An Evaluation of the Effect of Principals’ Trans-Formational Leadership on Teacher Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Chesumei Sub-County, Nandi County, Kenya

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of transformational leadership on teacher performance in public secondary schools in Chesumei Sub-County, Nandi County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following research objectives: to establish the effect of idealized influence on teacher performance; to determine the effects of inspirational motivation on teacher performance and to examine the effect of intellectual stimulation on teacher performance. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. It used simple random sampling as the probability sampling technique to select principals and teachers. The target population included 45 principals, 46 deputy principals, 291 heads of departments, and 491 teachers, with a sample size of 267. Questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23.0, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics. The analyzed data were presented in the form of tables, and the study’s findings were displayed using tables and figures. The study found that teachers agreed involvement and active engagement of top management were associated with higher levels of teacher performance, with a mean score of 3.75 indicating a positive perception of administrative support and participative leadership’s influence on effectiveness. Additionally, teachers believed that encouragement from the principal helped them overcome teaching challenges, reflected by a mean score of 3.67. The overall perception was that such support contributed to improved educational practices and student outcomes, with a mean score of 3.82. The analysis revealed a significant baseline teacher performance level, with a constant term of 3.77 (p=0.000). Among the transformational leadership dimensions, idealized influence showed a beta coefficient of 0.392, suggesting a strong positive impact. The study concluded that principals’ inspirational motivation significantly boosted teacher resilience, commitment, and enthusiasm through encouragement and clear vision alignment. Furthermore, intellectual stimulation was identified as crucial for enhancing teachers’ professional efficacy and instructional quality. The study recommended that that principals should be trained in inspirational communication and vision articulation, and schools should establish structured feedback systems to promote participative leadership and continuous improvement.