Influence of Professional Development Training on Headteachers’ Financial Management Skills in Public Primary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Financial management skills of primary school headteachers has been established to contribute to performance of such schools. However, in Kiambu County, such success has not been registered despite the numerous professional development trainings school managers have undergone and still undergo. Thus, this study investigated influence of headteachers’ professional development training on financial management skills in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted mixed methods approach and thus apply explanatory sequential design. Questionnaires were used to collect data from headteachers and their deputies whereas interviews from staffing officer and sub-county director of education. Data analysis began by identifying common themes. The relevant information was broken into phrases. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically along the study objectives and presented in narrative forms whereas quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics SPSS Version 23 and presented using tables and charts. The study established that training of headteachers can be conducted in different modes which include; on-job, off-job, just-in-time training, mentoring and networking. These forms of training models enhance headteachers’s record-keeping, investment, pricing and costing and budgeting skills. Suitability of training materials enhances headteachers’s record-keeping, investment, pricing and costing and budgeting skills. From the study findings, it is evident that the most important variable in such success is a well-prepared and capable trainer or facilitator. Evaluation of relevance of the training curriculum enhances headteachers’s acquisition of record-keeping, investment, pricing and costing and budgeting skills. The study thus, recommends that training institutions should design and plan quality integrated training programmes to match headteachers work schedule. Training materials need to be specifically designed to suit the content of training programmes to enhance faster understanding of concepts to be learnt. In other words, the training material should be redesigned to also focus on acquisition of financial skills for effective investment and business management. Trainers’ need to update their skills to match the changing times such as adopting use of ICT and attitude change towards headteachers empowerment. Training institutions and trainers need to plan for quarterly and semi-annual evaluation of training programmes since they are effective in ascertaining of the efficacy of such programmes.