Influence of Teacher Performance Appraisal on Job Performance in Public Primary Schools in Mumias East Sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Teacher Performance Appraisal aims at strengthening supervision and monitoring of performance of teachers in the keeping up of the standards of teaching at institutional level. In this regard, this study sought to investigate the influence of the teacher performance appraisal system on teacher’s job performance in public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County, Kenya. The study considered the following objectives: To determine the extent to which professional knowledge influence the teacher’s job performance, to establish the influence of continuous professional development on the performance of the teacher’s job, to assess the extent to which collaboration with parents/ guardians influence the performance of the teacher’s job and to evaluate the influence of creativity in teaching on the teacher’s job performance in public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County.To ensure the study objectives were achieved, the researcher used sample size of fifteen (15) Deputy heads of institutions who are charged with the responsibility of appraising teachers, and one hundred and forty (140) teachers who are the appraises, sampled using random sampling method to provide the responses. A descriptive research design was applied. Questionnaires were used as the main research instruments and validated by content related technique to determine the level to which the question items reflected in the specific areas to be addressed. Duly filled questionnaires containing responses were posted to Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The data was presented in forms of frequencies and percentages in tables then summarized in line with the conceptual framework to establish their relationships.Findings of this study reveal that majority of Deputy Heads of institutions are aware of their roles in the supervision of teacher appraisal process. In this regard, the Deputies were in agreement with the appraisal tool in relation to professional knowledge, continuous professional development, collaboration with parents and creativity in teaching. Similarly, teachers in Mumias East Sub County agree with the appraisal system although most of them disagree that the tool is used to reward them for meeting their appraisal targets. The study recommends that teacher professional development courses have to be beefed up by the teachers’ employer, especially in technology to make Deputy Heads of institutionsas well as teachers to build capacity in their job performance.The Commission in conjunction with other educational bodies should also create awareness to public primary Deputy Heads of institutions and teachers on the purpose for appraisal tool in relation to the performance of teacher’s job and not doing for the sake of it. The ministry of education ought to put proper infrastructure in public primary schools to enable teachers implement school programmes as per the expectations of the TPAD. More so, public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County should be equipped with ICT materials by KICD or other stakeholders to enable teachers make use and integrate ICT in teaching and learning. Furthermore, KICD should install and keep updating the appropriate software in relation to accepted curriculum designs for every grade in public primary schools.