Department of Education Foundation

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Analysis of Challenges Facing ICT integration in Managing Public Secondary Schools: A Comparative Study of Day and Boarding Secondary Schools in the South Rift Region, Kenya
(Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal, 2020-02) Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Githui, Perminus; Ndegwa, Lucy Wanjira
The uptake of information communication technology (ICT) by secondary schools is beset by a complex of challenges that are not clearly understood and documented. In order to facilitate effective and efficient implementation of digitalization in schools in Kenya, there is need to map out the diversity of challenges that bedevil its adoption. The purpose of this study was to analyze the challenges facing integration of information communication technology (ICT) in the operations of public day and boarding secondary schools from the south rift region of Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; assess the challenges facing ICT integration and compare the levels of ICT integration in boys, girls and coeducational secondary schools from the south rift region of Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study comprised of all the 141 teachers from the public secondary schools in the south rift region of Kenya enrolled in the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) program. The study employed census sampling technique since the target population was small, easily accessible and manageable. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The study tested the hypothesis that there was no statistically significant difference in challenges facing integration of ICT in boys, girls and coeducational secondary schools from the south rift region of Kenya. To test this hypothesis the One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics was computed which yielded p-value = .000 which was less than the alpha value α > 0.05 indicating that the differences in challenges facing ICT integration in boys, girls and co-educational schools were statistically significant. Therefore the null hypothesis was rejected. This led to the conclusion that challenges facing ICT integration from the three categories of schools were significantly different. From the findings of the study, it is recommended that there is need strengthen in service training of teachers in ICT and perform widespread upgrade of ICT software since these were the most serious challenges that faced integration of ICT in schools.
Assessment of Decision Making Skills among Adolescents from Rural and Urban Contexts in Kenya: A Comparative Study of Learners in Public Secondary Schools in Nyeri and Nairobi Counties
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2018) Perminus, Githui; Njoka, N. Johannes; Mwenje, Margaret
Human beings are confronted by situations that require them to make decisions every day in their lives. The natural processes of adjustment to situations in life that human beings are part of demands acts of decision making. Decision making is hence a natural consequence of existence by human beings. The purpose of this study was to assess the decision making skills among adolescents from rural contexts and those from urban environments. The study was guided by the following objectives which was to; assess the status of decision making skills among adolescents from rural and urban contexts in Kenya, evaluate the variables that influence adolescents during decision making processes from rural and urban environments in Kenya and analyze the challenges that face adolescents while making decisions from rural and urban contexts in Kenya. Descriptive research design was used in this study. Social cognitive theory developed by Bandura guided the study. The target population comprised of adolescents selected from schools from Nyeri and Nairobi Counties. A sample of schools from the two counties was selected using Kothari’s sampling formula which gave 30 (10%) schools from both counties. The sampled schools were as follows; 2 boys’ schools from each county, 3 and 2 girls’, 4 and 17 co-educational schools from Nyeri and Nairobi Counties respectively. Data was collected using a questionnaire administered to the sampled adolescents. The study used a sampling formula by Kathuri and Pals to determine the sample size which yielded 391 respondents. Analyzed data revealed that adolescents from urban areas had relatively better decision making skills compared to their counterparts from rural environments. The first hypothesis stated that there was no statistically significant difference in decision making abilities among adolescents from rural and urban contexts. To test this hypothesis, t-test was calculated which gave a level of significance .000 which was less than the pvalue (.05). Therefore the null hypothesis was rejected. It was concluded that the decision making skills among adolescents from rural and urban contexts was dissimilar. The second research hypothesis sought to establish whether there was any statistically significant difference in decision making skills between gender from rural and urban contexts. The results of data analysis presented revealed that the level of significance .163 was more than the p-value (.05). Therefore the null hypothesis was accepted. It was concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in decision making skills among male and female adolescents. The study recommended that there is need to strengthen the process of nurturing decision making skills among adolescents in secondary schools in Kenya.
