INFLUENCE OF TEACHER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL ON JOB PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN MUMIAS EAST SUB- COUNTY, KENYA

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ABSTRACT

Teacher Performance Appraisal aims at strengthening supervision and monitoring of performance of teachers in the keeping up of the standards of teaching at institutional level. In this regard, this study sought to investigate the influence of the teacher performance appraisal system on teacher’s job performance in public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County, Kenya. The study considered the following objectives: To determine the extent to which professional knowledge influence the teacher’s job performance, to establish the influence of continuous professional development on the performance of the teacher’s job, to assess the extent to which collaboration with parents/ guardians influence the performance of the teacher’s job and to evaluate the influence of creativity in teaching on the teacher’s job performance in public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County.To ensure the study objectives were achieved, the researcher used sample size of fifteen (15) Deputy heads of institutions who are charged with the responsibility of appraising teachers, and one hundred and forty (140) teachers who are the appraises, sampled using random sampling method to provide the responses. A descriptive research design was applied. Questionnaires were used as the main research instruments and validated by content related technique to determine the level to which the question items reflected in the specific areas to be addressed. Duly filled questionnaires containing responses were posted to Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The data was presented in forms of frequencies and percentages in tables then summarized in line with the conceptual framework to establish their relationships.Findings of this study reveal that majority of Deputy Heads of institutions are aware of their roles in the supervision of teacher appraisal process. In this regard, the Deputies were in agreement with the appraisal tool in relation to professional knowledge, continuous professional development, collaboration with parents and creativity in teaching. Similarly, teachers in Mumias East Sub County agree with the appraisal system although most of them disagree that the tool is used to reward them for meeting their appraisal targets. The study recommends that teacher professional development courses have to be beefed up by the teachers’ employer, especially in technology to make Deputy Heads of institutionsas well as teachers to build capacity in their job performance.The Commission in conjunction with other educational bodies should also create  awareness to public primary Deputy Heads of institutions and teachers on the purpose for appraisal tool in relation to the performance of teacher’s job and not doing for the sake of it. The ministry of education ought to put proper infrastructure in public primary schools to enable teachers implement school programmes as per the expectations of the TPAD. More so, public primary schools in Mumias East Sub County should be equipped with ICT materials by KICD or other stakeholders to enable teachers make use and integrate ICT in teaching and learning. Furthermore, KICD should install and keep updating the appropriate software in relation to accepted curriculum designs for every grade in public primary schools.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

  •             Background to the Study

Governments and institutions all over the world face pressures from within and outside to show accountability, transparency and results of the tasks performed by their workers. Kusek&Rist(2004) point out that Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems are important public management tools to achieve the objectives of the organization. These systems can help in building and fostering political and financial support for policies, programmes and projects. The government can also get sufficient knowledge base about the state of the Nation. This enables the government to come up with major reforms in terms of how it operates and conduct its business,leading to improved performance in relation to accountability, transparency, learning and knowledge.

Teacher Performance Appraisal is a Result Based Management tool designed to give very important information for sound, efficient and effective decision making in relation to how teacher’s performance can be added value by identifying theirprofessional gaps and setting the standards of rewarding them. Flores (2010) in Portugal cautions that the process of carrying out a given policy is complicated, especially when it is a new policy for teachers’ appraisal. Views of teachers are important, since the appraisal process targets improved working performance among themselves.

According to Monyantisi (2006) in Botswana, a good performance appraisal system is the one which is based on improvement, since it enables them acquire more knowledge, skills and competence required for proper delivery of service. However, the study revealed that there was negative perception resulting from its perceived attitude in relation to the checking of teachers’ capacity to work, having them paid in accordance to performance and disciplinary measures determined by the appraisal instrument. In their study,Tilahum&Shanbel (2014) in Ethiopia noted that the  appraisal process changed its intention of enhancing teacher’s performance. According to this study, it is right to conclude that the essence of teacher performance appraisal is just for the sake of it. The process indicated that there was a wide gap between the teacher performance appraisal in theory and what it was on ground.

A study by Nyatera (2011) in Kenya revealed that head teachers were not competent enough to conduct the appraisal process for their teachers. The manner in which it was done demoralized teachers therefore the process was perceived negatively. He recommended thorough training of the appraisers to enable the appraise change to positive perception of the process.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) (2015) designed a way of conducting appraisals for teachers in the educational institutions. Teacher Performance and Appraisal Development (TPAD) tool was therefore launched in the year 2016 and introduced in all public educational institutions under its mandate. The tool was intended to help to improve teacher performance. However, resistance of the appraisal tool as pronounced by the Kenya National Union of Teachers(KNUT) (2016), dissatisfaction of job and

the consequent decline of pupils’ performance in National examinations especially in Mumias East Sub County contradicts its intention.

Many studies have been conducted in various sub counties in the country and the world at large about the performance appraisal for teachers. There is limited literature about the influence of TPAD tool on the performance of the teacher’s job in public primary schools in Mumias East sub county, Kenya.

  •             Statement of the Problem

Government of Kenya is keen to implementing its educational commitments internationally, regionally and locally. Education policy documents in Kenya have provisions that emphasize the importance of providing quality education. The TSC Act (2012) gives mandateto the commission to closely follow up the conduct as well as performance of teachers in the service. To comply with the Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation the commission was prompted to introduce Performance Appraisal System for teachers so that supervision is strengthened and follow up their performance in teaching at school level, for quality education.

Despite the effort by the Government through Teachers’ Service Commission to improve salaries and working conditions by providing tuition funds, some teachers seem to resist the monitoring tool provided by the commission. Generally teachers claim that TSC does not use TPAD to reward them appropriately.

KNUT (2018), report in Mumias claim that TPAD programme in schools is only subjecting teachers into clerical activities more than allowing them to carry out their core duty of teaching. A Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASO) (2018)

report on assessment in Mumias East Sub County reveals that there is inadequate curriculum supervision, ineffective teaching and wastage of time, child unfriendly schools and inadequate utilization of teaching/learning resources. The areas mentioned are addressed in the TPAD, yet performance is low according to QASO report.

This study seeks to bridge the gap in knowledge on how teacher performance appraisal system by TSC influences performance of the teacher’s job in public primary schools in Mumias East Sub-county, Kenya.