Influence Of Principals’ Motivational Strategies On Performance In Kenya Certificate Of Secondary Education In Secondary Schools In Nyandarua County, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract: Employee motivation is explained by labour experts as the extent to which an employee feels motivated at individual level. The motivated individual feels the drive to accomplish target achievement. Organisation policies are integral in setting appropriate targets to employees. Expectancy theory helps in understanding different motivational levels among the working force. It identifies things that individual employees form as the basis of employee motivation that in turn makes them to work. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of motivational strategies used by principals on teachers and how these in turn impact on academic performance of public secondary schools in Nyandarua County in Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was anchored on Transformational Leadership Theory. Questionnaires were used to collect data from principals, teachers, and students. The study targeted all public secondary schools in Nyandarua County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select individual respondents. The study sample was a total of 384 principals, teachers, and students, equally drawn from the 167 public secondary schools in the county. Descriptive analysis was conducted in data analysis. This study found that there was a significant relationship between the academic performance of a school and motivational strategies. It was noted that passive management has a positive influence on teacher service delivery. The principals to listen to teachers’ grievances and engage with them so as to foster increased service delivery. As well, the head teachers should make sufficient efforts to curb foreseeable problems rather than wait for them to occur so as to take measures. The head teachers need to ensure that the rewards offered to staff capture their attention so that it can provide effective motivation in effective service delivery. Keywords: strategic leadership, motivation, performance