DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Itegi, Florence M."

Browsing by Author "Itegi, Florence M."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 25

Bullying and its Effects: Experiences in Kenyan Public Secondary Schools
(Contemporary Research Center, 2017) Itegi, Florence M.
It’s a basic human right for children to feel safe in school and be spared intentional humiliation implied in bullying. More so the society expects schools to mold responsible citizens for sustainable development of modern society. This notwithstanding, studies have found the fear of being bullied when entering secondary schools in Kenya is enormous. Expost facto design was adopted to explore possible cause and effect among variables. A stratified random sample of 300 students was used. The findings were that bullying was a significant problem in schools; bullying was more rampant in boys’ schools than girls however, majority of girls were victims, majority of boys were bullies; victims were mainly junior students among boys while among girls were from different class levels; physical violence was common among boys and verbal among girls. The study recommended empowerment of teachers to enhance supportive school environment and collaboration among stakeholders.
Challenges facing integration of visually impaired learnersin public primary schools in Trans-nzoia West District
(2012-09-17) Njoroge, Peter Kinyanjui; Itegi, Florence M.; Kithinji, F.
The study sought to investigate the challenges facing integration of the visually impaired (VI) learners in public primary schools in Trans-Nzoia West district. The objectives of the study were; To assess the teaching and learning materials provided in addressing the education needs of the visually impaired learners in Trans-Nzoia West District; To establish the influence of teacher training in promoting the integration of visually impaired children in Trans-Nzoia West District; To establish the contributions of key stakeholders in addressing the needs of visually impaired children in Trans-Nzoia West District; To determine possible strategies to promote integration of the visually impaired in Trans-Nzoia West District. The study adopted the descriptive survey study research design. The study population included the 25 head teachers, 25 contact teachers in the 25 integrated public primary schools and 40 visually impaired learners. Study population also included the Educational Assessment and Resource centre coordinator (EARC). A study sample of 5 head teachers (20%), 5 contact teachers (20%) and 10 visually impaired learners (25%) was selected through the purposive sampling. Questionnaires were used for the contact teachers, visually impaired learners and head teachers and interview schedule for the EARe coordinator. The questionnaires for the visually impaired learners in the category of low vision were in normal print. This is because they were using the optical low vision devices to read while the Braille readers had their questionnaires brailled. The Braille users were instructed to use letter Y for YES responses, letter X for NO responses and numeral 2 for I DON'T KNOW responses. This was found appropriate for them for section B. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied appropriately in such a way as to maximize their strengths and to minimize their limitations. The collected data was thematically analysed and measures of central tendency, frequencies and percentiles used. Bar graphs and tables were used to present the analysed data. Research findings indicated that visually impaired children in schools were not many and that there was insufficiency of learning materials and few trained teachers in the field. The research also found out that the teachers in the schools assumed the role of supervisors. The common strategies to ensuring success of the integrated programme as proposed by a majority of the respondents included improving the teacher-visually impaired children ratio, encouraging more NGO support, soliciting for more government support and ensuring that the schools through the head teachers provided the required resource rooms and materials to help manage the visually impaired children in the schools. The information collected was helpful to the stakeholders both at the Ministry of Education and at the school level in carrying out reforms that ensured proper integration of the visually impaired learners.
A comparative analysis of girl's academic performance in Girl's schools and mixed secondary schools in Naivasha District, Kenya
(2012-04-02) Kinyua, Ruth; Onyango, G. A.; Itegi, Florence M.
The purpose of the study was to carry out a comparative study to establish factors that influence girl's academic performance, in mixed and girl's only schools in Naivasha district and to promote girls desire for higher education. The objectives of the study were to compare and contrast the socio-economic and socio-cultural factors that influence girl's academic performance in girls only schools and mixed secondary schools; establish the school based factors that influence girls' academic performance in girls only schools and mixed secondary schools; and find out home based factors that influence girls' academic performance in girls only schools and mixed secondary schools in Naivasha District. The study adapted a descriptive survey design ,targeting all the 55 secondary schools in Naivasha District, all Principals ,Parents ,Students, Teachers in the same Schools and one Quaso. Simple random sampling was used to select 29 Secondary Schools (6 girls' schools and 23 mixed schools) the study sampled one Quaso,29 29 principals ,58 teachers,58 parents and 145 girls giving a total of 291 participants. Instruments employed for data collection were questionnaires and interview schedules. Prior to the actual data collection procedure a pilot study was carried out to ascertain the reliability of the instruments. Quantitative data was arranged according to research objectives and questions whereby inferences were made to help draw conclusion, to assist educational policy makers to lay strategies for countering the factors affecting girl's academic performance in single sex and mix secondary schools in Naivasha District. The study established that self perception and parental economic status were the most common factors affecting girls performance in both girls' only and mixed schools. On the other hand, most of respondents from girls' only schools reported that social economic and cultural factors were not at all affecting girls' performance. The study also established that both mixed and girls' only schools, the most prominent school-based affecting girls' performance was peer pressure and opposite sex attraction. Further, the study found out that in both mixed and girls' only school; the key factors which affect the performance of girls were parental level of education, lack of library books and household chores. The study recommends that; school heads should ensure that girls feel free to ask for help when they need it, especially concerning personal matters like menstruation. This can be done by creating trust and an environment where openness is encouraged; parents should also take a keener interest in their children's education and follow up to ensure that they perform well. They should also provide them with the materials they need and pay their fees on time; further, role models (both male and female) should be used by stakeholders to make visitations to schools to give encouragement to learners to study because their future depends on education; among other recommendations.