Assessment of Student Leaders’ Skills Critical in Managing Student Affairs in Public Universities in Kenya
(Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD, 2018) Murage, Lucy Muthoni; Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Gachahi, Michael Wambugu
The need to prevent eruption of unrests among students in universities continues to exercise the minds of higher education managers and policy makers in the world. Innovative approaches in the management of higher education designed to preclude students’ riots continue to face immense challenges and ineffectiveness in universities in Kenya. One of the widely adopted approaches is that of involving democratically elected student leaders in the management of students’ affairs in universities in Kenya. Despite the involvement of student leaders in the management of students’ affairs in public universities, students’ protests and riots continue to characterize higher education in Kenya. Consequently, there is need to examine the leadership skills that student leaders are expected to possess in order to perform their functions effectively so as to avert upsurge of strikes. This study sought to assess the student leaders’ skills that are critical in managing student affairs in selected public universities in Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Stratified random sampling was used to select student leaders from four public universities. The sample comprised 19 members of student governing councils, 50 class representatives and 79 clubs and society leaders, making a total of 142 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that 66.3% of student leaders had leadership competence to organize welfare activities to address students’ concerns in their institutions while 33.7% lacked capability. Further, the study established that leadership skills significantly contributed to effective provision of student affairs services. It is concluded that institutions of higher learning have not fully empowered student leaders to effectively perform their leadership tasks. The study recommends that student leaders should be exposed to regular leadership trainings during their tenure designed to equip them with necessary leadership competencies which would promote their effectiveness in enhancing university stability, peace and mutually accepted governance.
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Programs put in place to Control Students’ Absenteeism in Public Day Secondary Schools in Kirinyaga County, Kenya
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2018) Leah, Gitonga M.; Johannes, Njoka N.; Ndegwa, Lucy
This paper assessed the effectiveness of programs put in place to curb absenteeism by learners in public day secondary schools in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population included 79 principals and 317 teachers in public secondary schools in Kirinyaga County. The researcher employed the Gay formula of 20 per cent to select a sample of 16 principals and 63 teachers. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire administered to the sampled principals and teachers. Content validity of the instrument was ascertained by expert opinion, while reliability was assessed by Cronbach coefficient alpha technique which yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.71 for the instrument. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0. Data analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 revealed that in majority of schools affordable school levies, bursaries and spot checks and roll calls were effective in reduction of students’ absenteeism. However, the study further established that guidance and counseling was not an effective intervention in addressing learner absenteeism in public day secondary schools. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is recommended that schools adhere to the fees guidelines as stipulated by the ministry of education, education stakeholders should enhance the provision of bursaries to needy students and that teachers consistently mark class registers to capture students attendance to all instructional sessions in every school day. Lastly, there is need to enhance guidance and counseling programmmes in order to make them effective in addressing absenteeism among learners.
Can Schools Make Our Society More Cohesive? A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Embu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya
(2023) Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Githui, Perminus
Cohesion’ is a growing concern for policy makers and society and this raises questions for the role of schools. This mini-report asks how, and whether, schools should respond. We draw on academic and policy research, think-pieces and perspectives from the LKMco Big Debate 2016 ‘Can Schools Make Societies More Cohesive?’ and ask: 1. What is social cohesion? 2. What influences levels of social cohesion? 3. What are schools currently doing to improve social cohesion? 4. How can schools make society more cohesive? 5. What stands in the way of schools doing more? 6. What barriers do schools face in doing more?
Challenges facing Juvenile Delinquents Rehabilitation Centres in Kenya: A Case Study of Othaya Rehabilitation Centre, Nyeri, Kenya
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019) Njoka, N. Johannes; Kariuki, W. Rosalind; Ndegwa, W. Lucy
Incidences of juvenile delinquency have been escalating at an alarming rate. The government has established rehabilitation centres for admitting adolescents who for some reason have had contraventions to the legal system. Rehabilitation of these children is a key component in ensuring that they are successfully empowered to live amicably in the social order. This study sought to assess the challenges facing Othaya Rehabilitation Centre, Nyeri County, Kenya. The research objective was, to assess the challenges encountered by tutors and learners in Othaya Rehabilitation Centre in Nyeri, Kenya. The research design was essentially descriptive with qualitative and quantitative approaches and was guided by B.F. Skinner’s Theory of Operant Conditioning. The target population of the study consisted of all learners and teachers in Othaya Rehabilitation Centre. There were 103 learners and 9 teachers. The study employed census survey and thus the entire population was included in the sample because it was a manageable number. The research instruments included two sets of questionnaires, one for teachers and the other for the learners. A pilot study was conducted in a neighbouring rehabilitation centre in Kirinyaga County and the data collected used to compute the reliability of the instruments using Chronbach alpha which yielded a coefficient of .810, which indicated that the instruments were reliable. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies and percentages and the findings were presented in form of tables and narrations. The findings of the study revealed that teachers had not received any in-service training on handling juvenile delinquents, were not motivated, there were no incentives for good performance and the teachers received no parental support in molding the learners. The research established that the counseling programmes existing in the rehabilitation centre were perceived as generally effective, pupils were exposed to sporadic bullying by their colleagues, teachers were occasionally absent and missed classes and pupils had inadequate breaks to play a part in co-curricular activities. Lastly, the study revealed that there existed poor hygiene conditions and there was frequent theft of personal items. The study recommends the need to sensitize parents to provide for the physical and the psychological needs of the learners, provision of training opportunities for teachers and improvement of safety and living conditions for the learners.
