PHD-Department of Early Childhood Studies

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Paternal involvement in children's education: An implication of children's performance at preschool in Gucha District Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2009-10) Mwoma, Teresa Bitengo
Extensive research exists on the importance of parental involvement in children's education, yet relatively few studies have examined the individual contributions that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling. There is a great deal of interest however, in the role of fathers in children's lives. This interest stems from the fact that traditionally in Africa fathers were the hidden parent. They were assumed to be the breadwinners of their families, but of limited importance in non-financial aspects of children's well-being and development. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of fathers' involvement in their children's education in relation to children's performance at preschool with a special focus on the factors that influence this involvement. The study was carried out in Gucha District because of its continued poor performance in the KCPE exams. Two divisions were purposively selected, one to represent the urban set up, and the other to represent a rural set up. Sixteen preschools were purposively selected from the two divisions to represent the public and private and the rural and urban pre schools. Ample size of 160 preschool children was purposively selected from the 16 preschool due to their performance level in their preschool activities according to their teachers' assessment. Further, a sample size of 160 fathers to the selected children from the two divisions was given the questionnaire to fill on their involvement in their children's education. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized to prepare and organize data for analysis to test the significance levels between variables at O.OS. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient, ANOV A and Chi Square were utilized to establish whether there were any significant relationships or differences in means between variables. Findings revealed that fathers' involvement in their children's education was significantly related to children's performance at preschool where r=0.19 with a 'p' value of 0.029. There was a significant difference in means of father involvement between fathers of different academic levels where f=2S.149 at 2 degrees of freedom with a 'p' value of 0.000. There was a significant difference in means of father involvement between fathers of different occupations where 'f=6.291 at S degrees of freedom with a 'p' value of 0.000. Fathers' involvement in their children's education was also significantly related to the type of school the child attended where X2=2S.330 at 2 degrees of freedom and a 'p' value of 0.000. Sex of the child and fatPers' area of residence were not found to be significantly related to fathers' involvement in their children's education where X2=2.213 at 2 degrees of freedom with a 'p' value of 0.392 and X2=1.444 at 2 degrees of freedom with a 'p' value of 0.846 respectively. It was therefore concluded that, fathers' involvement in their children's education influence children's performance at preschool. Factors that were found to influence fathers' involvement included; fathers' academic level, their occupation and the type of preschool the child attended. It was recommended that there is need for school managers and administrators to find ways of introducing programmes to ensure that fathers closely monitor and participate in assisting their children with school work and attending school functions.
Factors influencing early childhood development teachers’ motivation in Thika district, Kenya
(SPREAD Corporation, 2010) Ndani, M.N.; Kimani, Elishiba
Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres comprise one of the immediate social and physical environments influencing children’s development, that Bronfenbrenner (1986, 1989) terms Microsystems. The Microsystems are made up of personal qualities of the people therein (particularly teachers) and the physical environments. In order for ECD centres to provide the necessary conditions for children’s holistic development, teachers should be well motivated and physical facilities conducive for working and learning. The sample of the study was comprised of 40 ECD centres and 46 ECD teachers. Preschool Teachers’ Motivation Questionnaire and an observation checklist were used to collect the primary data. Secondary data were obtained from various records in the ECD centres. Among the key findings was the revelation that the motivation levels of more than 50% of the teachers were below average. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and communities work together to improve ECD teachers’ terms and conditions of service as well as the learning/teaching environment
Identification of cognitive maturity among 5-6 year olds using selected psychological tests in westlands division, of Nairobi
(2011-05-01) Okeng'o, Lynette N
Children who enter school not ready to learn because of immaturity have difficulties later in their school life. This study set out to investigate the factors that underlie cognitive maturity and as well as its reliable and valid assessment using analogical thinking tasks and human figure drawings. Using Multi-stage sampling, 96 children were selected for the study and data was collected during the third term of the last year of pre-school. While significant differences in cognitive maturity were found on account of differences in age, SES and teaching methods, none were found as a result of differences in gender. Using known groups of maturity, t-tests revealed that mature children differed significantly from the immature children in both the DAP and the CATM tests. Further evidence of validity was provided by the significant correlation coefficients obtained by the Cronbach-alfa for the DAP and CMB scores (0.53
Challenges and opportunities faced by women educational entrepreneurs in the management of private schools in Himo district, Tanzania
(2011-05-01) Namkari, Grace David Msangi
The purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs in the management and operation of independent private schools in Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to describe the situational analysis of independent private schools operated by women entrepreneurs in Tanzania, and to establish the challenges and opportunities they faced in selected case schools. The research study was qualitative in nature and data were collected through a case study approach, direct observations, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and content analysis of school records. Multiple data sources were used to enrich the study including school owners, teachers, parents and community leaders. The data collected was then triangulated and analyzed qualitatively by examining patterns and themes associated with challenges and opportunities in school management. The findings of this study showed that there were three general categories of challenges and opportunities facing the school entrepreneurs namely: a) Educational and professional factors; b) Economic and political factors; and c) Social-cultural factors. The economic and political challenges included inadequate capital, limited physical facilities and tax burdens. Educational and professional challenges comprised of the demand for quality education complemented by English-medium curriculum and high expectations of students' academic performance. Social-cultural challenges including the burden of providing education and care for orphans and vulnerable children, and the lack of community care structures for needy children. The following opportunities for private schools were identified: great demand for quality education and an increased school enrollment, creation of employment opportunities for trained teachers, and demand for boarding school at the primary and secondary levels which ensured sustainability of these educational businesses. Recommendations to provide an enabling environment for private school entrepreneurs included provision of credit facilities to enable them expand their businesses, consideration for tax exemptions for teaching and learning materials, and development of training programmes to enhance their managerial skills and service delivery. In conclusion, despite the myriad challenges facing women educational entrepreneurs in the management and operation of independent private schools in Tanzania, there were opportunities available for their survival, growth and development
Relationship between community participation and preschool microsystems in Thika district, Kenya
(2011-05-01) Ndani, M.N.
Contemporary communities use Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to secure children's right to conditions of living necessary for holistic development. These centres comprise one of the immediate social and physical environments (Bronfenbrenner's, 1986/1989 microsystems) that influence children's development. To motivate teachers and improve the physical learning environments communities are expected to participate in provision of the necessary inputs. Research findings in Kenyan preschools, however, reveal low teacher motivation as well as worker and learner unfriendly physical environments. This implies low community participation. In contrast, communities reportedly provide better environments for the less vulnerable lower primary school children. This study, therefore aimed at investigating factors that influence community participation, the modes and levels of that participation, and the relationship between participation and, teacher motivation and suitability of learning environments. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, Epstein's Parent Involvement Model and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation. Ex-post-facto research design was used in the study. To test for factors influencing motivation, independent subject and contextual variables were correlated against levels of participation. The levels of participation were also correlated against teacher motivation and physical environments to establish their relationships. The sample comprised of 40 preschools, 46 teachers, 240 community members and 15 committees. Preschool Physical Environment Checklist, Preschool Teachers' Motivation Questionnaire, Community Members' Participation Interview Schedule and a Preschool Committee Focus Group Discussion Guide were used to collect data. To prepare quantitative data for analysis, the SPSS was used. Frequencies, standardized Z scores and Pearson's Chi-Square tests were then utilized in analysis at the critical value of p=0.05. The study found that the motivation levels of more than 50% teachers were low. The teachers were de-motivated by delayed and irregular salaries, poor working conditions, heavy demands at work and lack of clear terms and conditions of service. Good interpersonal relationships, adequate physical environments, timely payment of salary, payment during school holidays and housing were given as their motivators. Additionally, in 55% of the cases, the suitability of the physical environment was below average. Further, the study found 63.2% of community members' participation to be low, though not significantly associated to either the levels of teacher motivation or the suitability of physical environments. Members in rural areas and those from private schools participated more. The members' participation was also motivated by sense of ownership of the preschool, friendliness of teachers and management, invitation to participate, proximity to the school, availability and membership in school committees. Factors found to hinder participation were lack of invitation, lack of awareness on the need and areas in which to participate, poverty and dependency. Since teachers were de-motivated by factors that require community action, the study recommended that communities, policy makers, NACECE, and ECD trainers' employ different strategies to raise levels of participation including, training on management, promoting education and empowering women economically
A comparative study of policy implementation in early childhood teacher education institutions in Kenya
(2011-07-19) Makatiani, Maurice Ingati; Gichuru, F.X.; Otiende, James E.; Waiyaki, Edward M.
