







































 

EDUCATIO : Journal Of Education 
Volume 5 , Number 1, May 2020 

 ISSN : 2579-8383 (Print) ISSN : 2579-8405 (Online)  

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Teachers Professional Identity and its Influence on Quality 

Educational Outcomes in Kenya 

 
Margaret Gathondu, Josphat Kagema, Anne Wanderi 

Karatina University, Kenya 

Email : mgathondu20@gmail.com, jkagema@karu.ac.ke, awanderi@karu.ac.ke 

 

Accepted: 

10 February 2020 

Reviewed:  

April 5, 2020 

Published:  

May 30 2020 

 

Abstract: Quality education outcomes are the driving force of society developments. This has 

been the call and stipulations of various national and international frameworks including 

sustainable educational goals and Kenya’s vision 2030. Teachers are considered focal in providing 

quality education. Nevertheless, an examination of their pedagogical practices reveals gaps in 

achievement of quality education outcomes. This study examined how teachers’ professional 

identity influences their pedagogical practices thereby impacting on quality educational outcomes 

in Kenya and guided by the Attribution Theory. The focal research instruments used were 

questionnaires for teachers and learners in the selected public secondary schools in Nyeri and 

Laikipia County. Additionally, interview guide was used to collect qualitative data from principals. 

Validity enhanced by the piloting of instruments prior to collecting the final data. Drawing from 

data of 400 secondary school teachers spread in two counties of Kenya, the study hypothesized 

that there was significant difference set at p < .05 to assess if teachers’ professional identity 

influence quality education outcomes. To test the significance of this relationship, a one way 

analysis of variance with a 0.05 level of significance was computed. The results clearly indicated a 

significant relationship between the teachers’ professional identity and teachers’ professional 

identity (F= 2.100, p=0.286). The study findings indicate that teachers have a pivotal role to play 

in quality education outcomes. It is the teacher who constructs the pillars of nation building in the 

form of students’ development. It is the responsibility of teachers to train individuals’ different 

aspects of personality. For effective teaching learning process the competent teacher is considered 

as a key. The study recommends that school administration should make it possible to develop 

cooperation between parents and teachers for the sake of effective learning of students. 

 

Keyword:  Teachers; Professional Identity; Quality; Educational Outcomes; Curriculum; Policy 

 

Introduction 

According to Hamman et al.1 studies on teacher professional identity in educational 

domain has gained specific attention. Renee (2013) stated that teacher professional identity has 

important role in teacher efficiency, maintenance, and their practice in classroom. Beijaard et al.2 

 
1 Doug Hamman et al., “Using Possible-Selves Theory to Understand the Identity Development of New 

Teachers,” Teaching and Teacher Education 26, no. 7 (2010): 1349–1361, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.03.005. 
2 Douwe Beijaard, Paulien C Meijer, and Nico Verloop, “Reconsidering Research on Teachers’ Professional 

Identity,” Teaching and Teacher Education 20, no. 2 (2004): 107–128, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.07.001; 
Douwe Beijaard and Yvonne De Vries, “Building Expertise: A Process Perspective on the Development or Change 
of Teachers’ Beliefs,” European Journal of Teacher Education 20, no. 3 (1997): 243–255, 

mailto:riyu.choirul57@gmail.com
mailto:mgathondu20@gmail.com
mailto:jkagema@karu.ac.ke


  
 

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Teachers Professional Identity and its Influence on Quality Educational Outcomes in Kenya  

 
 

  

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defined teacher professional identity as ongoing process of integration of the ‘personal’ and 

‘professional’ sides of becoming and being a teacher. Studies on self and identity can only be 

performed if the individual, local and global levels are taken into account 3. Teachers’ professional 

identity (TPI) is interdependent and shaped by a teacher’s perception of himself, and also by how 

he is perceived by others. Kostogriz & Peeler 4stated that teachers’ professional identity formation 

is not a stable process; rather it is teachers' continuous negotiation in the situated context. Indeed, 

researchers and practitioners generally agree that identity formation is constantly evolving. 

Through the professional identity, the teacher transmits to pupils the information, skills, and values 

that he or she finds relevant for teaching and learning. TPI is therefore  a key factor in 

understanding teachers’ professional lives, career decision making, motivation, effectiveness, 

retention, professional development and their attitude toward educational change5. 

Professional identity is about the answers to the question “who are we as members of a 

profession?” 6. It  can be defined as the relatively stable ways in which professionals see themselves 

in terms of who they think they should be – i.e. self-image – and what they do – i.e. role 7. Self-

image refers to the normative beliefs professionals hold about the purpose, goals, values, norms 

and interaction patterns associated with being a member of their institutionalized collective 8. 

Based on the work of Vermunt9 studied three critical factors related to teachers’ 

professional identity through examining teachers’ expertise within three related areas, including 

their roles as subject matter expert. Beijaard et al 10 stated that teacher's identity changes as a result 

of shifting in their knowledge of content matter, pedagogy and didactics.  

As Volkmann and Anderson11  maintain “professional identity exists as a complex and 

dynamic equilibrium where personal self-image is balanced with a variety of social roles that 

teachers feel obliged to play". Reflection is a main component linked with the concept of self 12. 

 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0261976970200304. 

3 Raquel Antunes Scartezini and Carles Monereo, “The Development of University Teachers’ Professional 
Identity: A Dialogical Study,” Research Papers in Education 33, no. 1 (2016): 42–58, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2016.1225805. 

4 Alex Kostogriz and Eleanor Peeler, “Professional Identity and Pedagogical Space: Negotiating Difference in 
Teacher Workplaces,” Teaching Education 18, no. 2 (2007): 107–122, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10476210701325135. 

5 Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop, “Reconsidering Research on Teachers’ Professional Identity.” 
6 J B Barbour and J C Lammers, “Measuring Professional Identity: A Review of the Literature and a Multilevel 

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Professional Identity Constructs,” Journal of Professions and Organization 2, no. 1 (2015): 
38–60, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpo/jou009. 

7 Samia Chreim, B E (Bernie) Williams, and C R (Bob) Hinings, “Interlevel Influences on the Reconstruction of 
Professional Role Identity,” Academy of Management Journal 50, no. 6 (2007): 1515–1539, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.28226248; Michael G Pratt, Kevin W Rockmann, and Jeffrey B Kaufmann, 
“Constructing Professional Identity: The Role of Work and Identity Learning Cycles in the Customization of Identity 
Among Medical Residents,” Academy of Management Journal 49, no. 2 (2006): 235–262, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.20786060. 

8 Sumati Ahuja, Natalia Nikolova, and Stewart Clegg, “Paradoxical Identity: The Changing Nature of 
Architectural Work and Its Relation to Architects’ Identity,” Journal of Professions and Organization (2017): jow013, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpo/jow013; Trish Reay et al., “Getting Leopards to Change Their Spots: Co-Creating a 
New Professional Role Identity,” Academy of Management Journal 60, no. 3 (2017): 1043–1070. 

9 Jan D Vermunt, “Process-Oriented Instruction in Learning and Thinking Strategies,” European Journal of 
Psychology of Education 10, no. 4 (1995): 325–349, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf03172925. 

10 Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop, “Reconsidering Research on Teachers’ Professional Identity.” 
11 Mark J Volkmann and Maria A Anderson, “Creating Professional Identity: Dilemmas and Metaphors of a 

First-Year Chemistry Teacher,” Science Education 82, no. 3 (1998): 293–310, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-
237x(199806)82:3%3C293::aid-sce1%3E3.0.co. 

12 JANIS L ANTONEK, DAWN E MCCORMICK, and RICHARD DONATO, “The Student Teacher 



  
 

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Lack of reflection impedes the development of the self as a teacher, since as Volkmann and 

Anderson13  maintain “professional identity exists as a complex and dynamic equilibrium where 

personal self-image is balanced with a variety of social roles that teachers feel obliged to play". 

Reflection is a main component linked with the concept of self 14.  

According to Namaghi15 lack of reflection impedes the development of the self as a 

teacher, since self-reflection makes connection between teacher's experiences and their knowledge 

and feelings. According to Decci and Ryan16, autonomy as a volitional state of confirming choices 

reflects individual's interests, willing and values that can lead to wellbeing. Teaching conditions 

indoctrinate teachers to behave in prescribed ways (e.g., receiver of knowledge, transmitter of 

knowledge, and implementer of externally produced plans), they do not find any opportunity to 

reason soundly about their teaching as well as to perform skilfully. They are thus alienated from 

their personal and professional identities ''17.  

 

Literature Review  

Various investigation conducted by scholars demonstrated that agency is associated with 

autonomy and identity. Agency, autonomy and identity are, indeed, interrelated and can be seen as 

a process involving different forms of agency that closely connect to autonomy, entail a 

reconstruction of identity and hopefully extend the realm of the three notions beyond language 

learning contexts. A non-linear relationship can be identified between agency, autonomy and 

identity, all of which play essential roles throughout the learning process. 

Muwanga-Zake  18say that not only do teachers continuously promote teaching skills and 

methods but also they are more inclined and eager to learn along with identity construction to 

develop their own competencies. Furthermore, in a study Alexander, Van Wyk, & Moreeng 19they 

indicated that teacher's creative and innovative attitudes have association with their competencies. 

They criticized traditional education methods and demonstrated that creative instruction inspires 

student-teachers to think autonomously, engage actively and express themselves clearly and freely. 

They found that enabling environment established by mentor teachers and school principals can 

make student teachers to be more creative and promote their creative professionals. Some 

strategies can improve creative instructions for developing teacher professional identity such as 

 
Portfolio as Autobiography: Developing a Professional Identity,” The Modern Language Journal 81, no. 1 (1997): 15–27, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1997.tb01624.x. 

13 Volkmann and Anderson, “Creating Professional Identity: Dilemmas and Metaphors of a First-Year Chemistry 
Teacher.” 

14 ANTONEK, MCCORMICK, and DONATO, “The Student Teacher Portfolio as Autobiography: 
Developing a Professional Identity.” 

15 Seyyed Ali Ostovar Namaghi, “A Data-Driven Conceptualization of Language Teacher Identity in the Context 
of Public High Schools in Iran,” Teacher Education Quarterly 36, no. 2 (2009): 111–124. 

16 Edward L Deci and Richard M Ryan, “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-
Determination of Behavior,” Psychological Inquiry 11, no. 4 (2000): 227–268, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1104_01. 

17 Namaghi, “A Data-Driven Conceptualization of Language Teacher Identity in the Context of Public High 
Schools in Iran.” 

18 Johnnie Muwanga-Zake, Mitchell Parkes, and Sue Gregory, “Blogging at University as a Case Study in 
Instructional Design: Challenges and Suggestions towards Professional Development,” International Journal of Education 
and Development using ICT 6, no. 1 (2010): 14–29. 

19 Boitumelo B. Moreeng Alexander, Gregory, Micheal M. van Wyk, “Constructing Student-Teacher Identities 
via a Mentorship Programme Initiative: A Case for School-Based Learning,” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 
(2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p405. 



  
 

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student-centered activities, multimedia, assistance, classroom management the connection of 

teaching contents to real-life situations, open-ended questions, and encouragement to think 

creatively 20. The above phenomenon is considered as the regionalization of disciplinary knowledge 

fields, such as psychology and economics, which, in singular form, are protected by strong 

boundaries and hierarchies. It is through the higher education curriculum process of 

modularization that regionalization is facilitated.  

Desimone 21presents core features of professional development based on extensive 

research consensus. The core features “that are critical to increasing teacher knowledge and skills 

and improving their practice, and which hold promise for increasing student achievement [are] (a) 

content focus, (b) active learning, (c) coherence, (d) duration, and (e) collective participation” (p. 

183). For content focus, Desimone supports the link between activities that focus on subject 

matter content and how students learn that content with increases in teacher knowledge and skills, 

improvements in practice, and, to a more limited extent, increases in student achievement. Active 

learning includes teachers “observing expert teachers or being observed, followed by interactive 

feedback and discussion; reviewing student work in the topic areas being covered; and leading 

discussions,” and other activities where teachers are engaged in learning rather than listening 

passively. 

 Beijaard, et al.22 stated that "professional identity is not something teachers have, but 

something they use in order to make sense of themselves. This may imply that subject matter 

knowledge is a fundamental aspect of teacher's identity to alter the programs, enhance effective 

activities, explain things at high quality level, and diagnose students' understanding and 

misconceptions adequately. Teacher's knowledge about prescribed traditional models of teaching 

force them to consider relevant aspects of teaching, although it is not sufficient justice to the reality 

and complexity of teaching. 

According to Intrator and Kunzman 23 "potent teaching" associates with "vocational 

vitality that power, reinforce, and inspires students and cannot be restricted to a curriculum or 

method. Teacher’s professional vitality is “the capacity to be vital, present, and deeply connected 

to his or her students," they say. It is not "a fixed, indelible condition, but a state that ebbs and 

flows with the context and challenges of the teaching life". They stated that vocational vitality 

demonstrates itself in individuals practice, leads them to engross in their roles, and direct energy 

into the physical, cognitive, and emotional efforts related to their jobs. Better teachers enjoy 

teaching and increase student. 

The energy that is ignited based on relational forces that teachers impart to their students 

are important. According to Cavner 24 teacher vitality is teacher's energy that is present in the 

classrooms and in their profession. High vitality teachers are purposeful, innovative in developing 

 
20 Ibid. 
21 Andrew C Porter et al., “Does Professional Development Change Teaching Practice? Results from a Three-

Year Study.” (2000); Thomas M Smith, Laura M Desimone, and Koji Ueno, “‘Highly Qualified’ to Do What? The 
Relationship between NCLB Teacher Quality Mandates and the Use of Reform-Oriented Instruction in Middle School 
Mathematics,” Educational evaluation and policy analysis 27, no. 1 (2005): 75–109. 

22 Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop, “Reconsidering Research on Teachers’ Professional Identity.” 
23 Sam M Intrator and Robert Kunzman, “The Person in the Profession: Renewing Teacher Vitality through 

Professional Development,” The Educational Forum 71, no. 1 (2007): 16–32, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131720608984564. 

24 Delta Cavner Ed D, “Teacher Vital Signs: A Two-Country Study of Teacher Vitality,” International Christian 
Community of Teacher Educators Journal 6, no. 1 (2010): 6. 



  
 

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current state, and consider obstructions as opportunities to learn 25. The concept of TPI has come 

to the foreground in the field of mathematics education, examining how both specialized and non-

specialist mathematics teachers (such as primary school teachers) understand themselves in the 

context of mathematics. The difference is that primary teachers who teach mathematics are 

generalists, meaning that they do not personally identify to the subject and hence they do not 

consider themselves as mathematics teachers 26. 

 

Methods 

Study Area 
The study was carried out in secondary schools located in Nyeri and Laikipia counties of 

Kenya.  The researcher selected the counties after obtaining data about the below average students’ 
achievement from the Sub-County Director of Education. 
 
Sample and Sampling Techniques 

A sample is a small portion of the target population. According to Orodho 27, a sample 
should constitute 10% of the population when the population is large and 20% when the 
population is small. Therefore, a sample size of 20% was adopted for this study to enhance 
generalization.  

A twenty (20%) percent of each category of respondents from the different sub counties 
was randomly obtained. Each member of the entire population had an equal probability of being 
selected 28. The sample consisted of 24 principals, 80 teachers and 144students as indicated in the 
Table 1. The respondents were selected using stratified sampling method with a smaller error of 
estimation than would be produced by a simple random sampling of the same size. This result is 
particularly true if measurements within strata are very homogeneous.  
 
Table 1. Sample Size 

County Principals Teachers Students 

 Target 
Population 

Sample 
Size 

Target 
Population 

Sample 
Size 

Target 
Population 

Sample 
Size 

Nyeri  20 12 200 40 360 72 
Laikipia 20 12 200 40 360 72 
Total 40 24 400 80 720 144 

Source: Researcher (2020) 

 
Instrumentation 
Questionnaires 

The study used both primary and secondary data sources since the nature of the data was 
quantitative and qualitative. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the respondents. The 
researcher collected primary data by use of a semi structured questionnaire and interview guide. 
The interview concerned principles of the selected schools in both Laikipia and Nyeri Counties. 

 
25 Intrator and Kunzman, “The Person in the Profession: Renewing Teacher Vitality through Professional 

Development.” 
26 Andreas Karaolis and George N Philippou, “Teachers’ Professional Identity,” ICME-13 Monographs (Springer 

International Publishing, 2019), http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13761-8_18. 
27 Kamau Titus Njoroge and John Aluko Orodho, “Secondary School Student’s Perception towards Agriculture 

Subject in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya,” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 19, no. 7 
(2014): 30–36, http://dx.doi.org/10.9790/0837-19773036. 

28 Judea Pearl, “Models, Reasoning and Inference,” Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversityPress (2000). 



  
 

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Secondary data was obtained from the learners’ performance record year 2015-2017 of the selected 
schools.   

