The Influence of Gender Stereotyping Dynamics on Appointment of Female Teachers as Secondary School Principals in Makueni Sub-county, Makueni County, Kenya

Abstract

Female teachers play an important role in school management. However, their number in positions of school headship is low. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of gender dynamics on the appointment of female teachers as secondary school principals in Makueni Sub-county, Makueni County, Kenya. The objectives were: to assess the influence of female teachers’ gender roles, self-perception, stereotyping and management training on appointment as secondary school Principals. The study was guided by The Pearson’s Theory of Gender Relations and Feminism Theory. Mixed methodology was applied and thus concurrent triangulation design was adopted. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically along the objectives and presented narrative forms. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using linear regression analysis with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 23) and presented using tables. The study established that gender stereotyping is a major hindrance to female teachers’ desire to seek to positions of headship. The study recommends that educational policy-makers to come up with policies that create positions for women to eliminate gender imbalance in education administration. Policy makers to come up with a curriculum that include gender issues for purpose of sensitizing the community on the social/cultural barriers which cause gender imbalance in education administration. The Ministry of Education should come up with a policy where attendance of workshops and seminars is a compulsory requirement for all teachers in order to build skills and knowledge on their careers and give women chances to compete favorably with men.