Abstract:
Leadership is regarded as one of the pillars for the success of any organization in the
world. Several schools in Kericho County did poorly in KCPE in the last five years;
over 80 schools are under a school improvement plan. The purpose of the study was
to investigate the relationship between the headteacher’s transformational leadership
competence and learners’ academic performance in primary schools in Kericho
County. The objectives of the study were to: determine the relationship between
headteacher’s behavioral personality and learners’ academic performance in primary
schools; establish the relationship between headteacher’s intellectual stimulation and
learners’ academic performance, determine the relationship between headteacher’s
commitment and learners’ academic performance, establish the relationship between
head teacher’s professional development and learners’ academic performance, and
determine the relationship between head teacher’s individualized consideration and
learners academic performance in schools in Kericho County, Kenya. The study was
based on the transformational leadership theory. Transformational leadership theory
links the competences of the leader of an organization to the results or performance of
the organization. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-method design.
The target population consisted of 801 headteachers and 5933 teachers in the primary
schools, 31 CSOs, 6 TSC Sub County directors, and 6 MOE Sub County directors in
Kericho County. Simple random and stratified sampling was used to sample 86
headteachers; Purposive sampling was used in selecting 86 headteachers, 172
teachers, 10 CSOs, 6 TSC Sub County directors and 6 MOE Sub County directors in
Kericho County from Kericho County. Data was collected using questionnaires and
interview schedules. Piloting was done in 9 primary schools in the neighbouring
Bomet County. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential
statistics such as Pearson’s correlation moments and regression. Qualitative data were
analyzed using thematic analyzed. The researcher carefully examined the data to
ensure uniformity, accuracy, and completeness. Data was then coded and organized to
be processed. The study established that headteachers’ behavioral personality,
headteachers’ commitment, headteachers’ professional development, and
headteachers’ individual consideration does not have a statistically significant
relationship with learners’ academic performance in primary schools in Kericho
County. The regression analysis was as follows. Headteachers' Intellectual Stimulation (Beta = 0.137; p = 0.048); Behavioural Personality of Headteachers (Beta
= 0.121; p = 0.094); Professional Development (Beta = 0.102; p = 0.430),
Headteachers' Commitment (Beta = -0.012; p = 0.914), and Headteachers' Individual
Consideration (Beta = -0.245; p = 0.057). However, headteachers’ intellectual
stimulation was found to have a statistically significant relationship with learners’
academic performance in primary schools in Kericho County with regression scores
at (Beta = 0.137; p = 0.048). The study findings can be utilized in providing
headteachers with information on transformational leadership competencies suitable
for learners’ academic performance.
