Influence of Principals’ Mentorship Activities on Teacher Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambaa Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya

Influence of Principals’ Mentorship Activities on Teacher Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambaa Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya

Irene Njoroge & Mary Mugwe Chui
School of Education
Mount Kenya University
Email: njorogeirene25@gmail.com

Abstract: Principals’ mentorship activities are crucial determinants of teacher performance in schools. However, in Kiambaa Sub-county, teacher performance has been a challenge with many teachers not able to cover syllabus in time resulting into low students’ academic performance. Thus, the study sought to examine the influence of principals’ mentorship activities on teacher performance in public secondary schools. The study adopted mixed methodology and applied descriptive survey and phenomenological research designs. Target population was 751 respondents which comprised 15 principals, 734 teachers and 2 Sub-county Directors of Education from which a sample of 262 respondents was determined using Yamane’s Formula. This sample comprised 10 principals, 250 teachers and 2 Sub-county Directors of Education. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically based on the objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25) and presented using tables. The study revealed that many teachers do not cover syllabus in time and this has occasioned low students’ performance. This has been partly attributed to principals’ mentorship activities. Many principals rarely organize and plan mentorship activities for teachers and has thus, contributed to low performance among teachers in terms of syllabus coverage and students’ academic outcomes. They either fail to prioritize mentorship programs or lack the necessary organizational skills to implement them effectively. Thus, the Ministry of Education should allocate resources to enable principals organize regular mentorship programmes for teachers.