Research Publications

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://localhost:4000/handle/20.500.12092/1797

Welcome to Karatina University Research papers. The community has research papers produced by Karatina University Community

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Secondary Schools

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Gender Differences in Secondary School Teacher Counsellors Perception of Ethical Standards in Counselling in Kiambu County, Kenya
    (2023-07-31) Ngugi, Peter Kamande; Kanjogu, John; Kingori, Isaac W.
    Ethical standards are at the core of counselling practice and are aimed at ensuring the welfare of the client and the counsellor are safeguarded. Counselling, like any other profession is governed by ethical standards and unless it’s provided on ethical basis, it may cease to serve its intended purpose. Despite the critical role of ethical standards in a counselling relationship, the extent to which a counsellor will adhere to these standards may be dependent on the way he/she perceives these standards. This study presumed that perception of ethical standards may be contingent on ones gender. This is the assumption that motivated this study with a desire to validate whether gender influences perceptions of ethical standards among teacher counsellors in secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the moral development theory and adopted the mixed method research design. The target population was the 281 heads of guidance and counselling departments of secondary schools in Kiambu County and the five officials of guidance and counselling association in the county. The sample was 170 participants who comprised 165 heads of guidance and counselling departments and five officials of the guidance and counselling association in the County. The study utilized stratified and purposeful sampling methods. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires and focused group discussion. The instruments were validated by subjecting them to expert’s scrutiny. The instrument’s reliability coefficient was 0.80 which was accepted. Data accruing from the focus group discussion was transcribed for ease of analysis while responses to the questionnaire were analysed through independent sample test. Five areas were focused by the study. These included ethical standards relating to counsellor-client relationship, counsellor integrity, clients informed consent, clients confidentiality and putting clients first. Accruing findings demonstrated that teacher counsellor’s had an unfavourable perception of ethical standards (mean =2.84). and that gender had a statistically significant influence on the perception of ethical standards among teacher counsellor’s in secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya (p= 0.000, t= -2.276). The study recommends that gender be an important factor for guiding the appointment of teacher counsellor’s and capacity building targeting male counsellors be initiated. Additionally, the study recommends that further research be carried out to establish whether there will be gender differences in perception of ethical standards and psychological gender. The study contributes to the body of knowledge as it provides a model of predicting the perception of ethical standards given the gender of teacher counsellors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    INFORMATION LITERACY PRACTICES AS A TOOL FOR ACCESSING AND UTILIZING INFORMATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA
    (2021-04-23) Gekara, Moses Mong’are; Namande, Ben Wekalao; Makiya, Cyprian Ratemo
    Background of the study: Information literacy practices have been recognized as essential educational goals to judge and evaluate student’s aptitude for critical thinking, decision making and problem-solving. Inculcating information literacy skills to students is not only significant to survival but also enables them to know when they need information, how to locate information and how to use information hence success in their studies. However, the state of information literacy practices in secondary schools in Kenya has not been adequately investigated to determine their degree of effectiveness. Objective of the study: Consequently, this study aimed at investigating information literacy practices as a tool for accessing and utilizing information in secondary schools in Kenya. Methodology: The study was based on a pragmatic paradigm where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. Data was collected from a targeted population which consisted of 288 teachers, 12 school/teacher librarians and 1785 students from 12 sampled schools. Questionnaires were administered to teachers and students while an interview schedule guide was used to gather data from school/teacher librarians. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and presented in form of tables, charts and graphs and verbatim reports. The study was important as it elicited discussions that could be used for purposes of adoption of an information literacy programme in secondary schools. Results and findings: The findings show that some information literacy practices were available in secondary schools but not effectively practiced resulting to students proceeding to institutions of higher learning without adequate information literacy skills. Conclusions and recommendations: The study concludes that information literacy is a prerequisite tool for accessing and using information in secondary schools. Information literacy skills enables students to conduct independent information search, efficiently retrieve information using modern technologies, critically evaluate their findings and effectively apply relevant information into their day to day situations. Therefore, the incorporation of information literacy practices into secondary schools’ curriculum would institutionalize information literacy in secondary schools.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Information Literacy Competencies in Secondary Schools in Kenya
    (Stratford, 2021-06-05) Gekara, Moses Mong’are; Namande, Ben Wekalao; Makiya, Cyprian Ratemo
    The knowledge economy is marked by an increasing need for information skills at all levels including schools, universities, workplace and ordinary life. Therefore, education stakeholders should campaign for the teaching of information literacy skills at all levels of learning since they are life skills. The state of information literacy competencies among secondary school students in Kenya has not been adequately investigated to determine their prowess. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing information literacy competencies among secondary school students using Nakuru County as a study site. The study was premised on the Big6 Skills information literacy theory. The study was based on a pragmatic paradigm where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. Simple random sampling was used to draw teacher and student respondents while purposive sampling was used to select school/teacher librarians from the targeted population which comprised of 288 teachers, 1785 students and 12 school/teacher librarians from 12 sampled schools. This resulted to a sample size of 266 teachers, 1189 students and 12 school/teacher librarians. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guide. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings of the study indicate that most of secondary students in Nakuru County were not information literate. They relied on teachers to help them understand class assignments. The study concludes that teaching information literacy skills to secondary school students may lead to effective and efficient use of school libraries and flourish educational achievements hence turn around the dwindling standards of our educational sector. The study recommends that information professionals should be in the forefront in advocating for the inclusion of information literacy at all levels of education and for the incorporation of information literacy in the secondary schools’ curriculum. It also recommends for teacher-librarian collaboration in planning information literacy issues. Therefore, information literacy should be included in the university curriculum in order to equip graduate teachers with these requisite skills which they will in turn inculcate to secondary school students. Finally, the study recommends for an IL programme to institutionalize information literacy in secondary schools.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Challenges Facing Corruption Prevention Activities in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru and Nyandarua Counties Kenya
    (International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2019-09) Ngatia, Richard; Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Ndegwa, Lucy
    This study sought to examine the challenges facing corruption prevention activities in public secondary schools in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties Kenya.The study was informed by the Lucifer Effect Theory. The study used the correlational research design. The target population comprised of 420 principals, 840 heads of departments, 420 bursars in public secondary schools, two county directors of education and six school auditors making a total of 1688 school respondents. The study employed the formula of Cochran to get a sample of 313 respondents while the two county directors of education and six school auditors were purposively sampled, to give a sample size of 322 respondents. Data wascollected using the questionnaire constructed on a five point Likert scale. The research instruments were Pilot tested.Data was analysed using both the descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.The study established that there was no significance difference between the challenges facing principals’ in the prevention of corruption in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Influence of School Policies on Students’ Participation in Curricular Activities: a Case of Public Secondary Schools in Aberdare Central Region, Kenya
    (International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 2017) Muthike, Winfred Ndunguri; Mwaruvie, John; Mbugua, Zakariah K.
    School policies influence students’ participation in co-curricular activities in secondary schools since, there is a statistically significant relationship between school policies and student participation in co-curricular activities. Data analyzed showed a strong, positive correlation between the two variables which gave a high correlation of 0.803. High levels of support by the school administration were associated with high levels of student participation in curricular activities. It is therefore concluded that there is need to strengthen support of co-curricular activities by the school administration which will result in an increase in students’ participation in co-curricular activities. The descriptive survey research design was used. The target population comprised of 35,426 subjects and a sample size of 365 participants.