Educational Research (ISSN: 2141-5161) Vol. 2(12) pp. 1810-1820, December 2011
Available online@ http://www.interesjournals.org/ER
Copyright © 2011 International Research Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Assessment of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among
female principals in public secondary schools in Kenya: a
case study of Rachuonyo North and South Districts
Jane K. A. Juma, Enose M.W. Simatwa* and T.M.O. Ayodo
*Department of Educational Management and Foundations, Maseno University
Faculty of Education, Arts and Theology, Kabarak University
Accepted 07 December, 2011
Job satisfaction is an important element of effective leadership. It has been noted that effective
leadership in secondary schools in Rachuonyo North and South Districts is elusive despite the fact that
principals have the required qualifications and competence. Indicators of job satisfaction include high
productivity, high self- esteem and commitment to work while indicators of job dissatisfaction include
‘Laizzez-Faire’ leadership styles, low productivity, lack of commitment, low self esteem, absenteeism
and reluctance to take up leadership positions. In Rachuonyo North and South Districts, there were 20
female principals compared to 89 male principals. For about one decade, it had been noted that female
principals raised more complaints than male principals as they undertook duties that bordered on job
satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess job satisfaction among female
principals in Rachuonyo North and South Districts. A conceptual framework was used in the study to
focus on the following variables; - factors influencing job satisfaction, factors influencing job
dissatisfaction and strategies of improving job satisfaction among female principals. The study adopted
a descriptive survey and correlation designs. The study population consisted of 20 Female Principals,
20 Deputy Principals, 200 Heads of Departments, 20 Board of Governors chairpersons, 20 Parents
Teachers Association chairpersons and 2 District Quality Assurance Officers. Questionnaires,
interviews schedule; observation and document analysis guides; were used to collect data. The study
established that most female principals (66.67%) were dissatisfied with principalship. The study
revealed that good relationship with the teachers and autonomy to attend seminars and workshops
were factors that influenced job satisfaction among female principals. Other factors influencing job
satisfaction included remuneration, improvement and security among others. The study concluded that
the level of job satisfaction among female principals was low, but could be improved upon by
addressing factors that lead to job dissatisfaction like poor remunerations. The findings of this study
are important to the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders dealing with cases of job satisfaction
and dissatisfaction among female principals to the benefit of schools under their administration. It also
forms baseline information for future research in related areas.
Keywords: Assessment, job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, female principals, public secondary schools,
Rachuonyo North and South Districts, Kenya.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of job satisfaction in the world of work is
considered inevitable. The challenges of principalship are
extensively documented and widely reported Mackler
*Corresponding Author E-mail: simatwae@yahoo.com
(1996). Respect recognition and rewards of the job are
critical in effective work relationships. Motivation and
performance are strongly associated with delayed
satisfaction. However, role ambiguity results in job
dissatisfaction and lowers self esteem. The study of
employees’ attitude to their work and, especially, of job
satisfaction has contributed a substantial body of know-
Juma et al. 1811
Table 1. Ratio of Female to Male Principals in Rachuonyo North and South Districts
Divisions
East Karachuonyo
West Karachuonyo
Kasipul
Kabondo
TOTAL
Type of Schools
Girls Mixed Boys
4
14
02
2
14
01
5
30
03
4
29
01
15
87
07
Principal’s Gender
Female
Male
4
16
1
16
9
29
6
28
20
89
Number
Principals
of
20
17
38
34
109
Source: District Education Offices Rachuonyo North and South Districts, 2010
ledge about what makes people happy or unhappy with
their jobs (Locke, 1983). The term satisfaction is complex
and multidimensional in nature. There is considerable
amount of literature dealing with its complexity and
multiplicity. There is no agreed upon definition of what
constitutes job satisfaction. Darboe (2003) defined it as
the extent to which a staff member has favourable or
positive feelings about work or the work environment
while Furham (1997) and Locke (1983) defined it as
positive attitude or emotional dispositions people may
gain from work or through aspect of work. Faragher,
Cass and Copper (2005) added another dimension; by
defining it as being the positive emotional reaction and
attitudes individuals have towards their job. Foundation
theories on job satisfaction have been proposed by
different scholars, the most prominent and widely used in
the educational content being that of Herzberg and his
associates (Derlin and Scheneider, 1994; Dinham and
Scott, 2000). Herzberg’s (1959) Two Factor Theory looks
at job satisfaction as a set of variables, which are
motivators
or
satisfiers
that
is
feelings
of
accomplishment, recognition and autonomy. Studies
have shown that job satisfaction has some relationship
with job performance which is reflected in employees’
high morale, quality and quantity of output, reduction in
absenteeism and turnover (Karugu, 1980: Korman,
1977). Job satisfaction means pleasurable emotional
state of feeling that results from performance of work
(Simatwa, 2011). Employees operate at different levels of
job satisfaction. Employees who have high level of job
satisfaction commit their time, energy and efforts to work
which result in high productivity (Scott, 2004). Karugu
(1980) confirmed that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction
among elementary teachers and head teachers in
Nairobi, Kenya had some relationship with high morale,
quality input, reduction in absenteeism and turnover.
