The effect of empowerment on commitment of teachers in private primary schools in Nairobi city county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of empowerment on commitment of teachers in private primary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study took the form of a descriptive survey of private primary schools in Nairobi County. The target population involved 1000 teachers working in the private primary schools. Stratified sampling was used to identify a sample size of 91 respondents. Data was successfully collected from 70 respondents using a questionnaire. The demographic data was analyzed using percentages and frequencies; empowerment practices and extent f commitment were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. The effect of empowerment on commitment was analyzed using regression analysis. The findings were presented in tables. The study established that empowerment of teachers among private primary schools in Nairobi County takes different forms such as delegation of responsibility; taking part in the school decision making process; organizing team building events for the teachers; providing necessary study materials for the teachers; providing competitive remuneration for the teachers; encouraging teachers to seek higher education opportunities and rewarding good performance among the teachers. The commitment of the teachers is in turn exhibited through willingness to stay in school for longer hours voluntarily; minimal absenteeism from school; referring other people to the school and having a high degree of accountability. The regression results on the effect of empowerment of teachers on their commitment reveal that there is a significant relationship between the two variables. It was evident that empowering teachers has a significant positive effect on the commitment of primary school teachers in Nairobi County.