THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF PRINCIPALS ON QUALITY AND RELEVANCE IN TRAINING IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL COLLEGES IN KENYA

Abstract

Principals are the chief executive officers responsible for day to day running and management of the institutions and must provide leadership to implement the decisions of the stakeholders and to solve the problems facing the institutions. However, there are many problems facing TVET institutions; lack of modern equipment for practicals, deteriorating tools, inadequate capacity, and lack of industrial linkages, failure to assess trainees on attachment, poor quality training, poor motivation and poor enrolment, among many other challenges. These challenges and notable disparities in TVET institutions have been attributed to the leadership approaches and practices in these institutions. The study examined the impact of leadership practices of the principals on quality and relevance in training in TVCs in Kenya. The objectives of the study were on; policy, strategic plan, benchmarking, partnership, and staff motivation. The study used Mixed Methods design and targeted public TVCs principals, HODs, HOS, and Trainees’ Council representatives in Rift valley region of Kenya. The sample of the study was chosen using cluster, random sampling, stratified sampling, and purposive sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 56 respondents who participated in this study, while qualitative data was collected through interviews was analyzed thematically. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using (SPSS)version20 for descriptive statistics; frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation, while inferential statistics was used to determine relationships among variables using the Pearson Moment correlation. A p-value of less than 0.01 was interpreted. The results on a likert scale indicated that leadership practices in terms of policy implementation, strategic plan implementation, benchmarking, partnership, and staff motivation greatly influence the quality and relevance of training. It also showed that there were significant relationships between leadership practices and the quality and relevance of training. Based on the findings, it is recommended that: Principals should applaud and encourage, by means of incentives to all staff who demonstrate positive motivation to work. The Principals have to connect with local, national, and international institutions for capacity building. They have to ensure all departments, measure and compare themselves with higher-performing departments, other TVCs and TVET institutions worldwide. Principals have to base Performance contracting on the strategic plan. They have to model, and communicate the institutions’ vision, mission, and core values. The findings of this study will be useful to policy makers, development partners and capacity building agencies, managers and administrators, BOG, educators, researchers, and partners incoming up with the best leadership practices, which enhance provision of quality and relevance of training.