Influence of Principals’ Management Practices on Teachers' Job Satisfaction in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of principals’ management practices on teachers' job satisfaction in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. The objectives of the study therefore were: To establish and determine the influence of principals’ involving teachers in decision making on job satisfaction of teachers in public secondary schools, to establish the influence of supervision principals on teachers' job satisfaction in public secondary schools, to determine influence of principals promoting professional development on teachers' job satisfaction in public secondary schools, to examine the influence of principals' performance appraisal on teachers job satisfaction in public secondary schools, to establish the influence of principals' interpersonal relationship on teachers job satisfaction in public secondary schools in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was used to carry out the study. The study was guided by the Two Factor Theory advanced by Fredrick Herzberg of 1959 as a model for exploring motivation. The study targeted 324 public secondary schools which comprises of 324 principals and 1500 teachers and 12 TSC officials across 12 sub-counties in Kakamega County. Purposive sampling was used to select five sub counties which included Lurambi, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Navakholo and Malava. The study sample included 64 schools, 64 principals, 300 teachers and 5 TSC officials. The study used interview guide for the principal and TSC official and questionnaires for teachers. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the fivehypotheses. The findings showed that the entirefive hypothesis were rejected. On Principals involving teachers in decision making and teachers’ job satisfaction, (r= .407, p-value<0.05). On Supervision and teachers’ job satisfaction, (r= .521, p-value<0.05). On Professional development and teachers’ job satisfaction, (r= .595, p-value<0.05). On Performance appraisal and teachers’ job satisfaction (r= .655, p-value<0.05) and on Interpersonal relations and teachers’ job satisfaction (r= .489, p-value<0.05). The results of Multiple Linear Regression done between the independent variables and job satisfaction indicated that Performance appraisal (PA) (β=.515, p<.05) had the highest influence on the criterion variable while supervision (PS) (β=.001, p<.05 had the lowest influence on the criterion variable. Two displayed a negative influence on principals’ involving teachers in decision making (PITDM) (β=-.073, p<.05) and (β=-.040, p<.05) for interpersonal relation (IA). The study concluded that principals’ management practices influenced teachers’ job satisfaction. The study recommends principals to foster cooperation in terms of involving teachers in decision making on issues pertaining to the school, recommend teachers in terms of professional development by ensuring fair selection is done and funds are effectively distributed and emphasize on making every teacher and employee share certain task or responsibility so that they feel they are contributing towards the success of the school making them feel satisfied with their jobs. The study also recommends principals to be equipped with the required supervision knowledge and skills that would lead to improved teachers’ job satisfaction and this may be acquired from management training institutions including Kenya Education Management Institute(KEMI) among other institutions.