An assessment of effective management practices in secondary schools: the case of National schools in Kenya

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to assess the effective management practices in secondary schools with particular focus on Kenyan National schools. The specific objectives of the study was to; establish the extent to which motivational practices contribute to effective management practices of National Secondary Schools in Kenya, to find out the leadership styles in National secondary schools and the extent to which they are used in the effective management of the schools, to find out the status of the allocation of resources by the management of the National schools in their attempt to improve performance of the schools, to determine the strategies used by the school management to ensure the efficiency and productivity of the staff and improvement of performance in the schools. In order to realize its objectives.

The study adopted a descriptive study design. The population of interest were all the sixteen National Secondary Schools in Kenya. The study found that; motivational practices contributed to the effective management of National Secondary Schools in Kenya (40%), reward for teachers contributed to effective management to a very large extent (30%). The study also found that democratic leadership style was used to a large extent (60%), and that most of the resources in the National schools were allocated to studies (80%). Regarding the investment priorities by the management of the schools, it was found out that more than 80% of the resources were allocated to the administrative tasks (80%) of the respondents.

The study concluded that the management of the National secondary schools has set motivational practices to ensure quality delivery of services and improvement of performance in National schools and that democratic leadership styles used by the management of the schools has a positive effect on the smooth running of the schools. The study recommends that the schools should implement more effective strategies such as to ensure efficiency in their management and general performance improvement.