Abstract
Boards of Management (BoMs) are the principal governance organs overseeing educational resources in Kenyan public Junior schools, yet the contribution of members’ professional competency to their mandate remains empirically contested. The study evaluated the influence of BoM professional competency on the utilization of educational resources in public Junior schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, anchored on Governance Theory and Systems Theory. Data were collected from 85 Heads of Institution, drawn through stratified and simple random sampling from a target population of 367 public Junior schools, using a structured, pilot-tested questionnaire whose reliability and content validity were established prior to administration. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were computed using SPSS version 30, with hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level. Respondents affirmed several competency dimensions, including knowledge levels (92.9% combined agreement), digital record-keeping (89.4%) and independent audits (85.9%); however, medium-term resource planning was the weakest indicator, with only 54.1% endorsement. Professional competency was not significantly correlated with resource utilization (r = 0.196, p = 0.072) and was not a significant predictor in the regression model (β = 0.096, p = 0.372), although the overall model explained 20.2% of variance in utilization (R² = 0.202, F(4, 80) = 5.069, p = 0.001). The null hypothesis was retained at both bivariate and multivariate levels. The researcher suggested that measured competency attributes were decoupled from the operational practices, such as strategic planning, functional sub-committees and policy execution, which most directly drove resource utilization in such setting. The study concluded that policy guidance is central in school management. The study recommended that BoM capacity-building should shift from credential-based selection toward functional, practice-based competencies, supported by institutionalized medium-term planning and clearer performance-evaluation frameworks at county level. Study may help reshape the way educational institutions are run.
Key Words: Board of Management; professional competency; educational resource utilization; school governance; public Junior schools