Salient constructs in burnout and their influence on job performance of secondary school delocalized principals’ between 2018 -2022 in South Rift Region, Kenya

Abstract

Globally, professional burnout poses significant challenges to educational leaders, impacting job performance and organizational outcomes. The issue of burnout among educators is critical and specifically requires well designed and well thought out approaches in order to explore the relationship between the selected constructs of professional burnout and job performance among delocalized female principals in the South Rift region from 2018 to 2022. The purpose of this research assess the selected constructs in professional burnout and their influence on job performance of female principals in the delocalization period of 2018-2022 in South Rift region, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: determine the level of burnout among delocalized female principals, inquire how delocalization policy contributes to burnout among female principals, assess how school environment influences job performance of delocalized female principals, examine the influence of interpersonal factors on work performance of delocalized female principals and determine how workload influences job performance of delocalized female principals in secondary schools in South Rift Valley, Kenya. The ontological assumption and epistemological paradigm of this research is positivism and pragmatism. The study was informed by Ed Diener’s theory of psychological wellbeing and principles. The study used mixed method research particularly concurrent triangulation survey which used highly structured questionnaires to collect quantitative data, open ended questions and interview schedules to collect data qualitative data. A Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) tool measured the risk of burnout. The target population consisted of all delocalized female principals in south rift region derived from there were 151 public secondary schools headed by female principals of whom 80% of them had been delocalized between 2018-2022. The study targeted 121 delocalized female principals where Kericho had 50, Bomet 45 and Narok 26. The study employed census sampling method to sample schools and all 121 principals to participate in the study. A pilot study was carried out before the actual data collection and a reliability coefficient of 0.85 was obtained therefore the research instruments was deemed reliable. Analysis of data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics and was aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 23.0. The overall mean on the influence of delocalization policy on burnout of female principals on job performance was 4.075 on a 5 Likert scale giving an indication that there was a significant influence on female principals’ job performance. Chi-square test revealed that there is a significant (P=0.033) relationship between professional burnout and job performance. The findings of the study indicated that there was a strong relationship between professional burnout of female principals and job performance during the delocalization period of 2018-2022. The study found out that abrupt transfers made by the TSC demoralizes the ability of principals to perform better and that better work environment makes the principals perform better at their job and have a good relationship with the community. The findings of this study may be of benefit to the government, school administrators and policymakers in coming up with effective strategies that will improve emotional wellness of principals in schools. The study may also benefit teachers’ service commission and the Ministry of Education in designing and monitoring intervention strategies to address the challenges faced by female schools principals in mental build-up. The study recommended that elementary and secondary education department should collaborate with policy makers to formulate comprehensive strategies for stress reduction management of secondary school female heads so that they may perform their duties effectively.