Impact of performance contracts on the utilization of teaching and learning resources in technical institutes in Kenya

Abstract

Performance contracting has been acclaimed as an effective and promising means of improving the performance of public enterprises as well as government departments. The government of Kenya introduced performance contract signing in 2004. The aim of performance contracts was to improve resource utilization in public institutions among other objectives. This study sought to establish the perceptions of Kenyan tutors in selected Technical Institutes in Kenya about the impact of performance contracts on the utilization of teaching and learning resources. A survey strategy was adopted in this study. The study population comprised tutors, heads of department and principals of randomly selected public Technical Institutes in Kenya. The stratified random sampling technique was applied in the selection of the study sample. Thereafter proportionate random sampling technique was applied to get an equal proportion of respondents from each stratum. Saturated sampling technique was used to sample the heads of department and principals. Mixed methods were applied in the collection of data. This entailed the supplying of questionnaires to tutors, heads of department and principals of the sampled technical institutes. Interviews were conducted with principals of the sampled institutions. The data collected were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that performance contracting had not led to tutors being trained on the proper utilization of learning and teaching resources. The study concluded that financial constraints hindered tutors from being trained on the utilization of modern learning and teaching resources. It is recommended that the gains made in the implementation of the performance contracting strategy should be strengthened with the availing of more financial resources to ensure that the required learning and teaching resources are all made available. The findings would help education policy makers to address the issue of performance contracts from an informed position as well as get insight on how to apply performance contracts in the optimum utilization of resources.