RETHINKING EFFECTIVE RESOURCE UTILIZATION IN URBAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Authors

  • Sarah Likoko Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Mabele Wafula Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Kennedy Amadi Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i5.4826

Keywords:

resource utilization, school management practices, urban schools

Abstract

In light of the assertion by Alvin Toffler that “The illiterates of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn”, the aim of this paper is to encourage educational planners, managers and scholars to re-think and adopt school management practices towards effective resource utilization in urban schools. While many scholars have written on effective resource utilization in schools, this paper examines the relationship between school management practices and effective utilization of resources in urban schools. The main educational resources under focus in this study include physical facilities, financial and human resources. These resources are managed in a manner beneficial to a single-owning school yet other schools within the neighborhood experience severe shortages. Like in most areas of the world, Kenya encounters a steady rise in student enrolment in urban schools due to the ever-growing population. This is compounded by the government’s policies of 100% transition to secondary education and Tuition-Free Secondary Education (TFSE). Resource constraints and misuse threaten the quest for improved access, quality and equity in education in Kenyan urban secondary schools.  This paper uses a review of available literature and empirical studies, from which authors discuss, make conclusions and give recommendations to inform policy on management practices towards effective resource utilization in urban schools.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

Author Biographies

  • Sarah Likoko, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Dr. Sarah Likoko is a PhD holder in the area of Education Planning and Management. She is the chairperson of the Department of Educational Foundations, Planning and Management. She has vast experience in teaching, research and postgraduate supervision. She is also actively involved in various School Management Boards where she has contributed immensely to the improvement of the quality of education.

  • Mabele Wafula, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Samuel Mabele Wafula is a high school teacher. He holds a Master of Education in Educational Planning Degree from Moi University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Planning and Management at Kibabii University, Kenya.

  • Kennedy Amadi, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Kennedy Amadi Omega is a secondary school Principal. He holds a Master of Education in Educational Management and Policy Studies Degree from Kibabii University, Kenya. He is currently a PhD Student in Educational Management and Policy Studies.

References

Akomolafe, C. O. & Adesua, V. O. (2016). The Impact of physical facilities on students' level of motivation and academic performance in senior secondary schools in South West Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(4), 38-42.

Asodike, J. D. & Adieme, F. G. (2014). Basic concepts in human resource management. In F. N. Obasi & J. D. Asodike (Eds.), Educational resource management, 1-34. Port Harcourt: Pearl.

Chikwature, W. et al. (2016). Rethinking of Education Quality in Secondary Schools in Chipinge District, Zimbabwe. At https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330114203

Dewitt, P. M. (2017). School Climate: Leading with Collective Efficacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com.

Eyasu, I. and Berhanu, E. (2019). Practices and Challenges of Financial Resource Utilization in Government Secondary Schools of Dawro Zone. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS.

Lagat, J. K. (2014). Determinants of Effective Utilization of School Funds in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya: A Case of Wareng Sub County. M.Ed. Thesis, Moi University.

Mayaka, C. (2016). Effect of Utilization of Physical Resources on Performance of Students in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Public Secondary Schools in Marani Sub-County, Kenya. M.Ed. Thesis, Africa Nazarene University.

Mugure, N. S. (2012). Impact of Resource Utilization in Education as Perceived by Teachers in Secondary Schools in Mathioya District, Muranga County, Kenya. M.ed Research Project, Kenyatta University.

Muiruri, N. P. (2019). Influence of School Management Practices on Students’ Performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. M.ed Research Project, Kenyatta University.

Nation, M. et al. (2019). Addressing the problems of urban education: An ecological systems perspective. Journal of Urban Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2019.1705847

Ngari, E. M. (2020). Influence of school strategies on internal efficiency in constituency funded day secondary schools in Nairobi, Kenya. African Educational Research Journal, 8(4): 649-663.

Njuguna, E. W. (2010). Human Resource Management Practices in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu East District. MBA Research Project, University of Nairobi.

Nwankwo, J. I. (2014). Management in education: Modern approaches in educational management. Ibadan: Giraffe books.

Obi, E. C. and Ogbuagu, G. I. (2020). Management of Resources for the Improvement of Secondary Schools Education in Rivers State. International Journal of Research in Business and Management, 7(7), pp. 01-07.

Salfi, N. A. (2011). Successful leadership practices of head teachers for school improvement: Some evidence from Pakistan. Journal of Educational Administration, 49(4), 414–432. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231111146489.

Usman, Y. D. (2016). Educational Resources: An Integral Component for Effective School Administration in Nigeria. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences. 6/13, pp.27-37.

Wafula, S. M. et al. (2019). Strategies for Improving Adult Education Participation in Kenya: A Case of Trans-Nzoia East Sub-County. M.Ed. Thesis, Moi University.

Downloads

Published

2023-05-10

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 5 (2023)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).