THESIS TITLE: Principals’ leadership strategies and academic achievement of girls in Bungoma County

STUDENT’S NAME: Kataka Margaret Nyilile   

SUPERVISORS NAMES

1. Simon Kipkenei
2. Abuya Joshua Olang’o:

ABSTRACT

The leadership tactics used by principals determines academic accomplishment. Principals are under pressure to plan and raise academic performance in their particular schools in the modern era of accountability and worldwide competition. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between principals’ leadership strategies and their relationship with girls’ academic achievement.  The study was conducted in Bungoma County and targeted the girls ‘only public secondary schools. The study’s specific objectives were to; establish the relationship between principals’ leadership strategy on target setting and the girls’ academic achievement, determine the relationship between principals’ leadership strategy on instructional supervision and the girls’ academic achievement and establish the relationship between principals’ leadership strategy on time management and the girls’ academic achievement.  The target population for the study was 464 which involved 47 principals, 188 Heads of Departments (HODs) and 229 class secretaries in 47 public secondary schools for females only. The size of the samples was determined using the infinite population size formula of Yamane 1967. Principals (22), HODs (87), and Form 3 and Form 4 Class Secretaries (106), totaling to 215 were sampled for the study. The principals and HODs were sampled using purposive sampling approach while the prefects were sampled using sequential approach.  Administration of questionnaires and content analysis were utilized as instruments for gathering data. Through the test-retest approach, the instruments’ reliability was assessed, and a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of +0.7 was found. The supervisors verified the correctness of the instruments. Ex-post facto research strategy was used in the study, allowing the researcher to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. Mean, variance, percentages, and frequencies were used to examine descriptive statistics, while correlation, ANOVA and regression analysis were used to analyze inferential statistics. Tables, bar graphs and pie chart were used to present the study’s results. At an alpha significance level of 0.05, multiple linear regression, ANOVA and spearman rank order correlation were used to test hypotheses and allow the researcher to accept or reject the hypotheses. The study’s conclusions showed that leadership strategies employed by principals positively impacted on the academic success of the girls. Principals’ leadership tactics and the government regulations have a significant and favorable impact on the academic achievement of girls in Bungoma County according to analysis of the overall regression model.  The findings from this study indicate that; the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should provide frequent seminars and workshops to equip principals and HODs with the knowledge and skills they need to improve the academic performance of females in secondary schools. The findings will make it possible for the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to formulate more policies that will raise academic standards.