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Classroom Climate and Academic Buoyancy as Predictors of Academic Achievement in Biology among Form Three Students in Kiambu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2025-11) Swanya, Millicent Nyaboke
Kenya aims to become an industrialized nation by 2030, this vision can be supported by focusing fundamentally on science subjects. However, academic achievement in Biology which is one of the science subjects has been below average in the results released annually by KNEC, raising numerous concerns among stakeholders. This study, therefore, aimed to establish how classroom climate and academic buoyancy predict achievement in Biology among Form Three students in Kiambu County, Kenya. This research aimed to address the poor Biology achievement of secondary school students in Form Three in the Kiambu County. Study objectives were: to determine the correlation between classroom climate and students’ Biology achievement, to find out the correlation between students’ academic buoyancy and students’ Biology achievement, to determine gender variations in classroom climate and students’ academic buoyancy, and to predict interrelationship between classroom climate and academic buoyancy on students’ Biology achievement. The study adopted the resilience theory by Norman Garmezy (1991) and the interactive learning theory by Vygotsky (1978). The correlational research design was also adopted. The study targeted all 4,000 Form Three students in Kiambu County. A purposive, stratified sampling method, together with simple random procedures, was utilised to select an appropriate sample size of 399 students. The following research tools were employed to gather information: the Student Academic Buoyancy Scale, the Student Classroom Climate Inventory (SCCI), and end-of-term examination scores in Biology to measure academic achievement in Biology. In this study, a pilot test was carried out in two secondary schools within the Kiambu County to ascertain the reliability of the research tools. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha was utilised to determine internal consistency. Construct, face and content validity of the research scales were ascertained through the guidance of the supervisors and experts in the educational psychology department. SPSS was employed in the cleaning, coding and analysing data whereby descriptive and inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression were generated for data analysis. Findings from the study indicates a negative and significant relationship between classroom climate and Biology achievement r (396) =-.103, p <.05. Concerning academic buoyancy, results established insignificant correlation between academic buoyancy and achievement in Biology r(396) =.072, p <.05. In determining the gender variations in classroom climate and academic buoyancy on Biology achievement, the study found that correlation was positive and significant for male students r (396) =019, p <.05 but not for the female students r (360) = .646, p<.05). However, academic buoyancy predicted higher Biology achievement for male students than for female students, whereas classroom climate more significantly predicted the achievement of female students than male students. Additionally, in predicting the correlation between classroom climate and academic buoyancy on Biology achievement, the regression equation revealed that academic achievement was greatly influenced by students' academic buoyancy and an interactive classroom climate. This study findings are generalized to represent the state of Biology achievement as predicted by academic buoyancy and classroom climate of students in Kiambu County. The research outcomes strongly suggest that parents and teachers should engage in activities that reinforce high academic buoyancy and sustain an interactive classroom climate. Further research is recommended to explore ways to maintain high academic buoyancy and to sustain interactive, supportive, and respectful classroom climates to ensure higher achievement among students.
Peer Tutoring Strategy and Its Influence on Learners’ Achievement in Mathematics in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2025-10) Regis, Iyamuremye
Report on achievement in Mathematics at the Secondary school level in Kenya indicates that achievement has been below the expected standard. The results of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) for the period 2017 to 2022 revealed that the national average score in Mathematics has been below 40 percent. Research evidence indicates that teaching strategies used by Mathematics teachers do not give room for learners to develop intuition, critical thinking, and creative ability. There is evidence that the use of learner-centered methods, such as peer tutoring strategy as a teaching strategy could lead to better achievement in Mathematics. The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of peer tutoring strategy and its influence on learners' achievement in Mathematics in secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were : (a) establish different types of peer tutoring used in teaching and learning Mathematics; (b) determine the extent to which Mathematics teachers use peer tutoring in teaching and learning; (c) establish the difference in Mathematics achievement between learners who learned using peer tutoring and those who learned without using peer tutoring; (d) establish the difference in Mathematics achievement when using peer tutoring by gender among secondary school students. The study was guided by the Social Constructivist theory developed by Levy Vygotsky in 1978. The study adopted convergent parallel mixed method with quasi-experimental research design. The target population was 14 public secondary schools, 34 heads of departments, 67 Mathematics teachers, and 1062 Form II students. A stratified random sampling was used to form a sample of four (4) public secondary schools, 160 Form II students was selected to form a sample using simple random sampling, 20 Mathematics teachers was selected to form a sample using a purposive sampling technique, 10 heads of departments was selected to form a sample using conveniently sampling. Data was collected using teachers' questionnaires, learners' questionnaires, in-depth interview schedules for heads of departments, Mathematics achievement tests, and classroom observation schedule. A pilot study was conducted in two (2) public secondary schools. A reliability coefficients of 0.78 and 0.886 for pretest and post-test respectively was obtained. The instruments were validated using content validity, criterion validity, construct validity, as well as face validity. Quantitative data from Mathematics achievement tests and questionnaires was analyzed using the independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test and interpreted using statistical package of social sciences (SPSS version. 27). Qualitative data from the interview schedule and observation schedule was analyzed into themes and interpreted based on research objectives. The finding indicated that peer tutoring was effective strategy across age, academic levels, grade levels, ability levels and skills levels. Therefore, peer tutoring strategy demonstrated greater effectiveness and contributed to heightened Mathematics achievement compared to traditional teaching methods. The study revealed a statistically remarkable disparity in achievement in Mathematics between the experimental group and the control group (p=0.00<0.05 at 2-tailed level of significance). The study also found no remarkable disparity in Mathematics achievement between male and female respondents. Peer tutoring strategy could be used to close the gender gap in Form II learners' achievement in Mathematics. The study recommends that peer tutoring should have incorporated in Mathematics curriculum.
