School Principals’ Strategic Planning Competences And Their Influence On Academic Performance In Public Secondary Schools In Makueni County, Kenya
Loading...
Date
2025
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal Integration of Social Studies and Business Development
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of strategic planning competencies on the academic performance of public
secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. Specifically, it examines how principals' competencies in human
resource planning, technology integration, school culture alignment, and strategic direction-setting influence
academic outcomes. Grounded in the contingency theory of leadership, the study employs a descriptive research
design. The target population included 385 public secondary schools in Makueni County, with principals and
teachers as key respondents. A 10% sampling threshold was applied, resulting in a sample of 39 schools. School
principals were purposively selected, while 368 teachers were randomly sampled using a structured formula. Data
were collected via questionnaires for teachers and interview guides for principals and analyzed using both
qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings indicate that human capital development is a critical strategic
competency among school principals that significantly enhances academic performance. Furthermore, principals'
ability to leverage ICT positively affected academic outcomes. School culture alignment emerged as another
essential competency, impacting the schools' overall performance. Additionally, the ability of school principals
to set a clear strategic direction was found to play a significant role in achieving academic success. The study
concludes that poor academic performance in Makueni County’s secondary schools is closely associated with
deficiencies in principals' strategic planning competencies, particularly in areas such as human capital
development, ICT integration, strategic direction-setting, and school culture alignment. The study recommends
that school principals enhance their strategic planning skills to improve academic performance
Description
Article
Keywords
Citation
Sila, K. M., & Njihia, M. (2025). School Principals’ Strategic Planning Competences And Their Influence On Academic Performance In Public Secondary Schools In Makueni County, Kenya. Journal Integration of Social Studies and Business Development, 3(1), 9-21.