Principals’ Supportive Management Practices on Climate Change Awareness in Public Secondary Schools in Westland Subcounty, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of principals' supportive management strategies on climate change awareness in public secondary schools in Westland Sub County, Nairobi, Kenya. The study was guided by the following research variables: principals' incorporation of environmental education into school curricula, principals' modeling of environmentally sustainable behaviours, principals' provision of resources and support to teachers, and principals' initiatives in climate action projects at a public secondary school in Westland Sub County, Nairobi. The research was based on systems theory (1968) and role theory (1975). A descriptive study approach was adopted, target population consisted of 29 principals, 460 instructors, and 1438 senior students in Form 3-4 at a public secondary school in Westland Sub County, Nairobi, Kenya. There was stratified sampling. This investigation's respondents were chosen using a basic random sampling approach. The data collection methods included questionnaires and an interview guide. In quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used, while inferential statistics such as Spearman's correlation were used. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret qualitative data. The data was analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 27.0. The research's principal goal resulted in the following notable findings. Principals said that both teachers (M=3.45, r=0.810; p<0.05) and students (M=3.49, r=0.424; p>0.05) included environmental education into their curricula. The study's second aim involved professors (M=3.23, r=0.361; p<0.5) and students (M=3.42, r=0.787; p<0.5). The study's fourth goal identified professors (M=3.43, r=0.418; p<0.05) and students (M=3.47, r=0.526; p<0.5). This study concludes that principals' incorporation of environmental education into the school curriculum, principals' modeling of environmentally sustainable behaviors, principals' provision of resources and support to teachers, and principals' initiatives in climate action projects all have an impact on climate change awareness in public secondary schools in Westland Sub County, Nairobi, Kenya. It is thus recommended that the Department of Basic Education offer explicit instructions on principals' support for the implementation of CCE in schools. These recommendations should explain administrators' duties and provide continuing assistance for improving and implementing CCE-related teacher professional development programs. These findings underline the importance of capacity building to increase teachers' subject-matter expertise, especially if they are to play a significant role in raising public awareness about climate change. Teachers should participate in and be trained for local crisis management programs related to climate change in order to create a deep understanding of the issue, which they may subsequently pass on to their pupils.