto_et_al.pdf

Mapolisa, T., Ncube, A. C., Tshabalala, T., & Khosa, . T. (2014). Challenges faced by
school heads in the management of school finances in Nkayi District
secondary schools. Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(4), 1–5.

Martens, M. J. C., Duvivier, R. J., van Dalen, J., Verwijnen, G. M., Scherpbier, A. J.
J. A., & van der Vleuten, C. P. M. (2009). Student views on the effective
teaching of physical examination skills: a qualitative study. Medical
Education, 43(2), 184–191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008.03283.x

Monique, W. D. (2009). Distributed leadership and school performance (PhD

Thesis). The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Mose, K. L. (2015). Effect of teacher motivation on student performance in K.C.S.E in

public secondary schools in Manga Sub County, Nyamira County, Kenya
(Thesis). Kenyatta University, Kenya. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from
https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/14470

Muasya, P. M. (2018). Influence of Instructional Leadership Practices on Academic

Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya (Ph.D.
Thesis). Kenyatta University, Kenya.

Mugera, H. M. (2015). Role of principals in human resource management in public

primary schools in Suba Sub-County. African Research Journal of Education
and Social Sciences, 2(1), 9–21.

Mwatsuma, K. M., Mulambe, S. O., Mrope, N. P., & Cherutich, B. K. (2012). Role of
Leadership in Performance of Primary Schools in Kenya: A Case of Mombasa
District. International Journal of Business and Commerce, 2(3), 21–36.

71
Namfukwe, I. (2016). The impact of monitoring and evaluation on the performance of
Upper Primary School Teachers in Mbala District of the Northern Province in
Zambia (PhD Thesis). University of Zambia, Zambia. Retrieved from
http://dspace.unza.zm:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/5038

Neuman, W. L. (2007). Social research methods. New Delhi: Pearson.

Ocham, L. A. (2010). Effects of principals motivational practices on teacher

performance in public secondary schools in Koibatek District (Master’s
thesis). University of Nairobi, Kenya.

OECD. (2017). The teaching workforce in Chile. In OECD Reviews of School

Resources: Chile 2017 (pp. 227–283). Paris: OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/
9789264285637-9-en

Otieno, D. (2017). KCSE candidates falling flat in maths and sciences. Retrieved
November 5, 2018, from https://www.nation.co.ke/newsplex/2718262-
4148624-qnv923/index.html

Robinson, V. (2007, January 1). The impact of leadership on student outcomes:

Making sense of the evidence. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from
https://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference_2007/5

Robinson, V. M. J., Lloyd, C. A., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). The Impact of Leadership on
Student Outcomes: An Analysis of the Differential Effects of Leadership
Types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5), 635–674.

Sadler, P. M., Sonnert, G., Coyle, H. P., Cook-Smith, N., & Miller, J. L. (2013). The
Influence of Teachers’ Knowledge on Student Learning in Middle School
Physical Science Classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 50(5),
1020–1049. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831213477680

Safer, N., & Fleischman, S. (2005). How Student Progress Monitoring Improves
Instruction - Educational Leadership. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb05/vol62/num05/
How-Student-Progress-Monitoring-Improves-Instruction.aspx

Salfi, N. A. (2011). Successful leadership practices of head teachers for school

improvement: Some evidence from Pakistan. Journal of Educational
Administration, 49(4), 414–432. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231111146489

72
Sarrico, C. S., Rosa, M. J., & Manatos, M. J. (2012). School performance
management practices and school achievement. International Journal of
Productivity and Performance Management, 61(3), 272–289.

Scherman, V., & Fraser, W. (2017). Monitoring and School Self-Evaluation. In V.

Scherman, R. J. Bosker, & S. J. Howie (Eds.), Monitoring the Quality of
Education in Schools: Examples of Feedback into Systems from Developed
and Emerging Economies (pp. 53–74). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-453-4_5

Shatzer, R. H., Caldarella, P., Hallam, P. R., & Brown, B. L. (2014). Comparing the
effects of instructional and transformational leadership on student
achievement: Implications for practice. Educational Management
Administration & Leadership, 42(4), 445–459. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411
43213502192

Sobe, T. M. (2013). Influence of principals’ motivational practices on teacher

performance in public primary schools in Ikerege Division, Kuria West
District, Kenya (Master’s thesis). University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Spillane, J. (2006). Distributed leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Tavares, P. A. (2015). The impact of school management practices on educational

performance: Evidence from public schools in São Paulo. Economics of
Education Review, 48, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.05.002

Wang, L. H., Drysdale, L., & Gurr, D. (2016). Successful school leadership: Case
studies of four Singapore primary schools. Journal of Educational
Administration, 54(3), 270–287. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2015-0022

Waweru, P. N., & Orodho, J. A. (2014). Management Practices and Students’

Academic Performance in National Examinations in Public Secondary Schools
in Kiambu County, Kenya. International Journal of Recent Scientific
Research, 5(6), 1126–1133.

Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). New York: Harper
and Row.

73
 APPENDICE

APPENDIX I: CONSENT LETTER

Dear Respondent,

My name is Peter Njangi, a postgraduate student at Kenyatta University pursuing a

degree in the School of Education. Part of the requirements for the award of the

degree is undertaking a supervised research project. I am currently conducting a study

titled “Influence of School Management Practices on Students’ Performance in KCSE

in Kirinyaga County, Kenya”. I seek your consent in filling the attached

questionnaire. The questionnaire will be used only for the intended purpose and the

researcher will endeavor to guarantee your privacy and confidentiality of the data

gathered. I will be available for the entire period of data collection to respond to any

questions or clarification.

