Reviewed Journal International of Education Practice

PRINCIPALS’ FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAGARINI SUBCOUNTY, KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA

2026-04-05T00:20:59-05:00

This study examined the influence of principals’ financial management strategies on students’ participation in co-curricular activities in public secondary schools in Magarini Sub-County, Kilifi County, Kenya. Specifically, it focused on principals’ resource mobilization, financial management, record-keeping, and stakeholder engagement strategies, as well as the role of school infrastructure availability. A descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach was employed, targeting principals, teachers, and sub-county education officials. A sample of 144 respondents was selected using stratified random and purposive sampling, and data were collected through structured questionnaires. The study achieved a strong response rate of 76.4%. Instrument validity was confirmed through expert review, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test (0.858), and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (χ² = 1478.913, p = .000), while reliability was established with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients above 0.7 for all constructs. The findings indicated that principals’ resource mobilization strategies, including community support and income-generating projects, were highly effective in sustaining co-curricular participation and significantly improved students' involvement (β = 0.177, p = .005). Financial management strategies such as expenditure tracking, audits, and budgetary discipline also played a critical role, with a statistically significant impact on participation (β = 0.185, p = .000). Record-keeping strategies, particularly accurate financial logs and participation records, enhanced accountability and decision-making, showing a significant effect on student involvement (β = 0.235, p = .001). Stakeholder engagement strategies, including parental forums, donor involvement, and community partnerships, emerged as the strongest predictor of participation (β = 0.302, p = .000). Conversely, school infrastructure availability had a limited and statistically insignificant effect, indicating that its influence was more indirect and dependent on leadership practices. The study concluded that principals’ leadership strategies in mobilization, financial management, record-keeping, and stakeholder engagement were essential drivers of both co-curricular participation and student engagement, with stakeholder engagement being the most influential. Recommendations were directed to the Teachers Service Commission to enhance principals’ capacity through professional development, to the Ministry of Education to strengthen policy frameworks, resource allocation, and accountability systems, and to head teachers to adopt proactive, transparent, and inclusive leadership practices. Suggestions for further research included exploring the role of digital technologies in school leadership, conducting comparative studies across regions to identify best practices, and examining the long-term impact of principals’ strategies on holistic student development beyond participation in co-curricular activities.

COMPETENCY VS. TALENT: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION AND KENYA’S CBC REFORM

2026-07-27T23:18:56-05:00

Competency-Based Education (CBE) has emerged as a prominent approach to curriculum reform worldwide, emphasizing learners' ability to demonstrate knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes in authentic contexts rather than relying solely on content acquisition and examination performance. Kenya's adoption of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2017 marked a significant shift from the traditional 8-4-4 education system, with the objective of producing competent, innovative, and adaptable citizens equipped for the demands of the twenty-first century. This paper critically examines the theoretical foundations of competency-based education, the rationale and implementation of Kenya's CBC, and the emerging debate on the distinction between competence and talent in educational practice. Drawing on contemporary literature, policy documents, and curriculum theory, the paper explores the strengths of CBC, including learner-centered pedagogy, continuous assessment, and the promotion of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy. It also analyzes key implementation challenges, such as inadequate teacher preparation, resource constraints, assessment complexities, and disparities between curriculum policy and classroom practice. Particular attention is given to the need for balancing universal competency development with systematic identification and nurturing of learners' natural talents. The paper argues that while Kenya's CBC represents a progressive and necessary educational reform, its long-term success depends on strengthened teacher capacity, improved assessment systems, adequate resource allocation, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and the integration of structured talent development pathways. A hybrid approach that combines competency acquisition with knowledge-rich instruction and differentiated talent development is recommended as a more sustainable framework for achieving holistic learner development and national educational goals.

INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL SUPPORT SYSTEMS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA

2026-08-14T03:30:13-05:00

Implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has been identified as one of the major changes implemented in the Kenyan education system, aiming at enhancing the learners' competencies, skills, and learner-centered teaching. While there has been much government input in the reforming of the curriculum in terms of finance and resources, differences exist in the efficiency of the implementation of the CBC among the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in terms of school-based support systems. Differences in the level of teachers' professional development, stakeholder involvement, and availability of learning materials are some of the factors influencing the implementation of the curriculum. However, little is known about their combined effects in Kilifi County. The research sought to evaluate the effects of school support systems in the implementation of CBC in JSS in Kilifi County, Kenya. In particular, the study assessed the effect of teacher training, stakeholder participation, and learning materials on CBC implementation. The study used descriptive design whereby the main respondents were teachers, school administrators, and governance stakeholders in public Junior Secondary Schools in Kilifi County. Using Yamane formula, a total of 183 respondents were randomly selected using stratified random sampling method from a total of 1,750 respondents. Data collection was done through semi-structured questionnaires that underwent validity and reliability testing. Analysis of quantitative data was done through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis through SPSS version 26. Results indicated that teacher professional development, stakeholder participation and learning resources had statistically significant influence on the implementation of CBC. Teacher professional development was found to have the highest influence on CBC implementation compared to stakeholder participation and learning resources. The study suggests that the following are necessary for the success of CBC in JSS. These include the need for improved continuous teacher professional development, improved collaboration among stakeholders, and the need for increased availability of instructional and ICT resources. The recommendations of this study include that there should be institutionalization of continuous professional development programs, improved collaborative school governance, and increased investment in instructional resources.