Influence of Working Conditions on Teacher Professional Performance in Tana River County Senior Schools, Kenya

This study was on influence of working conditions on teacher professional performance in Tana River County Senior Schools, Kenya. It sought to examine how working conditions influence teacher professional performance in senior schools in Tana River County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Herzberg’s Two-Factor. It adopted a mixed methods approach and a convergent design. The target population comprised 41 public senior schools, 416 teachers, 41 principals, 4 County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers and 6 TSC Sub-County Directors. Stratified and simple random sampling were used to sample 8 schools and 83 teachers, while criterion purposive sampling was used to sample 8 principals. Census sampling was used to include the 4 Quality Assurance and Standards Officers and 6 TSC Sub-County Directors. Data were collected from teachers using questionnaires, while interviews were conducted with principals, TSC Sub-County Directors and Quality Assurance and Standards Officers. Reliability of the quantitative instrument was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, while quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS version 27. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo. The findings established that working conditions influenced teacher professional performance. Learners’ socio-economic background as well influenced teachers’ work. Community and social environment showed limited direct influence in the quantitative findings however, qualitative evidence revealed indirect influences. Cost of living was found to influence teacher professional performance. Based on the combined quantitative and qualitative findings, both null hypotheses were not accepted, establishing that working conditions and cost of living significantly influenced teacher professional performance. The study concluded that teacher professional performance in Tana River County is shaped by interconnected school, learner, community and economic conditions rather than by teachers’ professional commitment alone. It recommends improved provision of teaching resources, equitable staffing and workload distribution, strengthened support for disadvantaged learners, greater school-community collaboration, and enhanced welfare and incentives for teachers serving in remote and economically demanding areas. Key words: Working conditions; Teacher Professional Performance; Senior Schools