Contextualising the Influence of Socialization Agents in Shaping Primary School Pupils Behaviour in Thika Sub-County, Kenya
(Pedagogical Research, 2018-10-16) Mwangi, Esther Wanjiru; Ndung’u, Catherine; Gachahi, Michael
Socialization agents shape pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour has deteriorated over time in primary schools in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to contextualise the influence of socialization agents in shaping primary school pupils in Thika Sub County. The objective of the study was to assess the role of school variables in shaping pupils’ behaviour. Descriptive research design was applied with a target population comprising of 570 teachers, 3256 pupils and 69 head teachers. The sample size consisted of 57 teachers, 325 class seven pupils and 7 school heads. The research instruments used consisted of the teachers and pupils questionnaire and an interview guide for head teachers and sub county director of education. The research instruments were piloted and a correlation coefficient of < 0.7 was acceptable. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study established that the school rules played a key role in management of children’s behaviour in school since they maintained socially acceptable norms within the school. However the school rules did not dictated the form of punishment for non-compliance. The school should carry out background checks on learners in order to establish behavioural issues that are likely to face from a particular set of learners. This would assist in discipline management in schools. The teachers should also consider prior behavioural and discipline issues in order to determine how to address the current pupils’ indiscipline. The school administrators should ensure that the school rules specify the punishment for various issues of non-adherence to the rules. This would assist in having uniform forms of punishment and thus learners would understand the punishments and the role of punishment in shaping their behaviour.
Determinants Influencing Provision of Financial Resources for Infrastructure in Early Years Education in Nyeri County, Kenya
(2023-09) Kioni, Esther Wangari; Njoka, Johannes; Gachahi, Michael W.
The Constitution of Kenya (2010) mandates the county governments to deliver quality pre-primary education through enhancing its management, infrastructure, human and financial resources. However, concerns abound on whether there is effective provision of financial resources to support early years education in Kenya and especially in Nyeri County. This study sought to assess the determinants influencing provision of financial resources for infrastructure in pre-primary education in Nyeri County in Kenya. The study was guided by the mixed methods research design. The target population for the study was 400 head teachers and 800 teachers in pre-primary schools in Nyeri county. Using the Borg and Gall formula of 10-30% criteria of selection of a sample, the lower limit was used which yielded a sample of 40 head teachers and 80 teachers. Data was collected using questionnaires from both the head teachers and pre-primary education teachers. The Cronbach‟s alpha was computed to ascertain for the reliability of instruments which yielded a coefficient correlation of 0.0818 which was higher than the 0.7 threshold of acceptance recommended by Kerlinger6. Data was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. The findings of the study revealed that provision of financial resources greatly impacted on the quality of early years education offered in pre-schools in Nyeri county. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that there was need for mainstreaming the early years education in the Free Primary Education to benefit in the funding. The county government should increase budgetary allocation, establish clear financing frameworks, enhance resource mobilization strategies to source funds from other stakeholders.
Digital migration: E-learning and primary school teacher nightmare in Kenya
(AfriTVET, 2016) Wanjira, Lucy Ndegwa; Tanui, Edward K.
