Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Ruth Otieno

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Marriote Ngwaru

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the role of the head of school in fostering school-community for enhancement of students’ academic performance in a community secondary school. The study followed a qualitative approach and a case study design. Thus data was collected through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis methods. The study involved thirty two participants, including the head of school, two school board members, and two teachers from the school senior management team, eight parents and eight members of students’ government who were purposefully selected. The data was subjected to thematic analysis for further discussion and presentation. The findings revealed that the head of school uses school board, parental meetings, formal communication and fundraising activities to foster school community partnership for sharing ideas and improving of resources and facilities to enhance students’ academic performance. The community also perceived school-community partnership as having certain benefits leading to collective responsibility, creating awareness of parents’ role to their children in school and improvements of school which impact on students’ academic performance. Frequent meetings and community involvement in decision making process influenced the community to participate in school activities. However, the study also revealed that community’s negative attitudes towards education, lack of time for parents’ involvement in school activities lack of school-community partnership policy and lack of head of school capacity in school-community partnership issues were challenges which hindered effective school-community partnership.

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