Abstract:
This study investigated the extent and practice of Total Quality Management in
secondary schools in Eldoret East District. The concept of Total Quality Management
is a relatively new tool of management in schools in Kenya. It is a modern
management practice aimed at continuous improvement of skills, processes, products
and services, quality and teamwork. Secondary schools in Kenya are managed by
Board of Governors and Principals on behalf of the Ministry of Education. These
schools are different with different resources. Given similar resources, different
schools perform differently in national examinations administered by Kenya National
Examinations Council (KNEC). This is attributed to the management practices in each
individual school. The Ministry of Education conducts induction courses for new
principals and Board of Governors for capacity building but this does not make the
performance of schools with the same resources to be similar. The study sought to
determine the role of training in the implementation of Total Quality Management,
assess the role of heads of department in improvement of quality and standards and
investigate the challenges facing implementation of Total Quality Management in
secondary schools. The research was premised on the systems theory of organization.
This theory states that schools operate as systems with many parts which are
interdependent. In the investigation, a survey research design was adopted. The study
utilized the stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected using
questionnaires. The respondents were Principals, Directors of Studies and Heads of
Departments. A total of 15 secondary schools in Eldoret East District participated in
the study. Data from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistical methods such
as frequencies and percentages. Tables, graphs and pie charts were used for
presentation and interpretation of data. The investigation established that
implementation of Total Quality Management is faced with many challenges such as
lack of commitment by the staff, poor organizational culture, lack of adequate training
and poor documentation. The researcher recommends that all stakeholders in a school,
like Board of Governors, Principals, Heads of Department and teachers among others
and the Ministry of Education should work together to enhance the implementation of
Total Quality Management in schools. This is because each one of them has a role to
play in improvement of quality and standards in a school. The realization of quality in
secondary education therefore requires a collective approach with emphasis on service
delivery which should be evaluated from time to time so as to minimize on the
challenges.
