Influence of Field Education Officers’ Transformational Leadership Practices in Learner Welfare Management on Job Satisfaction among Primary School Administrators in the South Rift Region, Kenya

Abstract

Education is the cornerstone of national development, with Primary School Administrators’ Job Satisfaction (JS) central to delivering quality education by fostering motivation, commitment, and reduced burnout, which directly enhance learner outcomes. In Kenya's South Rift region, teachers in Bomet and Narok counties’ primary schools miss 12.9% and 23.5% of scheduled lessons, respectively, figures that far exceed the national average of 6.6% and signal severe deficiencies in teacher morale and professional fulfillment. This study sought to examine the influence of Field Education Officers' Transformational Leadership Practices in Learners' Welfare Management on Primary School Administrators’ JS. The research adopted a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design. Grounded in Path-Goal and Two-Factor theories, a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design targeted 2,849 participants (2,754 administrators, 79 FEOs, 16 supervisors). A sample of 347 (276 administrators, 63 FEOs via stratified random sampling; 8 supervisors purposively) was selected using Nassiuma's formula. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, interview guides, and document analysis guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression in SPSS Version 27, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically in NVivo 14. All statistical analyses were subjected to significance testing at α = .05. The results showed that Learners' Welfare Management had a significant positive influence on Primary School Administrators' JS (R² = .139, β = .373, p < .001). Descriptively, FEOs rated higher on enabling others than challenging the process, indicating cooperation strength but limited change-driving capacity. Qualitatively, innovations were poorly documented, talent identification remained exam-driven, collaboration was event-based, and student participation structures were tokenistic. The study recommends mandating FEOs to establish and monitor formal, sustainable student voice mechanisms: learner councils, feedback systems, and participatory committees. These findings offer the Teachers Service Commission, Ministry of Education, and policymakers evidence-based guidance to strengthen welfare practices and enhance administrator JS, while contributing to Kenya's educational leadership theory.