Browsing by Author "Kaugi, Ephantus"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Miraa Growing Practices Influence on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination Performance among Boys in Day Secondary Schools in Meru County
    (International Academic Journal of Social Sciences and Education (IAJSSE), 2025-07) Ntonga, Edna Gakii; Kaugi, Ephantus
    Miraa which is considered both as a recreational and as a medicinal herb with addiction tendencies among its users is a major cash crop in Meru County. As a herb or substance, people including school going children take and many times get addicted. Miraa growing an economic activity, which requires labour for picking, packing, distribution and selling. Young people including school going children and students often get involved in these activities. This is likely to affect their school performance. The objectives of this study were: First, to determine if picking, packing, and selling of miraa affects learner’s motivation and attitude towards learning amongst boys in day secondary schools: Secondly, to determine if picking, packing, and selling of miraa affects quantity and quality of instruction amongst boys in day secondary schools, and finally, to determine if picking, packing, and selling of miraa affects discipline of boys in day secondary school in Meru County. This study was guided by Walberg's educational productivity theory. A descriptive survey research design was used to conduct the study. The target population was day secondary schools, principals, teachers and students from Igembe Central, Igembe South, and Igembe North sub-counties of Meru County. The study employed a stratified sampling and purposive sampling techniques to sample the study respondents. A sample of 360 respondents was obtained which consisted of 30 principals, 30 teachers and 300 students. A questionnaire for students and another questionnaire for the teachers were used in this study. Data from school principals was collected using an interview guide. Descriptive statistics was utilised to analyse quantitative data through use of SPSS version 24 while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The quantitative data was presented in form of percentages and frequencies while qualitative data was presented in a narrative form. The study found that: the students utilised tuition time in miraa growing activities during school days make money: many students spent significant time on miraa-related tasks to earn money which reduced their chances of revising for the examinations; bad discipline influences students class attendance and may also make them unruly affecting their performance in KCSE. There are learners who are adversely affected by miraa in the school and thus lose interest in schooling affecting their performance. The study concluded that the involvement of students in miraa growing negatively influenced their performance in KCSE as it gives them less time to participate in learning. The study recommends involvement of relevant stakeholders in the county to ensure adherence to policy on education access and completion.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Principals’ Classroom Visitation and its Influence on Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Public Secondary Schools at Bauchi State, Nigeria
    (Research and Scientific Innovation Society, 2019) Garba, Saleh; Waweru, Samuel; Kaugi, Ephantus
    This study sought to determine the influence of principals’ classroom visitation on teachers’ pedagogical practices in public secondary schools of Bauchi state, Nigeria. The objectives that guided the study, were first, to examine principals’ implementation of classroom visits in public secondary schools; secondly to find out the effect of principals’ classroom visitation on pedagogical practices of the teachers and make recommendations for improvement of teachers’ pedagogical practices. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed for the study. The participants in the study comprised 29 principals and 385 teachers randomly selected from the public secondary schools in Bauchi state. Questionnaires and document observation checklist were used for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the quantitative data with the aid of SPSS. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic techniques. Simple linear regression analysis was used to test the research hypothesis at α=.05 significance levels. Findings of the study revealed that the majority of principals in public secondary schools in Bauchi state did not execute procedural lesson observation. Also, most principals did not provide teachers with feedback on observed instructions. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that the principals’ classroom visitation has statistically significant effect on teachers’ pedagogical practices in public secondary schools (R2=.138, F (1,373) =59.691 p<.05). Given this evidence, the null hypothesis that principals’ classroom visitation does not significantly influence teachers’ pedagogical practices was rejected. And the alternative hypothesis that principals’ classroom visitation significantly influences teachers’ pedagogical practices was accepted. The study recommends that Ministry of Education Bauchi state should provide a specific in-service capacity building for principals on techniques of organizing and conducting procedural classroom visits to enhance instructions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    School Based Factors Affecting KCSE Performance of History and Government in Day Secondary Schools, Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), 2025-01) Kinyanjui, Josphine Waithira; Kaugi, Ephantus
    The purpose of this study was to identify the school-based factors which affect students' KCSE performance in history and government in selected schools in sub counties within Nakuru County of Kenya. The contention of the study was that despite various interventions from education stakeholders, the performance of History and Government in day secondary schools has been dismal. There are various factors that influence academic performance including school-based factors, institutional environment, student’s attitude among others. The study's specific objectives were to ascertain the effects of teacher-related factors, school infrastructure and teaching/learning resources, student factors and the principal leadership on history and government performance. The study was based on Yutchman and Seashores' (1967) Systems Theory. The research was conducted using a descriptive survey design approach. The target population was principals and departmental heads in day secondary schools in Gilgil, Naivasha, and Nakuru Town East Sub counties of Nakuru CountyKenya. In the three sub counties, there are 80-day secondary schools. As a result, the study focused on 80 principals and 160 heads of humanities departments. Then, using a stratified random sampling technique, 24 principals and 48 teachers were chosen. To get the primary data, a questionnaire was used to collect data. With the supervisor's assistance, content validity was established for the research instrument and its relationship to the study material was ensured. Using Cronbach's Coefficient alpha, which evaluated the instrument's consistency each time it was used to gather responses, the reliability of the tool was ascertained. Data from the field was quantitatively evaluated. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the quantitative data, and SPPS version 24 was used to calculate the results. The mean and standard deviation were computed using the SPSS descriptive statistics tool. To display the data, graphs and frequency tables were used. According to the study, teachers go to workshops and seminars to develop their professional skills. The survey also discovered that HODs had access to beneficial in-service training to support them in overcoming obstacles. The study discovered that personnel had an impact on historical performance. According to the study, a student's performance in government and history is influenced by their affinity with their teacher. The study concluded that while HODs have possibilities for beneficial in-service to help them address the issues they face, teachers attend seminars and workshops to develop their skills in their line of work. The effectiveness of a student's academic performance is greatly influenced by their teaching resources. In order to boost student performance in history and government in Nakuru County, the study suggested that the MOEST provide public secondary schools with the necessary textbooks, teacher reference books, radios, televisions, computers, and projectors. In order to improve teaching and students' performance in history and government in Nakuru County, head teachers should encourage teachers to be creative and use resources that are readily available locally to create appropriate teaching aids and charts on pertinent topics.