ABSTRACT

In the work environment, there is the inevitable practice of performance appraisal whether formal or informal. Research evidence also point out that in most admired organizations, employee performance appraisal is a vital and vigorous management tool. (http://www.hrdirectory.org/hr-articles/employee-performance-appraisals .php) While performance appraisal has been the focus considerable research for almost a century, this research has resulted in very few recommendations about designing and implementing appraisal and performance management systems whose goal is performance improvement. Most research carried out is on performance measurement issues with little interest to motivational appraisals that focus on employees' performance improvement. The Teachers Service Commission has over the years has continued to appraise its employees -the teachers .This appraisal has however been cited by research as exhibiting weaknesses, thus calling for redress. This study sought to evaluate the factors affecting performance appraisal system adopted by the Teacher Service Commission for secondary school teachers in public schools and recommend for improvements. The research was carried out across public secondary schools in Mombasa District, where secondary school teachers were expected to fill in questionnaires on the existing performance appraisal process. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and finalized with the help package for social sciences (SPSS).Data analyzed was presented using tables, frequency distribution, and percentages charts and graphs. Research findings indicate that the performance appraisal system in public secondary schools is affected by lack of involvement of teachers in setting perfonnance standards, lack of feedback at the end of appraisal process as well as no follow up to reward performing employees or train non performance to improve performance index. Based on the findings researcher has suggested that teachers should be more in setting the performance standards which they are expected to achieve, feedback should be given soon after appraisal and training of appraisers or hiring specialized personnel to carry out the appraisal if it is to be effective.