Challenges experienced during headteacher-parental collaboration on learners’ development of community-based skills in Junior schools, Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

Headteacher parent collaboration is crucial for fostering development of community-based skills (CBS) in Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). Despite policy efforts in Kenya to reform curricula and invigorate parental involvement, the implementation of such policies remains limited in effectiveness. This study aimed at the analysis of challenges that limit headteacher-parental collaboration on learners’ development of community -based skills in Junior Schools Nyeri county, Kenya. Guided by the Social System Theory, the study employed a descriptive research design and utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The target population comprised 389 junior schools, with each school represented by a headteacher and a Grade 8 parent member of the Board of Management (BOM), and a total of 1170 junior school teachers. Using 10% of the target population a sample of 39 schools ,39 parents and 117 teachers was selected. Data were collected through structured questionnaires for headteachers and teachers and interviews guide for parents. The reliability of the instruments was established through a pilot study, resulting a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.7. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data underwent content analysis to identify emerging themes. Results indicated that 44.1% of the respondents occasionally experience challenges, 42.9 frequently and 13% never. The findings also revealed that major challenges included lack of set strategies of headteacher-parental collaborations on acquisition of community-based skills at 82.1%, inadequate resources to develop CBS at 71.8% and time constraints for teachers at 69.3%, were found to hinder effective collaboration. The study recommended the use of authentic leadership, stakeholder training, and policy reinforcement to strengthen headteacher-parental collaboration.