Thesis:

Principals' leadership styles and their contribution to the students' council perfomance in public secondary schools in Gatanga district Muranga County, Kenya.

This study assessed the principals’ leadership and its impact on students’ council duty performance in secondary schools of Gatanga District. The study was guided by the following research objectives to find out; whether there is a relationship between the principals’ leadership and the students’ council duty performance, the role of the students’ council in school administration, principals’ leadership styles and their impact on students council duty performance. The study reviewed literature on student council systems, the role of students council in the administration, appointment of student council, student participation in the decision making, the role of principals in secondary and principal’s leadership styles. The study applied qualitative research methodology which utilized descriptive survey research design. The target population will be composed of 34 public secondary schools in Gatanga District Murang’a County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 18 secondary schools. All the 18 principals in the sampled schools were used as respondents of the study together with the respective students’ councils of each school under the study. The research instruments for data collection were the questionnaires for principals and students’ council and interview schedule for the students’ council. The data was coded and analyzed through the SPSS system. Pearson’s correlation coefficient formula is the technique used to analyze the data. The findings were analyzed and presented in frequency tables, pie chart and graphs. The findings of the study would be useful to the ministry of education and to the secondary school administration on the students’ council body. The researcher established that prefects were largely appointed by either the teachers, class teachers or the principals. The study established that prefects were not inducted into their roles before they took up their leadership roles. The study revealed that the student body council was not motivated. The researcher established that majority of the principals communicated to the students council body through announcement at assembly. The prefects were not inducted into their new roles. In most of the schools no formal induction training was done to familiarize the prefects with their roles .In addition the research revealed that student’s body council was not motivated and the prefects therefore felt demotivated. Furthermore, there was no structured communication channel between the school administration and the students’ council. Finally, meetings between the student council and the principals were rarely held. The researcher recommended that appointment of prefects should be done democratically by allowing students to participate in that process. Once prefects are appointed, they should be inducted into their new roles through induction training. The school administration should also motivate the student council body. In addition, there should be a well structured communication between the school administration and the students’ council bodies. Finally, student council bodies should be strengthened in order to help the school administration perform their functions.