Influence Of Head Teachers’ Governance Practices On Support Staff Job Satisfaction In Public Primary Schools, Malindi sub-County, Kilifi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of head teachers’ governance practices on support staff job satisfaction in public primary schools in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County, Kenya. The study sought to determine the extent to which head teachers’ reward system, adherence to leave policy, welfare services and support staff professional development influence job satisfaction. The study was anchored on management theorist Fredrick Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation. A descriptive research design and simple random technique of selecting respondents were applied. The researcher used a sample size of twenty three (23) head teachers and twenty (20) support staff. The research instruments were questionnaires to head teachers and support staffs. The results and findings of this study revealed that the four objectives had a negative influence on support staff job satisfaction in public primary schools in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County(P<0.05). The study concluded that managements need to be equipped with management skills and also understand the needs of the population they govern. In organization where the workers are considered to be of value in the institution they tend to perform well and always striving hard to achieve the organizations goals those on their line of duty to facilitate them achieve the school goals through capacity building of staff. The study recommends that all head teachers need to understand that, all staff are important and the institution can achieve its goals when all workers work as a team. The support staff needs to be involved in planning the activities regarding their profession for decision making and policies. The schools head teacher need to come up with staff welfare that can support the staff when in need. The Ministry of Education (MoE) in conjunction with other educational bodies like TSC need to empower the head teachers based on governance and practices in schools to equip them with appropriate knowledge on how to manage their school as a whole in their capacity. The school Board of Management (BOM) needs to treat all the staff equally and empower them on their line of duty to facilitate them in achieving the school goals through staff capacity building. The (BOM) needs to come up with strategies that will motivate the support staff who do their job well through either promotion or gifts. This way support staff will feel appreciated and respected in their line of duty. The Parents Association need to facilitate support staff salaries on time to motivate them work extra hard to achieve the school set objectives. All support staff needs to join workers trade unions and welfares associations that will enable them addresses their grievances according to labour acts and policies to avoid mistreatments of workers by their employers. The study suggested that a similar study to be carried out in public secondary schools in order to establish whether the head teachers governance and practices influence support staff job satisfaction in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County. The study suggests there is a need to find out other factors influencing support staff job satisfaction in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County.