Constraints facing board of governors on the decentralization of secondary school teacher recruitment in Bomet Central Division, Bomet County, Kenya
(2012-09-12) Cheruiyot, Byegon Jacob; Itegi, Florence M.
Decentralization of teacher recruitment by TSC to the Board of Governors (BOG) has never been without complaints and alleged malpractices. This is a pointer that the ability of the BOG in the delegated process is wanting. The study investigated the constraints facing BOG in the decentralization of teacher recruitment process. The study was based on MaxWeber's Bureaucratic theory. It attempted to find out the qualifications of BOG members and how it matches up their duties and responsibilities in recruitment of teachers. It also investigated the challenges that BOG members face as they perform teacher recruitment and attempted to establish how the selection panel conducts the recruitment exercise within the stipulated guidelines and regulations. It also sought to establish the opinion of teachers towards the exercise and how it can be improved. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. It targeted thirty 150 BOG members, 30 head teachers and 150 teachers employed through decentralized recruitment in 30 public secondary schools in Bomet Central Division of Bomet County. The study sampled 30 BOG members, 15 head teachers and 60 teachers. The number of schools was selected through stratified sampling because of the heterogeneity of the types of schools in the Division. Purposive sampling was used to select the head teachers while random sampling was used to select the teachers. On the other hand, convenience sampling was used to select BOG members. Research permit was obtained from the Ministry of Education (MaE) also District Education Office and District Commissioners Office were notified and after all other protocols observed the researcher adm inistered the questionnaires to be filled by the respondents. Piloting was done in one percent of the schools not included in the main study to pretest the instruments. The study used content validity and reliability of the instruments attained was 0.76. The study used three sets of questionnaires - for the following: BOG members, Head teachers and teachers. Data collected was edited, coded, processed, analyzed and presented using tables and figures. Qualitative data gathered was grouped into related themes and categories, and presented in discussion form. The study found out that academic qualifications of the BOG members were low and this inhibits their ability to participate effectively in the teacher recruitment process. The study also established that they face myriad of challenges which include political interference, tribalism, large pool of applicants or none at all, lack of necessary knowledge on subject content of the advertised subject and classifications of teacher qualifications. Also the BOGs' preferred candidates appointment or rejection by TSC renders the BOG members to be just rubber stamps of the whole process. The study also revealed that recruitment guidelines as issued by the TSC are not always followed. Though decentralization is a noble idea the study found out that majority of teachers and head teachers do not want the process to be done by the BOG. The findings will have the Ministry of Education in reviewing the minimum qualifications of BOG members and establish their training needs and the TSC to identify the challenges facing the delegated exercise. The respondents therefore came up with varied suggestions on how the process can be improved. Based on the findings, the study concluded that there are several factors that limit the success of decentralization of recruitment. The study hence recommended that the MOE should set the minimum qualification of BOG members to be at least a diploma certificate and organize regular in-service training in personnel management for the BOG and other panel members. The study suggested further research to assess the challenges that female applicants face while seeking for employment with the TSC through the decentralized teacher recruitment process to ascertain whether there is gender balance.
Constraints of financial management in public primary schools of Manga District, Nyamira county, Kenya
(2012-09-12) Mungazi, John Phoscoh; Itegi, Florence M.; Libese, L.
The purpose of this study was to find out the constraints that the school management committee members face that contribute to inefficient financial management in Kenyan public primary schools. The school management committee were enshrined in the Kenya constitution (1964) under the education Act cap 211 of 1968 which was revised in 1980. The school management committee functions as contained in the Act include financial management, planning and development of physical facilities in the school together with the human resource management. However, the Act does not specify training that school management committee members should undergo in preparations for their roles in school management. The objectives that guided the study sought to find out factors that influence the ability of financial management by SMC, establish source of financial management in public primary school. Effects of school financial management on the status of public primary schools and measures to improve school financial management were established. The research methodology employed for this study was descriptive survey. It employed random stratified sampling technique. The target population was 62 public primary schools. The sampled population had 20 public primary schools, 20 head teachers, 20 school management committee chairpersons and 1 D.E.O. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the head teachers and S.M.C Chairpersons while an interview schedule was used to gather data from the D.E. O. The data collected was validated and coded before analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed manually to establish the final constraints that faced the school management committee in Manga District. The findings of this study were that head teachers were not trained to carry out financial management roles in schools. This study further revealed that school management committee chairpersons had low levels of education that could not allow them to perform the expected roles in financial management in public primary schools. Sources of funds and lack of trained and qualified non- teaching staff rated highest as key factors among the S.M.C financial management constraints. Literature review revealed that although the roles of S.M.C in school financial management are spelt out, on the ground the functional relationship in the area of school financial management is not specific. The outcomes of the effective school financial management identified by the study include: ideal infrastructure, high enrolment, discipline, low staff turnout among others. The study concluded that low academic qualifications among the school management committee members impacted negatively on school financial management, thus setting up of strict nomination criteria for school management committee chairpersons will assist in financial management issues. Based on the finding, it was recommended that Ministry of Education to raise the minimum academic requirement for school management committee chairpersons to form four levels, budgeting the be a compulsory requirement before public primary schools are allowed to operate and the school administration should recruit qualified bursars / accounts clerks in the country.
