Principals’ Communication Strategies as Determinants of Parental Involvement in Academic Programmes in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Clarix Naliaka Kuteli, Samuel N. Waweru & Daniel Otieno Okech
School of Education
Kenyatta University
Email: clarixkuteli@gmail.com

Abstract: Principals’ communication strategies are vital in enabling parents to take part in academic programmes in public schools. However, in Nairobi City County, the level of parental involvement in academic programmes is low. Many parents rarely attend annual general meetings (AGMs), academic clinics or prize-giving days. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess principals’ communication strategies as determinants of parental involvement in academic programmes in public secondary schools. The study adopted a mixed methodology and concurrent triangulation research design. Target population comprised 101 principals, 2084 teachers and 1678 parents’ representatives totaling 3863 respondents from which 363 respondents were sampled using Yamane’s Formula. This consisted of 33 principals, 297 teachers and 33 parents’ representatives. Questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers and interview guides from principals and parents’ representatives. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically based on the objectives and presented in narrative forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25) and presented using tables. The study found that there has been a decline in parental engagement in academic activities between 2019 and 2023. There has been a consistent drop in attendance at AGMs, committee meetings, disciplinary sessions and academic clinics. In response, principals have employed a range of communication strategies; however, the effectiveness of these strategies has not been fully realized. Thus, principals should adopt multiple communication platforms to ensure parents are always informed.