Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices and their Influence on Students’ Academic Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Nanjala, Fridah | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-25T13:24:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-25T13:24:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-09 | |
| dc.description | A Research Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Award of a Master's Degree of Education (Educational Administration) in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning of Kenyatta University, September 2025. Supervisor 1. Dr. Hellen Guantai - Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University 2. Gladys Kinyanjui - Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University | |
| dc.description.abstract | Instructional leadership is associated with practices that the school principal does to enhance students’ academic achievement. This research sought to find out whether instructional leadership practices influenced learners’ academic achievement in the KCSE in public secondary schools in Nakuru County. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of principals’ instructional leadership practices on students’ academic achievement in the KCSE in public secondary schools in Nakuru County. The objectives of this study were; to determine the influence of goal-setting skills of the principal on the KCSE performance of students in public secondary schools in Nakuru county, to determine the influence of principals’ instructional supervisory practices on students’ achievement in KCSE in Nakuru county, to establish the influence of principals’ promotion of staff professional development on learners’ achievement in KCSE in public secondary schools in Nakuru county and to determine the influence of principals’ fostering of conducive learning environment on the learners’ academic achievement in KCSE in public secondary schools in Nakuru county. The study was guided by Carrier’s (2014) instructional leadership model, which demonstrated an experimental illustration of how the staff and the leader’s crossing point resulted in the institution’s desired achievement. The study employed an exploratory sequential research design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study was conducted in Nakuru County. The target population included 285 teachers and 33 principals of public secondary schools in Nakuru County. Therefore, the total sample size for the quantitative phase was 30 principals and 166 teachers, totaling up to 196 respondents. The study employed the use of purposive sampling to select schools and principals. A simple random sampling technique was also used to select teachers in the selected schools. The study used questionnaires for both teachers and interview schedules for the principals. Content validity was established by seeking expert judgment from specialists in the Department of Educational Management, Policy, and Curriculum Studies. The reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha to determine whether the questions in the questionnaire reliably measured what was intended. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented in the form of narrations. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and presented using frequency distribution tables and bar graphs. A multiple linear regression test was used to establish the influence of principals’ instructional leadership practices on KCSE achievement. The major finding from the study was that the principals did carry out school programs with the main aim of attaining the set goals. The study recommended school principals to prepare capacity-building programs for teachers like seminars & workshops to equip them with relevant skills, attitude, and knowledge. Additionally, the Ministry of Education and TSC should design and implement structured programs for identifying professional development needs among teachers. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32579 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices and their Influence on Students’ Academic Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |