Influence of Teachers’ Welfare TQM practices on learners’ academic achievement in Integrated Science in junior schools in Bomet County, Kenya

Total Quality Management (TQM) holds significant transformative potential for science education, yet academic achievement in Integrated Science among Junior School learners in Bomet County, Kenya, remains well below national expectations. Baseline data from the 2023 KPSEA showed that 59.92% of learners performed at "Approaching" or "Below Expectations" levels, a declining trend that persisted in subsequent School-Based Assessments where 67.3% of Grade Seven and 62.3% of Grade Eight learners failed to achieve standard mastery. Crucially, the 2025 KJSEA recorded a low county mean score of 31.63% in the "Approaching Expectations" category, reflecting only 30% to 40% mastery of core competencies, directly threatening Kenya Vision 2030’s target of transitioning 60% of learners into Senior School STEM pathways. Grounded in Deming’s TQM Theory and Hattie’s Visible Learning Theory, this study investigated the specific influence of Teacher Welfare (TW) on Integrated Science achievement using a pragmatist philosophy and a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design. From a target population of 21,653 participants across Bomet County, a quantitative sample of 230 Heads of Institutions (HOIs) yielding response rate of 194 (84.53%) was surveyed (α=.89). The qualitative phase involved saturation-based interviews with 5 Sub-County Directors of Education and 23 Grade Nine parents' representatives, alongside 36 classroom observations involving 36 facilitators and 2,756 Grade Nine learners, bringing total completed study participation to 3,050 individuals. Procedural dependability was established through a pilot study in 23 Junior Schools in Kericho County. Quantitative analyses in SPSS at α=.05 revealed that while the combined four-dimension TQM model accounted for 36.9% of performance variance (R2=.369, p ≤ 0.01 ), Teacher Welfare independently explained 13.6% of the variance (R2=.136,β=.369, p ≤ 0.01). Qualitative analysis in NVivo 14 highlighted three critical constraints: overcrowded classrooms exceeding 40 learners, an 86.1% ICT integration deficiency, and severe teacher burnout. Realizing Vision 2030 STEM goals requires prioritizing robust teacher welfare frameworks alongside equitable resourcing.

EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

1. Abimbola, B. O., Ekpudu, J. E., & Kuye, O. L. (2021). Contributions and theoretical approach to total quality management. UNILAG Journal of Business, 7(2), 1–13. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ahiruddin, Kuswarak, & Purnama, H. (2021). The influence of teacher welfare, work motivation, and competence on teacher performance. Journal of Educational Management and Leadership, 12(2), 45–58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: Lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Alauddin, N., & Yamada, S. (2022). TQM model based on Deming prize for schools. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 14(4), 635–651. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-09-2021-0131 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Armstrong, D. (2021). Document analysis in educational research: Operational frameworks for institutional audit. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003021431 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). To use reflexive thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Burke, R., & Christensen, L. (2020). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (7th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Darling-Hammond, L., Oakes, J., Wojcikiewicz, S. K., Hyler, M. E., & Guha, R. (2022). Preparing teachers for deeper learning. Harvard Education Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. DeVellis, R. F. (2017). Scale development: Theory and applications (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Dusabimana, M., & Leon, B. (2022). Implementation of competency-based curriculum in science education: Challenges and prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences, 18(2), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajesms.v18i2.4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2019). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Guetterman, T. C., Fetters, M. D., & Creswell, J. W. (2015). Integrating quantitative and qualitative results in health science mixed methods research through joint displays. Annals of Family Medicine, 13(6), 554–561. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1853 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Hascher, T., & Waber, J. (2021). Teacher well-being: A systematic review of the research literature from the year 2000 to 2019. Educational Research Review, 34, Article 100411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100411 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Inghug, J. M. (2020). Physical learning environment and teacher welfare as correlates to instructional performance in science education. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 10(5), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2020-0092 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Johnson, R. B. (2017). Dialectical pluralism and mixed research. American Behavioral Scientist, 61(3), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764216686945 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Kakingo, J., & Lekule, C. (2021). Influence of Total Quality Management on students' academic achievement in public secondary schools in Ifakara Town Council. International Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review, 8(3), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.15739/IJEPRR.21.013 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. (2024a). Basic education curriculum framework: Guidelines for Grade 9 transition and STEM pathway placement. KICD. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. (2024b). Basic education curriculum framework: Guidelines for Grade 9 Integrated Science implementation. KICD. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Kenya National Examinations Council. (2023). 2023 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) national performance report. KNEC. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Kenya National Examinations Council. (2025). 2025 Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) examination outcome analysis. KNEC. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Kothari, C. R., & Garg, G. (2023). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (4th ed.). New Age International Publishers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Kubai, E. (2023). Challenges facing teachers in the implementation of competency-based curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Kenya. East African Journal of Education Studies, 6(1), 210–222. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.6.1.1145 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1975.tb01393.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Luhrmann, T. M. (2021). In-depth interviewing methods for qualitative research. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Lune, H., & Berg, B. L. (2017). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (9th ed.). Pearson. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Maphosa, C., Shumba, J., & Shumba, A. (2016). The role of science teachers in advancing science education in developing nations: Constraints and opportunities. Journal of Social Sciences, 48(1-2), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2016.11893570 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Ministry of Education. (2024). County education performance audit report: Learner achievement analysis across Bomet County Junior Secondary Schools. Regional Directorate of Education, Bomet County. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Ministry of Education. (2025a). Basic education statistical booklet: Institutional distribution and enrollment data for Junior Secondary Schools. Government Printer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Ministry of Education. (2025b). Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2025 on transforming education, training, and research for sustainable development in Kenya. Government Printer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Mirhosseini, S. A. (2020). Doing qualitative research in language education: Data collection and analysis. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56492-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Muchira, J. M., Morris, R. J., & Waweru, S. N. (2023). Structural barriers to competency-based curriculum execution in Kenyan public schools. International Journal of Educational Development, 98, Article 102741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102741 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Nsengimana, T., Mugabo, L. R., Hiroaki, O., & Nshimiyimana, A. (2020). Reflection on science teachers' practices in implementation of competency-based curriculum. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 24(3), 325–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/16823206.2020.1858000 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Ogari, M. N., & Orwa, B. O. (2021). Institutional social support systems and teacher performance in private secondary schools in Bomet County, Kenya. International Journal of Academic Research in Education and Review, 9(4), 112–125. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2015). Education 2030: Draft position paper on the future of education and skills. OECD Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). OECD education at a glance 2023: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/e138024e-en [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Otundo, R. N. (2024). Stress management frameworks, mindfulness practices, and educator well-being in public junior secondary schools in coastal Kenya. East African Journal of Education Studies, 7(1), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.7.1.1890 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Psomas, E., Bouranta, N., & Antony, J. (2025). The impact of Total Quality Management and educational innovation practices on quality management results in primary and secondary schools: Evidence from Greece. The TQM Journal, 37(2), 412–435. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-05-2024-0210 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Rwigema, P. C. (2022). Teacher motivation and teacher job performance: The case of primary schools in Gasabo District, Rwanda. African Journal of Empirical Research, 3(2), 14–25. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2023). Research methods for business students (9th ed.). Pearson. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2023). Teacher stress and burnout: Relations with working conditions, coping, and well-being. Social Psychology of Education, 26(2), 415–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09752-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Toropova, A., Myrberg, E., & Johansson, S. (2022). Teacher job satisfaction: The importance of school working conditions and teacher characteristics. Educational Review, 73(1), 71–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2019.1705247 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. UNESCO. (2024a). Global education monitoring report 2024: Leadership in education — Leading for inclusion and quality. UNESCO Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. UNESCO. (2024b). Global report on teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession. UNESCO Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Watson, S. (2024). Phenomenological approaches in educational research. Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. World Bank. (2018). World development report 2018: Learning to realize education's promise. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1096-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. World Bank. (2024). World development report 2024: Realizing education systems potential. World Bank. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper and Row. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Yuwono, A., & Rachmawati, E. (2023). Integration strategies in concurrent triangulation mixed-methods designs. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(2), 142–159. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study