I look forward to your participation. Thank you.

Sincerely

Peter Njangi.

74
APPENDIX II: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PRINCIPALS, HODs, PTA

AND BoM CHAIRPERSONS

Section A: General Information

1. What is your position in this school? (Tick where appropriate)

Principal [ ]

HOD [ ]

PTA Chairperson [ ]

BoM Chairperson [ ]

2. What is your highest educational qualification?

PhD [ ]

Master’s Degree [ ]

Bachelor’s Degree [ ]

Higher Diploma [ ]

Certificate [ ]

3. How many years have you held your current position in this school?

Less than 1 year [ ]

Between 2-3 years [ ]

Between 4-6 years [ ]

More than 7 years [ ]

75
Section B: School Leadership Practices of the Principals

4. Which style of leadership among the following would you consider as being

exercised by the school principal?

Style Tick (As appropriate)

Autocratic Leadership

Instructional Leadership

Democratic Leadership

Transformational Leadership

Charismatic Leadership

Laissez-faire Leadership

Bureaucratic Leadership

Transactional Leadership

5. To what extent would you agree that the principals’ leadership style influences

students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ]

Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ]

Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

76
6. To what extent would you agree with the following statements about the

principal’s leadership? Please indicate whether you strongly agree (5), agree (4),

undecided (3), disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1).

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

The principal strives to improve the classroom and

learning quality

The principal involves the community and parents in

school improvement process

The principal emphasizes the professional development

of their teachers

The principal builds and maintains rapport with the

school community and other stakeholders

The principal involves various stakeholders in school

decision making process

The principal delegates leadership responsibilities to

other teachers

The principal supports the culture of trust, collaboration

and support

77
Section C: Influence of Monitoring on Students’ Academic Performance

7. To what extent would you agree with the following statements about the principal

on monitoring? Please indicate whether you strongly agree (5), agree (4),

undecided (3), disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1).

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

The principal monitors the classroom attendance of the

teachers

The principal monitors the teaching methodologies of the

teachers in class

The principal monitors and discusses individual learner

academic progress

The principal emphasizes the need for regular internal

assessments in the school

The principal discusses the overall school performance

8. To what extent would you agree that the monitoring practices of the principal

influences students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ] Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ] Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

9. What are the challenges that are encountered by the principals in monitoring in

your school? Specify in the space below.

78
Section D: Influence of Personnel Management on Student Academic

Performance

10. To what extent would you agree that principal personnel management/incentives

influence students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ] Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ] Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

11. Has your school principal ever motivated your teachers in any form?

Yes [ ]

Not Sure [ ]

No [ ]

12. If your answer to the above question is Yes, which modes among the following

does the principal in your school use to motivate your teachers?

Mode Tick (Where appropriate)

Material incentives

Tours

Oral praises

Trainings

Award of certificates

Other (Specify)

79
Section E: Influence of Target Setting on Performance

13. To what extent would you agree that target setting influences students’ academic

performance?

Strongly Agree [ ] Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ] Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

14. What types of academic targets are set in your school?

Short term targets [ ] Long term targets [ ]

Both short and long term targets [ ]

80
 APPENDIX III: STUDENT COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON

QUESTIONNAIRE

Section A: School Leadership Practices of the Principals

1. Which style of leadership among the following would you consider as being

exercised by the school principal?

Style Tick (As appropriate)

Autocratic Leadership

Instructional Leadership

Democratic Leadership

Transformational Leadership

Charismatic Leadership

Laissez-faire Leadership

Bureaucratic Leadership

Transactional Leadership

2. To what extent would you agree that the principals’ leadership style influences

students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ]

Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ]

Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

81
3. To what extent would you agree with the following statements about the

principal’s leadership? Please indicate whether you strongly agree (5), agree (4),

undecided (3), disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1).

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

The principal strives to improve the classroom and

learning quality

The principal involves the community and parents in

school improvement process

The principal emphasizes the professional development

of their teachers

The principal builds and maintains rapport with the

school community and other stakeholders

The principal involves various stakeholders in school

decision making process

The principal delegates leadership responsibilities to

other teachers

The principal supports the culture of trust, collaboration

and support

82
Section B: Influence of Monitoring on Students’ Academic Performance

4. To what extent would you agree with the following statements about the principal

on monitoring? Please indicate whether you strongly agree (5), agree (4),

undecided (3), disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1).

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

The principal monitors the classroom attendance of the

teachers

The principal monitors the teaching methodologies of the

teachers in class

The principal monitors and discusses individual learner

academic progress

The principal emphasizes the need for regular internal

assessments in the school

The principal discusses the overall school performance

5. To what extent would you agree that the monitoring practices of the principal

influences students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ] Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ]

Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

6. What are the challenges that are encountered by the principals in monitoring in

your school? Specify in the space below

83
Section C: Influence of Personnel Management on Student Academic

Performance

7. To what extent would you agree that principal personnel management/incentives

influence students’ academic performance?

Strongly Agree [ ] Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ] Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

8. Has your school principal ever motivated your teachers in any form?

Yes [ ]

Not Sure [ ]

No [ ]

9. If your answer to the above question is Yes, which modes among the following

does the principal in your school use to motivate your teachers?

Mode Tick (Where appropriate)

Material incentives

Tours

Oral praises

Trainings

Award of certificates

Other (Specify)

84
Section D: Influence of Target Setting on Performance

10. To what extent would you agree that target setting influences students’ academic

performance?

Strongly Agree [ ]

Undecided [ ]

Agree [ ]

Disagree [ ]

Strongly Disagree [ ]

11. What types of academic targets are set in your school?

Short term targets [ ]

Long term targets [ ]

Both short and long term targets [ ]

85