Effectiveness of School Boards in Setting Strategic Direction and Its Effect on Students’ Achievement in Selected Counties of the North Rift, Kenya — Oak Academic Publishing
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Effectiveness of School Boards in Setting Strategic Direction and Its Effect on Students’ Achievement in Selected Counties of the North Rift, Kenya
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
,
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
,
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
1 Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
2 Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
3 Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
School boards have a definitive role in school outcomes. The Boards of Management (BOM) in Kenya exist to oversee the provision of quality education in schools but their effectiveness has been questioned due to the persistent country-wide problem of low performance in national examinations. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of school boards’ effectiveness in offering strategic direction and its influence in students’ academic achievement in selected secondary schools in Kenya. Convergent parallel mixed methods research design was employed for this study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and interview schedule. We used multi-stage sampling technique to draw a sample of 358 teachers and 12 principals from selected public secondary schools in Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi counties in North Rift of Kenya. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesis while thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The study found that BOM effectiveness in setting the strategic direction (β = 0.325, p < 0.001), is a predictor of students’ academic performance. It also found that school boards are perceived to be effective in setting the strategic direction of schools. The study concludes that the school board role of setting the strategic direction in schools is vital as it influences students’ academic performance. The study recommends strengthening BOMs in secondary schools to bolster student success and improve overall educational outcomes. These findings have implications for policy and practice, highlighting the need for targeted interventions aimed at promoting effective BOM governance structures in secondary schools.
KeywordsStrategic DirectionSchool Board EffectivenessSecondary School Education in North Rift KenyaStrategic Planning and Academic Performance
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