Head Teachers’ Portfolio Appraisal Practices and Learner Mathematics Achievement in Public Primary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya.

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of head teachers’ portfolio appraisal practices on learner achievement in Mathematics in public primary schools in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following hypothesis: H0₁: There is no significant relationship between head teacher portfolio appraisal practices and learner Mathematics achievement in public primary schools in Kisumu County, Kenya. The literature review focused on the appropriate objectives, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework. The theoretical framework was based on Transformational Leadership Theory, proposed by James MacGregor Burns in 1978, which emphasized the role of leaders who inspire and motivate their followers to achieve higher levels of performance, beyond just meeting immediate needs. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The target population for the study was 127 public primary Schools in Kisumu County, 675 head teachers, and 760 teachers of grades three and four in public primary schools in Kisumu County, 1 Sub County QASO, and 7 CSOs. Proportionate sampling on 103 schools, stratified sampling on 103 principals, census sampling 1QASO and 7 CSOs, and simple random sampling on 78 teachers. Interview schedules for Principals, QASO, and CSO, and questionnaires for teachers were used as instruments for data collection. After data cleaning, the data were coded and entered into the computer for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were analysed using Chi-square for all the objectives. Qualitative data were processed by transcribing and categorizing from interviews and open-ended questions, using content analysis and reported as narratives, verbatim, or converted to frequency tables. The findings showed that the hypothesis was rejected. On head teacher portfolio appraisal practices and learner Mathematics Achievement Chi square (df=6, Pearson Chi square(χ2) =53.543 and p=0.000 at 0.05 level of significance. This showed a significant relationship between head teacher portfolio appraisal practices and learner Mathematics Achievement. The study concluded that head teacher portfolio appraisal practices influenced learner Mathematics Achievement. It is then recommended that head teachers use data from portfolio appraisals to make informed decisions about teaching methods, instructional resources, and student interventions in mathematics.

Keywords: Influence, Head teachers’ portfolio appraisal practices, Learner Mathematics Achievement, Public primary schools

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/16-5-14

Publication date: May 30^th 2025