Assessment of Factors Influencing the Implementation of Strategic Plans in Public Secondary Schools (A Case of Nakuru North Sub County)

Abstract

Despite the evidence of the existence of strategic plans in learning institutions in Kenya, the greatest impediment to successful use of these strategies in education has been failure by institutions to implement them. Public secondary schools in Kenya are facing the problem of successfully implementing their strategic plans amidst the ministry of education's demand for written strategies as well as stiff competition from private schools. The study stemmed out to determine the factors that affect the implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools. It sought to determine the effects of organizational structure, leadership style, resource allocation and communication on implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The Nassiuma formula was used to obtain sample of 212 teachers from a total population 217 Principals, deputy principals and HoDs in the 24 secondary schools. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. The instruments were validated through consultation with the supervisors and research experts. Reliability was ensured through a pilot study conducted in two secondary schools in the neighboring Nakuru Town Sub-County. The variables gave an average Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.823 which is > 0.7 and thus was accepted. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted during data analysis, facilitated by use of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) computer package Version 21.0. Pearson's Correlation analysis was used to test the nature of relationship between the independent variables and dependent variable. The results were presented in tables. The study findings are significant to school managers' principals, Ministry of Education, and scholars. The study concluded that organizational structure (r= 0.752), leadership styles (r=0.749) and resources allocation (r= 0.753) influence the implementation of strategic plans in secondary school with the later having the greatest influence. The research recommends that the school management need to establish an organizational structure that promotes the formulation and successful implementation of the strategic plans, adopt leadership style that emphasize team work and collaboration which are essential components in implementation of strategic plans and that adequate resources should be allocated to the process of implementation of strategic plans