Today, both women and men qualify to be hired in
different organizations. It is however, important to note
that the ratio for women to men is in most workplaces is
less than 1:1. In fact the Constitution of Kenya (Republic
of Kenya 2010) requires that gender ratio should be at
least 1:3. Gender issues in administration of educational
institutions are of recent phenomena. In Rachuonyo
North and South Districts Secondary Schools, data
available at the respective District Education Offices
indicate that majority of head teachers are males (Table
1).
Table 1 shows that the number of female principals is
lower than that of their male counterparts in the two
Districts (20 against 89). Indicators of job dissatisfaction
such as reluctance to take up leadership positions, low
self esteem among other factors have been manifested in
female principals. Eckman (2002) conducted a study that
suggested that in order for schools to recruit and to retain
female principals, the schools must give consideration to
the role conflict, role commitment and job satisfaction of
public secondary school female principals. Looking at
these variables in Rachuonyo North and South Districts
give insight into the levels of job satisfaction among
female principals. Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction is
regarded as a very important issue within the educational
context, especially for female principals. This is mainly
due to the fact that it is connected with different aspects
of their role and those which consume most of their time
both in and outside school. Therefore it is necessary that
they experience satisfaction and harmony in carrying out
their duties to ensure effectiveness in delivering their role.
Many female principals today, seem to be dissatisfied
with their jobs and it is important for the stakeholders in
the education sector to understand and act on the causes
of the dissatisfaction (Table 2). However, a number of
other factors seem to greatly affect job satisfaction of
female principals, for instance, social and political
pressures from communities. Data available at the
respective District Education Offices indicate two cases
of female principals who were accused of high
handedness by the politicians in the local constituencies.
Despite the above incidences, several other female
principals have been praised for their schools good
performance for example Precious Blood Girls Riruta,
Pangani Girls, Asumbi Girls and Dudi Girls whose
performance has been improving every year. Kenya
National Examination Council (2008) results analysis.
From Table 2, failure to apply for principalship by
female Deputy Headteachers leads the pack. This is
followed by decline to take offer of being a principal,
chronic absenteeism, lateness and negligence of duty in
that order. When compared with that of male counter-
1812 Educ. Res.
Table 2. Indicators of Job dissatisfaction among Public Secondary School Principals in Rachuonyo
South and North Districts 2008-2010
Indicators of job dissatisfaction
Failure to apply for Principalship by Deputy Headteachers
Decline to take the offer of being a Principal
Negligence of duty
Chronic Absenteeism
Lateness
Number Recorded
Females
Males
30
00
10
00
06
03
08
02
07
03
Source: District Education Offices Rachuonyo North and South Districts, 2010
Satisfiers (Motivational factors)
factors)
•
•
•
•
Achievement
Recognition
Advancement
Work itself
•
Responsibility
Dissatisfiers (Hygiene Factors)
Job satisfaction
•
Fulfilling
•
Pleasurable
Salary
Supervision
Working conditions
Education policies
School policies
Job Dissatisfaction
•
Not fulfilling
•
Detestable
Figure 1. A Conceptual framework showing factors that influence job satisfaction and
dissatisfaction among female principals in secondary schools. (Adapted from Palmer,
1998 as cited in Simatwa, 2011 p. 115).
Key:
Satisfiers influence on job satisfaction
Dissatisfiers influence on job satisfaction
Dissatisfiers influence on job dissatisfaction
Satisfiers influence on job dissatisfaction
parts, the female principals seem to be dissatisfied hence
higher cases females being dropped.
Research Questions
To meet the research objectives, the central research
questions were:
i)
What is the level of job satisfaction among female
principals in Rachuonyo North and South Districts?
ii)
What factors influence job satisfaction among
female principals in Rachuonyo North and South
Districts?
iii)
What factors influence job dissatisfaction among
female principals in Rachuonyo North and South
Districts?
iv)
What are the strategies of improving job
satisfaction among female principals in Rachuonyo North
and South Districts?
