Challenges faced by secondary school head teachers in Leadership and management of human resources in Nzaui District-Makueni county, Kenya

Abstract

Thepurposeof this study is to investigate the challenges that are faced by headteachers in managingthe human resource in their schools and the impact the challenges have on teachingand learning in the schools. The objectives of the study were to find out the issuesthat face the headteachers in recruitment, induction, development and motivating teachersin their schools, to investigate the challenges headteachers face in managing the supportstaff in their schools, to examine the how the challenges headteachers face in humanresource management affects learning and teaching in their schools, and to determinethe coping strategies that headteachers employ in dealing with the challenges theyfacein managing human resource. The research design for this study was descriptive survey.The target population for the study was all the forty five headteachers in Nzaui Districtwhile the '&~lJipling design used was purposive and all the head teachers participatedin the study. The instrument for collecting data for the study was a questionnairewith both open and closed items. The data collected was analysed by use of descriptivestatistics. Frequency, percentage tables and graphs were used to present the data.The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. The following were the findings of the study; that 57.8% of the headteachershad recruited TSC teachers through the BOG in school. Headteachers (55.6%) said there was no conflict of views between the principal and the BOG during recruitment.Headteachers (93.3%) said that in their school, induction took place for beginningteachers and the main problem was lack of time due to work overload. The challengeaffecting in-servicing and developing teachers, were resistance to change, lackedcommitment towards learning and training. Teachers and support staff had similar financialreward that lead to an average level of motivation. The coping strategies employedby headteachers were holding weekly briefs, open forums and dialogue, encouragingteam work and self drive for teachers in order to achieve targets, availing copiesof the teachers code of regulation to the teachers for discipline purpose and offeringremedial teaching outside school hours to cover syllabus and establishing a PTA kittyto motivate the staff. The following are the recommendations of the study. The recruitmentof both TSC and BOG teachers was carried out in school through BOG. Thereis need to educate the BOG on the recruitment policies from TSC. There is need for creationoftime by reducing the work load of HOD, deputy principal and the principal for· effectiveinduction process for beginning teachers. Teachers should not be resistance to changeduring the in-service and development of teachers. The headteacher should use alternativemethods to motivate their staff when funds are inadequate. Support staff shouldnot discuss teachers with students to avoid jeopardizing the role of teachers in discipliningthem. The headteacher should avoid nepotism, employ skilled personnel and discouragesexual relations between students and non teaching staff. The Ministry of Educationthrough TSC should offer teachers better salaries. The coping mechanisms put. inplaceby headteachers are weekly briefs, open forums, dialogue self drive to encourage teachers.