Factors contributing to gender disparities in school leadership style; a case study of Thika district, Kiambu county.

Abstract

The under representation of women in leadership is symptomatic of every known society, and this is a matter of concern, at least when considering in the context of equal opportunities discourse and sustainable development. The study on gender and leadership has revealed that a number of barriers exist for women seeking positions of educational leadership. They include social-cultural factors, the expectations of the society, as well as women’s perceptions of themselves and leadership. This study was concerned with the representation of women in leadership positions in Kenya’s rural primary schools. In particular, it explored the educational leadership experiences of women working in schools in the rural areas within Kiambu County. This study was concerned with the factors contributing to gender disparity in school leadership and administration in Thika district, Kiambu County. The research determined the proposition and status of women in decision making posts in schools administration and leadership, investigate the cause study of low female representation and sought strategies to enhance the participation of women in leadership roles in school leadership. The data were primarily gathered by means of destructive survey research design, qualitative methods, semi structured interviews were conducted and stratified random sampling. The key findings revealed administrative challenges which included the grievances of the parents, limited resources, and issues with accountability, time management and the handling of difficult teachers. Personal challenges included wavering self confidence, problems with trying to balance work and social lives as well as home work conflicts. The findings revealed the participants’ in adequate preparation for their leadership roles and society’s initials skepticism on women’s school leadership. The study also revealed women’s reluctance to take up leadership positions as was evidenced by their reluctance in applying for the positions. The study found that the participation of women in primary school leadership positions could be enhanced by means of attractive remuneration, effective mentoring, positive role models, programs for the preparation for leadership, and the assurance of limited geographical movement on promotion. The findings also revealed that although the majority of women teachers in study sample were qualified for promotion to school headship positions, indeed, a large number of them either had a university degree or were pursuing degree studies and also had extensive.