Cross-Border Higher Education in Africa: The Kenyan Experience
(Scholarlink Resource Centre, 2013) Njuguna F.W.; Itegi, Florence M.
Cross border higher education can be seen as one of the ways a country responds to the impact of globalization, yet at the same time respects the individuality of the nation. Internationalization of higher education as the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service function of higher education. Cross border university education is a step in developing aligning education to international standards and being responsive to global environment. Among the benefits of cross border higher education are international security, maintenance of economic competitiveness, fostering human understanding across nations, flow of technology, promotion of knowledge based economy and establishing of regional networks to compete with other regions of the world. Given the limited resources it is imperative that universities appreciate the potential for regional development in establishing regional partnerships. This paper will trace patterns and trends of cross border provision of higher education in the East Africa region, examine the relevant policy environment and make a critical analysis of potential benefits and challenges associated with this growing phenomenon in the higher education sub-sector. Discussions in this paper shall be limited university education drawing insights from secondary literature and reports from relevant bodies and ministries and institutions especially from Kenya. In view of this empirical studies are recommended. Addressing Social economic problems of Africa requires a regional approach by Africans with the context in mind. However, important lessons from other parts of the world are drawn. Studies on regional partnerships in other fields are common with very few focusing on cross border higher education as catalyst for regional development, an agenda this paper proposes.
Determinants of gender imbalance education administration among teachers in public secondry schools in the larger Thika District in Kenya
(2012-03-07) Mwangi, Jane Wanjiru; Waweru, S. N.; Itegi, Florence M.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the determinants of gender imbalance in education administration among teachers in public secondary schools in the larger Thika district. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to establish the effect of gender roles on gender imbalance in education administration among teachers, to find out the relationship between teachers self perception and gender imbalance in education administration, to explore socialization and gender stereotypes and their impact on gender imbalance in education administration among teachers, to determine the role of models and mentors in relation to gender imbalance in education administration among teachers and to analyze the effect of educational qualification and training in relation to gender imbalance in education administration among teachers. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Purposive sampling, stratified random sampling and convenience sampling was used for the study. Purposive sampling was used to sample schools and principals, stratified random sampling for male and female teachers and convenience sampling for selecting three male and three female teachers respondents from each school. The study used questionnaires to gather data from principals, male and female teachers. The data was analyzed using statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS).Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation was used to analyze data. The analyzed data was presented in form of frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study found that gender roles cause gender imbalance in education administration among teachers. This was evidenced by the findings that majority of the respondents indicated that female teachers were few in the school management positions. The study also found that teachers self perception cause gender imbalance in education administration. Socialization and gender stereotypes had a moderate effect on gender imbalance in education administration among teachers as indicated by the respondents. The study further found that the availability of role models cause gender imbalance in education administration among teachers as indicated by the respondents. The study finally found that educational qualification does not cause gender imbalance in education administration because majority of the teachers were graduates. Professional training was noted to be a cause of gender imbalance in education administration since majority of women rarely attended professional workshops and seminars. The study concluded that gender roles, teachers self perception, socialization and gender stereotypes, availability of role models and mentors and training caused gender imbalance in education administration among teachers. The study recommended that female teachers should share gender roles with their spouses to allow them to rise in to the leadership positions in schools. The researcher recommends further research to be done to carry out a detailed survey on how successful female administrators overcome the barriers and attain their career goals.
Determinants of teacher participation in decision making in public secondary schools in Nairobi county, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014-09-30) Magunga, Florence Imali; Itegi, Florence M.
This study sought to establish the determinants of teacher participation in decision-making in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine whether head teachers' leadership styles have influence on teachers' participation in decision-making, to examine whether teacher professional development has influence on their participation in decision-making, to find out whether job satisfaction is a determinant in teacher participation in decision-making, to determine whether organizational structure has influence on teachers' participation in decision-making and to find out the extent to which organizational politics influences teacher participation in decision-making. The study was based on the path goal theory of leadership as developed by Robert (1971). Descriptive survey design was used in the study. The study was carried out in Nairobi County. The study targeted public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The total number of public secondary schools in Nairobi is 60. The 60 schools were clustered into 9 districts. Random sampling was used. 20% of schools were sampled from each district giving a total sample size of 17 schools. All the head teachers and 5 HoDs from each of the 17 schools were selected purposively to participate in the study, totalling to 102 respondents. The instruments were given to the supervisors for validation and the reliability was done using the split-half method. Data was collected by use of questionnaires for teachers and an interview schedule for head teachers. Data were analysed by use of descriptive statistics; frequency tables, percentage and means and presented in tables and figures. The study findings revealed that teachers are not always involved in decision-making in areas that affects them, there is a relationship between job satisfaction and teacher-participation in decision-making. The findings further indicated that organizational politics affects teachers' participation in decision-making. The study concluded that involving teachers in decision-making boost teachers' morale, leads to empowerment, improves quality of decisions due to diversity of ideas, enhances commitment and enables teachers to gain experience. Consequently, the study recommends that teachers should be more involved in decision-making to increase job satisfaction and sense of belonging to the school.
