INFLUENCE OF OPERATIONAL PLANNING STRATEGIES ON KENYA CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE IN KIAMBU DISTRICT, KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of operational planning strategies on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination performance in Kiambu District. The study aimed at investigating the influence of utilization of holiday assignments, use of opener examinations, early opening of schools, and streaming of learners as operational planning strategies and their influence on K.C.S.E performance. The research design adopted in the study was the descriptive survey. A sample size of 30 schools, which constituted 23.4% of the total schools, was selected. All headteachers, N =30, participated in the study. Seventy-five teachers (20% of 375assistant teachers of the 30 schools), were sampled. Data for the principals and the teachers was collected through questionnaires. After analyzing the influence of operational planning strategies on K.C.S.E performance in public secondary schools in Kiambu District, it has been found that use of holiday assignments for the students, early opening of school’s afterschool holidays and opener examinations had high effects on K.C.S.E performance. Streaming of learners was the least used and least effective strategy. The study recommends that further research should be conducted to investigate factors affecting effective adoption of mainstreaming in public secondary schools. A study should also be conducted to investigate challenges that headteachers face in implementation of strategies for improvement of K.C.S.E performance. The study also concluded that though use of holiday assignments for the students, early opening of school after school holidays, and opener examinations afterschool holidays had high effect on K.C.S.E, there were critical issues that affected their effectiveness. Both the teachers and students did not understand the objectives of holiday assignments. Teachers also failed to conduct detailed and objective verifications to ensure students had done their holiday assignments. Similarly, early opening of the schools did not have the support of some of the teachers and students. From the findings and conclusions of the study, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education should train B.O.G members on strategic planning in schools. There is need to sensitize secondary school stakeholders on their role towards ensuring that the mission, vision, and values are realized and maintained. School administrations with the support of trained B.O.G members, should therefore conduct in-service training for the teachers on the objectives of all processes on improvement of operational planning strategies. Similarly, the school administration should take advantage of the available communication channels to effectively communicate to students the value of the various operational strategies enshrined in the plans.