Conceptual Framework
This study was guided by a conceptual framework
(Figure 1). The conceptual framework postulates that
there are certain factors that influence job satisfaction
Juma et al. 1813
and dissatisfaction among female principals. According to
Herzberg (1959) as cited in Simatwa (2011) these factors
include satisfiers and dissatisfiers. Satisfiers are also
known as motivational factors while dissatisfiers are
known as hygiene factors. Hygiene factors include;
salary, supervision, school policies, working conditions
and education policies. These factors may create job
satisfaction among employees if they are good, that is
when they enhance fulfillment in workers. However, when
they are not good enough they cause discontent among
employees, resulting into job dissatisfaction which is
characterized by absenteeism, turnover, lack of
commitment to work and tendency to be irresponsible.
Satisfiers on the other hand include; achievement,
recognition, advancement, work itself and responsibility.
These factors provide job satisfaction among employees.
When they are fulfilled, they create a feeling of pleasure
among employees as they perform prescribed tasks.
However if they are not fulfilled they fail to create
pleasure in workers due to their inappropriateness,
resulting into job dissatisfaction. The conceptual
framework helped the study by enabling the researcher to
focus on the variables of the study. First to determine the
level of job satisfaction and then factors responsible.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study was to assess job satisfaction
among female principals in Rachuonyo North and South
Districts. A conceptual framework was used in the study
to focus on the following variables; - factors influencing
job satisfaction, factors influencing job dissatisfaction and
strategies of improving job satisfaction among female
principals. The study adopted a descriptive survey and
correlation designs. The study population consisted of 20
Female Principals, 20 Deputy Principals, 200 Heads of
Departments, 20 Board of Governors chairpersons, 20
Parents Teachers Association chairpersons and 2 District
Quality Assurance Officers. Saturated sampling was used
to select 18 Female Principals, 18 Deputy Principals,
180 Heads of Departments, 18 Board of Governors
Chairpersons, 18 Parents Teachers Association
chairpersons and 2 District Quality Assurance and
Standard Officers. Questionnaires, interview schedule,
observation and document analysis guide were used to
collect data. Face validity of the instruments was
established by experts in the Department of Educational
Management and Foundations, Maseno University.
Reliability of instruments was established by piloting in 2
schools whereby the inconsistencies, ambiguity and
weaknesses noted in the instruments were corrected.
Quantitative data obtained from the closed ended
questionnaire was analyzed by use of descriptive
statistics in form of percentages, means and frequency
counts. Qualitative data obtained from interviews was
organized into emergent themes and sub-themes.
RESULTS
The return rate of the questionnaire was 100%.
Research question 1
The research question responded to was; What is the
level of job satisfaction among female principals in
Rachuonyo North and South Districts? The female
principals were asked to indicate their level of job
satisfaction on a five point likert type scale. Their
responses were as shown in Table 3.
Table 3 revealed that 5 (27.78%) female principals
were satisfied, 1 (5.56%) neutral, 12(66.67%) dissatisfied
and non was very dissatisfied with principalship.
Majority 12(66.67% of the principals were dissatisfied
with the position of principalship. From Table 4.3, it is
clear that only 6(33.33%) schools had a mean score of
above 6 which uses the average mean score. This
means that 12(66.66%) schools performed below
average.
From Table 4 which gives data on principals’ job
satisfaction and school performance respectively,
Pearson’s r correlation coefficient was calculated to
establish the relationship between female principals’ job
satisfaction and academic performance of students in
schools. In this study the Pearson’s r correlation
coefficient was - 0.225. This therefore indicated that the
relationship between job satisfaction and performance
was not statistically significant because P-value 0.370
was greater than 0.05. Since the set P-value was 0.05,
the implication is that female principals’ job satisfaction
may not have influenced the poor performance. Other
factors such as availability of learning materials, time
management skills, students’ entry behaviour and nature
of learning environment could have been responsible. For
instance as revealed in Table 3 some schools where
female Principal’s level of job satisfaction was low, school
performance in Kenya certificate of Secondary Education
Examination was high and in some schools where the
level of job satisfaction was high, school performance in
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
was low.
Research question 2
The research question responded to was: What factors
Influence Job Satisfaction among Female Principals in
Rachuonyo North and South Districts?