Effect of Principals’ Leadership Styles on Teachers’ Job Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kieni West Sub- County
(International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2017-08) Wachira, Felista Muthoni; Gitumu, Margaret; Mbugua, Zachary
The purpose of this study was to find out how principals’ leadership styles affect teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Kieni West Sub County. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. This study targeted all the 22 principals and 262 teachers serving in public secondary schools in Kieni West Sub County, Nyeri County. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 8 principals and 74 teachers to participate in the study. The researcher used principals and teachers’ questionnaires to collect the needed data. Data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative procedures. Chi-square tests were conducted to establish the relationship between principals’ leadership style and teachers’ job performance while correlation tests were employed to establish the magnitude and direction of the relationship between principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ job performance. Data analysis was done using SPSS software. The study found there was a significant relationship (χ2 = 35.611, p=0.00) between leadership styles and teachers’ job performance. The researcher concluded principals practice various leadership styles. The researcher also concluded that supportive leadership style affects teachers’ performance. The researcher recommended that the government and local leaders should sensitize parents in cooperating with the school principal in improving academic performance.
Effect of School Feeding Programme on ECDE Pupils’ Class Participation in Kenya
(Pedagogical Research, 2019-03) Karaba, Mary Wanjiku; Gitumu, Margaret; Mwaruvie, John
World Food Programme (WFP) and the Kenyan Ministry of Education introduced school feeding programme in targeted pre-primary and primary schools in 1980. However, its effects in promoting pupils’ class participation in early childhood are not clear. The objective of the study was to assess the pupils’ class participation in ECDE centres with a school feeding programme and those without. The study also sought to test out the following null hypothesis (Ho1): There is no statistically significant difference in class participation of pupils in ECDE centres with feeding programme and those without. The study used descriptive survey research design. The total number of pupils was 54,629 from 1163 centres. Twenty centres were purposively selected based on high population. 380 pupils were sampled using Krejcie and Morgan’s table (1970). Twenty headteachers, 20 teachers and two county directors were sampled. This study was theoretically guided by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Data was collected by means of an interview schedule, questionnaires and an observation schedule. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics by using SPSS. The Major finding is that pupils in ECDE centres with SFP participate more than those in schools without SFP. The study recommends that SFP be implemented in all schools.
Effectiveness of School Boards in Managing Financial and Human Resources in Public Primary Schools in Nyeri County, Kenya
(Journal of Arts & Humanities, 2019-06-22) Baaru, Catherine Mumbi; Gachahi, Michael W.; Mbugua, Zachariah K.
In Kenya, educational reforms have resulted in Boards of Management replacing School Management Committees in overseeing the operations of basic education institutions. Boards of Management are charged with the mandate of administering and managing resources channeled to primary schools. Despite these legal provisions and the government’s financial support to the schools, is regrettable that dilapidated facilities, low performance and low morale among teaching and non-teaching staff continue to hamper the academic success of most primary schools in Kenya. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of BOMs in managing financial and human resources in public primary schools in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Twenty one head teachers and 196 BOM members drawn from 21 public primary schools in Nyeri County participated in the study. Data was collected through validated questionnaires for head teachers and members of BOMs. The study established that BOMs were not effective in overseeing financial management in the sampled schools. However, the study established that BOMs were effective in human resource management in the sampled primary schools. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should develop a policy framework that com
Effectiveness of Technical Training Interns in Skills Application in Nyeri County, Kenya
(invotec, 2019) Kagema, J.; Waihura, E.; Kimiti, P.
Technical, industrial, vocational and entrepreneurship training Institutions (TIVET) are a key component to provide the required human resource to achieve Kenya’s Vision 2030. This study sought to find out the effectiveness of technical training interns in skills application in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study sought to establish the industrial supervisors’ attitude towards competence of technical training interns in the work-place. The study was guided by Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design with a target population was 10 Heads of Applied Sciences Department, 45 supervisors from the companies within Aberdare’s Region that offers a technical and practical based internship to interns from technical training institutions. The sample used in the study comprised of 73 respondents comprising of 10 HODs and eight supervisors’. Purposive sampling was used to select the HODs and Supervisors’ for the study. The questionnaire and the interview guide were piloted to test for reliability and validity. The reliability coefficient for the TIVET Heads of Department Questionnaire was 0.767. Inferential and descriptive statistics was applied to analyse data with aid of SPSS computer program. The study established a mean of 1.62 and standard deviation of 0.774 to the statement. The findings show that the supervisors’ thought the TIVET curriculum was theoretical to some extent. 25% and 37.5% indicated that they strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively to the statement that TIVET curriculum was in line with the current technology in the country. The study concludes that technical and vocational education is the core driver for countries the world over to achieve envisaged steps in economic and technological development. Ensuring that curriculum of TIVET education be more practical based will make this education effective. The authors recommend that the attachment period should be extended to enhance the interns’ effectiveness and application of knowledge through hands-on experience in real production work.
