Influence of Principals’ Legitimate Power Utilization on Teachers’ Empowerment in Public Secondary Schools in Garissa County, Kenya

Abstract

There is a global concern on the principals’ legitimate power utilization. The drive of the study steered to analyze the impact of principals’ legitimate power utilization on teachers’ empowerment. The objective was to establish the effect of principals’ legitimate power utilization on teachers’ empowerment. Theories used here were Approach Inhibition of Power and the Empowerment Theory. The study utilized mixed method and the simultaneous triangulating model with descriptive survey design. Targeted population was 14,184 which included 41 principals, 780 teachers, 13,339 students and 24 MoE/TSC officers. Sample was 760 which included 33 principals stratified randomly sampled, 330 teachers and 384 students sampled using Fisher formular. The 13 MoE/TSC officers were purposively sampled. Questionnaires for learners and teachers were used while interviewing schedule was used for the principals. The investigator requested specialists to analyze the validity of tools. As for reliability there was test-retest technique employed. Cronbach’s Alpha was utilized to find the reliability of the instruments. Alpha worth of 0.700 was attained and the instruments termed consistent. Triangulating was used to assure credibility. In-depth interviewing was embraced to examine dependability of non-numerical tools. Numerical facts were scrutinized in descriptive and inferential (Chi-square) statistics by means of tables, occurrences and percent rates. Qualitative data was offered by thematic scrutiny in narrative form and verbatim citation. The study established that problem use of legitimate power was there. It was recommended that principals should utilize legitimate power. Further research was recommended to be done on this power elsewhere with different participants.