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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.
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Effect of School Meals on Participation in Public Primary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2016-11) Reuben, Jennifer M.
Hunger affects most children in society. This study sought to reconcile conflicting research results by assessing whether school meals make a difference in levels of learner participation in school programmes in Kalama division, Machakos County. The objectives of the study were to: Determine the relationship between availability of food and regularity of class attendance, Establishing the extent to which food quality affects performance in CATs, Determine the relationship between sources of food and completion of assignments; and determine the extent to which the quantity of food served influences the levels of learners involvement in group work. The study was based on Maslow's (1970) hierarchy of needs theory. Descriptive survey research design was used. Machakos county and specifically Kalama division was the area of study. The target population was 58 public primary schools. The study sample comprised of 25(43.1%) primary schools whereby stratified random sampling was used to select the schools. The likert scale questionnaires and document analysis guide were used to collect data. Validity of the instruments is established and improved by expert judgment where university supervisors are resourceful. Therefore, the researcher with the guidance from her supervisor estimated the degree of coherence of the responses for each instrument. For reliability a correlation coefficient of 0.70 was considered adequate but 0.74 was obtained. Piloting was carried out in seven schools in Kalama division before the actual study that were studied though they were not included in the final data. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and document analysis guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics mainly frequency and percentages and presented in tables, scatter diagrams and pie charts while the qualitative data were analyzed as per the variables in the study. The data collected was coded and entered in computer for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found a weak negative correlation between food availability in school and proportion present in the morning and afternoon at the levels of -0.071 and -0.119 respectively and also between food availability at home and proportion present in the morning and afternoon at the levels of -0.207 and -0.098 respectively. The extent to which food quality affected performance in CATs' indicated that Proteins, vitamins, fats and oils had weak mixed correlations of 0.202,0.075,0.084 and 0.184 respectively while carbohydrates had a weak negative correlation of -0.207.The relationship between the sources of food and completion of assignments indicated that government, parents and NGO's as the main sources of food had a weak positive association at the level of 0.246,0.244 and 0.205 respectively while donors, community and schools had a weak negative association at the level of -0.315,-0.203 and -0.179 respectively. The extent to which quantity of food served influences levels of learners involvement in group work yielded a high positive linear association and a moderate positive correlation of 0.411. The study concluded that: There is no relationship between food availability in school or home and regularity of class attendance; The quality of food taken by pupils impacts their performance in CATs', The source of food affects completion of assignments given by teachers; and the amount of food served has a great influence on learners involvement in group work. The study recommends that parents cannot afford food, it should be present in school, pupils should be provided with good quality food, Government, parents and willing NGO's should aid in food provision and pupils should always be provided with adequate food.
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Headteachers’ Instructional Supervision Roles as Perceived by Primary School Teachers in Meru County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017-07) Mworia, Janet Karambu
The research study sought to assess the effectiveness of head teachers’ instructional supervision roles as perceived by primary school teachers in Abogeta East Division, Meru County. The following objectives guided the study: (i) to establish the role played by primary school head teachers in instructional supervision in Abogeta East Division, Meru County; (ii) to determine the challenges faced by primary school head teachers while carrying out their instructional supervision roles; (iii) to identify strategies put in place by primary school head teachers to eliminate the challenges they face in their instructional supervision roles; and (iv) to assess the effectiveness of head teachers’ instructional supervision roles as perceived by primary school teachers. The research project was based on Lineburg’s Theory of Change, which states that instructional practices applied by teachers can easily be changed through head teachers’ leadership strategies. The target population consisted of 17 head teachers and 153 teachers from 17 schools, making a total population of 170 respondents from the entire Abogeta East Division. From the total population, the study sampled five out of the 17 public primary schools using simple random sampling. Before the actual data collection, a pilot study was conducted in two randomly selected schools, involving two head teachers and four teachers, to measure the validity and reliability of the research instruments. Closed-ended and open-ended questionnaires were used for data collection. The collected data were tallied and coded according to similarities in responses, then interpreted using percentages with the aid of scientific calculators. The data were later entered into the SPSS computer program, where they were analyzed and presented using percentage frequency tables. The research findings showed that head teachers’ instructional supervision practices help teachers perform their duties effectively. This was achieved through checking schemes of work, reviewing lesson plans, improving supervisory strategies, developing new strategies to improve teaching and learning, evaluating students’ progress, improving curriculum and library materials, and setting mean score targets for teachers, among other practices. The study recommended that the government should provide adequate teaching and learning materials in schools. Head teachers should also maintain a good and conducive learning environment. In addition, head teachers should inform teachers about the significance of instructional supervision in their career development, which would help them carry out their instructional roles more effectively.
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