Abstract:
Despite the Kenya government’s introduction of free secondary education in 2008,
there have been widespread perception that the quality of education and training in
public secondary schools has declined. However, this is happening despite the fact
that there exist internal Quality Assurance and Standards mechanisms (for teaching,
learning, and assessment) in all public secondary schools and within their sub county
education officers. Thus, raising concerns about the Implementation of the existing
Quality Assurance and Standards mechanism. In Kenya, education reforms often fail
to achieve desired outcomes due to ineffective and inefficient supervision. The
purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the Implementation of
Quality Assurance and Standards policy in public secondary schools in Kenya. The
objectives of the study was to establish the mechanisms used in assessment, to
determine the influence of institutional, technical and environmental factors on the
implementation of Quality Assurance and Standards policy in public secondary
schools in Keiyo Sub County. The study was based on the Effective Schools Theory
by Lezotte. Decriptive survey research design was used. The target population was 38
schools, 38 head teachers and 190 heads of departments. The sample size was 228
respondents in charge of quality. Questionnaires was used to collect data from the
respondents. Data was analyzed using descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and
inferential statistics (Pearson product moment correlation and multiple regression)
using Statistical Package of Social Scientist (SPSS V.20). Data was presented in form
of tables and charts. The quality assurance and standards was compulsory in all public
schools. Institutional factors (r =.620), technical factors (r =.676) and environmental
factors (r =.764) influenced the implementation of Quality Assurance and Standards
policy in public secondary schools positively. From a multiple regression model (R 2
= .681) showed that the predictors account for 65.1% variation in implementation of
Quality Assurance and Standards policy. The mechanisms used in assessing quality
assurance and standards included approved syllabus from ministry of education,
timely preparation of schemes of work by teachers and approved schemes of work by
principals. The government should provide adequate resources to the sub-counties
that will allow more frequent supervision visits, increased in-service training and
allow for sharing of experiences in quality assurance assessment. The government
should provide means of transport to schools for the QASOs. They should also be
provided with all the necessary working tools to enable them to work more efficiently.
QASOs should visit schools more frequently for supervision and where possible have
follow-up mechanisms in order to ensure that their recommendations are
implemented.