Damien 29 defined questionnaire as a set of carefully designed, written down, and tested 
questions, which are asked of individual respondents to gather information in research. The 
questionnaire was structured into two sections; the first section seek data on the general 
information of the respondents, the second section sought data on the objective under study. This 
included only the alternative questions where the respondent had to choose only from the 
alternative levels using the Likert scale ranging from 1 for strongly disagree to 5 for strongly agree. 
Questionnaires were distributed to the selected respondents that is principals, teachers and learners 
of secondary level and later on the researcher picked them after 7 days.  
 
Ethical Considerations 

It is important for study respondents to have an informed consent as they participate in a 
study. The researcher maintained confidentiality about any information obtained from the 
respondents. It is a requirement for a researcher not to reveal the identity of the study respondents 
during or after conducting the study, otherwise the respondents may take legal action against the 
researcher. Finally, the information obtained from the research was kept in safe custody. 
Permission to carry out the study was obtained from the MoE through the DEO from Nyeri 
County and principles from sampled schools. 

The researcher promised to keep private any information given by the respondents that 
touches on their persons or their private life. The researcher assured the respondents that no 
private information would be divulged to a third party. The respondent was also assured that no 
identifying information about him or her was revealed in written or other communication. 
Concerning confidentiality, the respondent was assured that the information provided was only 
used for the stated purpose and that the information is not passed to a third party. This was done 
by ensuring the respondent duly fills and signs the form of consent. The researcher also ensured 
the respondents fully understood the data collection procedure.  

The researcher ensured and assured the respondent that his or her individual identity was 
not to reveal whatsoever. Besides, no identifying information about the individual or the institution 
should be revealed in written or other communication. 
The nature and the purpose of the research were explained to the respondents. The researcher 
explained to the respondents the procedure to be followed during the data collection so that they 
can participate willingly. 

The raw data which was collected was filed for easy reference. Once the data was analyzed, 
computer printouts were filed while softcopies was stored in storage devices such as CDs and flash 
diskettes. 
 

 

Result And Discussion 

Questionnaire Return Rate 

The researcher administered 24 questionnaires to secondary school principals and 20 were 
successfully filled and returned. At the same time 80 questionnaires were administered to teachers 
where 73 were responded. Also the questionnaires were submitted to a total of 144 students and 
out of the total 140 were also successfully filled and returned. 

 

 
29 Meredith Damien Gall, Walter R Borg, and Joyce P Gall, Educational Research: An Introduction (Longman 

Publishing, 1996). 



  
 

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Table 2: Questionnaire Return Rate 

Respondent Categories Sampled 
Respondents 

Returned 
Questionnaires 

Achieved Return 
Rate 

Principals  24 20 83% 

Teachers  80 73 91.0% 

Students  144 140 97.0% 

Total  248 233 94.0%  

 

 

Table 4.1, shows that the total questionnaire return rate was 94% asserting the point that the 
questionnaire return rate was appropriate and above 75% of the suitable levels to enable 
generalization of the results to the target population 30.  

Results 

The research sought to establish whether there is significant influence on teachers’ professional 

identity on quality educational outcomes in Kenya. To verify possibility between teachers 

professional identity and quality educational outcomes, data was collected on whether teachers 

maintains full responsibility on students under teachers’ care, guides students where necessary and 

whether teachers do not absent themselves from their duties to provide quality educational 

outcome as shown in the table below. 

 
Table 3. Questionnaire Response Summary 

 Teachers do not absent themselves from their duties 

 Teachers  

  SD D N A SA Total 

Teachers maintains full responsibility on 
students under teachers’ care, guides 
students where necessary 

Strongly Disagree 0 0 0 4 1 5 

Disagree 0 0 0 2 0 1 

Neutral 0 0 1 0 0 1 

Agree 0 0 0 20 17 37 

Strongly Agree 0 0 0 4 24 28 

Total 0 0 1 30 42 73 

Learners   

Strongly Disagree 1 0 0 0 0 0 

Disagree 0 0 1 3 0 0 

 
30 John W Creswell and J David Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches 

(Sage publications, 2017). 



  
 

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Neutral 0 4 2 1 1 0 

Agree 0 3 5 9 8 2 

Strongly Agree 0 2 14 26 8 7 

Total  13 30 50 30 18 140 

 
Data on teachers maintains full responsibility on students under teachers’ care, guides 

students where necessary and teachers do not absent themselves from their duties on quality 
educational outcomes in Kenya. However, the Chi test values are presented in the table below 

 

Table 4: Chi Tests Matrix 

Teachers  Learners 

 Value Df Asymp. 
Sig. (2-
sided) 

Value Df Asymp. 
Sig. (2-
sided) 

Pearson Chi-
Square 

87.685a 8 .000 176.153a 25 .000 

Likelihood Ratio 27.553 8 .001 39.592 25 .032 

N of Valid Cases 73   140   
* Association is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). 

