Publication:

An evaluation of administrative factors affecting the performance of agriculture in Trans-nzoia East District

ABSTRACT The study sought to find out the administrative factors affecting the performance of agriculture in secondary schools in Transnzoia East District, Transnzoia County. The objectives that guided the study were compensation and allowances, promotion on merit, infrastructural capacity and incentives. The research study employed descriptive survey design. Data was collected by use of questionnaires. The population of interest was the agriculture teachers in the district who were sixty in number. The study had the following findings:- The response shows that the respondents deemed the compensation in terms of pay perks as having the capacity to motivate the agriculture teachers with 10% of the respondents deeming it as having a high impact, 22% fair impact and 68% very fair impact. All the respondents affirmed to having knowledge of the laid down provisions of promotion on merit by their employer and they equally expressed misgivings about the provisions for adherence to the laid down rules as regards the provisions for promotion. A lot of the respondents had misgivings about the working environment. They attested to not having had the satisfaction expected from working in an environment with provisions for the requisite infrastructure as regards tool, implements and equipment requisite for instruction. The respondents confirmed that provision of incentives was critical in terms of ensuring that the teachers were adequately motivated to execute their tasks. Situation on the ground depicted a scenario whereby the teachers handling agriculture were not provided with incentives as they ought to. The study made the following recommendations:- The exchequer should strive to provide adequate funding to cater for the payment of teachers salaries and allowances. This will ensure that they are adequately demotivated and motivated to work and achieve their mandates. The laid down provisions for promotion on merit should always be adhered to and the process should be above board to ensure that the players who are the teachers are comfortable and motivated in the process. The schools boards of governors and administrators should ensure that adequate investments are made in the infrastructural capacities of the schools. This will see to it that the schools grow and increase their capacities in terms of implements, stationeries, reference books and all that help in the instructional capacities of the teachers. The school managements should always seek to motivate teachers to inspire good performance in the agriculture subject. Provision for partnerships with other critical players in the fields of agriculture and having them partake in sponsorship for continued learning and incentives provision may heavily tilt the balance in favour of agriculture as a subject.