The worldwide rise in people's aspirations has culminated in a demand for access to education for young children. In Kenya, as a condition for entry to primary school, this has led to expansion of ECE centres and to shortage of trained teachers in these centres. In contribution to solution of this problem, the government formulated policies aimed at guiding ECTE institutions on assumption that these institutions would implement them. Using both quantitative methods (questionnaire, verification checklists and analysis of documents and statistical data) and qualitative techniques (FGDs, interviews, and observation), the researcher found that there were inconsistencies, similarities and differences in functional relationships between stated government policies and actual practice during their implementation in ECTE institutions. The persistence of conservative elements in people working in these institutions, combined with variations in the physical environments in which these institutions operate, account for their existence. Empirically, the study noted that the pace of increase in student enrolment in ECTE institutions was not on a fast enough scale to march the growing numbers of children being enrolled in ECE centres. There were variations in the structural duration of the ECTE certificate programme durations ranging from 10 years to 15 years. While 91.2% of the student population had the required mean grade D+ and above in the KCSE examination, 8.8% had mean grade D and below. While 79.3% of the topics in the syllabus were covered in class 20.7% were not. It finally suggests strategies for informed decisions and planned implementation of government policies designed to guide ECTE institutions in preparing teachers for ECE centres
Effects of an in-service workshop for teachers on frequency of pre-school children's accidents in selected divisions in Nairobi, Kenya
(2011-08-04) Mugo, W. Juliet
A High number of accidents among children in school have been reported and in order to curb them, the City Centre for Early Childhood Education in Nairobi, Kenya was to conduct a refresher or in-service workshop for teachers on child safety-care. It was however not known whether or not, safety-care in-servicing would have a positive impact in influencing teachers' safety-care skills, thus reducing the high number of accidents among children thus the need for the current research. The Quasi Experimental research design using the pre and post test approach with an Experimental and Control group was used. Out of 541 pre-schools in Nairobi Province, random selection of 54 (10%) preschools was done and then they were evenly distributed amongst 3 divisions of Nairobi, ending up with nine schools in both the Experimental and Control group respectively. A similar number of teachers from each pre-school were selected. Half or nine of the teachers in each division were trained while the other half was not. This sample was adequate for an experimental design. Data were collected in five different phases: during piloting, pre in-servicing or Baseline Study phase, and post in-servicing phases in Rounds 1, 2 and 3, using a pre and post quasi experimental research design. The test-retest technique was used to test the instruments and Cronbach Alpha Coefficient used to correlate the test items. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyse data. Descriptive analysis involved use of frequency tables, means and percentages. For inferential analysis, One-Way ANOVA was used to test the six null hypothesis on the significant differences amongst teachers knowledge, beliefs and practices towards preschool children's accidents as well as actual number of pre-school children's accidents attributed to human factors and those in the pre-school play and learning environments. Results show positive effects of in-service training on teachers' knowledge, beliefs and practices towards accidents, which ultimately translated into reduced number of accidents among children particularly in Round One of the study. However, after the Baseline Study and subsequent in-servicing of teachers, the number of accidents progressively started to increase but at times the positive effect lasted until Round 2 and in some instances up to Round 3. This pointed to the fact that in-servicing if not done periodically may not be very useful. The reason was that, time lapse seemed to interfere with the teachers' ability to remember safety-care techniques imparted during in-servicing. To effectively curb accidents among children, it was therefore recommended that teachers be in-serviced regularly at least once a year if possible so that they retain knowledge gained during in-servicing workshops. The curriculum developers could also separate the subject on Safety from Health, Nutrition and Care so that it could be taught alone more comprehensively in order to give it the weight it deserves. This would ensure that children's safety right is provided adequately.
Children's involvement in informal play activities in Kenya: a case of Kiambu East and Kiambu West districts
(2011-08-10) Waithaka, E. N.
This study was prompted by the outcry of decline in children's involvement in informal play, which is crucial for holistic development. In Kenya, studies on play have mainly focused on formal play and the area of informal play has received minimal attention. The purpose for the study was to establish the status quo of children's involvement in informal play activities to complement studies on formal games. The main objectives were to identify the existing informal games and to establish the impact of identified factors on frequency of preferred games. The study was based on Conflict-Cnculturation Play I -hypotheses, and Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory of play, in which informal play environments are viewed as micro-world levels, which are prototypes of the complex macro-world society. The literature reviewed showed that involvement in informal games is crucial for wholesome living. Descriptive study design was employed. The dependent variables were the types of games and the frequencies of children's preferred play activities. The independent variables were the available leisure time, the agents of games transmission, types of sources of materials, and the type of teachers' participation in children's informal play. Other independent variables were gender differences and the aspects of rural versus .semi-urban settings. The population of the study comprised Standard Three children from the public primary schools. Through multistage random sampling, at least 50% of the educational zones in each division were selected. I min each of the selected zone, two primary schools were randomly sampled, making a total of twenty two schools. All children in Class Three (2,052 children) were interviewed in groups of between ten and twenty. Five boys and live girls were randomly selected for individual interviews. Observations and Interview schedules were used to collect data. The qualitative data were put into meaningful categories for descriptive interpretation. Quantitative data were statistically analysed by use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Football was the most frequently preferred game. Games that involved physical prowess and strategy emerged as the most preferred play activities. The null hypotheses were tested al p-.05. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient results oil the association between leisure time and frequency of preferred informal games identified a significant relationship. ANOVA tests showed significant differences in Frequencies of preferred games in relation to agents of games' transmission, the sources of play materials and type of teachers' participation. Results of the tests showed significant gender related differences in children's preferred games but there were no significant differences in relation to rural vis-a-vis semi- urban areas. Chi-square results on differences in frequencies of preferred games in citation to presence of a television set showed no significant variation. Chi-square results showed that lucre were significant differences between boys and girls' frequencies of preferred cooperative and competitive play activities, and there were no differences between cooperative and competitive activities among the divisions. The study came up with recommendations of teachers, curriculum developers and further research.
