The status of school strategic plan implementation on the quality of education in public secondary schools in Busia County, Kenya

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.72

Keywords:

Implementation Status, Monitoring and Evaluation, Quality Education, Strategic Plan

Abstract

School strategic plan implementation plays a crucial role in enhancing quality of education in public secondary schools in Busia County, Kenya, where concerns have been raised over persistently low Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KSCE) performance despite the presence of strategic plans in schools. The problem motivating the study was that although most schools are expected to implement strategic plans to improve academic outcomes, their effectiveness in enhancing quality of education remains unclear. The study  objective was to establish  school strategic plan implementation status on quality of education in public secondary schools in Busia County. The study was guided by Ecletcicroots of strategy implementation moidel model of strategy implementation. Ex-post facto research design was used ,Census approach was used to  target 160 principals and 7 Sub-County Directors of Education, giving a total sample of 167 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides, and document analysis and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative data. multiple linear regression was done  and significance level at 0.05 level. The findings suggested that approximately 49.6% of schools had not fully implemented strategic plans, while about 50.4% were implementing them, though many struggled to achieve set targets. The overall KCSE mean score was 3.707 (D+), with a negligible and statistically insignificant difference of 0.0536 between schools implementing and those not implementing strategic plans (p = 0.805).. The findings of the study suggest most schools have a weak implementation strategy on strategic plans and has limited influence on academic performance. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education enforce full implementation of strategic plans in all schools, while Boards of Management, principals, parents, and other stakeholders strengthen resource mobilization strategies and improve monitoring and evaluation systems to enhance effective implementation and improve quality of education in secondary schools in Busia County, Kenya.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bell, L. (2002). Strategic planning and school management: Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? Journal of Educational Administration, 40(5), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230210440276

Chukwumah, F. O. (2015). Developing quality strategic plan in secondary schools for successful school improvement. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(21), 136-144.

Falqueto, J. M. Z., Hoffmann, V. E., Gomes, R. C., & Onoyama Mori, S. S. (2020). Strategic planning in higher education institutions: What are the stakeholders' roles in the process? Higher Education, 79, 1039-1056.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00455-8

Guzman, J. (2022). Stakeholders' participation in school improvement plan and school performance of secondary schools. International Journal of Arts, Sciences Educational Research, 3(July Special Issue), 51-66.

Imende, M., Mukabi, M., & Olel, M. G. (2020). Influence of resources on implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 10, 667-675. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.10.09.2020.p10579

Johnson, O., Constance, T., & Chrysostom, O. (2021). Analysis of stakeholders' involvement in the implementation of the MA Literature curriculum at Kabale University using e-learning approach. East African Journal of Education Studies, 3(1), 199-210.

https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.3.1.384

Jooste, C., & Fourie, B. (2009). The role of strategic leadership in effective strategy implementation: Perceptions of South African strategic leaders. Southern African Business Review, 13(3), 51-68.

Kawinzi, J. M., Kiilu, R. M., & Mulwa, J. K. (2023). Stakeholders' participation as an institutional determinant of strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 7(11), 1481-1487. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2023.7011116

Kithuka, J. N. (2016). An assessment of the influence of stakeholders in implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County [Master's thesis, South Eastern Kenya University].

Mariani, J., Soaib, A., Arnida, A., & Siti, N. (2022). The influence of organizational strategic plan implementation and its relationship with secondary school academic achievement in Selangor, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(9). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/V12i9/14725

Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. ACTS Press.

Mulandi, Q. W., & Wamitu, S. N. (2022). Determinants of strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Katulani Sub-County, Kitui County. European Journal of Business and Strategic Management, 7(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.47604/ejbsm.1568

Mwakisaghu, J. K. (2023). Strategic plan implementation and its influence on infrastructure development in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. International Journal of Social Science Management and Entrepreneurship, 7, 321-332.

Ndegwah, D. M. (2014). Factors affecting the implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Nyeri County, Kenya. International Review of Management and Business Research, 3(2), 993-1002.

Noble, C. H. (1999). The eclectic roots of strategy implementation research. Journal of Business Research, 45(2), 119-134.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00231-2

Nyong'a, T. M., & Maina, R. (2019). Influence of strategic leadership on strategy implementation at Kenya Revenue Authority, Southern Region in Kenya. International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration, 3(5), 128-159.

Okwako, A. D. (2013). Strategic planning and performance of public secondary schools in Rarieda District, Kenya [Master's thesis, University of Nairobi].

Owino, R. O., & Oloko, M. (2015). Factors affecting strategic plans implementation practice in public secondary schools in Kenya: A case of Uriri District, Migori County. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 3(5), 1657-1669.

Queen, W. M. (2022). Determinants of strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Katulani Sub-County, Kitui County [Master's thesis, South Eastern Kenya University].

Republic of Kenya, Ministry of Education. (2024). National education sector strategic plan for the period 2023-2027. Ministry of Education. https://education.go.ke/sites/default/files/2024-07/NATIONAL%20EDUCATION%20STRATEGIC%20PLAN%202023-2027-compressed_removed.pdf

Thompson, J. L., & Martin, F. (2005). Strategic management: Awareness and change. Thomson Learning.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO.

Weyama, J. A. (2018). Stakeholder influence in institutional strategic planning practices in public secondary schools in Kenya: A survey of public secondary schools in Migori County. International Journal of Economic Behaviour Organization, 6(1), 22-28.

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20180601.13

Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring strategy: Text and cases (12th ed.). Pearson.

Wilson, S. N., & Nyakwara, S. (2022). Influence of communication to the implementation of strategic plans in Kisii County Government. East African Journal of Information Technology, 5(1), 194-201. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajit.5.1.968

World Bank. (2018). World development report 2018: Learning to realize education's promise. World Bank.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-14

How to Cite

Orina, R. H., Odebero, S., & Musera, G. B. (2026). The status of school strategic plan implementation on the quality of education in public secondary schools in Busia County, Kenya. African Journal of Empirical Research, 7(3), 966-978. https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.72