Individual factors influencing headteachers’ competence in human resource management in public primary schools in Kayole north division, Kenya

Abstract

Human Resource Management is considered as headteachers’ management of recruitment procedures, contracts and salaries for teachers’ by School Management Committees and including also a strong developmental and strategic approach. The purpose of this study was to investigate the individual factors influencing headteachers’ competence in human resource management in public primary schools in Kayole North Division, Nairobi County, Kenya. The objectives were to identify the influence of level of education, administrative experience, professional qualification and attendance of seminars/workshops by headteachers on Human Resource Management in public primary schools in Kayole North Division. The study targeted 12 public primary schools, 12 headteachers and 216 primary school teachers in Kayole North Division. The sample size was 120 respondents comprising; 12 headteachers and randomly sample 12 teachers from each school to involve 108 teachers. Data was gathered using questionnaires for the teachers and interview schedule for headteachers. Primary data was collected and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques and presented in tables and graphs. Secondary data was obtained from journals and schools data base. Data collected was analyzed using (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) SPSS. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used. The findings showed majority 88% indicated that human resource management is influenced by the head teachers’ education level. Majority 78% of the headteachers’ indicated that administrative experience influences his competence in human resource management. Majority 82% indicated that headteachers professional qualification influences their competence in human resource management. The study may be significant in that it may give recommendations to the schools on the necessity of competence among the headteachers in Human Resource Management in public primary schools. The education stakeholders like Teachers Service Commission, Kenya Education Management Institute and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology at district level may see the need for training and get information that may assist their headteachers grow in terms of knowledge, skills and productivity in human resource management. Other researchers too might get data from the research and get reference points. The head teachers should attend seminars to enhance their human resource management skills. There should be further research on the influence of team work development among the school stakeholders in human resource management in primary schools. There should be a study on the influence of policies on the appointment of headteachers as human resource managers in primary schools. This study focused only on public primary schools; therefore a study on other school categories can be done in relation to headteachers human resource management. There should be a study on other factors influencing head teachers human resource management in primary schools since this study only focused on four factors.