Factors contributing to caregivers' behaviours with print and children's emergent reading development in Thiks District, Kenya
(2011-11-30) Wambiri, G.
Reading is a developmental process that begins in infancy and continues throughout life. During the formative years children develop certain reading related behaviours that are crucial for later reading. The physical and social environment that children are brought up in influences their reading related development, their attitudes towards reading and their future success in reading. This study was an exploratory study on factors influencing caregivers' behaviours involving print with 30 to 42 months old children and children's emergent reading behaviours. The study was guided by three theoretical perspectives: Marie Clay's Emergent Literacy perspective, Holdaway's theory of Literacy Development and Vygotsky's social interaction theory. The study was conducted in Thika district, Kenya. The district was purposively selected. The caregivers and children were randomly selected. The study employed a combination of multiple case study and survey research designs. The multiple case studies generated hypotheses for study in the survey. The population of the multiple case studies comprised of four sets of 30 to 42 months old children and their caregivers. The multiple case studies showed that the home print environment and children's experiences around print materials varied across households. Caregivers employed appropriate and inappropriate behaviours and strategies around print with children. These behaviours were found to impact on children's emergent reading development. Caregivers employed more direct behaviours and strategies than direct behaviours and strategies involving print. Caregiver-child interactions around print materials increased with increase in range and frequency of print materials in the home environment. Several factors appeared to influence caregivers' behaviours and strategies around print materials with children. This led to formulation of 13 hypotheses that were tested with the larger survey. The survey sample comprised of 133 caregivers. Hypotheses generated from the multiple case studies were studied. There were three contextual variables whose effect on dependent variables was studied: caregiver's years of schooling (CYS), caregiver's role definition (CRD) and average household income (AHI). There were three process variables: caregiver's direct behaviours and strategies score (CDBS), caregiver's indirect behaviours and strategies score (CIBS) and (caregiver's total behaviours and strategies score (CTBS). CDBS, CIBS and CTBS correlated with CYS. It was concluded that caregiver's level of education influenced caregiver's behaviours and strategies. Caregivers were found to be largely unaware of their role in children's emergent reading development. There was a strong correlation between CDBS and CRD, CIBS and CRD and between CTBS and CRD. It was concluded that caregivers with a positive role definition were more likely to stimulate children's emergent reading development than caregivers with a negative role definition. There was a positive correlation between the AHI and CDBS, AHI and CIBS and between AHI and CTBS. The most important predictor of caregivers' behaviours and strategies with children around print materials was caregiver's role definition.
A comparative study of pre-school and lower primary school teachers' computer technology usage in teaching in Nairobi Province, Kenya
(2011-11-30) Nyakwara, Begi
The Kenyan Government in her National Development Plan intends to achieve a universal primary ICT literacy by the year 2008. This is will be possible if the following is done. First, effective computer instruction should start at pre-school level. Second, there should be a policy to guide the use of computers in instruction in pre-schools and primary schools. Finally, the factors which influence pre-school and primary school teachers' instructional computer use in Kenya should be appreciated and catered for by schools and teacher training institutions. This study was designed to establish and compare pre-school and lower primary school teachers' instructional computer use and investigate the weighting of the various factors that impacts instructional computer use. The population of this study was all teachers in pre-schools and lower primary schools in Nairobi Province that have computers for instruction. The study employed an "ex-post facto" research design. The dependent variable was instructional computer use, while the independent variables were computer- self-efficacy, attitudes towards computers, computer knowledge, computer training, time support, and technical support. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample. Questionnaire, interview and observation methods were used to collect the required data. The t- test for independent samples was used to test Hol and Hot, while Multiple Regression and ANOVA were used to test Ho3. Data was prepared for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results show that instructional computer use in both pre-school and lower primary schools was limited. A t-test of independent samples found no significant difference in instructional computer use by school level and gender. Analysis of variance results revealed that the variations among the independent variables in both pre-schools and lower primary schools were significant. Multiple Regression results revealed that all the six variables together predicted pre-school and lower primary school teachers instructional computer use and at pre-school level computer self-efficacy was the greatest contributor to instructional computer use, while in lower primary schools computer knowledge was the greatest contributor. The results also revealed that at pre-school level attitudes towards computers, computer self-efficacy, time support, and technical support were significant variables, while the significant independent variables in lower primary school level were; computer knowledge, time support, and technical support.
