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Kenyatta University Institutional Repository is a digital archive that collects, preserves and disseminates scholarly outputs of the Institution
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Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the Causes of Poor Performance in English Subject in Public Secondary Schools in Embu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2016-10) Wangai, Richard Muthee
The performance in languages, specifically the English subject in KCSE, has generally been poor in Mbeere South Sub-County compared to other sub-counties in Embu County. This study was initiated to determine the causes of the poor performance, particularly based on the perceptions of both teachers and students.
The study was guided by Tyler’s Model (1949) of curriculum innovation, which outlines how objectives, selection and organization of curriculum content, and evaluation determine the overall outcome of the teaching and learning process. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design to establish the factors that led to poor performance in English.
The study was carried out in Mbeere South Sub-County of Embu County, which has a total of 43 secondary schools. The target population consisted of 3,200 students, English subject teachers, and head teachers from the schools. The population was sampled using stratified sampling techniques so that all categories of public secondary schools were included in the study and proportionately sampled to obtain a sample of 320 students and a proportional number of teachers.
The study used two questionnaires: one for students and another for teachers. An interview schedule for head teachers was also included. The data collected were presented descriptively using tables of frequencies and percentages.
The study recommended that the government and other education stakeholders should equip existing rooms to establish effective libraries and ensure that teachers regularly attend in-service training. Students’ attitudes toward the English subject also need to be addressed so that they can positively understand the importance of the English language in their lives, beyond merely passing examinations.
Relationship between Drug Trafficking and Violent Crime in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017-08) Nyakwaka, Bernard
Over the last decade, drug trafficking has been gaining ground in Kenya as the country is increasingly being used as a major transit and destination hub for narcotics. This has had economic, political, and social consequences. This study sought to examine drug trafficking and violent crime in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County.
In order to achieve its purpose, the study proposed the following objectives: to determine the perceived prevalence of drug trafficking and crimes attributable to drug trafficking in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County; to investigate the relationship between drug trafficking and violent crime in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County; to establish the motivations and predisposing factors of drug trafficking in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County; to examine the implications of drug trafficking and violent crime on security in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County; and to establish the major hindrances to the fight against drug trafficking and violent crime in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County.
The main theoretical perspective of the study was the Rational Choice Theory. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design encompassing the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Purposive sampling techniques were used to obtain an appropriate sample for the study. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire comprising both open-ended and closed-ended questions completed by the respondents, as well as a semi-structured interview schedule for key informant interviews. Secondary data were collected from official documents and records.
Primary and secondary data, including verbatim interview transcripts and documentary records, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and thematic analysis in line with the objectives of the study. Ethical considerations such as obtaining informed consent and guaranteeing confidentiality to respondents were observed.
The findings of this research project significantly contributed to the understanding of the relationship between drug trafficking and violent crime in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi City County.
Assessment of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction at Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service, Nairobi County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017-10) Kirugi, Fridah Kendi
The study assessed service quality and customer satisfaction at the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service (KNADS) in Nairobi County, Kenya. Service quality was measured using the SERVQUAL standards developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985), which consist of five dimensions, namely: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Customer satisfaction was defined as users’ overall evaluation and psychological reactions to the consumption experience with KNADS products and services.
The objectives of the study were to determine the needs and expectations of KNADS users, assess the quality of services offered by KNADS, and determine the levels of customer satisfaction with the services provided. The independent variable was customers’ perceived expectations and needs, which determined customer satisfaction, the dependent variable. Intervening variables included service quality benchmarks such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles based on the SERVQUAL Model.
The theoretical framework was informed by the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) developed by Khalifa and Liu (2003). The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research approaches, with survey research as the main research design. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Triangulation and Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient were used to address the validity and reliability of the data. Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used to sample 60 KNADS users and 7 management staff members.
A pilot study involving 10 respondents at the Kenya National Museum in Nairobi helped refine the research instruments. Literature was reviewed on service quality, user satisfaction, information needs, and expectations of archival users. Collected data were cleaned, coded, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program to generate descriptive statistics such as means, percentages, and frequency tables.
The findings revealed that KNADS was mainly used for research purposes by males with undergraduate and master’s degrees in their mid-twenties and thirties. Users were dissatisfied with KNADS service quality benchmarks such as internet connectivity, finding aids, speed of retrieval, OPAC services, digital files, sitting space, subject coverage, and staff competencies.
The study recommended the development of a policy framework to guide, promote, and manage archival collections, digitization of records, enhancement of ICT infrastructure, and training interventions to improve staff skills, knowledge, and competencies.
Determinants of Teachers’ Self Efficacy in Teaching Reading in Primary Standard One In Emuhaya, Vihiga County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017-11) Milimu, Corazon Shiatsila
Abstract
Determinants of Parents’ Perception on School Readiness among Pre-Primary School Pupils in Kasarani Division, Nairobi County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017-02) Nyakundi, Mercy Kerubo
Global studies show the need for parental involvement in children’s school readiness. In Kenya, studies show that students’ poor performance in school is mainly caused by a lack of school readiness. Moreover, most parents in Kenya do not take children’s school readiness seriously, and the attitudes they have toward school readiness are influenced by various factors such as parents’ level of education and income.
This study therefore sought to find out the determinants of parents’ perceptions of children’s school readiness and to determine the differences in parents’ perceptions of children’s school readiness based on education level, income level, area of residence, and gender.
The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which regards children as being at the center of various layers of systems. These systems can be used by parents to develop positive perceptions of children’s school readiness. A survey research design was used to guide the study. The study was conducted in Kasarani Division. The target population consisted of parents with children aged 5 to 6 years enrolled in pre-unit classes in licensed pre-primary schools in Kasarani Division...
A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the sample. Out of the 184 pre-primary schools in Kasarani Division, 30% were selected, comprising 8 public pre-primary schools and 48 private pre-primary schools. Parents were sampled through their children. Thirty percent of the children enrolled in pre-unit classes in the division were selected. Therefore, two pupils from every school were sampled, giving a total of 112 parents. This also resulted in a sample size of 56 teachers.
Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to obtain data from the respondents. A pilot study was conducted in two pre-schools within Kasarani Division. Content validity was used to determine the validity of the instruments, while the reliability of the instruments was determined using the test-retest method.