TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PRINCIPALS’ MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL-WIDE CHANGE STRATEGIES AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Student academic performance remains a top priority to educational stakeholders. Over the years, academicians and educational researchers have been exploring variables that hinder quality academic performance. In Kenya, students continue to register dismal performance at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. Empirical research reveals a plethora of complex and interrelated factors within and outside the school that impact on student performance. Previous studies have documented the importance of teachers‟ perceptions, change strategies, and principals‟ management practices that impact on student performance. Because most of these analyses were based on a single aspect, there is currently no quantification of the interplay of these factors. This study, therefore, endeavored to investigate the relationship between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of school-wide change strategies and student performance at public secondary schools in Nairobi City County. The study was guided by six objectives: to establish the school-wide change strategies adopted by principals in public secondary schools; to determine the relationship between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of strategic planning guidelines strategy and student academic performance; to assess the relationship between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of collaborative and collegial support strategy and students‟ academic performance; to establish the relationship between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ integration of ICT in teaching and learning strategy and student academic performance; to determine the relationship between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ use of student councils and open forums strategy and students‟ academic performance; and lastly to establish the relative contribution of each of the independent variable on academic performance. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of 94 public secondary schools, 94 principals, and 3,040 teachers. The schools were sampled by first stratifying them into categories; national, extra-county, and county schools to ensure equal representation during sampling. Stratified simple random sampling methods were used to select schools, principals, and teachers. The sample size comprised 30 principals and 304 teachers. Data were collected using teachers‟ questionnaire and a principal‟s school data form. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations and inferential statistics including linear and multiple regression analysis. All hypotheses were tested at .05 alpha levels. Study findings showed that teachers‟ perceptions towards principals‟ management of strategic planning guidelines strategy were positively related to students‟ academic performance F(1, 288 ) = 30.52, p < .001); teachers‟ perceptions towards principals‟ management of collaborative and collegial support strategy were statistically correlated to students‟ academic performance (F(1, 288) =19.214, p < .001); there was a statistically significant association between teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of ICT integration in teaching and learning strategy and students‟ academic performance F(1, 288) = 42.37, p = .001); and that teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of student councils and open forum strategy was significantly related to academic performance (F(1, 288) =25.39, p = .001). In addition, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that all the independent variables together predicted approximately 40.5% of the variance in the KCSE mean scores; and teachers‟ perceptions of principals‟ management of ICT integration in teaching and learning had the highest contribution to KCSE mean scores. It was concluded that when several changes are implemented simultaneously, students‟ academic performance improved significantly. It was recommended that school principals should incorporate the necessary school-wide changes that influence students‟ academic performance.