Effectiveness of nutrition education in enhancing nutrition quality of complementary foods for children, 6 - 23 months in Mumias and Vihiga sub-counties
(2014-07-23) Kipkorir, Jacqueline Cherotich; Kimiywe, Judith; Kithinji, F.; Itegi, Florence M.
The first two years of a child's life are considered the critical as inadequate nutrition results in sub-optimal growth and development, and increased risk of morbidity. One third of children in Kenya are stunted, reflective of poor nutrition during this critical period. A poor complementary feeding regime is one of the causes, as a study done in Western Kenya has documented. Evidence shows nutrition education is important in the alleviation of regressive child growth and development. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of nutrition education in enhancing dietary diversity and quality of complementary foods. The target population is children, 6 - 23 months and their caregivers in Vihiga and Mumias sub-counties. These two areas have been selected because of rich agro biodiversity and high stunting rates (34.2%). They are based in different agro ecological zones, namely Humid Lower Midland Zone 1 and Humid Upper Midland Zone 1, respectively. The research design for the study will be a cluster randomized controlled study. Three periodic surveys; baseline, second and end-term will be conducted to determine important characteristics of the population such as socio-demography, anthropometric assessment and dietary assessment. Individual interviews and focus group discussions with both women and men groups will be carried out during the second survey. A sample of 15 villages will be drawn from each area. In each village, 10 mother-child pairs will be randomly selected to make a total of 150 in each sub-county. There will be two study groups: intervention and control. The nutrition education group will undergo four training and two followup sessions over a six month period. The control group will not be exposed to any training. After the baseline survey, the clusters will then be pair matched on the basis of dietary diversity, socioeconomic status and mothers' level of education. The cluster pairs will then be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups. Comparisons between the respective groups will be made at the end of study. Data will be analyzed using the latest version of SPSS version 22.0; descriptive statistics will be used to describe the characteristics of the population. Multivariate analysis and exploratory factor analysis will be used to test the difference between the treatment and control groups variables and a significance of will be tested at p<0.05. Dietary intake will be analyzed using NUTRI-SURVEY software and nutrition status using ENA for SMART, 2011. The study is important as it will highlight the relevance of nutrition education in improving complementary feeding practices
Effects of socio-economic factors on pupils performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in Chuka division, Tharaka-Nithi county, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015-01) Muchunku, Jackson; Itegi, Florence M.; Njuguna F.W.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pupils’ socio-economic background on academic achievement in KCPE in public primary schools in Chuka division of Meru South District, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine social, economic, and cultural factors that affect pupil’s performance in KCPE and establish measures that could be put in place to improve pupils’ performance in KCPE in public primary schools in Chuka division. The study covered a period of one month and involved class eight pupils’, teachers, deputy head teachers and head teachers. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and the target population was 3122 comprising a cohort of 2622 class eight pupils, 400 teachers, 50 deputy head teachers, and 50 head teachers. A sample size of 337 was selected to participate in the study. The deputy head teachers and head teachers were obtained through purposive sampling while teachers and pupils were obtained by simple random sampling. The study used questionnaires and document review to collect data. Piloting of the instruments was done on a sample of 30 that included 20 pupils, 5 deputy head teachers, and 5 head teachers from a neighboringMagumoni division using purposive and simple random sampling methods. The researcher obtained an introductory letter from Kenyatta University. The researcher personally administered the instrument to the participants and allowed them 3 days to fill all the items. Data collected using questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive statistics namely; frequency counts, percentages, modes and means. Data generated from open ended questions was analyzed and discussed thematically. The most significant social factors affecting pupil’s performance in KCPE were indiscipline, substance abuse, pregnancy, unexplained reasons, lack of interest in school and sickness. The most significant economic factors affecting pupils performance in KCPE in Chuka division that were established included failure to pay other school levies probably due to low family incomes. Initiation and cultural practices, early marriages and lack of community support emerged as the main cultural factors contributing to low academic achievement of pupils in KCPE in Chuka division. The main remedial measures to poor performance in KCPE that the study established were: increasing funds allocated to schools by the government so that schools can provide more amenities to facilitate learning, sensitizing parents to motivate their children to work hard in school and taking into account the socio-economic status of pupils in schools when determining government’s grant allocation to learners. The study recommends in-service programs for teachers to ensure that they have sufficient subject knowledge and repertoire of teaching methodologies and strategies necessary to handle pupils from varied socio-economic backgrounds. The teaching and learning in public primary schools need to incorporate instrumental strategies to improve academic performance for pupils from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The socio-economic status of schools should be considered when determining government grant allocation to schools with such pupils. This will enable such schools to bridge the gap of inequality and enable them to produce the necessary teaching and learning materials and put up the necessary interventions such as remedial education.The findings of the study are expected to help education policy makers, head teachers, teachers, parents and other stakeholders to emphasize the incorporation of instructional strategies to improve pupils’ performance in KCPE.
