Browsing by Author "Lekaaso, Gabriel"

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    Implementation of Education-Funded Projects and Access to Education for Early Childhood Development Learners in Samburu County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-12) Lekaaso, Gabriel
    The efficacy of implementing Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives in economically disadvantaged regions of Kenya has often been underexplored, despite their potential to improve academic achievement, educational attainment, social outcomes, and future employment prospects. This study examined factors influencing educational access for ECD learners in Samburu County, with a focus on resource allocation, technical capacity, security, stakeholder participation, and monitoring of education-funded projects. Guided by socio-cultural learning and constructivist theories, a descriptive design was enlisted and collected data through semi-structured questionnaires given to ECDE teachers, head teachers, and Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASO), as well as interview guides with School Management Committee (SMC) chairpersons. From a target of 139 questionnaires, 111 were returned (80% response rate), while 68 out of 95 planned interviews with SMC chairpersons were successfully conducted (72% response rate), both exceeding recommended thresholds and validating the adequacy of the data. Pearson correlation results revealed that monitoring had the strongest positive association with access to education (r = 0.487), while resource allocation (r = 0.211) and technical capacity (r = 0.202) showed weaker positive relationships. Stakeholder participation (r = –0.101) and security (r = –0.016) demonstrated negative or negligible associations. Regression analysis showed that the model was greatly significant (F(5,105) = 8.37, p < 0.001), with the five predictors jointly explaining 28.5% of the variation in access (R² = 0.285; Adjusted R² = 0.251). Monitoring emerged as the most influential and statistically important issue, underscoring its critical role in ensuring effective project implementation and improved access. The study concluded that while resource allocation, technical capacity, and security remain important, they were not independent predictors of access when considered alongside other variables. Stakeholder participation, unexpectedly, showed a small but significant negative effect, suggesting a need for more structured and proactive engagement. Overall, monitoring stood out as the strongest determinant of educational access for ECD learners. The study recommends strengthening monitoring mechanisms, enhancing resource allocation, building technical capacity, integrating security measures into education planning, and reframing stakeholder participation to foster constructive collaboration