Paternal involvement in children's education: an implication of children's performance at preschool in Gucha District, Kenya
(2012-02-16) Bitengo, Teresa Mwoma
Extensive research exists on the importance of parental involvement in children's education, yet relatively few studies have examined the individual contributions that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling. There is a great deal of interest however, in the role of fathers in children's lives. This interest stems from the fact that traditionally in Africa fathers were the hidden parent. They were assumed to be the breadwinners of their families, but of limited importance in non-financial aspects of children's well-being and development. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of fathers' involvement in their children's education in relation to children's performance at preschool with a special focus on the factors that influence this involvement. The study was carried out in Gucha District because of its continued poor performance in the KCPE exams. Two divisions were purposively selected, one to represent the urban set up, and the other to represent a rural set up. Sixteen preschools were purposively selected from the two divisions to represent the public and private and the rural and urban pre schools. A sample size of 160 preschool children was purposively selected from the 16 preschools due to their performance level in their preschool activities according to their teachers' assessment. Further, a sample size of 160 fathers to the selected children from the two divisions was given the questionnaire to fill on their involvement in their children's education. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized to prepare and organize data for analysis to test the significance levels between variables at 0.05. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient, ANOVA and Chi Square were utilized to establish whether there were any significant relationships or differences in means between variables. Findings revealed that fathers' involvement in their children's education was significantly related to children's performance at preschool where r=0.19 with, a `p' value of 0.029. There was a significant difference in means of father involvement between fathers of different academic levels where f=25.149 at 2 degrees of freedom with a `p' value of 0.000. There was a significant difference in means of father involvement between fathers of different occupations where f=6.291 at 5 degrees of freedom with a `p' value of 0.000. Fathers' involvement in their children's education was also significantly related to the type of school the child attended where x2=25.330 at 2 degrees of freedom and a `p' value of 0.000. Sex of the child and fathers' area of residence were not found to be significantly related to fathers' involvement in their children's education where x2=2.213 at 2 degrees of freedom with a `p' value of 0.392 and x2=1.444 at 2 degrees of freedom with a `p' value of 0.846 respectively. It was therefore concluded that, fathers' involvement in their children's education influence children's performance at preschool. Factors that were found to influence fathers' involvement included; fathers' academic level, their occupation and the type of preschool the child attended. It was recommended that there is need for school managers and administrators to find ways of introducing programmes to ensure that fathers closely monitor and participate in assisting their children with school work and attending school functions.