Factors influencing girls' dropout in free day secondary education programme: A case of Mbooni West district, Makueni county, Kenya.
(2013-02-21) Ndambuki, Carolyne Ndanu; Itegi, Florence M.; Wesonga, D. M.
Thisstudy investigated factors that contribute to girls' dropout from public secondary schoolsin Mbooni West District. The study locale was Mbooni West District which is in MakueniCounty. Unlike earlier studies examining girls' dropout from school such as thosecited in this study, the current study aimed at highlighting girls' dropout from public secondaryschool since the introduction of Free Secondary Education (FSE). The purpose ofthestudywas to investigate factors that influence girls' dropout from secondary school inMbooniWest District despite the introduction of Free Secondary Education in all public schoolsin Kenya. The study had five objectives which sought to: establish the effect performancein examinations has on girls' drop from public secondary schools, determine theeffect teenage pregnancies have on girls' dropout from public secondary schools, establishthe effect indiscipline has on girls' dropout from public secondary schools, asses theeffectthe home erivironment has on girls' dropout from public secondary schools and finally,find out the effect of the school environment on girls' dropout from public secondaryschools. The study is significant in a number of ways. One, the study provided informationaimed at increasing the number of girls completing secondary school. Two, thestudyprovides an objective assessment on the factors that affect the completion rates ofgirlsin secondary schools, thus forming a basis for evaluating the best way of providing educationto girls and possibly enable the government and communities to facilitate girls' education.Three, the results of the study may benefit educational institutions involved in policyformulation pertaining to education in Kenya, including the Kenya Institute of Education(KIE), teachers and Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). Finally, it mayhelp curriculum developers to re-examine the secondary school curriculum with the aimof instituting improvements aimed at making the education environment friendlier to girls.This may see more girls complete secondary school in Mbooni West District. The structuralstrains theory was chosen to guide the study. The literature for this study was reviewedfrom textbooks, journals and internet sources. The target population was the 13,781girls in secondary schools, in Mbooni West District. A sample population of respondentswho were secondary school principals was selected from the public secondary schoolsin Mbooni West District. The sample was drawn using both stratified and simple randomsampling methods. The sample size was nine schools. Tools for data collection wereinterview and observation methods. To establish the validity the interview guide was piloted.To ensure reliability, the split-half method was used to test for reliability of the interviewguide. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentagesand frequencies. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer programwas used in data analysis. The study has established that the rate at which girls dropout of secondary school in Mbooni West district is related to performance in internal examinations, teenage pregnancies, discipline, the home environment and the school environment.From the findings, conclusions were drawn and recommendations made to theeffectthat efforts should be made to improve girls' performance in examinations, girls whofall pregnant while in school should be readmitted, discipline should be improved amonggirls in secondary school, parents in Mbooni West District to improve on their own educationlevels and finally, all girls' school to be provided in Mbooni West District for Educatinggirls in. Suggestions made for further studies are: replication of the study in the wholecountry, a study to be carried on the quality of learning in mbooni West District as wellas conducting a study on other objectives including child labour, bereavement and Orphanhood,health of the school dropouts and health of relatives, disability and special educationalneeds, age, marriage and notions of adulthood as possible causes of girls' dropoutfrom school.
Factors Influencing Implementation of Strategic Plans in Public Secondary Schools in Homabay County Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Nyandeje, Susan; Itegi, Florence M.; Gatimu, K.
The study investigated the factors influencing the implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Homa Bay County. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors deterring implementation of school strategic plans in public secondary schools. The objectives of the study were to establish the processes of formulating strategic plan, assess the effect of communication on successful implementation of strategic plan in secondary schools, to establish the influence of resource allocation in schools, to determine the effect of strategic formation in the strategic management plan and lastly to determine the extent to which organizational structure affect the implementation of strategic management plan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and a random sample of 14 schools selected for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the principals and HODs. Quantitative data from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was analyzed by putting the responses under themes consistent with the research objectives. From the findings, majority of the surveyed schools do not carryout SWOT analysis before formulating school strategic plan. Majority of the surveyed school do not have effective communication on implementation of strategic plan. Principals do not discuss the progress of strategic plans with the staff members and other implementers. Most of the surveyed schools do not have enough funds to implement strategic plan. Majority of the schools depend on the government for funds. Majority of the surveyed schools do not have well designed organizational structures on implementation stage most schools don‟t hold meetings to review their set structures. The government through the ministry of education should organize for in service programmes for the principals so as to enable them implement relevant practices when implementing strategic plans. There is need to include and define clearly the different roles expected of key players and partners for effective delivery of policy.The principals and the board of management should initiate income generator activities so as to facilitate sustainable projects in schools. The government through the ministry of education should guide and support schools principals on sustaining projects in schools.
Factors that impact on use of education management information systems: a case study of Thika West district Kiambu county Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Mugo, Peris Muthoni; Itegi, Florence M.; Njuguna, Felicita W.