From Table 5, it can be noted that generally female
principals, deputy principals and heads of departments
rated good relationship with teachers, Provision for
promotion,
Autonomy
in
attending
seminars,
conferences, workshops, Good relationship with Board of
Governors members, Salary increase regularly, as need
arises after every 5 years, Principals challenging respon-
1814 Educ. Res.
Table 3. Female Principals’ Levels of Job Satisfaction and their respective Schools Performance in
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination 2010 as reported by Female principals
(n=18)
Female Principals
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Level of Job Satisfaction
(Mean Rating)
School performance in Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education
Examination 2010 in mean score
4.08
4.05
2.92
4.75
4.10
5.20
6.25
6.33
3.90
5.25
6.18
3.60
6.01
6.12
4.52
5.80
4.85
7.10
3.65
3.4
3.25
3.15
3.10
3.00
2.90
2.90
2.90
2.90
2.85
2.85
2.65
2.60
2.60
2.60
2.60
2.50
Interpretation: 1.00 - 1.90 = Very dissatisfied;
3.00 = Neutral; 3.01- 4.90 = Satisfied 5 =Very satisfied
2.00 - 2.90 = Dissatisfied;
Table 4. Correlations
Job satisfaction
School performance
Pearson r correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson r correlation
Sig. (2-talied)
N
sibilities and duties, Terms and conditions of work – good
housing, office space, infrastructure, tenure of office, co
– curriculum achievement, good Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examination
results and
Recognition by the society / school community were rated
high as factors that highly influenced job satisfaction
among female principals while Close supervision by the
Ministry of Education, Field officers, Good relationship
with fellow female principals, Good School policies
formulated by their predecessors and Personally, I
cherish being a principal because it empowers me
socially, economically and academically, were generally
rated low as factors that did not influence much job
satisfaction among female principals.
Job
Satisfaction
1
.
18
-0.225
0.370
18
School
Performance
-0.225
0.370
18
1
.
18
Research Question 3
The research question responded to was: What factors
influence Job Dissatisfaction among Female Principals in
Rachuonyo North and South Districts?
The responses to this research questions were as
shown in Table 6. From Table 6, the principals rated low
headship monetary package at 4.0, deputy principals at
3.0 and Heads of Department at 3.1. Principals rated low
headship, monetary package high because they felt it did
not commensurate with opportunities cost. Deputy
Principals and heads of departments rated it low because
of lack of experience and knowledge on the demands of
headship. A person’s salary should be linked to one’s
Juma et al. 1815
Table 5. Factors that influence Job Satisfaction among Female Principals as rated by Principals (n =18), Deputy Principals (n =18),
and H.O.Ds (n = 180).
Factors
Good relationship with teachers
Provision for promotion
Autonomy in attending seminars, conferences, workshops
Good relationship with Board of Governors members
Salary increase regularly, as need arises after every 5 years
Principals responsibilities and duties – challenging
Terms and conditions of work – good housing, office space,
infrastructure, tenure of office
Co – curriculum achievement
Good Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
results
Recognition by the society / school community
Good MOE policies on management of secondary schools
Close supervision by the MOE field officers
Good relationship with fellow female principals
Good School policies formulated by their predecessors
Personally, I cherish being a principal because it empowers me
socially, economically and academically
Key: HODs – Heads of Departments
Principals
4.78
4.7
4.6
4.56
4.5
4.33
4.3
Mean Ratings
Deputy Principals
4.7
4.4
4.5
4.6
3.6
4.3
2.8
H.O.Ds
4.4
4.2
4.0
4.2
3.8
4.0
4.0
4.2
4.2
3.4
4.5
3.7
4.2
4.2
4.06
4.05
4.0
3.8
3.05
4.1
3.9
3.6
4.0
3.2
3.9
4.2
3.0
2.8
3.9
3.2
4.2
MOE- Ministry of Education
Note: Highest mean rating is 5.0 and lowest is 1.0 on likert type 5 point scale. 3.0 is neutral
Table 6. Factors influencing Job Dissatisfaction among Female principals in Rachuonyo District as rated by Female principals (n=18)
Deputy Principals (n=18) and Heads of Department (n=180).
Low headship monetary package
Poor terms and conditions of headships
Lack of opportunity for advancement in career
Negative attitude of the society
Weak political influence in management of schools
Poor Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
results
Poor achievements in co – curriculum activities
Lack of opportunities for advancement in academics
Being secretary to the Board of Governors
Negative attitude of male principals
Key:
BOG – Board of Governors
HODs- Heads of Department
KCSE – Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
levels of work, achievements and success. On poor
terms and conditions of headship, the principals rated it
at 4.0, deputy principal at 3.7 and Heads of Department
at 4.0. The principal’s rating indicates that they were not
complacent with the deployment while deputy principals
Principals
4.0
4.0
3.8
3.7
3.7
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.2
Mean Ratings
D/Principals
3.1
3.7
2.9
4.2
4.1
4.1
3.4
2.6
2.8
3.4
H.O.Ds
3.1
4.0
4.0
3.9
3.2
4.0
3.9
3.7
3.2
4.1
D/Principals – Deputy principals
had low rating because they were not satisfied with the
anticipated terms that they are yet to be given. However
Heads of Department rated it higher than deputy
principals because they are still far from the position yet
they really long for it. The poor pay is among the many
1816 Educ. Res.
problems faced by principals and teachers in general.
