Performance Appraisal Strategies on Performance of Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

There has been many studies that have been undertaken on performance appraisal in the secondary schools in Kenya, but there is no current study that have been undertaken to address the various performance appraisal strategies on teachers performance in Kiambu County. This study was triggered by the fact that the TSC has come up with Teachers Performance Appraisal strategies to appraise teachers and administrators in its employment, but the program have not been able to fully realize the objective of evaluating teachers performance and initiate professional development. There has been a stiff resistance from teachers on the use of appraisal tool terming it as forced appraisal. This has created a wide gap in terms of strategies to be applied on performance appraisal and what is to be done to improve performance. The study, therefore, sought to establish whether there is a relationship between appraisal and reward/compensation, examine how setting of standards and targets influences teachers perfomance, determine how measuring and monitoring teachers work on regular basis affect their performance and find out the effect of quality of work on performance of teachers in public secondary schools in Kiambu County. Descriptive research design was utilized. The target population was 3,479 teachers in 277 public secondary schools in Kiambu County. The study was conducted in 22 secondary schools in 11 sub counties comprising TSC teachers and administrators with a population of 686. 58 teachers and 22 head teachers, totaling to 80 representing 12% were selected from the accessible population of 686 teachers using systematic random sampling. Data was collected through self administered questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The study established that standards/targets, measuring and monitoring performance managing quality of work and reward/pay affects teacher performance positively and significantly. The study concludes that setting standards and target allows schools and the teaching staff to better measure their progress helping to keep them motivated and accountable. Measuring and monitoring teacher performance ensures that information is gathered so that judgments can be made and questions answered accordingly. Teachers’ appraisal is a vital element in improving student learning outcomes. Teacher satisfaction and quality of work life directly affect school’s ability to serve its students. Performance appraisal strategies are critical to satisfying the performance of teacher and retaining their future loyalty and teachers are satisfied with the extrinsic rewards provided from the organization like: pay, bonuses, allowances. An ineffective reward management will affect teacher’s satisfaction and de-motivate them, hence affecting their performance outcome. The study recommends that for the management of schools to achieve goal alignment in the teaching staff, they must first clearly communicate their school’s strategic objectives across the entire school. The school should have a way of monitoring their teacher which must be developed in a systematic monitoring and evaluation of the class and the work of teachers. On managing the quality of work, the study recommends that schools match tasks to Skills, communicate effectively, keep goals clear & focused, give incentives, train and develop their teachers and the study recommends that the school management should take interest in the professional growth to increase the performance level of the teachers. They also should consider the new ideas of the teachers and they should ask them the option of rewards for their motivation