Bereavement Support Strategies and Job Performance of Teachers in Public Primary Schools in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi County

Abstract

Although teachers are critical agents in the academic growth and development of manpower, bereavement is adversely affecting the job performance of public primary school teachers in Starehe Constituency. Despite a wide array of literature in this area, there is limited existing localised evidence about strategies for supporting bereaved teachers in public primary schools in Starehe Constituency, limiting support for the development of intervention efforts. This research sought to fill this gap by establishing strategies for supporting bereaved teachers in their job performance in public primary schools in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi County. The study was anchored in Social Support Theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population included all 258 teachers in the seven public primary schools within Starehe Constituency. Using purposive sampling, the study selected 40 primary school teachers who had been bereaved within the last five years. While quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, qualitative data were gathered using an interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using quantitative techniques to yield descriptive statistics, while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. The results were presented in frequency tables and narratives. It was found that support strategies, especially those within families, among work colleagues and within faith-based support structures, were the most readily available and effective coping strategies for bereaved teachers. The study recommends that school management committees enhance their workplace support networks, that the duration of bereavement leave be reviewed, and that schools provide teachers with a well-defined wellness programme.