Abstract:
School climate is one of the major spheres of education. A positive school climate is
critical in enhancing productivity as well as influencing school members’ stay and
satisfaction within the school environment. Prioritizing on its improvement is therefore
commendable to ensure it fulfills the academic desires of school individuals and that it
meets the ideal learning and teaching conditions of students and teachers. This study
sought to establish the influence of principals’ leadership practices on school climate in
secondary schools in Marakwet East subcounty, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. The
research objectives that guided this study were: to establish the influence of the
principals’ safety practices on school climate; determine the influence of the principals’
teaching and learning practices on school climate; investigate the influence of the
principals’ interpersonal practices on school climate; analyze the influence of theprincipals’ institutional environment practices on school. An effective model by Lezotte
(2010) guided the study. The study area was chosen owing to the poor students’
academic outcomes in the national examinations and other indicators of unfavourable
learning conditions experienced in schools. Teachers, students, and principals were
targeted in the study. The sub-county has twenty (20) schools with a population of 20
principals, 161 teachers, and 2821 students. The study used proportionate, purposive,
and simple random sampling techniques to select participants. The study was carried
out in seven secondary schools selected randomly. A total number of 48 teachers, 282
students, and 7 principals were sampled from the seven schools. This study adopted a
concurrent triangulation mixed-method design. Questionnaires and interview schedules
were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed by use of both descriptive
and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included a presentation by use of tables
and outlining percentages. The inferential statistics comprised of Pearson product
moment and multiple regressions. The multiple regression model, (R2= .545) shows that
principals’ leadership practices account for 54.5% of variations in school climate. The
principals’ safety practices (β1= 0.229), principals’ teaching and learning practices (β2=
0.211), principals’ interpersonal practices (β3= 0.327), and principals’ institutional
environment practices (β4= 0.344) had a significant influence on school climate. The
principals’ safety, teaching, and learning, interpersonal and institutional environment
practice positively influenced school climate. The study revealed that most principals’
safety practices could not adequately restore order, discipline nor guarantee physical,
emotional, and social safety in schools, most principals’ teaching, and learning practices
seemed not to be giving assets and backing to both the teachers and students, there
existed a relationship breakdown among and between school individuals. The findings
also highlighted that most schools could not provide adequate sanitary facilities, have
poor playgrounds and working conditions. The study recommended that principals’
safety practices be configured by ensuring proper measures are put forward to address
the safety needs of the school members, principals’ teaching and learning practices be
streamlined to ensure the easy provision of both material and non-material resources
necessary for teaching and learning, principals’ interpersonal practices demonstrate a
collaborative work environment with all the school’s stakeholders. Finally, the study
recommends that principals’ institutional environment practices prioritize the aesthetic
conditions of the schools. The study also provided an avenue for further research on
other influencers of school climate.