Factors Influencing Implementation Of Quality Assurance And Standards Policy In Public Secondary Schools In Keiyo Sub County Of Elgeiyo Marakwet County, Kenya

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.