Teachers perception and their influence on teachers’ preparation of professional documents in secondary schools in Eldoret West District, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the teacher perception and their influence on teachers’ preparation of professional documents in Eldoret West District. The researcher’s experience and a reconnaissance study carried out in a number of schools in Eldoret west district revealed that most teachers do not prepare the required professional documents. The objective of this study was to find out the relationships between teacher personal attributes, workload, teachers’ other responsibility and teacher professional development on the preparation of professional documents. This study was based on Douglas McGregor’s’ theory X and Y (1960). This study used theory Y that posits that people are naturally active; they set goals and enjoy striving to achieve them. That is, teachers desire to prepare professional documents but there are perceptions that influence this desire. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. It involved secondary school teachers selected from sampled schools in Eldoret west district, Uasin Gishu County. The researcher collected data from133 teachers using the mixed approach method by using questionnaires for teachers and interview schedules for head teachers. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study sought to find any statistically significant relationships between teachers’ perceptions and their preparation of professional documents. The statistical significance was analyzed using Chi Square (X2) tests. The study findings indicated that some of the teacher’s perception had an influence on the preparation of professional documents in secondary schools. HODS played a crucial role in facilitating the preparation of professional documents. Preparation of professional documents mainly involved induction on communication and information technology skills, with professional training and consultative meetings being held as need arose as far as the preparation of professional documents is concerned. Head teachers perceptions were that HODs should take a more active role in development of professional documents of the school. The study concluded that teacher personal attributes like pre-service qualification, gender, and age have no statistically significant relationship with the preparation of professional documents. The study also concluded that teacher’s weekly teaching workload has a statistically significant relationship with the preparation of professional documents in Secondary schools. The study further concluded that some teachers have other responsibilities to play other than teaching. For instance, some are class teachers, house masters, and heads of departments. Such teachers with extra responsibilities may not have enough time to prepare professional documents compared to teachers who are not charged with extra responsibilities. The study recommended that all public secondary schools should invest more in teachers by encouraging and informing them the importance of professional documents. The ability to prepare professional documents is a sure way of improving the performance in examinations, it also enables teachers to clearly understand and comprehend the curriculum effectively and efficiently. The findings of this study are significant because the M.O.E could use them in improving the efficacy of teachers in preparation of professional documents to ensure more quality education is imparted on secondary school students.