The Influence of Principals’ Administrative Styles on Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Keiyo South Sub-County, Kenya

Main Article Content

Consolata Cherop Chepkwony https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4719-8061
Michael Kimotho https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5078-5349
Rose Atoni https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7892-3284

Keywords

Principals’ administrative styles, , academic performance, transformational leadership, democratic leadership, autocratic leadership, Principals’ administrative styles, academic performance, transformational leadership, democratic leadership, autocratic leadership, secondary schools, Kenya, Kenya

Abstract

Student academic performance in Kenya’s secondary schools continues to face challenges despite significant investments in curriculum and resources. Leadership, particularly the administrative styles adopted by principals, has been identified as a critical yet often overlooked factor influencing academic outcomes. This study examined the influence of principals’ administrative styles on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Keiyo South Sub-County, Kenya. Anchored on Transactional Theory, the study employed a mixed-methods convergent parallel design. The target population included 45 principals, 45 directors of studies, approximately 45 teachers, and an estimated 1500 students, with participants selected through stratified, systematic random, purposive, and census sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) and inferential statistics (ANOVA), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated that 58.3% of teachers perceived principals as transformational leaders, 33.3% as democratic, and only 8.3% as autocratic. ANOVA results showed a statistically significant influence of autocratic (F = 4.78, p = 0.010), transformational (F = 7.65, p = 0.001), and democratic (F = 6.85, p = 0.002) leadership styles on academic performance. The study concludes that supportive and participatory administrative styles positively influence student academic outcomes and recommends continuous professional development programs to strengthen transformational and democratic leadership competencies among principals.

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