The central problem of this study is that despite the critical role expected to be played by Education Management Information Systems, in providing data that is crucial to planning for education, quality data from the schools to the district EMIS units is rarely achieved. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that impact on data management using Management Information Systems by education administrators in public secondary schools in Thika West district, Kiambu County. The objectives of the study were to; assess the existing level of skills and competencies in data management of education administrators; their perception on the use of Education Management Information Systems; assess the availability and use of infrastructure that supports Education Management Information Systems; establish the role played by the Ministry of Education in facilitating data management and determine the challenges facing education administrators in using Education Management Information Systems in Thika West district. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study sampled 10 schools using stratified random sampling based on three mutually exclusive strata; national, provincial, and district. Random samples were drawn from each stratum and the sub samples were joined to form the complete stratified sample. The proportional allocation method was used to ensure each stratum contributed to the sample a number that is proportional to its size in the population. From the sample schools the head teacher and 4 heads of departments were selected, and in the district education office 4 officers in charge of data were selected using purposive sampling. Data was collected through self administered questionnaires and analyzed using quantitative methods. The main findings of the study were that education administrators possessed limited skills and competencies to use Management Information Systems, basic infrastructure to support MIS was inadequate in schools and the Ministry of Education played an insignificant role in providing computers to support EMIS. Based on these findings it is recommended that the Ministry of Education and stakeholders enhance training of education administrators to attain the necessary computer proficiency for efficient management of data and step up the provision of infrastructure to support the production of quality data for evidence based policy formulation.
Gender based violence in educational institutions and its impacts on girls’ education: a comparative study of selected countries
(Emerging Academy Resources, 2013) Njuguna F.W.; Itegi, Florence M.
Gender based violence is a serious violation of human rights and a complex problem all over the world. It is not specific to a particular country or region and women and men of all regions, religion or ethnicity can face discrimination and the consequent gender based violence. While it can affect both men and women, women are the group that is most affected. Gender Based Violence refer to sexual harassment, assault, verbal and physical abuse, psychological and economic violence women are specifically vulnerable to given the lack of power they posses in the society. The problem is compounded by harmful cultural practices like female genital mutilation, forced early marriages, forced prostitution, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. Among the causes of GBV are poverty, traditional believes, some aspects of modernity and the socialization of girls and boys by the society makes victims accept it as norm. GBV limits girl’s access, participation, retention in education and difficulties in finding jobs latter. GVB as discussed by authors provides insights into its magnitude however; it is limited to secondary literature. This not withstanding appropriate education provides an opportunity to learn about equality between men and women and non sexist education makes it possible to deal with traditional stereotypes concerning roles of women and men so as to fight prejudices and discrimination. This paper seeks to demonstrate the need for governments to reform their education systems to give girls and boys equal opportunities to participate and share benefits of education against general believe that GBV is more rampant in illiterate societies.
Implementation of safety standards and guidelines in public secondary schools in Marani District, Kisii County, Kenya
(2012-09-17) Nyakundi, Zablon Ogonyo; Itegi, Florence M.; Kombo, D. K.
School Safety is an integral and indispensable component of the teaching and learning process. Indeed no meaningful teaching and learning can take place in an environment that is unsafe and insecure to both learners and staff. It is therefore important that educational stakeholders foster safe and secure school environment (Republic of Kenya, 2008). In an apparent response to tragedies that hit schools in the last decade, Ministry of Education (MaE) introduced a Safety Standards Manual four years ago. However it is emerging that most schools have no capacity to handle emergencies and are yet to even implement Safety Standards Manual produced four years ago. The purpose of this study was to establish why school management is not fully implementing MaE Safety Standards and Guidelines in Public Secondary schools in Marani District, Kenya. The Government policies, administrative factors, disaster management and emergency facilities exemplify the independent variables while school safety exemplify the dependent variable. The objectives of the study were to: establish the safety situation, outline the main causes of disasters, examine the constraints in the implementation of safety measures and explore major strategies put in place to prevent occurrence of disasters in public secondary schools in Marani District, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and data was collected using one questionnaire. The target population was 28 public secondary schools in Marani District. Stratified, purposive and simple random sampling was used to select the required sample of the study of 49 teachers. Reliability of instruments was determined by use of test-retest method. Validity of research instruments was determined by conducting pilot study before the actual study. Data was quantified using descriptive statistics like frequencies and percentages and finding presented in charts, tables and graphs. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The major findings of the study were the MaE safety standards and guidelines had not been fully implemented majorly due to inadequate funds and inadequate supervision. The major recommendations therefore were policy makers to follow up, monitor and evaluate safety situation in all educational institutions and provide funds to all schools to enhance disaster preparedness. Significantly the study findings underscore the importance of adhering to safety standards and guidelines in schools thus education policy makers and other stakeholders' must come up with strategies to sustain school safety to prevent occurrence of disasters in schools.
Influence of Institutional Motivational Practices on Teachers' Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Taita/Taveta County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2016) Wachenje, Venance; Onyango, George A.; Itegi, Florence M.
