Head Teachers’ Characteristics and Instructional Leadership in Curriculum Implementation in Secondary Schools, Siaya County, Kenya

Personal or background characteristics can influence head teachers instructional leadership in schools. This study investigated the relationship, if any, between the head teacher’s instructional leadership and the head teacher’s background variables such as education/ professional qualification, gender, age,p and teaching experience in the implementation of curriculum (Environmental Education) in secondary schools. Thirty headteachers and 183 teachers randomly sampled participated. Questionnaire was used to collect data in the survey. Findings: The Instructional Leadership Mean Score for mostvariables was moderate,Instructional Leadership Mean Score was independent of head teacher characteristics such as sex, age, and teaching experience but dependent on head teacher qualification. Recommendation: Quality Assurance and Standards officers need to monitor instructions in schools regularly to assist heads,Training of headteacherson instructional leadership should be ongoing and be ensured byboth Teachers Service Commission and Kenya Education Management Institute

Trade Unions Strategy on Teacher Professional Development and Its Influence on Teachers Welfare in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

The study sought investigate the influence of trade unions strategy on teachers’ professional development and its influence on teachers’ welfare in public secondary schools in Nairobi city county, Kenya The study was based on the following objective; To establish the extent to which trade unions involvement in teacher professional development influence teachers’ welfare in public secondary schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya; To examine the level of influence of teachers’ professional development on teachers’ career progression; To assess the level of satisfaction by trade union involvement in sensitizing teacher professional development programs. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The target teacher population was 2236 teachers in 87 public secondary schools, 11 KNUT and 7 KUPPET officials. Thirty percent target sample consisted of size of 671 in 26 secondary schools. Teachers and schools were stratified per Sub-County and selected by simple random sampling method. Both KUPPET and KNUT officials were purposively sampled for they possessed special information relevant to the study. A total of three KNUT officials and two KUPPET official were purposively sampled. Data was collected by interview guide for the union officials. The data was descriptively analyzed and presented in frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. For interviews, audio recorded responses were listened to, transcribed into texts, compared with field notes and presented as direct quotations, verbatim and discussions. Content validity of the research instruments was ascertained by a team of experts in the field of Educational administration and through piloting of questionnaires. Reliability of the instruments was ascertained by a test-re test technique and a coefficient of stability for teachers’ questionnaire found to be 0.785. Permission to collect data in Nairobi County was granted by the National Council of Science and Technology. The study established that a majority of teachers (M=3.27, SD=1.22) agreed that trade unions are involved in teacher professional development. The study established that professional development on teachers’ career progression was influential representing 41.3 percent. 40.4 percent of teachers were not satisfied on unions involvement in sensitizing teachers on professional development programs. Trade unions also offer performance certificates to teachers representing 65.8 percent. There was a positive correlation (r=0.815**, p=0.003<0.05) between unions’ strategy on teachers’ professional development and teachers’ welfare. The study established that trade unions strategies of teachers’ professional development, influenced the welfare of teachers in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. Keywords: Teachers trade unions, teachers’ professional development, public secondary schools DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-27-04 Publication date:September 30th 2022