Strategies School Managers Employ to Improve Students' Academic Performance in Free Day Secondary Schools in Embu North District, Embu County, Kenya
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Date
2013-12
Authors
Nzoka, Tabitha Jackline
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the strategies school managers employ to
improve academic performance of students in schools under free day secondary schools
in Embu District, Embu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to examine
school-based strategies, assess home-based strategies and analyze l'strategies school
managers employ to improve performance of students in free day secondary schools in
Embu North District, Embu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the Capital Theory
of School Effectiveness and Improvement based on: Outcomes: both cognitive and
moral; leverage: the relationship between teacher input and education output; intellectual
capital: the sum of the schools knowledge and experience; and social capital: the
networks of trust and collaboration. The study employed a descriptive survey research
design. The study was conducted in Embu North District, Embu County, Kenya and the
target population consisted of 272 respondents consisting of 102 BoG members, 68 PTA
members, 17 Deputy Principals and 85 HoDs. The sample size was 144 respondents
made up of 54 BoG members, 36 PTA members, 9 deputy principles and 45 HoDs.
Random sampling was used to select the schools, the principals and the deputy principals.
Purposeful sampling was used to select members of BoG, members of PTA and HoDs.
Questionnaires were used as instruments for collecting data from members of BoG,
members of PTA, deputy principals and HoDs while interview schedules were
administered to the principals. Validity of the instruments was done through experts in
research and piloting. Reliability was tested by subjecting the instruments to a pilot study
through the split-half technique and then Spearman Brown Prophesy formula was used to
compute a reliability coefficient. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics after
data cleaning and coding. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts, means
and percentages while qualitative data were analyzed by tallying the numbers of similar
responses. The study established that, school managers employed different strategies to
improve students' performance in schools under FDSE amidst many challenges. The
strategies school managers employed in school were: Quality management and teaching,
starting of income-generating activities, alumni, guidance and counselling and stocking
of pain killers in schools. At home the strategies were: role modeling by parents,
inspirations, communication of high expectations and goals, support of school activities,
youth bond with families and parents participation in school programmes. The school
managers have tried to improve academic performance of students under FDSE by
employing various strategies but the performance has remained poor. The study
recommends provision of more funds, early disbursement of the funds to improve on the
facilities and employment of more teachers. School managers should undergo training to
handle management issues competently, more effort to be put to enable all the youth to
acquire basic education so that in future we have parents who have high academic
qualifications who will participate and support school programmes, quality assurance
department to be keen to make sure that there is no gap between government policies and
practice and the school principal and the deputy principal to be of mixed gender. All day
schools to start IGAs and alumni that are functional, construct school houses and 1/3
gender rule to be implemented fully in school management to improve academic
performance of students in schools under FDSE
Description
A Project Submitted to the School of Education in Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the
Master of Education Administration of Kenyatta University. December, 2013
Keywords
School Managers, Students' Academic Performance, Secondary Schools, Embu County, Kenya