Motivation of teachers is integral to performance because it influences teacher's actions and behavior towards the intended and desired goals. How and to what level the teachers are motivated will determine the efforts that are exerted at a particular time, situation and on a task-assignment. The purpose of this study was to establish whether teacher motivation and performance in public secondary schools in Taita/Taveta County was ascribable to the influence of institutional based motivational practices. The purpose of the study was guided by four objectives: to find out how teachers perceived the state of their motivation to work; to establish which motivational practices were prevalent; to ascertain the state of teachers' performance; and to establish the relationship between institutional motivational practices and teachers' performance in public secondary schools in Taita/Taveta County. Secondary data on the influence of motivation and motivational practices on teacher performance was reviewed in the form of related literature. The study adopted descriptive research design; and used both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was 1021 consisting of all the 658 TSC employed teachers comprising of 540 teachers, 59 Deputy Principals and 59 Principals; and 354 PAR from 59 public secondary schools of Taita/Taveta County. The respondents comprised 87 teachers, 14 deputy principals, 10 principals and 36 PAR. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews, analyzed with the aid of SPSS Version 21 and presented by means of descriptive statistics mainly frequencies and percentages. The study found that in spite of schools having adopted various motivators and hygiene factors, teachers perceived their motivation to work to be low and that institutional motivational practices were not highly prevalent. These were attributed to weak and haphazard implementation as revealed by lack of adequate institutional motivational policies. Further, the study found out that teachers were performing averagely in their task areas. Institutional motivational practices were found to influence teachers' performance in all areas but highly in six areas namely: knowledge and understanding of instructional practices in teachers' areas of specialization, participation in co-curricular activities, willingness to commit more time to guide and counsel learners, willingness to take extra responsibilities, preparation of schemes of work in time at the beginning of the term/year and willingness to take-up assignments given by the administrators. The study therefore recommended that schools should evaluate their institutional motivational policies, come up with clear policies and as a precursor entrench practices that involve no cost such as praises and commendations so as to enhance institutional teacher motivation. Teachers on the other hand, should take cognizance of the need to motivate the learner through professional undertakings; while the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should design educational programmes through the necessary institutions such as the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) to guide principals of schools, the Boards of Management and the Parents' Associations on how best to policy institutional motivational practices and enhance their influence on teachers' performance.
Parental influence on academic performance in public primary schools in Nakuru north district, Nakuru county, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Macharia, Daniel W; Itegi, Florence M.; Ndiritu, John K.
Education is a key factor to the development of any nation in the world. It has been the intension of the government that all KCPE candidates join secondary schools. Since 2003, the government has been providing funds to all public primary schools to promote access and education standards in all parts of the country. However, quite a number of public primary schools have been performing poorly in KCPE. In Nakuru North District, the average KCPE performance in 2011 was 222.5 marks. The problem is that parents seem to have a lot of influence in pupils’ academic performance in public primary schools. The study was guided by the general system theory which is based on the work of a biologist Ludwing van Bartalanify and social system theory. The purpose of the study was to investigate the parental influence on academic performance in public primary schools in Nakuru North District. The objectives of the study were therefore to establish parental roles, parental economic factors, cultural practices and parental background influencing academic performance in public primary schools in Nakuru North District. A descriptive survey was used in the study. The target population was 40 public primary schools. There were 8 public primary schools headed by female teachers and 32 public primary schools headed by male teachers. The 25% used to select both female and male head teachers would match with that used to determine the sample size. The two primary schools headed by female teachers and the eight primary schools headed by male teachers were selected among 8 and 32 primary schools respectively by systematic (or interval) sampling. The district had 800 teachers with an average of 20 teachers per school. There were 2960 standard 8 pupils with an average of 74 pupils per school. Purposive sampling was used to select the head teacher in each sampled primary school. The researcher selected 20% of both teachers (4) and standard 8 pupils (14). Different questionnaires were administered to the head teachers, teachers and standard 8 pupils. The researcher administered the questionnaires personally after piloting. The instruments were piloted in two primary schools to test degree of their reliability using test re-test method. The two primary schools used in the piloting were not included in the actual study. After the quantitative data was collected, it was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables. The following were the findings of the study: There are parental roles which affect the academic performance of pupils. Also, economic factors and cultural practices among parents adversely affect academic performance. Parental back ground also affects pupils’ academic performance. In conclusion, parental roles like meeting attendance, disciplining pupils, control of absenteeism, cultivation of respect for teachers and parents being role models have not been played well by parents. These affect academic performance of pupils. Economic factors like ability to pay fees, ability to supplement reading materials by parents, presence of child labour at home and provision of basic needs to pupils affect academic performance. Cultural practices like FGM, early marriages and attitude towards education also affect academic performance. The back ground of parents also affects the academic performance. The following recommendations were made: Parents should always discourage absenteeism of pupils from school, respect for teachers should be cultivated by parents to enhance learning, parents should be educated on the need to create a conducive home environment for their children and pupils should not be abused at home to promote learning
Relationship of Strategic planning and improvement of quality of Education in public secondary schools in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015-05) Itegi, Florence M.
