AN EVALUATION OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM: THE CASE OF BUNGOMA COUNTY IN KENYA

Abstract

This study was motivated by the need to establish the pivotal role of School Management Information Systems (SMIS) in secondary schools in Kenya. Worldwide, SMIS are geared towards assisting principals and teachers in managing core-curriculum by informing their decisions. However, many SMIS in the Kenyan market have failed to play this essential role of filling this information void. This leaves principals and teachers to rely on piece-meal information. This has perpetuated a scenario where lots of data exist, no relevant processing takes place and thus no useful information is extracted from it. In this light, this study examined the effects of SMIS on decision-making process with regard to core-curriculum management. It focused on public secondary schools in Bungoma County in Kenya. The study determined what types of MIS were used in secondary schools. It determined what type of management information these MIS generated. Breiter and Light‟s Conceptual framework on the process of transforming data into knowledge underpinned this study. This study was a descriptive survey research. A feasibility study was conducted to establish which schools were using SMIS in managing their curriculum. It revealed that 27 secondary schools had timetable management system, results management system and classroom management system. From these 27 schools, 33.3% thus nine schools were randomly selected. Two more schools were randomly selected to participate in the pilot study. Principals of the selected schools were interviewed and were treated as key informants. Thirty percent of teachers in the selected schools completed questionnaires. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyse data generated by research instruments. The study established that most MIS were purchased from the Kenyan market. It found that electronic sharing of data and information within academic departments in schools was still unattainable for lack of networked systems. Teachers were able to access management information such as students‟ performance, timetable information and academic performance of classes. However, teachers could not access certain key management information such as information on class attendance of students and teacher performance. Teachers noted that the MIS had influenced positively their curriculum management. Some of the positive impact included: faster generation of information and reduction in the cost of curriculum management. Overall, teachers noted that the MIS was an important tool in curriculum management. They observed that supervision of the core-curriculum had improved with its use. Furthermore, teachers‟ expressed their satisfaction with the information provided by the MIS. The study concluded that since majority of teachers had access to information that the MIS generated, they were able to make informed decisions based on available information. However, the MIS lacked capability to generate other crucial information that would have enriched decision-making. Lack of networking of MIS compromised the integrity of the stored data. Finally, the study recommended that schools should endeavour to develop their own MIS that are tailored for their specific needs. Schools can achieve this by contracting competent software developers in the area of education. In order to facilitate information sharing among teachers in a school, this study recommended intra-school networking of MIS to interconnect academic departments.