Integrating Investigative Experiments in Physics Instruction and Its Effect on acquisition of Science Process Skills in Secondary Schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2025-10) Nduru, David Mugambi
There is growing consensus on the integration of investigative experiments in
teaching and learning of science subjects, but the implementation of this pedagogical
practice continues to challenge many teachers. Specifically, the study sought to
determine the effects of integration of Investigative Experiments, investigate the
factors influencing the teachers use of Investigative experiments, establish the
strategies the teachers use that support Investigative Experiments and to investigate
the competency of physics teachers to design Laboratory Investigative Practical Tasks
to inculcate Science Process Skills among physics learners in secondary schools in
Tharaka Nithi County. Kolb Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) was used as the
basis of the theoretical framework for this study. The study employed a Quasi
experimental Pretest- Posttest Design. The study involved a sample of 4 schools, 20
physics teachers and 120 learners from Tharaka Nithi County. Purposive sampling
was used to select the teachers as the main respondents, to identify three schools that
were used for the pilot study and sub-county schools from the public secondary
schools in the county. Simple random sampling was used to identify four schools as
sample schools, and to select the students who participated in the study. A
questionnaire for physics teachers as well as interviews, lesson observation schedule
and physics teacher’s logbook were used as research instruments. A pilot study
involved two physics teachers in three different public secondary schools. Reliability
coefficient of pre-test and post-test was calculated to determine whether these tests are
reliable and Cronbach’s alpha was found to be 0.745 for pre-test and 0.763 for post
test. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive (means and frequencies) and
inferential statistics (Wilxon test and Kruskal Walis test) to develop the expected
conclusions. Qualitative findings were assessed thematically and recorded through the
creation and discussion of coherent narratives. The results indicated that the
Instructional Integration of Investigative Experiments was effective on the acquisition
of Science Process Skills among physics learners. However, the findings on inquiry
levels established a gap in the teachers’ ability to implement investigative-based
learning with most schools exhibiting lower-level inquiries. Results indicated that the
teachers’ abilities in question formulation, designing experiments and investigations,
selection of investigative practical instructional approach among others were limited.
Factors such as teachers’ attitudes, ability to construct investigative laboratory tasks,
and experience were significant in the use of instructional integration of investigative
experiments. Teachers used mainly group-based activities and learning materials such
as lab manual worksheet and practical guide to facilitate learning in investigative
instruction. The findings of this study are beneficial to physics teachers, curriculum
developers, and educational researchers interested in seeking new ways of promoting
the teaching and learning of science subjects using investigative experiments.
Fixed-Bed Column Treatment of Textile Dye Wastewater by Silicon Nitride Derived From Sand, Coffee Husk and Macadamia Nutshells
(Kenyatta University, 2025-11) Ndung’u,Samuel Ng’ang’a
To address the challenge of increased demand for clean water globally, there is a need to
treat the available wastewater. Textile dyes are carcinogenic and their discharge to the
environment has been reported to degrade the esthetic properties of water bodies. It is
imperative to assess textile dye levels in wastewater as well as decontamination to
ascertain its safety. Conventional purification processes suffer from limitations in terms
of efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental effect. Attention has recently shifted
to adsorption as an economical technique for textile dyes removal using low-cost
adsorbents. Silicon nitride contains positively and negatively charged surface capable of
adsorbing cationic and anionic pollutants from water. This research studied the use of
silicon nitride adsorbent prepared from extracted silica from sand and biochars from
macadamia nutshell and coffee husk wastes in textile dye wastewater treatment. The
silica extraction from the raw sand was carried out via alkali fusion process. The biochars
were obtained by pyrolytic treatment of their raw biomass materials at 300 °C for 5 hours
then acid leached. Both the biochar and extracted silica materials were used in the silicon
nitride (Si3N4) adsorbents synthesis in an ammonia (NH3) environment. The prepared
materials were characterized by the use of X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD),
Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier
Transform Infrared (FT-IR), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray
(EDX). The findings indicated that the raw sand contain quartz (SiO2), microcline (K (Al,
Fe) Si3O8), calcite (CaCO3) and clinochlore ((Mg, Fe)6(Si, Al)4O10(OH)8)). The extracted
silica (ES) results showed a pure and amorphous composites with siloxane (Si-O-Si) and
silanol (Si-OH) groups. The acid treatment and alkali fusion improved the silica (SiO2)
content to > 80 % with other oxide impurities decreased to < 1 %. The biochar results
showed an amorphous, pure and porous carbon structure with aromatic bonds (C=C). The
spectroscopic analysis of silicon nitride (Si3N4) adsorbents showed porous and thermally
stable adsorbents with α-Si3N4 and β- Si3N4 phases, functional groups of silicon-nitrogen
(Si-N), silanol (Si-OH) and silicon-nitrogen-silicon (Si-N-Si) which were hydroxylated in
an aqueous media to give silazane (Si2=NH2+) and silanolate (Si-O-) adsorbent sites for
congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes removal.
