| dc.description.abstract | Globally, principals play a very important role in enhancing students‟ academic achievement. However, in the process of doing this, studies have shown that, principals are faced with a number of challenges resulting in poor performance of students. Public Secondary Schools in Ndhiwa Sub County have not been performing well academically as shown by Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E) examination results between the years 2013 and 2018, compared to the neighboring Sub Counties within Homa Bay County. Average KCSE mean scores was 4.7 when compared to other Sub-counties, which are higher; Homa-Bay: 6.0; Suba 5.0; Rachuonyo North 5.1; Rachuonyo South 5.2; Mbita 5.3. Hitherto the challenges principals face relating to their areas of operations are unknown in Ndhiwa Sub County, the knowledge gaps this study sought to fill. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine challenges faced by principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement in public secondary schools in Ndhiwa Sub- County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: determine school based challenges faced by principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement; establish student based challenges faced by principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement; establish government policy based challenges faced by principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement; and determine economic based challenges faced by principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Ndhiwa Sub County. Grounded theory was used to guide the study. A conceptual framework based on concept that challenges faced by principals (Independent Variables), must be overcome in order to enhance student academic achievement (Dependent Variables) was used. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The study population comprised 45 principals, 203 teachers, 2,469 Form three students and 1 Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (SCQASO). Saturated sampling was used to select 26 principals, and 1 SCQASO. Simple random sampling was used to select 133 teachers and 332 students. Data was collected using questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussion. Face validity of the instruments was established by experts in educational administration. The reliability of these instruments was established through test-retest method in 3 schools. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, means and percentages. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed in emergent themes and sub themes whereby a Pearson‟s r coefficient of 0.79 and 0.80 for principals and teachers respectively above at a p-value of 0.05 was considered reliable. The study established that school based and student based challenges posed bigger challenges to the principals in enhancing students‟ academic achievement as indicated by the overall mean rating of 3.64 and 3.34 respectively. Economic based challenges and Government policy based challenges posed a big challenge with overall mean rating of 3.30 and 3.21 respectively. The study recommended that: principals need to be given a lot of training on management of finances to enable them manage the little financial resource available in their schools; the stakeholders like the Boards of Management should think of other sources of funds that the schools can engage in to boost the financial resources; the principals and teachers should give priority to developing the attitude of students positively to enhance performance of students in their schools. The study may be significant in: enlightening policy makers in identifying better strategies to address challenges facing principals in enhancing student‟ academic achievement. | en_US |