Most young, energetic and better trained principals opt
for better paying jobs elsewhere making the best of their
efforts not to be utilized in the education sector (Akala,
2002). Lack of opportunities for advancement in career
was rated 3.8 by Female Principals, 2.9 by deputy
principals and 4.0 by Heads of Departments. Principals
regard rising up the professional ladder as a motivating
factor. The same argument was also advanced by deputy
principals. Heads of Department gave the highest rating
because they really wish rising in professional ranks. This
concurs with the work of Hellriegel (2001) who observed
that promotion is a positive reinforcement. However the
relatively low rating by the principals and the deputy
principals perhaps was due to the reluctance by the
employer to recognize academic advancement as the
Teachers Service Commission has no designated job
group for persons that obtain masters degrees hence it is
a dissatisfier. Negative attitude of the society was rated at
3.7 by female principals, 4.2 by deputy principals and 3.9
by Heads of Departments. Principals had the lowest
rating because they always interact with the community in
various fora where they are rarely criticized negatively.
The basis of negative criticism by the community on
several issues like misappropriation of funds, poor Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education Examination results
among others may be baseless because more often than
not they do not have the facts. The feelings of the female
principals differed with that of the deputy principal and
Heads of Departments because the two play peripheral
roles in the schools and are not in the limelight of the
public opinion. Weak political influence on management
of schools was rated highest by deputy principals
because they always interact with the politicians to gain
favours from them so that the politicians could influence
their promotions including undercutting their principals.
The principals had low rating because many of them are
rarely at loggerheads with the politicians while Heads of
Department are still far from the target position hence
are not bothered. Poor Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education Examination results were rated 3.3 by female
principals, 4.1 by Deputy Principals and 4.0 by Heads of
Departments. Principals are always on the spot whenever
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination
results are released. This makes them jittery as they are
at times judged from the results with a lot of prejudice.
Deputy Principals and Heads of Departments empathise
with the principals because Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examination results are not for the
principals. The ratings in poor co-curriculum activities
were low from the principals and deputy principals
because they consider co-curriculum to be taking too
much time for academic work. However Heads of
Department are the ones who manage those activities so
they are always happy with the programmes. The rating
on lack of opportunity for advancement in academics was
3.3 by principals, 2.6 by deputy principals and 3.7 by
Heads of Department. The principals and the Deputy
principals rated it very low because the government
policy on further studies especially higher levels is not
beneficial to them since they are not allowed to take
study leave during school days. But Heads of Department
had slightly higher rating because they empathise with
the principal. Being secretary to the Board of Governors
was rated at 3.3 by principals, 2.8 by Deputy principals
and 3.2 by Heads of Departments while negative attitude
of male principals was rated at 3.2 by principals, 3.4 by
deputy principals and 4.1 by Heads of departments.
Research Question 4
The research question responded to was: What are the
strategies of improving job satisfaction among female
principals in Rachuonyo of North and South Districts?
From Table 7, it can be noted that many strategies
were considered to be vital for improvement of job
satisfaction among female principals. Specifically the
Principals indicated that if stakeholders provide a good
housing in the school compound, then this would really
improve their job satisfaction. This is confirmed from their
high rating of 4.7. The deputy principals and Heads of
Department had similar sentiments with 4.6 and 4.4
ratings respectively. Johnson and Holdaway (1991) also
confirmed that good housing improved job satisfaction
among female principals. This was also reported by
Mutiso (1985), who singled out the major problem facing
primary teachers in rural areas to be poor housing and
lack basic facilities. Provision of special terms and
conditions of service was rated 4.7 by female principals,
4.6 by deputy principals and 3.8 by Heads of Department.
Female principals and deputy principals had relatively
high ratings because they face the challenges that go
with the position of administration however Heads of
Department had low rating because they are yet to come
to face the real issues associated with position of
principalship. Shiundu (1984) also reported that one clear
way to attract the best brains into the teaching profession
is by offering better terms of service, especially
remuneration and better working conditions.