Children's basic needs and enrolment in Early Childhood Education in Miriga Mieru West Division of Imenti North District, Kenya
(2012-02-16) Murungi, Catherine Gakii
Human beings spend a great deal of time working to towards provision of their basic needs. Provision of such basic needs is particularly important not only to adults but also to pre-school children. Available literature shows that in Kenya enrolment of children in pre-school is low. It was believed that failure to adequately meet basic needs such as food, household size, and health status might have led to the children's low enrolment in pre-school education and other levels of education in Miriga Mieru West Division of Imenti North District. It was for this reason this study was designed; to establish and document factors related to this low enrolment especially in Imenti North District where 52% of pre-school children do not attend pre-school and in particular 64% in Miriga Mieru West Division of the District. The main objective of this study was to establish the relationship between provision of children's basic needs and enrolment in pre-school. The study used a correlation design employing a survey method, since the target population was large. The independent variables included food, household size, and health status. The dependent variable was children's enrolment in pre-school. The target population for this study comprised 78, 201 children of pre-school age going from whom an actual sample size of 390 children was selected and their parents participated in the study. Children's households were systematically sampled whereas Imenti North District was sampled purposively. Miriga Mieru West Division was selected due to its high population of pre-school age children (78,201) in comparison to other divisions in the district such as; Miriga Mieru East with 64,117, Timau with 55,292 and Buuri with 45,610 as well as its low pre-school enrolment rates (64%). The study used a questionnaire for parents and anthropometric tools for data collection. During pilot study, a test-retest was done to refine the instrument and determine its reliability. Cronbach's alpha correlation was used to compute the correlation coefficient; the Alpha Coefficients of the instrument were 0.88 and 0.98 starting with the lowest going to the highest. The researcher administered the questionnaire to parents of pre-school children both with children not attending and children attending pre-school. Collected data were analyzed using quantitative methods. Data derived from the open-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, means and standard deviations whereas the t-test (two tailed) for testing equality of means for independent samples was used to test Hot, Hoe and H04 while Pearson Chi-square(x2) for testing the relationship between variables was used to test Ho3. So as to establish the relationship between variables at 0.05 significant level. A t-test (two tailed) for independent samples found no relationship between household size, health status and enrolment in pre-school. But it established a relationship between the number of meals consumed in a day and enrolment in pre¬school. The results of the Pearson Chi-square (x2) test showed that there is a relationship between nutritional status in terms of wasting, stunting and enrolment in pre-school. It also showed that there is no relationship between nutritional status in terms of underweight and enrolment in pre-school. The study recommends that the government needs to subsidize pre-school education costs so that more children can enroll in pre¬schools. This study concludes that basic needs are important and unless they are met we will continue to have large numbers of children not attending pre-school continuing to increase.
Type of Preschool an Important Factor in Determining Fathers’ Support for their Children’s Education
(International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2013) Mwoma, Teresa Bitengo
Research has shown that father’s involvement in children’s education influence how children perform in education. While this is critical, the type of school the child attends is of great importance in determining whether fathers get involved in children’s education or not. This paper therefore presents research findings of a study conducted in Gucha District of Kisii County with regard to type of school and fathers’ involvement in children’s education. A sample size of sixteen preschools drawn from public and private sponsored and both from rural and urban set up were selected for this study. Further a sample size of 160 children and 160 fathers to the selected children were sampled for the study. Fathers were given a self report questionnaire with items requiring them to indicate their involvement in children’s education. Findings revealed that fathers with children in private sponsored preschools were more involved their children’s education than fathers with children in public sponsored schools. Fathers were involved more in checking whether children have done homework, buying books, paying school fees and attending school meetings.
Parental involvement in primary standard three pupils’ reading at home in Igembe south constituency, Meru county, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Kimathi, Hellen Kathure; Ndani, M.N.; Wambiri, G.
Parents and schools play a fundamental role in assisting children to develop literacy skills. Studies internationally have proved that parental involvement in their children’s reading has a positive effect on children’s reading ability. In Kenya, limited studies have been conducted on parental involvement in children’s reading; especially at the lower primary school level. This is despite research reports that many pupils are unable to read at their class levels and some, even by the time they complete primary school. This study examined the levels of parental involvement in standard three pupils’ reading at home and the influence of parental role construction and teachers’ invitations on this involvement. The study used a descriptive research design and was guided by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model of parental involvement, complemented by Grolnick’s theory of parental involvement. Independent variables included parents’ role construction and teachers’ invitation for parental involvement. The dependent variable was parental involvement in children’s reading at home which was examined under the modelling, cognitive and behavioural dimensions of parental involvement. Structured interviews were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise and analyse the data. The Chi-square test was used to test the null hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. Analysis of responses from 137 parents randomly selected from both public and private primary schools in Igembe South Constituency revealed very low parental involvement in the modelling, cognitive and behavioural dimensions of parental involvement. The study also found that most of the parents had low levels of role construction regarding their involvement in their children’s reading at home. Teachers’ invitation for parental involvement was found to be very low. The study found significant relationships between parents’ role construction and their involvement in the modelling, cognitive and behavioural dimensions. The study found significant relationships between teacher invitation and parental involvement in the modelling, cognitive and behavioural dimensions. It was concluded that parental involvement in children’s reading at home in Igembe South Constituency was very low. This could probably be attributed to the low levels of parental role construction and low levels of teacher invitation for parental involvement. The major implications of the study are; low parental role construction and low teacher invitation are likely to lead to low levels of parental involvement in children’s reading at home, parental role construction is a positive contributor to involvement, efforts by teachers to invite parents to be involved in children’s reading is likely to raise involvement and inability to read and time constraints are the main hindrances to parental involvement in children’s reading at home. The study recommended development of policies that would provide guidelines and standards for programmes which would be instituted to ensure high levels of parental involvement in children’s reading.
