DETERMINATION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF HEAD TEACHERS’ LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INFLUENCING STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the most important aspects of head teachers’ leadership practices influencing student academic achievement in secondary schools of Machakos County, Kenya. Performance by many students in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination in most secondary schools in Machakos County has been low in the recent past years (2009-2013), and a study was therefore necessary to establish whether in the execution of head teachers’ instructional leadership practices, the head teachers may have ignored important aspects which if put to consideration could help improve their instructional leadership practice, and subsequently the performance of pupils. The study applied Survey design. The target population was the head teachers, teachers and students of 176 public secondary schools in Machakos County. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 38 head teachers, 190 teachers and 345 students from among high and low performing secondary schools in Machakos County. The study used the Head Teacher Questionnaire (reliability 0.78), Teachers Questionnaire (reliability 0.74) and the students Questionnaire (reliability 0.75). The response was 87.5%. Factor analysis was then done to establish the most important indicators of the head teachers’ instructional leadership practices. The study found that most indicators used in the head teachers’ instructional leadership are reliable, with Cronbach’s alpha values higher than 0.5. The study recommends in-service training for head teachers and preparatory training for deputy head teachers and heads of departments on effective instructional leadership practices so as to enhance balanced instructional leadership in schools.

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