Job security by signing contract of headship in the
school for a maximum of five years was rated 4.2 by
female principals, 3.5 by deputy principals and 3.8 by
Heads of Departments. This shows that female principals
are comfortable with the policy of performance
contracting since it makes their supervisory roles easy
while both the deputy principals and Heads of
Departments had low ratings because they are not
certain on their specific roles in performance contracting
and also because they are not directly answerable. The
low rating by the deputy and Heads of Department was
supported by Kimengi (1991) whose findings confirmed
that most teachers were only in the profession due to lack
of alternative jobs. The rating for provision of response-
Juma et al. 1817
Table 7. Ratings of strategies for improving Job satisfaction by Principals (n =18), Deputy Principals (n=18) and Heads of Departments
(n=180)
Strategies
4.7
Mean Rating
Deputy
Principals
4.6
Heads of
Departments
4.4
4.7
4.2
4.6
3.5
3.8
3.8
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.06
4.2
3.9
4.1
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.7
4.1
3.9
3.4
4.4
4.2
4.2
3.9
3.9
-
2.6
3.5
Principals
Good housing in the school compound for example bungalow, well
furnished with wholesome water supply and electricity
Provision of special terms and conditions of service
Job security by signing contract of headship in the school for five or less
years
Job security by Ministry of Education to work for five years or more in a
station.
Provision of responsibility allowance
Deputy head teachers, non teaching staff, be legally accountable for their
omissions and commissions in their duties and responsibilities rather than
principal being the only one accountable
Discarding unpopular policies like deployment of principals without honour.
Rights to return to the same school after maternity leave.
Right to return to same school after study leave
Right to be informed of the details and when assessment is to be done by
the panel of Quality Assurance and Standard Officers
Freedom to reside anywhere in the compound
bility allowance was the same for principals and deputy
principals at 4.2, while Heads of Department rated it at
4.06. Both the principals and deputy principals have high
regard for responsibility allowance as a motivating factor
given the nature of their jobs that at times includes
working at night in boarding schools. However Heads of
Department had relatively low rating because they are
always not directly involved in all the duties of the
principal. Simatwa (2011) reported that most teachers are
not motivated and are willing to join other sectors to feel
satisfied.
The ratings of principals and Heads of Departments
were similar at a rating of 4.2 and 4.1 respectively while
deputy principals had low rating of 3.9 with regard to the
strategy that the deputy principals, non teaching staff be
legally accountable for their omissions and commissions
in their duties and responsibilities rather the principals
being the only ones accountable. This is considered by
principals and Heads of Departments as a fair approach
to issues of mistakes done by other persons in
administration so that the principal does not take
responsibility for all mistakes committed by other people
that they work with. The deputy principals had different
rating on this, a clear testimony of many of them having
elements of dishonesty towards their principals.
Principals had low rating on the matter of deployment at
3.9 because they argue that the issue has been a bone of
contention over the years between the heads association
and the Teachers Service Commission with no solution
(Awiti, 2009). However Deputy Principals and Heads of
Departments had high ratings at 4.1 and 4.2 respectively.
This is because they still have hope on a possibility of
change of government policy on this issue.
On the right to return to the same school after
maternity leave was rated 3.8 and 3.9 by principals and
deputy principals respectively. The two, being at the core
of administration feel challenged and are not comfortable
being in the same school after maternity leave due to fear
of public opinion as well as role conflict in course of their
duty. But the Heads of Departments had a higher rating
of 4.2, an indication that they are comfortable returning to
their previous working station. They believe it is better in
the usual place where they would be empathised with
whenever there is role conflict. This is also echoed by
Mackler (1996). On the right to return to the same school
after study leave was rated lowest by the deputy principal
at 3.4.They have a feeling that when they go for further
studies there are high chances of being replaced
because the role of their offices is critical in a school setup hence cannot remain vacant for long. The principal
and the Heads of Departments had similar ratings of 3.7
and 3.9 respectively. Principals rarely take full time study
leave for fear that they will automatically forfeit their
positions whenever they apply for the same. The right to
be informed of the details and when assessment is to be
done by a panel of Quality Assurance and Standard
Officers was rated at 3.7 by principals, 4.4 by deputy
principals and 3.9 by Heads of Departments. Principals
had relatively low rating because they hold the view that if
the details are given earlier then the assessment may not
reflect the true picture in the school as it would be
prejudiced. The deputy principals had higher rating be-
1818 Educ. Res.
cause they normally do not take direct responsibility of
the assessment report as compared to the principal.
