EFFECT OF KUPPET IN PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER WELFARE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MERU COUNTY
Abstract
Professional development remains a critical component in enhancing teacher welfare, job satisfaction, and instructional effectiveness, particularly in developing countries such as Kenya. Despite the efforts of trade unions like the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), teachers in public secondary schools continue to experience limited access to structured training, career progression opportunities, and skill enhancement initiatives. This study examined the effect of KUPPET in promoting professional development of teachers in public secondary schools in Meru County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and the Deliberative Policy Analysis Model, which provided a framework for understanding how motivational factors and institutional engagement influence teacher welfare outcomes. A descriptive research design was adopted. The study targeted public secondary school teachers, KUPPET officials, and education administrators from the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Version 26 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that KUPPET’s professional development initiatives had a statistically significant positive relationship with teacher welfare (r = 0.589, p < 0.001) and significantly predicted teacher welfare (β = 0.183, p < 0.001), explaining 34.7% of the variation in teacher welfare (R² = 0.347). Professional development contributed to enhanced professional skills, improved career progression, and increased job satisfaction, confirming its importance in strengthening teacher capacity and performance. The study concludes that KUPPET plays a significant role in advancing teacher welfare through professional development and recommends strengthening training programs, expanding access to continuous learning opportunities, and enhancing institutional support to maximize the effectiveness of professional development initiatives.
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