Principals' Motivational Strategies and Teachers' Job Performance in Loitokitok Sub-County Kajiado County, Kenya

The study aimed to examine principals’ motivational strategies on teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Loitokitok Sub-County, Kajiado County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the transformational leadership theory. A mixed-method research approach was employed with a concurrent research design to gather qualitative and quantitative data. The study targeted all public secondary schools, school principals, teachers, and the Sub-County Education Director in Loitokitok Sub-County, Kajiado County. Seven public secondary schools and 90 teachers from the sampled schools were selected. Schools were selected using stratified and simple random sampling; principals were selected using purposive sampling; teachers were selected using proportionate stratified sampling and simple random sampling; and the Sub-County Educational Director was selected using purposive sampling. A total of 98 respondents took part in the study. Data was collected through closed-ended questionnaires from the teachers and in-depth interview guides for principals and the Sub-County Director of Education. Research instruments were subjected to face and content validity. The reliability of the teachers’ questionnaires was tested using the test-retest technique. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27 and reported in frequency distributions, and percentages. Data was presented in bar graphs, and tables. Ethical considerations were adhered to throughout the process. The findings revealed that motivational strategies had a significant positive impact on teacher job performance. Based on the findings, the study recommended that secondary school principals be trained in transformational leadership skills to inspire and motivate teachers, to improve their performance. Additionally, principals should focus on capacity-building through training, seminars, and benchmarking, as well as involving teachers in management roles to enhance their skills and contribute to school success. These positively impact teachers' job performance and overall school effectiveness. Key words: Principals’ Motivational Strategies, Teachers’ Job Performance, Assessment, Education