Heads of Departments had similar rating with the
principal and held same opinion because assessment is
usually done at departmental levels hence they would
wish to have a true picture of the activities in their
departments. The findings were similar to those of
Herzberg (1959) who reported that workers are satisfied
when they find their work lively and meaningful and when
they view the work itself as being worthwhile and
important. Deputy Principals had very low rating of 2.6 on
the freedom to reside anywhere in the school compound
mainly because they are keen on the hierarchy and chain
of command even in housing arrangements in a school.
Heads of Department had equally low rating but higher
than that of deputy principals. They are not bothered on
the position of their houses and are likely to get
transferred to other schools. Many of them are also
serving under Board of Governors appointments and may
get permanent employment in other places. Both the
deputy principal and Heads of Department had similar
ratings at 4.1 and 3.9 respectively. This finding is
consistent with Simatwa (2011) who stated that generally
most teachers are dissatisfied with their teaching
positions.
DISCUSSION
The position of school principals is increasingly difficult,
time consuming and generally unattractive to prospective
applicants (Court, 2003). Teachers with high levels of job
satisfaction were more committed and cared more about
quality of their work and therefore more committed to
their schools. This finding is consistent with that of Scott
(2004). It implies that low level of job satisfaction is bound
to affect the principals’ performance. The study therefore
further sought to establish the relationship between job
satisfaction and school performance in Kenya Certificate
of Secondary Education Examination for the year 2010.
To do this, performance of schools in Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examination was compared with
levels of job satisfaction of female principals. Pearson
product moment correlation coefficient (Pearson r) was
used to establish the relationship.
The study found out that there was no direct
relationship between job satisfaction of female principals
and school performance in Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examinations. This implied that
there were other factors that also influenced school
performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
Examinations. These factors could include student’s entry
behaviour, quality of teachers, quality of teaching learning
resources and learning environment. Overall with regard
to factors influencing job satisfaction, the respondents
had the following suggestions towards improving job
satisfaction amongst female principals. Sponsorship for
refresher courses to improve their performance apart
from the seminars, the principals should have high self
esteem, principals should be inducted into the job, the
female principals should work hand in hand with one
another to help them acquire new ideas from different
persons and that they should be rewarded and working
conditions including remuneration to be improved. On the
part of the Board of Governors and Parents Teachers
Associations, the study found that the principals drew
satisfaction from being a mother, they were sincere and
hardworking, took pride in success, if they got enough
support from the ministry of education and other stake
holders in the districts. They also said that if they
achieved the desired goals within their institutions,
moulded the girls as role models, proved their worth in
leadership by giving better results, if the schools provided
enough physical and academic requirements and
teachers, if there were determined students who have a
better vision and mission then the principals would
commit their time, efforts and energy to work in their
schools.
From the study findings, the factors that were found
to have the most effect on the female principals’ job
satisfaction were: having a good relationship with the
teachers and the Board of Governors, provision of
promotion and having the autonomy in attending
seminars, workshops and conferences, Kenya Certificate
of Secondary Education Examination results, recognition
by the society and cherishing the idea of being the
principal because it empowers them economically,
socially and financially. These results concur with other
findings such as Herzberg’s (1959) Two Factor Theory
which looks at job satisfaction as a set of variables which
are motivators and satisfiers for instance the feeling of
accomplishment, recognition and autonomy. Other
researchers too have similar findings for example,
Karugu, (1980) and Korman (1977) who found that
people’s satisfaction is a function of how much of a
reward or outcome they receive from their work, if the
society does not recognize the efforts put by the
principals, then they will not be satisfied with their work. It
was also clear that money was not a major factor in the
principals job satisfaction as it ranked lowest in this
category and the same findings have been reported by
Ng’ang’a (1989) in his study, which revealed that
importance of money as a motivator tends to decline the
higher you go in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This study
also found out that the following factors had a lot of
impact on the female principals’ job dissatisfaction,
negative attitude from the society, terms and conditions
of headship, poor performance in the national exams,
lack of advancement in career and presence of political
influence in the school management. When Furnham
(1997) referred to feelings about work or the working
environment. He pointed out that poor remunerations,
interpersonal relations, terms and conditions of work
were some of the extrinsic factors that affected job
Juma et al. 1819
dissatisfaction among workers. Working conditions such
as clean work place, adequate equipment, proper
housing and infrastructure were identified by this study as
some of the factors that lead to job dissatisfaction.
