| dc.description.abstract | All secondary schools in Kenya are required to prepare three to five years
strategic plans and submit them to their respective District Education Office.
But despite the government efforts to train principals and their BoM
chairpersons on strategic planning, only 30% of the schools in Laikipia West
district had submitted their strategic plans by 2013. The study therefore
investigated the extent to which selected management factors influenced
strategic planning process in public secondary schools in the District. The
objectives of the study were; to determine ways in which availability of funds,
to assess ways in which principals’ communication skills, to examine ways in
which training of the BoM chairpersons, and to establish how the principals’
experience in management influences strategic planning process in public
secondary schools in Laikipia West District. The study was carried out using a
descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of 226 respondents.
A sample of 141 respondents made up of 1 DQASO, 20 principals, 100 HoDs
and 20 BoM chairpersons was selected using purposive sampling technique.
Data was collected using questionnaires and an interview guide. Questionnaires
were validated using expert opinion from two lecturers at the University of
Nairobi, Department of Educational Administration and Planning, to examine
and advice on the content validity. Questionnaires were administered twice to
the principal, five HoDs and a BoM chairperson in each of the two piloted
schools using Test- Retest method, and were used upon achieving a correlation
coefficient of 0.85. An introductory letter from University of Nairobi was taken
to the National Commission for Science and Technology Innovation
(NACOSTI), to secure a research permit. The instruments were self-delivered to
the respondents in the selected schools. Data collected was analyzed using
descriptive statistics. The study found out that availability of funds, principals
‘communication skills, training of the BoM chairpersons and the principals’
experience in management positively influenced strategic planning process in
public secondary schools in Laikipia West District. The study recommended
that Laikipia West DQASO should ensure that secondary schools in the district
formulate annual strategic plans as a management tool, principal should develop
effective communication channels across all the stake holders in strategic
planning, KEMI should train all school managers on strategic planning as a way
of improving education management at the school level, BoM chairperson
should have a minimum of diploma education before appointment and teacher
training institutions should include studies on strategic planning in their
curriculum. Meanwhile, all principals should attend educational management
courses before their appointment to the post. The findings will be useful to the
school managers, DQASOs and education planners in the Ministry of Education
to understand factors influencing strategic planning in secondary schools in
Laikipia West district. | en_US |