Effects of External Circumstances on the Implementation of the Education Sector Policy on HIV and AIDS in Public Secondary Schools in Kajiado County
(2018-09-14) Wanjira, Lucy; Kitainge, Kisilu
The effectiveness of an organization is reflected in its ability to not only formulate policy but also execute such policies. The Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) developed the Education Sector Policy on HIV and AIDS in 2004 and tasked school managers amongst other stakeholders with implementation. Care and support of learners made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS in academic institutions has been advanced by the government following realization that there is need to ensure that their academic journeys are not interrupted. This study investigated the effects of external circumstances on the implementation of the Education Sector Policy on HIV and AIDS and on provision of care and support to orphaned and vulnerable learners (OVLs). The study was carried out in Kajiado County. The study employed descriptive research design. The study targeted public secondary schools in the County. Simple random sampling was used to sample twenty four schools across the five sub counties of Kajiado County. Purposive sampling was used thereafter to select head teachers, deputy head teachers, class teachers and guidance and counselling teachers in the sampled schools and who were the respondents in this study. To collect data, questionnaires and interviews were used. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data. The study findings indicated that external circumstances influence implementation of the Education Sector Policy on HIV and AIDS and on provision of care and support to OVLs. The study recommended that there was need to facilitate further training of respondents in counselling and on HIV and AIDS in schools. The study further recommended that school managers rally the support of local authorities in implementation of the policy and that teachers be given incentives to attract them to willingly participate in HIV and AIDS related programs and activities in schools.
Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness in Determining Quality Educational Outcomes in Kenya.
(2023) Gathondu, M.; Kagema, J.
The yearnings for quality education is the driver to national socio-economic developments. This is well articulated by various local, national and international frameworks including Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. Teachers are considered pivotal in quality education. However, research studies document that teachers’ pedagogical practices reveal gaps in achievement of quality education outcomes. This study analyzed the role of teaching effectiveness on quality educational outcomes in Kenya. The study was guided by the Social Constructivism Theory and through a comprehensive review of literature, the study identified gaps in teachers’ pedagogical practices that guided the present study. 400 teachers were selected for the study and through purposive sampling method, 24 principals were sampled. Also, systematic random sampling method was employed to yield a research sample of 80 teachers and 144 students. The principal research instruments were questionnaires for the teachers and students while interview guides were used to collect data from principals. Validity was enhanced by the piloting of instruments prior to collecting the final data. To enhance credibility, an adjustment of the tools was done according to the opinions obtained from respondents and peer reviews. Reliability of the instruments was calculated using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and found to be ρ =.77, hence considered reliable. To test the internal consistency for reliability within questionnaire items, Cronbach alpha based on the standardized items was used which yielded α =.759. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS Version 25 for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Measures among variables was described using standard deviations, SD, while chi-squared test, χ 2=12.496a was arrived at to determine the statistical significance of the study hypotheses at 0.05 level (2-tailed). The reporting of the quantitative data was in percentages, tables and charts. The study findings indicated that teachers are pivotal in determining educational outcomes through their pedagogical practices as corroborated by respective research objective findings. The study recommends that teachers should undergo continual professional development to improve in curriculum delivery. Also, the Government should enhance quality assurance and monitoring strategies in the schools to ensure that the school curriculum is highly implemented to achieve the educational goals in Kenya and beyond.
Evaluating the Performance of Tree-Based Predictive Models as Programme Recommenders for University Entrants in Kenya.
(2024-10) Kabiru, Kibuthi J.; Makiya, Ratemo C.; Anduvare, E. M.