** Association is significant at the 0.00 level (2-tailed). 

 
Data was presented in a matrix form. A Chi square was run to establish whether teachers 

maintains full responsibility on students under teachers’ care, guides students where necessary and 
teachers do not absent themselves from their duties to provide quality educational outcome. The 
test generated Chi square coefficients of χ (1) =.87.685, 176.153 with corresponding significant 
levels of p= .000 for teachers and p= .000 for learners which were both equal to already determined 
level of significance of 0.05, that is p-values of 0.00 and 0.00 are equal to 0.00. These findings 
clearly show that there is significant influence between teachers’ professional identity impacts on 
teachers’ pedagogical practices teaching. The hypothesis H01, which stated that teachers’ 
professional identity has no significant influence on Quality educational outcomes in Kenya was 
therefore rejected. 

Some studies examined that math performances scores of learners whose learners had a 
post graduate knowledge were significantly higher than those of learners whose teachers did not 
have a post graduate degree. Assessment of related researches shows that the most important 

school‐based defining factor of students’ performances is the quality of teacher.  
Several studies have established that teachers’ experience and professional qualifications 

significantly impacts on learner’s academic achievement 31. The first question was to establish 
whether teacher does maintain their full responsibility towards the students under their care where 
school heads disclosed that teachers maintain full responsibility with 60%. For examples, most 
principals had common views that teachers maintain their full responsibility towards the students under their 
care and they to extra efforts in ensuring learners achieve best outcomes. Most interviewees remarked similar 
sentiments that teachers maintain full responsibility towards students and is practiced effectively 
and results to better and improved performances.  

 
31 Njoroge and Orodho, “Secondary School Student’s Perception towards Agriculture Subject in Public 

Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya.” 



  
 

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These findings concurred to that Darling-Hammond32  who established that teachers’ 
professional qualifications are a great determinant to effective teaching. He also established that 
profession measures educator qualifications and that the process involves knowledge on subject 
matter knowledge learnt aspects. Teachers can affect skills and knowledge that enables learners 
achieve his/her educational rights, increase their understanding and motivation for equal 
opportunities. According to UNESCO33, established that quality teaching is vital element that 
influences education results among advantaged and disadvantaged learners. Another finding by 
Linda 34reveals that diverse teachers’ competencies are a robust determinant in learners’ 
performances and outweighs the impacts of difference in heterogeneity and class size in Dallas 
America.  

Secondly, the researcher further sought to establish that whether teachers allocate time for 
curriculum implementation to enhance to enhance quality outcomes. Most head teachers remarked 
that teachers allocate more time in curriculum implementation to ensure that they meet targets and 
requirements of the curriculum. This has increased efficiency and learners have achieved higher 
performance in schools. Principals remarked that “teachers allocate ample time needed for curriculum 
implementation to enhance quality educational outcomes”.   This means that teachers have adequate time to 
cover curriculum contents, have more time to assess learners that yields higher educational 
performances. 

These findings concurred to that of Rothstein 35 who stated that enough time in teaching 
enables teachers to have enough knowledge, prepares and manages instruction, assist and 
promotes learners grow so that they can learn independently. Further, adequate time improves 
teachers’ motivation and possess passion in their subjects, do care and have knowledge about their 
students, integrate various teaching strategies and assists learners appreciate the importance of 
information to their own context.  

UNESCO says that education within the sustainable development agenda is founded on 
principles drawn from a rich history of international instruments and agreements. These principles 
state that education is both a fundamental human right and an enabling right, i.e. it enables other 
human rights; that it is a public good and a shared societal endeavour, which implies an inclusive 
and that gender equality is inextricably linked to the right to education for all36. These principles 
are inspired by a humanistic vision of education and development based on human rights and 
dignity, justice and shared responsibility. These are the virtues that school head requires to ensure 
they are inculcated in the learners and teachers together.Therefore, principals supervise, manage, 
the work of teachers and others in the school. Through regular meeting, individually or in groups, 
feedback on the administrative functioning of the school, including curriculum implementation 
and development will be achieved. By being active within the school, by visiting classes, talking to 
teachers, pupils and parents, principal will be informed about the school community, its people 
and events. Problems can often be prevented, simply because the school head keeps, as they say, 
his or her 'ear to the ground' at the same time setting a good example to others of self-discipline. 

