Browsing by Author "Ndani, Mary N."

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    Challenges faced by teacher students of Kenyatta University in accessing further education through e-Learning
    (Global Education, Science, Technology and Public Policy Initiatives for Sustainable Development in Africa, 2011) Kimani, Elishiba; Ndani, Mary N.
    One of the innovations that Kenyatta University (KU) adopted is the Open, Distant and e- Learning (ODeL) which involves students learning at a distance, using printed modules and interacting with lecturers through e-Learning. While this mode of learning has its advantages especially cost effectiveness and reaching many students, it has had challenges which have hindered its effectiveness and therefore the realization of its intended objectives. The main objective of the study was to identify the challenges faced by teacher-students enrolled for Bachelor of Education Degree in KU-ODeL, with a view of coming up with strategies to improve on the programme performance. The study sample comprised of 50% of the in-service teachers-students in KU-ODeL. Other respondents were the lecturers of the units offered through e-Learning. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was utilized for data analysis. The study concluded that the challenges to e-Learning programme generally fell into four categories, namely lack of time, inadequacy in ICT and computer skills, poor internet access and lack of proper and adequate equipments and soft ware. The study thus recommended that in addition to putting in place strategies to create more time for teacher-students and lecturers to engage in the e-Learning process, there is need to regularly build the capacity of both parties in ICT skills and explore ways of accessing affordable e-Learning facilities
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    Relative Contributions of Caregivers’ Level of Education, Role Definition and Average Household Income to caregiver Involvement in Children’s Emergent Reading
    (International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2015) Wambiri, Gladwell N.; Ndani, Mary N.
    Recent studies have consistently reported low reading achievement levels among primary school children in Kenya. Reading is a very critical component of children’s development. Many aspects of learning at school revolve around this skill. Being the media via which other subjects are taught and learnt, reading is very significant and could contribute to failure in school. Reading is not only a school agenda. Children also acquire early reading skills through specific experiences at home that require support of other adults besides teachers. Parent involvement in children’s early reading development has been found to play a very critical role in the child’s later reading success. Parents who take an active role in children’s reading foster children’s lifelong passion for reading, which in turn lead to improved children’s performance in learning at school. However, majority of the parents do not perceive themselves as crucial partners in children’s emergent reading development. This paper is based on a study that compared the relative contributions of the parents’ level of education, parents’ role definition and the average household income, to parents’ involvement in children’s emergent reading development. The authors argue that although these three factors positively correlate with parents’ involvement in children’s reading development, parents’ perceptions about their role in children’s reading development is the most important predictor of their’ involvement in terms of direct and indirect behaviours and strategies with children around print. Interventions to improve reading achievement levels need to address parent involvement in children’s reading. Such interventions should place priority in helping parents to correctly define their role in this important aspect of children’s development.