The aim of this paper is to explore the influence of strategic planning in improving the quality of education. The quality of education is directly linked to the effort expended in making arrangements or preparations of educational objectives and determining the requisite resources to facilitate the training, instruction or study that leads to the acquisition of skills or knowledge. Education at secondary level is of particular importance because it seeks to augment the general intellectual skills acquired at primary level, which are also relevant to any productive occupation including subsequent education. In Kenya, the Decentralized Education Management Activity initiative by the Ministry of Education in 2012 in partnership with USAID embarked on capacity development among education managers at the district and school level to enable them prepare and implement strategic plans. This notwithstanding, education at secondary level continues to experience unique challenges which are more often attributed to deficiencies in planning. This literature review paper focuses on educational administrators’ perceptions of strategic plans, their formulation, implementation and their effects on the quality of education. From literature reviewed, it is clear that the role of strategic planning in enhancing quality is vital. Strategic planning is viewed as a tool that enables stakeholders to increasingly contribute to the school’s strategic objectives which result in long-term sustainability and improvement in quality of education.
Research in institutions of higher education in Africa: challenges and prospects
(European Scientific Institute, 2013) Njuguna F.W.; Itegi, Florence M.
Purpose: The paper discusses challenges, implications and prospects of research in institutions of higher education in Africa. It posits that research has been accorded insufficient attention and resources by many African governments and institutions of higher education by extension. Methodology: It involved review of relevant literature from textbooks, Journal Articles and personal experiences. Findings: The challenges of research in Africa are not purely academic. They are caused by failure of the governments to put in place policies that recognize the fundamental impact research activities could have on governance and efficient use of public resources. Consequently, research has been accorded insufficient attention and resources by governments and institutions of higher education. These are manifested in deficiency in training of student researchers, preference for synthetic research rather than innovative and creative types, theoretical approach to teaching research resulting to inadequately prepared personnel to meet international standards. Besides, poor remuneration of researchers has resulted in movements of staff from institutions of higher education to lucrative jobs in the country and brain drain. This has impacted negatively on the quality of research in terms of skills, facilities and the general research environment. However, use of ICT will make the research process easier and improve dissemination. There is need to encourage partnerships between private and public institutions and collaboration locally and regionally.
School based, social cultural and economic factors affecting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education performance in Garissa District, Garissa County, Kenya
(2013-09-05) Abubakar, Maalim Issack; Itegi, Florence M.; Wanjau, Catherine
Academic performance in KCSE in Garissa District has been below national average for the last 12 years. In order to improve educational standards and particularly KCSE performance, in depth research, analysis and documentation of factors affecting KCSE performance is required that will enable educational stakeholders strategize towards better performance. The study aimed at identifying the most influential school based, socio-cultural and family’s economic and educational background factors affecting KCSE performance in Garissa District. A descriptive survey study design was used and questionnaires were used as the main instruments, this instrument was structured to have both open ended and closed ended questions. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study samples which were seven public secondary schools. The researcher collected data from the DEO, head teachers, deputy head teachers, HODs, class teachers and students. After collecting data the researcher checked the questionnaires for completeness, accuracy and uniformity of the information obtained. Data was then coded and analyzed using SPSS to get the frequencies and percentages, and presented in tables. The findings of this research included the great extent to which school based factors affected KCSE performance such as lack of physical facilities in the school as reported by 70% of the students, 83% of the class teachers noted lack of students discipline, 96% of the HODs expressed lack of teachers‟ motivation while 67% of the deputy head teachers reported teacher’s availability and motivation, 83% of the head teachers said lack of physical facilities in the school. The DEO mentioned teachers’ unavailability and lack of preparedness. The socio-cultural factors affected KCSE performance greatly such as religious beliefs as noted by 80% of the students, 83% of the class teachers said that preference for boys to girls especially in education matters, 98% of the HODs expressed nomadism, 60% of the deputy head teachers reported female genital mutilation while 67% of the head teachers mentioned early marriages. The DEO noted female genital mutilation. Family economic and educational background factors greatly affected KCSE performance such as lack of parents‟ support and encouragement as mentioned by 69% of the students, 65% of the class teachers said family size, 88% of the HODs expressed parents‟ level of education, 83% of the deputy head teachers reported parents‟ poverty levels while 67% of the head teachers noted source of income of parents. The DEO reported parents‟ poverty and educational levels. The study recommended that in order to improve KCSE performance, the government through TSC should employ more teachers and improve on their hardship allowances to attract and retain qualified teachers, as an incentive the government through the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) should lower university entry marks and review upwards the loans and bursaries allocated to university students from arid and semi–arid regions in order to motivate the students and to increase their access to higher education. The government through the law enforcements agents such as the police and the provincial administration should also eradicate drug and substance abuse and ensure that legal drugs such as Khat (Miraa) are only sold to adults of over 18 years. The parents should be educated on the modern methods of farming such as irrigation and zero grazing for those situated on river banks or drill boreholes to discourage staying away from homes for 3-4 months while looking for pasture and water for animals. The presence of parents at home will improve their support and encouragement to the students. The students should be sensitized on the value of Guidance and counseling services by their teachers and encouraged to be counselors of their fellow students in order to curb drug and substance abuse and ensure that students grow up all round and responsible persons.

Browsing by Author "Itegi, Florence M."

Results Per Page

Sort Options