Assessment of Factors Influencing Career Advancement Into
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ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER ADVANCEMENT INTO ADMINISTRATION OF WOMEN EDUCATORS IN SELECTED PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA SAMUEL YOAA FLALEH STEPHENS, FMS A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Education in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Education Degree in Educational Administration and Planning THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA NAIROBI, KENYA JUNE, 2017 i DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my mum, Mrs. Annie Wleh Yudeh Newton-Stephens, for her love and concern. This work is further dedicated to the entire Stephens’ family. Finally, I dedicate this thesis to all those who go along to seek to improve female educators’ career advancement in administrative positions. i ABSTRACT There is a gender imbalance in administrative positions in public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The review of literature demonstrates that though there are many women in the teaching profession, they are appallingly underrepresented in administrative positions in public secondary schools. The study was guided by the following research questions: What factors motivate women to seek leadership or administrative positions in the public secondary schools? What are the perceptions of Teachers Service Commission Secretariat Officers, Principals, Deputy Principals and Teachers on women’s career advancement in school administrative positions in Nairobi County? Which are the challenges preventing women from assuming administrative positions in public secondary schools? What strategies can be used to mitigate the factors hindering women from taking up administrative positions in public secondary schools? Naturalistic research design, especially the phenomenology guided the study. A total sample size of 40 participants was used comprised of 5 principals, 5 deputy principals, 25 teachers and 5 Teachers Service Commission Secretariat Officers. Purposive sampling technique to select the five public secondary schools whose principals are women in Nairobi County. This study also used purposeful sampling technique to select participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews semi structured interview guide, focus group discussion and observation guides. The study found self-esteem, actualisation, mentoring, role modelling and teamwork as motivators while family commitments and obligations vis-a-vis school roles and responsiveness were challenges encounter by female administrators. The study recommended that Teachers Service Commission to formulate a gender ratio based policy to be adopted when making school administrative appointments, design programmes on mentoring and role modelling for female teachers and school leadership be based on merit as a way of encouraging women teachers to take administrative positions. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power that work in us. I am in awe of your love for me and the grace that you have bestowed upon my life. It is in You, my Lord and Saviour that I live, move, and have my being, and it is because of your faithfulness and love that I believe that the best is yet to come. Thus, I join the psalmist to say, ‘what shall I repay to the Lord, for all the things that He has repaid to me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will repay my vows to the Lord, in the sight of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death holy ones. O Lord, because I am your servant, your servant and the son of your handmaid, you have broken bonds. I will sacrifice to you the sacrifice of praise, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. I will repay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, Oh Jerusalem’ (Ps 115: 3-10). Success and achievements do not come easily, yet we rejoice when our names are mentioned among educational award winners or people who have tremendously achieved success in their social life. In my case, this research thesis would never have come to fruition without the help of God the Almighty. Hence, I thank Him for giving me the strength, wisdom, understanding, love and the insight to come out with my research thesis. My deepest gratitude goes to Rev. Br. Francis Lukong, the District Superior of the Marist District of West Africa, and the Marist Brothers, for giving me the chance to build up my professional horizon in order to be more engaging in the spreading of the Gospel through education. I am highly indebted to my supervisors, Dr. Kidanemariam Menghistu Sebhat, and Br. Dr. Cyprian Bankakuu Gandeebo, for their relentless efforts in providing valuable guidance for the completion of this work. They painstakingly read through my research paper, trimmed the rough iii edges of the topic and drew my attention to ambiguities and inconsistencies. I am also grateful to Dr. Lucy Wakiaga and Dr. Elizabeth Ngumbi, my previous Supervisors, who could not continue due to unavoidable circumstances. Most importantly, my sincere thanks go to Dr. Jared Ayona, my educational research method lecturer, in the Department of Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Education. Furthermore, I am indebted to all my friends, family members, and especially, my mother, Mrs. Wleh Yudeh Newton-Stephens, for their prayers and support. My special words of appreciation also go to Rev. Sr. Annie Be-U Doepoh, who has been editing my work relentlessly. I cannot forget to appreciate and thank my classmates and all my lecturers for their affection and cooperation, which enabled me to come this far. May God richly bless and reward each one of them. Finally, I wish also to thank all the participants: the Principals, Deputy Principals, Teachers from Nairobi County and the Teachers Service Commission Secretariat Officers for availing their time to respond to the interview, without whose co-operation this work could not have been completed. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ........................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................. i ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ..................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 8 1.5 Scope and Delimitations of the Study ..................................................................................... 9 1.6 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................... 10 1.6.1 Strengths of Liberal Feminism ........................................................................................ 12 1.6.2 Weaknesses of Liberal Feminism .................................................................................... 13 1.6.3 Application of the Liberal Feminism to the Study .......................................................... 14 v 1.7 Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................... 15 1.8 Operational Definitions of Key Terms ................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Review of Related Theories .................................................................................................. 22 2.2.1 The Social Justice Theory ............................................................................................... 22 2.2.2 Equity Theory .................................................................................................................. 24 2.3 Review of Empirical Studies ................................................................................................ 26 2.3.1 Factors That Motivate Women in School Administrative Positions ............................... 26 2.3.2 Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Women Career Advancement in School Administration 45 2.3.3 Main Challenges Preventing Women Assuming School Administrative Positions ........ 49 2.3.4 Strategies