A situational analysis of language of instruction in lower primary school in Nyeri county, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Wanjohi, Peter Githinji; Wambiri, G.; Kang’ethe, R. W. K.
The purpose of this study was to establish the language(s) used for instruction in lower primary school and also find out to what extent various factors related to school, teachers and parents influence the language choices for instruction in the respective classes and schools. This is because in spite of the language policy in Kenya stipulating that, learners in lower primary school be instructed in the language of the catchment area, studies in pre-primary school show that some schools ignore this rule. This comes at a time that issues have been raised concerning children being introduced to foreign languages too early before they have even mastered the first language. Likewise in the recent past a debate has been raging concerning instructing children in mother tongue at the pre-primary and lower primary schools. The available studies did not focus on language choices made at the lower primary level of education which is a crucial transition stage to formal learning. Most of these studies either addressed the status of the language policy in general or focused on other levels. They have also been exploratory in nature and dwelt on either perceptions, attitudes, values, multilingualism or other aspects of language. The study adopted the Choice theory and Transitional language model in the theoretical framework. The study design was qualitative and adopted a descriptive survey methodology which allowed for an in-depth examination of the situation. The independent variables were the factors said to influence the choice of the language of instruction while the dependent variable was the language of instruction used at lower primary school. This study was carried out within Nyeri County in which Kikuyu is the dominant language. This county has experienced an outcry in academic performance particularly in languages, mathematics and the sciences which has been attributed to the inability to express ideas. The target population of the study was children in lower primary school classes, their teachers and parents. A multistage sampling technique was adopted. Schools were randomly or purposefully selected at various stages; classes were selected through cluster sampling while teachers were randomly selected. Data was collected from private and public schools in rural and urban areas through lesson observations, interviewing teachers and focus group discussions with parents. A pilot study was conducted to pretest the instruments. Validity and reliability were established through triangulation. The qualitative data collected was analyzed using Kitwoods Qualitative Technique of Analysis to bring out the emerging patterns, themes and trends. Among other findings a variety of languages were being used in the classroom instruction with limited consideration to language policy in education. This was seen to be influenced by choices made by the teachers, parents and schools’ management and locality. The study recommends a cross monitoring of implementation of language of instruction policy, training of teachers and education officers, community awareness and resource mobilization so as to benefit children at lower primary school
Turkana Children’s Sociocultural Practices of Pastoralist Lifestyles and Science Curriculum and Instruction in Kenyan Early Childhood Education
(2014-03-07) Ng'asike, J. T.
This dissertation discusses the findings of an ethnographic exploratory study of Turkana nomadic pastoralist children's sociocultural practices of their everyday lifestyles and science curriculum and instruction in Kenyan early childhood curriculum. The study uses the findings from Turkana elders to challenge the dominant society in Kenya that draws from Western education ideology to unfairly criticize Turkana traditional nomadic cultural practices as resistant to modern education. Yet Turkana people have to rely on the cultural knowledge of their environment for survival. In addition, the community lives in abject poverty caused by the harsh desert environment which has contributed to parents’ struggle to support their children’s education. Cultural knowledge of Turkana people has received support in research demonstrating the role cultural lifestyles such as nomadic pastoralism play as important survival strategy that enable people to adapt to the harsh desert environment to ensure the survival of their livestock critical for their food security. The study documented ways in which the Kenya national education curriculum, reflecting Western assumptions about education, often alienates and marginalises nomadic children, in its failure to capture their cultural Indigenous knowledge epistemologies. The research investigated the relationships between Turkana children’s sociocultural practices of pastoralist lifestyles and the national science curriculum taught in local preschools and first grade science classrooms in Kenya and the extent to which Turkana children’s everyday life cultural practices inform science instruction in early childhood grades. Multiple ethnographic methods such as participant and naturalistic observation, focus group interviews, analysis of documents, archival materials, and cultural artifacts were used to explore classrooms instruction and Indigenous sociocultural practices of the Turkana nomads. The findings from the elders’ narratives indicated that there was a general congruence in thematic content of science between Turkana Indigenous knowledge and the national science curriculum. However, Turkana children traditionally learned independently by observation and hands-on with continuous scaffolding from parents and peers. The study recommends a science curriculum that is compatible with the Indigenous knowledge epistemologies and instructional strategies that are sensitive to the worldview of nomadic children.
Early Intervention of Mathematics Difficulties and Performance of Standard Three Pupils in Primary Schools in Butere Sub-County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Wekesa, W. R.
