Assessement on the Impact of School Resources on Principals’ Administrative Duties in Selected Public Secondary Day Schools in Maara Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The administration and management of principals imply the arrangement of human and material resources available in education and their methodical use for the fulfilment of educational goals. The following objectives guided this study: the influence of finances on principals’ administrative duties in public day secondary schools, the influence of human resources on principals’ administrative duties in public day secondary schools, and the influence of the community surrounding the school on principals’ administrative duties in public day secondary schools in Maara Sub-County. The descriptive survey design was employed in this study to characterize the behaviour of all independent and dependent variables in order to establish a relationship between them. The current research was conducted in Tharaka Nithi County, specifically in the Maara sub-county. The current study’s target group will include parents, class lead instructors, a Quality Assurance Officer, and school principals affiliated with public day secondary schools in Maara Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County, totaling 162. The sampling frame included 125 people chosen from a pool of 162 people living in Maara Sub-County in 2020. A questionnaire, an interview guide, an observation checklist, and a document analysis guide were used to collect data. The data collected was examined using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics make use of central tendency behaviour to assess data. The study found that respondents (mean 4.00) agree that ICT infrastructure improves engagement of teachers and learners in modern forms of knowledge acquisition; textbooks and note books lead to excellence in academic outcomes; and teaching aids, primarily audio-visual, increase learners’ resilience to life. The study found that school building design improves teacher retention, which improves academic success; laboratories promote practical work, which improves academic achievement; and conducive classrooms improve teachers’ and students’ attitudes, which improves academic accomplishment. The study found that teachers’ professional discharge of duties improves educational quality and thus academic achievement; school administrators who can organize the process of teaching and learning to promote the school mission improve academic achievement; and teachers’ experience, knowledge, and teaching skills improve their effectiveness and thus academic achievement. The study found out that, number of students admitted in secondary schools over the last five years (2018-2022) has increased, however, there has been a decerease in KCPE men grade over the last five years. This might be as a result 100% transition from primary school to secondary school. The research also found that instructional resources, physical facilities, and human resources all had an impact on a student’s academic progress in public secondary schools.