Principals' Instructional Leadership and Students' Academic Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Makueni Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

  School principals as instructional leaders have the essential responsibility of ensuring that quality teaching and learning occurs in schools. The study examined principals' instructional leadership, and its relationship to students' academic achievement in public secondary schools in Makueni Sub-County in Kenya. The study adopted cross sectional survey design. The study targeted all public secondary schools in Makueni Sub-County. The sample size comprised of 147 students drawn from 15 public secondary schools. All the 15 principals from the selected schools participated in the study. Data was collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire, interview schedule and document analysis schedule. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) ver.20. Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to establish the significance of relationships. It is concluded that principals' instructional leadership positively affects students' academic performance; Students' academic achievement to a large extent is determined by the instructional leadership executed by the principals, through provision of teaching and learning resources, establishing policies for monitoring students' progress and ensuring good time management; there is a fairly strong and positive relationship between students perceptions on principals instructional leadership and academic performance. Thus, students' perceptions towards principals' instructional leadership influence their academic performance. Therefore, principals should perform their instructional leadership functions as required of them to influence students' academic performance.