The role of the headteachers' communication styles on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education performance in public secondary schools in Kiambaa Division, Kiambu District, Kenya

Abstract

The study assesses the role of headteachers' communication Styles on KCSE performance in public secondary schools. The study was carried out in Kiambaa Division, Kiambu District - Kenya.

The design used expost facto design which is recommended for education and social research. The target population of the study included 18 secondary schools in Kiambaa division, 18

headteachers, two hundred and forty teachers and a proportion of the students in these schools. The sample was a proportion of the target population where upon proportion sampling there was to be stratified sampling due to the category of schools. Still on sampling there was simple random sampling for the particular school and teachers. Students were sampled using purposive sampling. The total number of schools sampled was ten, ten headteachers, forty teachers and two hundred and twenty students.

The researcher used the questionnaires as the research instrument. A pilot study was carried out in three schools to test on the instrument validity. Quantitative data were coded and analysed using SPSS. The research findings indicated that the communications styles used by the headteacher has an impact on KCSE performance.

The researcher recommends that schools should install proper communication channels and that there is need for on the job training to further equip teachers with relevant communication skills among other things.