Enrolling for the wrong programme by university students has, to an extent, contributed to the high rates of discontinuation on academic grounds, repeat year cases, change of programme after registration, interuniversity transfers, deferments to change programme, drop out cases, suspension over exam irregularities as well as to strikes. This study focused on finding a technological solution for reducing these cases by evaluating three tree-based predictive models and recommending the most predictive model to implement as a programme recommender. Data was collected in five selected public universities in Kenya using Google Forms. The respondents were 308 translating to 308 rows of data with 36 columns. Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Sklearn, Seaborn, Scipy, Plotly python analytics libraries were deployed using Jupyter Notebook for Anaconda. The cleaned and processed dataset features had categorical variables thus one-hot-encoding technique was employed. Data was split for training and testing with the random_state set to 42. Gini index criteria was implemented. The three models were evaluated on their performance from the optimally split data for training and test with a 80:20 ratio. Random Forest (RF) came out the most predictive at 99.3% followed by Gradient Boosting (XG Boost) at 90% then Decision Tree (DT) at 80.93%. The testing accuracy score for RF was 81.72%, XGBoost was at 75.72% and DT was at 76.34%. Confusion matrix criterion was implemented to evaluate the performance of the three models. The results of this study have demonstrated the high accuracy level of RF as the most predictive tree-based model for this real-world University crisis. The model is recommended for development as a system to be integrated into the KUCCPS portal. The integrated system is dubbed Programme Recommender which if launched would highly predict the best programme of study for application by university entrants.
Evaluation of Creative Thinking Skills amongst Students in Kenya: A Case Study of Public Secondary Schools in Nyeri and Nairobi Counties.
(African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2018-06) Githui, Perminus; Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Mwenje, Margaret
Creative thinking skills are vital competencies in the life of every individual. Therefore, people with creative thinking skills are able to innovate and come up with novel solutions to problems that confront them in life. In this way, they become innovators and problem solvers. Creative thinking is competences that enable learners to apply their imagination in generating ideas, hypotheses, and experiment with alternatives to generate new products and processes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the creative thinking skills among students in boys’, girls’ and co-education public secondary schools (PSC) in Nyeri and Nairobi Counties. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design guided by the social cognitive theory as its theoretical framework. The target population consisted of 69,220 learners in 300 PSC in Nairobi and Nyeri Counties. The schools in the two counties were stratified into boys, girls and mixed-sex schools. Therefore, 4 boys’, 5 girls’ and 21 co-education secondary schools were selected to form a sample of ten percent of the schools from each stratum. Data was collected using a questionnaire administered to the sampled students. A total of 391 respondents were sampled in both counties. Analyzed data indicated that the students in Nairobi County had moderately higher creative thinking skills than their fellow students from Nyeri. The computed mean score for students’ creative thinking skills per county were; Nairobi ( 3.06) and Nyeri with ( 3.03). Independent Sample t-test of creative thinking skills of learners in both gave a pvalue 0.584 which was above 0.05 significance level, this indicated that there was no significant difference in creative thinking among students in Nairobi and Nyeri Counties. Additionally, the study sought to find out the creative thinking skills among learners in single sex and co-education public secondary schools in the two counties. Data analysis revealed that girls schools posted the highest level of creative thinking abilities ( = 3.08), followed by boys schools ( =3.07) while mixed-sex secondary schools had a mean score of 3.01. The computed ANOVA for boys, girls and mixed- sex secondary schools, yielded a p values of 0.478 which was above 0.05 significance level, indicating that there was no significant difference in creative thinking skills among students in single sex and coeducation secondary schools at 95% limit. Therefore the null hypothesis was accepted and concluded that the creative thinking abilities among students in the three categories of schools were relatively the same. The study concluded that there is need to strengthen creative thinking skills among learners in the three school categories in both counties in Kenya.
Evaluation of Involvement of Faith Based Clubs in Management of Discipline among Learners. A case of Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu, Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties, Kenya.
(2018-12-31) Njanja, Susan W.
