Role effectiveness of heads of Departments as perceived by headteachers, teachers and heads of departments in public schools in Mombasa District

Abstract

At the advent of the 8-4-4 system of education in Kenya, many things have been emphasized which were not in the previous system. Among these is the role of the heads of departments in the public schools. This study investigates the role and effectiveness of those heads of departments as perceived by the headteachers, teachers and the heads of departments themselves.. The role of head of department determines the performance of students in particular subjects. He is in charge of implementation of the syllabus of the subject. Therefore, all the other teachers look to him for direction, guidance and acquisition of the teaching materials. As will be seen from the literature review he is the backbone of the department. The location of the study was Mombasa District. The study was based on related literature review from different parts of the world. In Kenya literature on the problem is only from the Teachers Service Commission which spells out the roles of the heads of departments Questionnaires for headteachers, teachers and heads of departments were used to collect data. A pilot study was done in two schools which were not included in the study sample to facilitate changes and improvements in the questionnaires. The data collected were coded, analyzed and interpreted using frequency tables and percentages for closed questions. Open questions were discussed. Findings of the study revealed that heads of departments perform effectively in curriculum and instruction and staff relations. It is only in finance management and teacher development where they are ineffective. The study recommended that heads of departments should be retooled after appointment and motivated by improving their scheme of service. The scheme should include better pay and remunerations.