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Full Length
Research Paper
Influence
of social-cultural factors on gender imbalance in
appointment of head teachers in mixed secondary schools in
Vihiga district, Kenya
Phanice Ingasia Chisikwa
St Ann Buyangu Girls High School, P.O. BOX 42 Gisambai,
Kenya.
E-mail: pingasia@yahoo.com
Received 23 October, 2010; Accepted 15 November, 2010
Women are under-represented in school headship in many parts
of the world. Social-cultural reasons have been used to
explain this discrepancy, particularly in Western countries.
In Vihiga District in the Republic of Kenya, the situation
is that only 24% of head-teachers in mixed secondary schools
were women. Social-cultural factors contributing to this
scenario were unknown. A descriptive survey design was used
to establish perceptions of stakeholders on social-cultural
factors that influence gender imbalance in appointment of
head teachers in mixed secondary schools in Vihiga District,
Western Province, Kenya. The study involved 34 Head
teachers, 34 Board of Governors Chairpersons, 34 Parent
Teacher Association Chairpersons, 465 teachers (310 males
and 155 females) and one District Quality Assurance and
Standards Officer (DQASO). Questionnaire and In-depth
interview were used to collect data .The study found out
that school location, school leadership traditions, male
dominance, dual role and spouse attitude were perceived as
influences on gender imbalance in the appointment of head
teachers. Based on the findings, it is recommended that
improvement of infrastructure and accessibility of the
upcoming schools should be done to attract and retain female
head-teachers in these schools, communities should be
sensitized on gender equality and to respect female head
teachers and advocacy should be enhanced for the girl child
education.
Keywords: Social-cultural factors, Gender imbalance,
Head teachers.
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