Kimengi (1991) found in his study that poor attitude from
the society, Ministry of Education and the principals
themselves, poor remunerations and terms of service
were described as demeaning the public image of the
female principals. The factors which did not have major
impact on the principals’ job dissatisfaction were
achievement in co-curriculum activities, headship
monetary package, advancement in academics and
being a secretary to the Board of Governors. Other
factors suggested by the Board of Governors and the
Parents Teachers Association members were opposition
from the community members and rebellion from the
male teachers, negative societal mindset over them,
unnecessary pressure from authority, lack of co-operation
from the teaching staff, leadership wrangles in the school,
poor infrastructure, posting in schools with inadequate
learning facilities and teachers then this would cause job
dissatisfaction among the principals. These findings
concurred with the findings of Mutopa, et al. (2006), who
found that related challenges confronting any
administrator relates to role conflict. A female head may,
for example be expected to take her sick child who is
attending school at the school she is heading to hospital
during working hours. She may also be required to
discipline the same child for defiant behaviour. Her role
as a principal and parent may cause conflict. This may
finally lead to job dissatisfaction because of role conflict.
Mutopa et al. (2006) showed the negative effect of the
dual role of managing school affairs and teaching among
Zimbabwean school heads where the male principals
perceived the female principals as ineffective
practitioners since they were mainly engrossed in
administrative duties. Job dissatisfaction occurs when
employees’ personal needs are not met. For example, a
school principal who wants to stay in the school
compound is dissatisfied when he does not get a school
house. Other strategies suggested by the respondents
were, that Teachers Service Commission should post
more teachers to help raise the standards of education in
the school, they should be supported by Board of
Governors and Parents Teachers Association.
This study found that the following strategies would
improve the female principal’s job satisfaction if
implemented, provision of good housing for them in the
school compound, special terms and conditions of
service, responsibility allowance, discarding unpopular
policies, provision of job security by Ministry of Education,
be given the right to be informed when the Ministry of
Education officials are to do assessment, the community
and the education stakeholders to provide them with
enough security and having the right to go back to the
same school after maternity leave. This findings concur
with the studies of Bellott et al. (1990) using 53 men and
48 women in graduate level education administration
courses at the University of Victoria, that found that an
employee can be both satisfied and dissatisfied within a
specific job. The data they collected showed
interrelationships among the four need subscales and a
collection of job characteristics that is job performance,
work attitudes, organizational attachment and leadership
attributes. Sogomo (1993), in his research in Rift Valley
(Kenya), also found that a large number of the secondary
school principals were satisfied with their total work role,
but the greatest source of job dissatisfaction being fringe
benefits, followed by the working environment. Sogomo
also found that the principals overall job satisfaction was
the recognition of their work. This agrees with Ng’ang’a
(1989), who noted that the sources of satisfaction are
many and diverse and depend on the specific
environment.
CONCLUSIONS
Female principals were generally dissatisfied with
principalship in secondary schools as 12(6.67%)
indicated that they were dissatisfied while 1(5.56%) was
neutral and only 5(27.78%) were satisfied. The factors
that greatly affected job satisfaction among the
secondary school female principals were: having a good
relationship with the teachers and the Board of
Governors, provision of promotion and having the
autonomy in attending seminars, workshops and
conferences, good Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education Examination results, recognition by the society
and the education stake holders. The factors that greatly
influenced female principal’s job dissatisfaction were
negative attitude by the society, terms and conditions of
headship, poor performance in the Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examination and lack of
advancement in career and presence of political influence
in the school management. Strategies that could enhance
job satisfaction among female principals were: high level
of security, good relationship with other principals,
favourable conditions in the school environment,
provision of enough facilities in schools, allowances and
free movement of principals, incentives by the
government and the other stake holders in education and
support by the community.
RECOMMENDATIONS
With regard to level of job satisfaction among Female
principals, the Ministry of Education in conjunction with
the Teachers Service Commission should regularly
assess levels of job satisfaction with the view to
improving it.
With regard to factors influencing job satisfaction:
Good relationship with teachers; provision for promotion;
1820 Educ. Res.
autonomy
in
attending
seminars,
conferences,
workshops; good relationship with Board of Governors;
members, salary increase regularly, as need arises after
every five years; Principals responsibilities and
challenging duties; terms and conditions of work like
good housing, office space, infrastructure, tenure of
office, co-curriculum achievement, good Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education Examination results,
recognition by the society/school community, good
Ministry of Education policies on management of
secondary schools, close supervision by the Ministry of
Education field officers and good relationship with fellow
female principals should be practiced by respective
education managers to the benefit of female principals.
With regard to strategies of improving job satisfaction:
unpopular policies like deployment of principals to
classroom teaching should be discarded and be replaced
with principles of honour, for instance principals be
guaranteed to return to same school after maternity leave
and principals should always be informed of impending
assessments by the Quality Assurance and Standards
Officers in good time so that meaningful assessments of
schools they head is achieved.
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