TRAINING OF PRINCIPALS AS AN ANTECEDENT OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KALAMA SUB COUNTY, MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA.

Principals of secondary schools undergo various training some organized by employer while others are organized by Ministry of education and its agencies like Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI). These trainings come in form of INSETS, seminars, workshops and Teacher Professional Development (TPD) and are geared towards improving their leadership skills and knowledge and improve academic performance of students in schools. Despite training of principals, academic performance of students in public secondary schools have declined between 2019 to 2024. This study investigated effect of training of principals on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kalama Sub County, Machakos County, Kenya. The study was guided by the goal setting theory and human capital theory. The study used mixed methodology involving descriptive survey design. The study conducted a census of all 33 principals of public secondary schools in Kalama Sub County was done. Questionnaires was used to collect data. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics where linear regression model was utilized. The study findings indicated training of principals had significant positive effect on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kalama Sub County, Machakos County, Kenya. The study recommends that school management including principals to be trained on how monitor learners’ discipline and on ways of upscaling their leadership strategies in schools to improve the students’ performance. There are also need ensure that field officers Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASOs) and Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) are facilitated so that they may make regular school visits to offer professional support and train teachers on areas with gaps in order to improve learning in schools.