Publication: Evaluation of strategies adopted by the school boards of management in improving infrastructure in secondary schools in Kilungu sub county, Makueni county, Kenya
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2015-10
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Mount Kenya University
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Abstract
Improving infrastructure in schools is one of the most complex tasks of school management. However, school management need to understand performance management processes and also possess the necessary skills to enable them to improve infrastructure effectively. The researcher is prompted to evaluate strategies adopted by the schools Board of Management in improving infrastructure in public secondary schools in Kilungu Sub-county, Makueni County, Kenya. The objectives of the study include; school BOM’s planning, funding, supervision and evaluation strategies in relation to improvement of school infrastructure. The study adopted mixed methods approach. The study adopted explanatory sequential design which involved collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand a research problem. The target population comprised of 22 principals, 250 teachers and 220 members of school BOM all totaling to 492. Using the Central Limit Theorem, 7 secondary schools, that is, 30% of 22, and 120 respondents (24.39% of 492), were selected at predetermined confidence level of 5%. The researcher applied stratified random sampling to create 5 different strata based on the number of zones. From each zone, 1 principal and 10 teachers were selected using purposive sampling. The researcher then applied simple random sampling to select 13 members of school BOM. This sampling procedure enabled the researcher to realize a sample of 7 secondary school principals, 47 teachers and 66 school BOM members. Questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers whereas interview schedules were used to collect data from principals and members of school BOM. Piloting of research instruments was conducted to establish validity, reliability, credibility and dependability. Reliability was determined using test retest method and reliability coefficient, r = 0.6, obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Method. Data analysis began by identifying common themes. Frequency counts of the responses were obtained to generate information about the respondents and to illustrate the general trend of findings on the various variables that were under investigation. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically based on the research objectives whereas quantitative data was analyzed descriptively using One-Sample t-Test Analysis in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 21). The findings of the study were presented using tables. The study established that school BOMs adopt different strategies to improve school infrastructure. These include; planning, funding, supervision and evaluation. However, they have not been effective in improving school infrastructure. The study thus recommends that schools should ensure that persons who are included in the school BOM are qualified so as to enhance their immense contributions in making strategic decisions beneficial to secondary schools. Different technocrats well-versed with education matters should be included as members of secondary school BOM to share much information with education stakeholders on how to improve school infrastructure. Such expert knowledge may assist them to detect any form of pilferage and inflation of material costs meant for secondary school infrastructure. Secondary school BOM should improve their planning strategies to ensure effective and prudent use of school resources in a manner best suited to improvement of school infrastructure. School BOM should make improve austerity measures which are meant to scale up the monitoring and evaluation measures to be adopted to improve secondary school infrastructure. The government should formulate a policy to help determine the kind of professionals who should be included as members of school BOMs. This may go a long way in minimizing the costs of hiring an expert to cost the school infrastructure.
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School infrustucture