PRINCIPALS’ MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BUNGOMA EAST SUB - COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The success or failure of a school in academic achievement is determined to a large extent by principal’s management practices. Therefore the purpose of this study was to investigate influence of principals’ management practices on academic achievement in public secondary schools in Bungoma East sub County. The objectives of the study included: to determine the influence of financial management practices on academic achievement, to assess the influence of communication practices on academic achievement, to examine the influence of human resource management practices on academic achievement and to establish the influence of instructional supervision practices on academic achievement in public secondary schools. The study employed embedded mixed method of research design. The schools were stratified according type and category and a proportionate representative sample drawn by simple random sampling technique. Target population was 480 respondents which comprise 60 principals, 60 deputy principals and 360 heads of departments in 60 public secondary schools of the sub-County. The heads of department were proportionately sampled while the principals and deputy principals were purposively included in the sample. The sample size comprised of 167 respondents which comprised of 33 principals, 33 deputy principals and 101 heads of departments in 33 public secondary schools. Data from heads of department and deputy principals was collected using questionnaires while interview schedule collected data from principals. Document analysis collected data on school mean scores. A pilot study was conducted in 3 schools at an interval of two weeks using test- retest technique to establish reliability of instruments while experts at the department Educational Planning and Management Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology enhanced validity of instruments. Descriptive statistics used to analyze data from closed ended items while data from open ended items was organized into themes and analyzed. Findings were presented using tables. Inferential statistics adopted multiple linear regression and spearman rank order correlation to test hypotheses at an alpha significance level of 0.05 to allow researcher reject or not reject hypothesis. The study findings revealed that principal’ financial, communication practices and instructional supervision practices were not significant therefore did not directly influence schools academic achievement. However principals’ human resource management practices were significant therefore directly influenced schools academic achievement. Based on findings of the study, it was concluded that principals’ management practices influenced students’ academic achievement. Therefore, the study recommended that school principals should employ appropriate and effective management practices for improved academic achievement in their schools.