An Analysis of Human Resource Management Practice in Secondary Schools of Jimma Zone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices of Human Resource Management (HRM) in secondary schools of Jimma Zone. The study was delimited to 18 secondary schools found in five woredas of Zone. The study has used five basic research questions. The study adopted a mixed research approach and made use of both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected from the teachers’, vice-principals, principals, supervisors, Woreda and Zone Education Office Experts, and also secondary data sources was collected from schools’ internal documents. The sampling techniques used included simple random sampling, purposive and systematic sampling technique. The sample size was 175 teachers and 18 vice principals for questionnaires and 18 school principals, 5 supervisors, 18woreda education experts and 3 zone education experts for interview with total of 441 study populations. The data gathering tools employed were questionnaire, interview and documents analysis. Questionnaire was administered to 175 teachers and 18 vice principals of which 170 teachers and 18 vice principals were total 188properly filled and returned. 18 school principals, 5 supervisors, 18woreda education office experts and 3 zone education experts were total 44 respondents successfully interviewed. Then, the information gathered through closed-ended questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics such mean, standard deviation, and t-test for each item, and the grand mean score was also analysis, while data gathered through interview and open-ended questions were narrated qualitatively. The document analysis and the qualitative data were supplementary to quantitative analysis. Finding indicated that the majority of respondents were replied that the extent of human resource management practices like; training and development, induction practices, performance appraisal and continuous professional development were insufficient or low practiced with grand mean of 2.00 (SD 0.477) in secondary schools. This show, in the sampled woreda human resource management practices conducted in secondary schools is low (Grand mean of 2.00, SD 0.477). Teachers training and development was not effectively implemented in sampled secondary schools. Additionally, Induction course, continuous professional development and performance appraisal of teachers were insufficient and not accurately implemented. The study concluded that the sampled woreda has the limitation of human resource management practices. This implies the implementation of human resource management practices were low practiced with grand mean of 2.00 (SD 0.477) in secondary schools of Jimma zone. Therefore, it has been recommended that REB, ZEO and WEOE should have to be given attention for the implementation of training and development, induction practices, continuous professional development practice, and performance appraisal practice in secondary schools. Furthermore, school principals should develop mechanism on how to manage, organize, evaluate and give feedback for teachers on human resource management practice in school. Generally, the study suggested that human resource management practices have to be strategic and systematic in order to improve school performance and it needed further study on human resource management practice in schools.