Institutional and headteacher characteristics influencing management of student welfare services in public secondary schools in Kinango District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of institutional and head teachers characteristics factors on management of student welfare services in public secondary schools in kinango District. The findings were aligned to research objectives of determining the extent to which school head teacher manage student welfare services. The extent to which the availability of physical facilities influence head teachers management of student welfare, determine the influence of parental financial support on secondary school head teacher management of student welfare services.

Determine the influence of school location on head teacher management of student welfare services and how home-school partnership of head teacher influences student welfare services and also to establish the extent to which gender, academic qualification, administrative experience and age of the head teacher influence management of students welfare services. The study used goal setting theory of motivation which is suitable in that the head teacher has a challenging task to perform of managing student welfare services.

The literature reviewed indicated that the head teacher's personal characteristics, institutional characteristics and parents have influence on the management of student welfare services. (Olembo, Wanga & Karagu, 1992) Successful execution of these tasks is not possible unless the various head teachers and institutional characteristics are addressed. The descriptive survey design was used to investigate the influence of institutional and head teacher characteristics on management of student welfare services. The targeted population included all the 19 secondary schools head teachers in Kinango District.

The sample size of the study was to cover 19 head teachers. The target population was too small to exclude any of the head teachers in the region from the study. The research surveyed all the 19 schools. A questionnaire formed the major data collecting tool. Quantitative descriptive results were summarised in to frequency distributions, measures of central tendency (means) and measures of dispersion (standard deviations and range).

The researcher reached the conclusions that all head teachers of secondary schools in kinango district are fully qualified both academically and professionally and experienced enough to manage student's welfare services. Lack parents support and delayed government funds, which make planning and acquisition of essential materials difficult. Therefore this study commends that the head teachers look for ways of educating the parents on their roles in providing services for their sons and daughter s. The government is urged to stick to specific time line for disbursing the supporting funds to the schools in order for them to better provide welfare services to the students.