Adsorption capacity ranged from 26.93 ± 0.03 mg/g to 31.77 ± 0.15 mg/g at optimal
conditions for the dyes removal. The equilibrium and kinetic plots indicated that
Langmuir, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Pseudo-second-order models (R2 > 0.9) were more
suitable in explaining the chemisorption process. The adsorption-desorption studies using
1.0 × 10-1 M NaOH and 1.0 × 10-1 M HCl showed that the SN-5 adsorbent can be re-used
repeatedly with minimal loss. The column sorption studies gave a maximum column
capacity of 50.76 ± 0.17 mg/g (MO), 47.01 ± 0.14 mg/g (MB) and 52.56 ± 0.04 mg/g
(CR) at 4 mL/min, 7 cm and 50 mg/L optimal values. The column data obtained from the
breakthrough curves conformed with Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models (R2 > 0.9) in
describing fixed-bed operations. The column performance showed that SN-5 had a lower
efficacy using spiked water samples than using model solutions with column adsorption
capacity ranging from 38.92 ± 0.08 mg/g to 46.38 ± 0.05 mg/g. The column regeneration
showed a good reusability of the SN-5 adsorbent in textile dye wastewater treatment. The
research findings report silicon nitride as a potential adsorbent that can be applied in
purification of water to safe levels both at household and industrial scale
Human Resource Development Mechanisms and Service Delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya Nairobi City County.
(Kenyatta University, 2025-07) Mutuku, Irene Ngii
Service delivery deals with how service product is delivered to client and whether it is fairly or unfairly done service delivery is an essential aspect for postal corporation of Kenya to gain competitive advantage hence determining prosperity or down fall of the corporation. One sure way of realizing full potential of organization is use of relevant human resource development mechanisms appropriately. Human resource development mechanisms describe organization strategies of investing in activities and programs that develop competence, skills and knowledge of employees. Internationally business environment is characterized by increase in competition since time memorial. Hence raising question whether level of service delivery could be attributed to human resource development mechanisms adapted in organization. General objective aimed at determining effect of human resource development mechanisms on service delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi city county. Specifically, study aimed at establishing effect of training, employee welfare, feedback and reward system on service delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi. Study sought to find out moderating role of organizational resource on relationship between human resource development mechanisms and service delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi city County. Lastly study evaluated mediating role of technological environment on relationship between human resource development mechanisms and service delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi city County. Study was anchored on SERVIQAL model, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory, Goal setting theory and Resource Based theory. Study used positivist research philosophy paradigm and descriptive cross-sectional research design. Target population of 400 respondents comprising of 300 employees and 100 clients, 60% sample size is obtained from target population using simple random sampling technique translating to 240 respondents. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to test for validity the research instruments Cronbach alpha was used to test for reliability. Data was then subjected to statistical analyses using statistical tools such spread sheets and SPSS. Normality test was done using Kolmogorov Smirnov test to ascertain if data was normally distributed, Pearson’s Correlation coefficient was used to test assumption for linear relationship between variables, variance Inflation Factor was used to test likelihood of multicollinearity and homoscedasticity test was done using Breusch Pagan test to determine if explanatory and predictor variable variance was similar. Multiple regression models that allowed study to predict effect of independent variables on dependent variable and moderation as well as mediation effect tests were done using multiple regression models respectively. Hypothesis testing was done at p<0.000 level of significance with computed effect being statistically significant at 95%. Key finding from results of collected and analyzed data found human resource development mechanisms have significant effect on service delivery at Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi City County. Inconclusion human resource development mechanisms established to be significantly linked to quality of corporation’s services include training, welfare, reward system, feedback. Both mediating and moderating effects of corporation’s technological environment and organizational resources were positively ascertained. Therefore, study recommends deliberate planning and enhancement of identified human resource development mechanisms to ensure continued competitiveness of Postal Corporation.