This paper evaluates the involvement of faith based clubs in management of discipline among learners in public secondary schools in Kiambu, Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties, Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The target population comprised of 351 teachers and 351 principals. The study sampled 10% of the population which comprised 35 teachers and 35 principals using simple random sampling technique. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire administered to the sampled respondents. Piloting of the instruments was conducted in-order to determine both reliability and validity of the research instruments. Alpha coefficient of 0.703 was obtained for the tool. Data analysis revealed that most of the schools had faith based programmes that were relevant to management of student discipline. However, the overall computed mean score = 0.19, s=.34) on a scale of 0-4, for involvement of faith based clubs in management of students discipline in schools indicated that the level of involvement of faith based clubs and societies in management of student discipline were very low. The study concluded that in view of the revelation that faith based clubs and societies play a crucial role in the management of students discipline in secondary schools there is need to assert their authority fully as key stakeholders in education. Based on the findings of this paper, it is recommended that there is need to support measures that strengthen faith based clubs and societies in secondary schools for inclusive discipline management practices that take into consideration all education stakeholders.
Frequency of Use of Information and Communication Technology Equipment by Secondary School Heads and Teachers in Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties, Kenya
(The Africa Premier Research Publishing Hub, 2016-10) Kimosop, Maurice K.; Chemwei, Bernard
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) generally refer to landline and cellular telephones, wireless technologies, computers, Internet, computer software and hardware, as well as older communication technologies such as radio and television. The study examined the frequency of use of ICT equipment by secondary school heads and teachers in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. All the 8 districts of Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties were included in the study. A total of 63 schools with functional ICTs were purposively selected and, in each school, one class teacher, 2 subject teachers and 2 heads of department were selected using stratified random sampling to give a total of 315 teachers. All head teachers from each of the 63 schools were selected through purposive sampling. The total sample of the study was, therefore, 378 respondents. Triangulation approach was employed in which both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained and analysed. The main data collection techniques included the use of two questionnaires for teachers and head teachers and an interview schedule that was administered to the head teachers. Data was analysed using SPSS Version 17 and presented through descriptive statistics by use of frequencies and tables. The significance of relationships and differences of variables were tested using Pearson Correlation, Multiple Regression and Independent Samples T-test. From the study findings, the most utilised ICTs in schools were the printer, photocopier and computer while the curriculum management activity that highly utilised the use of ICT was the preparation of and the analysis of exams. This implies that ICTs in schools were mostly used as gadgets for typing and producing exam materials. Little seems to have been done in the utilisation of ICTs for curriculum delivery and the management of data that could be utilised for informing decision making. It is recommended that ICT trainers need to broaden the users’ understanding of the concept of ICT integration to into the management of curriculum in secondary schools. Most head teachers and teachers understood integration of ICT to mean the training of users on ICTs in order for them to be able to type and produce teaching and learning materials.
Headteachers’ Staff Management Strategies and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Private Primary Schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties, Kenya
(2023-04) Muriuki, Maina Peterson; Kimosop, Maurice; Gachahi, Michael
Headteachers use different staff management strategies to coordinate day to day running of schools and to develop an environment that helps motivate pupils. These management strategies may be responsible for the disparity in school performance. Studies on head teachers’staff management strategies have concentrated on public schools, leaving out private schools. This study aims to examine the influence of headteachers’ staff management strategies on pupils’ academic performance in private primary schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties in Kenya. The study was guided by Bertalanffy and Weihrich's Systems theory which claims that an organized enterprise does not exist in isolation but depends on the environment in which it’s established. The study used a descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study is 2,630 head teachers and teachers from 259 private primary schools in the Murang’a and the Nyeri Counties. The schools considered had done KCPE for at least five years before the study period. The study employed Slovin’s formula to determine the number of head teachers and teachers where 58 headteachers and 342 teachers were estimated to be representative samples for respective groups. The research also selected 15 SCQASOs using purposive sampling, while simple random sampling was adopted to select 158 schools from the two Counties. At the school level, the researcher recruited a headteacher using a purposive approach and two or three teachers using simple random sampling. A questionnaire was adopted to collect data from headteachers and teachers and interview schedules from SCQASOs. The researcher used Cronbach’s alpha to compute the reliability of the study tools and determined at 0.7; all variables had an alpha coefficient above 0.7, which implies an internal consistency. The researcher also tested the content and the construct validity of the questionnaire by submitting the questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented using charts and tables. Qualitative data were analysed using Atlas.it, coded while quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. The researcher used descriptive methods such as frequency distribution and correlation coefficient. The study found head teachers’ staff management strategies accounted for 83.9% of variations in private schools' performance in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties. The study also found staff management had statistical significance influence on the performance of private primary schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties at α=0.05.