Teachers’ Perceptions on the Influence of Selected Institutional Factors on Implementation of Tuition Free Secondary Education in Public Secondary Schools in Wareng Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The launch of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Kenya in 2003 resulted to high enrolment of pupils in primary schools. However only a small proportion of those pupils who completed standard eight enrolled in form one due to lack of school fees which was a burden to many parents. In January 2008 the Government of Kenya declared Tuition Free Secondary Education (TFSE) in all public secondary schools in the country in order to cope with the high number of pupils completing standard eight. As expected, this led to a large number of students enrolling for secondary education. Despite the government input, reports from many parts of the country revealed that shortage of school facilities, instructional materials, teacher staffing and head teachers with good administrative skills among other challenges made it difficult to achieve the objectives of TFSE that is increased level of student enrolment, progression from one class to next and completion. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions on the influence of selected institutional factors on implementation of TFSE in public secondary schools in Wareng Sub-County, Kenya. The study used descriptive survey research design. The target population was 34 head teachers and 452 teachers. A sample of 195 respondents was drawn consisting of 14 head teachers and 181 teachers. Stratified proportionate random sampling technique was used to select head teachers while random sampling was used to select teachers from the schools whose head teachers were selected. Two five point likert type of questionnaires were used to collect data from head teachers and teachers. The questionnaires were validated by a team of experts from the department of Curriculum Instruction and Educational Management. Reliability was determined by subjecting the instruments to a pilot study in six schools from Wareng Sub-County that did not take part in the study. Cronbach’s alpha was used to estimate reliability of the instruments, which was established at 0.843 for head teachers’ questionnaire and 0.816 for teachers’ questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to process the data collected. Results of data analysis were presented using frequency distribution tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study established that more students were able to attend school as a result of tuition free secondary education though this stressed the available resources in schools. The first objective was to investigate teachers’ perceptions on the influence of facilities on implementation of TFSE, the study found that the school facilities were not adequate. On the second objective, the study concluded that most of the instructional materials in the study area were still inadequate though textbooks, globes, calculators, wall maps and curriculum guides were rated partially adequate. Majority of the respondents noted that the number of staff was not enough, forcing school management to employ Board of Management (BOM) teachers. On administrative skills, most head teachers agreed that their administrative skills were sufficient enough to manage the schools adequately while teachers’ opinions differed on this. The study therefore recommends employment of more teachers to cater for increasing student population and also to provide more funds to cater for more school facilities and instructional materials. The study is expected to provide valuable insights on the influence of institutional factors on implementation of TFSE. It is hoped that the findings of this study will help the Ministry of Education and the Teachers’ Service Commission to deploy appropriate resources and policy programs to be used to ensure successful implementation of TFSE.