Institutional Factors Influencing Female Teachers’ Progression Into Management of Public Secondary Schools in Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate institutional factors influencing female teachers‘ progression into management of public secondary schools in Kajiado County, Kenya. The study in particular determined the influence of mentorship, institutional policies, female teachers and other teachers‘ attitude and communication of management vacancies by the Teachers Service Commission on female teachers‘ progression into management of public secondary schools in Kajiado County. The study was anchored on the equity theory. The study applied a mixed methods research design. The study targeted 419 public secondary school teachers holding management positions in Kajiado County including 81 principals, 83 deputy principals, 93 senior teachers, 162 Heads of departments and 5 TSC Sub-County Directors of Education (Kajiado County). Stratified sampling technique was used to sample 205 public secondary school teachers holding management positions in this county while 4 TSC Sub County Directors of Education were purposively sampled. Data was collected using questionnaires and an interview guide. The qualitative data gathered from the interviews was analyzed using content analysis and presented in a narrative form while for the quantitative data, both descriptive analysis and inferential analysis were conducted and findings presented using charts and tables. Descriptive analysis entailed the computation of frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation while for inferential analysis, both correlation and regression analysis were conducted. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to show the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable where four null hypotheses were tested. The statistical package for social sciences was used in this case as the data analysis software. The study established that mentorship, institutional policies, positive female teachers and other teachers‘ attitude and communication of management vacancies by TSC had a positive influence on the progression of female teachers in to the management of public secondary schools in Kajiado County. Thus, the study concluded that mentorship, institutional policies, positive female teachers and other teachers‘ attitude and communication of management vacancies were institutional factors that considerably influenced female teachers‘ progression in to management of public secondary schools in Kajiado County. Hence, when instituting measures to enhance female teachers‘ progression in to school management, the institutional factors needed to be considered. The study made several recommendations. The study for instance argued that the Ministry of Education should allocate more budgetary resources towards various mentorship programmes on school management systems in order to increase their frequency and make them more rigorous. The study also recommended that in consultation with other stakeholders, the commission should review its current policies guiding the promotion of teachers in to management positions so as to cater for the needs of female teachers. The study called for TSC working closely with principals, to carry out sustained sensitization campaigns to educate female teachers on the benefits of taking school management positions and to enlighten them of their capabilities just like men. It was further suggested that the TSC should exploit diverse/multiple and inclusive channels of communicating available school management vacancies to teachers among other recommendations. For further areas of study, the study recommended that another study can be done which considers other institutional and non-institutional factors likely to influence female teachers‘ progression into public secondary schools‘ management.