Further the interviewees were to discuss the instructional strategies that help enrich on quality 
of teaching and evaluation mechanisms employed. Principals stated that they ensure performance 

 
32 Linda Darling-Hammond and Robert Rothman, “Teacher and Leader Effectiveness in High-Performing 

Education Systems.,” Alliance for Excellent Education (2011). 
33 UNESCO, “Guidelines for Inclusion: Ensuring Access to Education for All,” United Nations Educational, 

Scientific and Cultural Organization (2005). 
34 Linda Darling-Hammond, “How Teacher Education Matters,” Journal of teacher education 51, no. 3 (2000): 166–

173. 
35 Michael Borenstein et al., Introduction to Meta-Analysis (John Wiley & Sons, 2011). 
36 Leslie Limage, “EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011: The Hidden Crisis; Armed Conflict and Education by 

EFA Global Monitoring Report Team at UNESCO, Kevin Watkins, Director of Publication. Paris: UNESCO, 2011. 
416 Pp. ISBN 978-92-3-104191-4.,” Comparative Education Review 56, no. 1 (2012): 180–183, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/664429. 



  
 

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appraisals in schools that ensures proper time management and goals are achieved in schools. 
Principals remarked that “performance appraisals are regularly done, proper inspection of teachers’ duties and 
teaching requirement and conducts bench marking to improve students’ performances”.  In the same breath, 
Mpondo 37 urges that a head of school must construct a vision direction, which leads to effective 
teaching, students’ achievement in learning, spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical 
development, and prepare the students for adult life to be responsible and functional citizens. This 
study therefore identify that policy-makers should raise concern about the well-being of teachers 
and teacher motivation. This is especially so in the light of discussions on teacher shortages and 
working conditions like working long hours, difficulty in managing social relations, and pressure 
towards focusing solely on student performance are all directly associated with teacher motivation 
an attrition 38. 
 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

The study concludes that teachers were competent in almost every skill of instructional 

planning. Most of the teachers in secondary schools have known the objectives of their subject. 

Teachers planned lessons by using students’ previous results information, their strengths and 

weaknesses.  

It was concluded that teachers were competent in professional competence of human 

growth and development. Teachers considered students’ individual needs during teaching provide 

varieties of learning activities, allocate extra time for weak students and challenging tasks for 

brilliant students. They motivate students to participate in class, express their ideas, promote 

individual and team work. Teachers were competent in using different techniques in classroom for 

student better comprehension. It was concluded that teachers were competent in professional 

competence of instructional strategies. Teachers were competent in using various methods 

/techniques according to content nature, proper questioning technique, discussion method, 

grouping technique and information technology for better comprehension of concepts. Teachers 

considered competent in using oral test to develop communication skills of students, motivational 

techniques to motivate students for learning and share students learning problems. 

 Further, principals remarked that teachers were competent in professional competence of 

assessment. Teachers were expert in evaluating students’ learning through continuous internal 

assessment by using formal and informal methods of assessment. Teachers discussed students 

learning achievements to their parents, guide to do their self-assessment provide positive feedback 

to students on their performance, helping students in discovering, correcting their errors and 

developing their self-confidence. Teachers monitored learners understanding and re-teach the 

concept if students feel difficulty in comprehension and modify their instruction according to 

assessment feedback.. 

 

 
37 Helena S Ndyali, “The Role of School Head in Enhancing Students’ Academic Performance in Community 

Secondary Schools in Mbeya Urban” (The Open University of Tanzania, 2013). 
38 Wiljan Hendrikx, “What We Should Do vs What We Do: Teachers’ Professional Identity in a Context of 

Managerial Reform,” Educational Studies 46, no. 5 (2019): 607–623, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2019.1620694. 



  
 

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Teachers Professional Identity and its Influence on Quality Educational Outcomes in Kenya  

 
 

  

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Conclusion 

The study recommends that the administrations of schools may take necessary steps to make it 

possible that all teachers have an access to teaching resources including ICT compliance to 

enhance their general knowledge about the subject and professional education. It will help teachers 

to enhance knowledge about their subject and teaching methods. Also, the government should 

provide facilities related to information technology to every school so that teachers can avail it in 

their teaching. There should also be continual teacher professional development to equip teachers 

with 20th Century skills that are the drivers the future for education. 

 

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