Factors influencing teacher effectiveness: a case of secondary schools in Meru Central District, Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

The research project sought to determine factors contributing towards teacher effectiveness in Secondary Schools in Meru Central District of Meru County, Kenya. The background of the study puts to the fore the basis of education as spelt out in the Kenya education sector support programme. The problem statement shows the basis under which the research was carried in Meru Central District due to teacher ineffectiveness. The study focused on the factors influencing teacher effectiveness.

The objectives are four which have been cited as the factors contributing to teacher effectiveness to assess the extent to which salaries and remunerations influence teachers effectiveness, to establish extent to which school working conditions influence teachers effectiveness, to evaluate how classroom conditions influence teachers effectiveness and to determine how motivation influence teachers effectiveness in secondary schools in Meru Central district, Meru County, Kenya.

The study is significant to policy makers and strategic managers to conceptualize the issues arising in the study and use them to improve education in secondary schools. The research employed descriptive research design by issuing out questionnaires where a population of 1500 was targeted but used a sample of 150 respondents. The data was analyzed qualitatively in frequency tables, and text. The findings show that salaries and remunerations, working conditions, classroom conditions and motivation greatly influenced teacher effectiveness. The four factors of teacher effectiveness i.e. salaries and remuneration, working conditions, classroom conditions and motivation are interrelated on their influence on the teacher effectiveness.

The research has recommended that the Ministry of Education supply enough teaching materials to schools and give more emphasis on capacity building to teachers to increase effectiveness, Teachers Service Commission to remunerate teachers well to avoid financial constraints, the Managers of schools ensure they provide favourable working conditions for teachers in their schools and that administrators supervise curriculum adequately to ensure efficiency.