Influence of Headteachers’ Enforcement of Infrastructure Safety on Learners’ Academic Achievement in Public Primary Schools in Machakos Sub-county, Machakos County, Kenya
Susan Kamene Mutiso & Joseph Kimotho
School of Education
Mount Kenya University
Email: susanmutiso003@gmail.com/ jkimotho@mku.ac.ke
Abstract: Headteachers’ enforcement of infrastructure safety is vital in improving learners’ academic achievement in schools. However, in Machakos Sub-county, many learners manifested academic achievement levels that are below expectations. This study sought to examine the influence of headteachers’ enforcement of infrastructure safety on learners’ academic achievement in public primary schools. The study was guided by the infrastructure management theory and academic achievement Theory. The study adopted a mixed-methodology and applied a concurrent triangulation research design. The target population comprised 852 respondents, including 63 headteachers, 786 teachers, and 3 Curriculum Support Officers, from which a sample of 273 respondents was determined using Yamane’s Formula. This consisted of 15 headteachers, 255 teachers, and 3 CSOs. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically as per the study objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, and inferential statistics using Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Analysis with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25) and presented using tables. The study found that learners’ academic achievement in public primary schools has been low and on a downward trend over the last four years (2022-2025). This has been partly attributed to the headteachers’ enforcement of infrastructure safety. The study found that headteachers rarely enforce safety regulations for school infrastructure. Thus, headteachers should prioritize the strict enforcement of school infrastructure safety regulations through regular safety audits, compliance checks, and capacity-building programs for headteachers.