Mathematics skills are not only a basic requirement for every member of the society to productively engage in everyday activities but also a universal language that finds meaning in all cultures and civilizations. Every tribe, culture and social group thinks and communicates ideas through quantities. Mathematics education is to a nation what protein is to a young human organism. It is not only a vital tool for the understanding and application of science and technology but also a great determinant of the kind of courses children take at all levels of learning. However, poor mathematics performance in the national examinations has been of great concern to the educationists and the society at large. Factors such as students‟ negative attitude to mathematics and high pupil teacher ratio due to Free Primary Education have been attributed to this. However, research studies indicate that six to ten percent (6-10%) of primary school age children in the US experience Mathematics Difficulties which make them struggle a lot in their education. In Kenya, about 20% of learners in primary schools experience Learning Difficulties (LD) in mathematics. These learners achieve poorly in mathematics, their self esteem may be lowered, may become truants and drop out of school. In spite of these, studies reviewed only sought to establish the number of learners experiencing LD in Mathematics and Language and possible factors that influenced the early identification of LD. This study was designed to establish if there was early identification and remedial teaching for children with Mathematics Difficulties in lower primary schools in Butere district. The effect of this remedial teaching on children‟s achievement in mathematics was also investigated. The study was done in Butere district Kakamega County. Descriptive survey and Quasi-experimental designs were used in this study. Stratified and purposive sampling was also used to select eighty learners with Mathematics Difficulties and eight standard three teachers of the identified schools. A questionnaire was administered to class three teachers and a pre and post experimental test was administered to the pupils in the experimental and control groups. The collected data was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means and percentages were calculated. The t- test calculated was 4.38 with a p< 0.001 level at an alpha p< 0.05. The p value was less than p< 0.05 meaning the result was quite significant and hence the null hypothesis was accepted. This meant there was a significant difference in mathematics performance of pupils with MD who received remedial teaching from those who did not. It was also established that teachers identified pupils with MD, more boys had MD than girls; learners experienced MD in addition with carrying and subtraction with borrowing. Schools mostly conducted paid tuition and not remedial teaching for pupils with MD. The tuition was conducted in the afternoons and during school holidays. There was no significant difference in mathematics performance of pupils with MD neither in public or private schools nor between boys and girls with MD who received remedial teaching. Therefore, it was recommended that MOEST formulate a policy that supports early identification of pupils with MD and give remedial teaching to mitigate the disability. KICD should develop appropriate curriculum and remedial teaching programme for pupils with MD.
Quality early childhood education: the case of Internally displaced children in camps in Nyandarua County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Ogutu, Benta. A
Children's right to education is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and buttressed by international agreements such as Education for All and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Early Childhood Education (ECE) which is an integral part of basic education is necessary for the holistic development of the child and for sustainable development. Kenya affirms these international commitments in Article 53 of the 2010 Constitution which requires the state and its organs to fulfil a child's right to free, compulsory basic education, nutrition, healthcare, shelter and protection. Demand for ECE has been fuelled by the collapse of traditional child rearing arrangements and the increasing participation of women in the workforce resulting in rapid increase in ECE centres and wide variations in quality. Violence, conflicts and displacement constitute the gravest threat to attainment of the Education for All in Kenya. The disputed 2007 presidential elections was responsible for the displacement of the participants of this study. Minimal government funding, poverty and malnutrition adversely affects pre-school enrolment currently estimated at just over 50%. Children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps face many challenges in accessing quality ECE. This research, in response to the identified research problem of quality of ECE provided for pre-school children living in IDP camps in Nyandarua County, sought to understand and describe it from the participant's perspective. It sought their views on infrastructure, educational resources, structural and pedagogical issues as well as external support received. Teacher qualifications, competence, adaptation, community involvement, child rights framework and acceptance were investigated as factors that can help mitigate the negative effects of displacement on ECE. Lev Vygotsky's Social Cultural Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Social Ecological Theory were used as theoretical frameworks with child right as an additional lens to interrogate participant's perception of quality ECE. Stratified purposive sampling was used to select participants within an IDP camp. The sample size of 31 participants comprised of 17 children, 12 parents and two teachers. This phenomenographic case study used semi-structured interviews and participant observations to obtain in-depth descriptions of the situation from the participant's perspective. Data analysis was undertaken through repeated scrutiny of the data collected to determine relationships, patterns, groupings, similarities and differences between the perspectives of the participants then grouped into themes. Findings were. reported in descriptive and narrative format with rich and thick descriptions supported by the voices of the participants. The research expected challenges to providing quality ECE and found lack of infrastructure and play facilities, a deficient learning environment, poor sanitation, lack of primary healthcare systems, health facilities, poverty amongst IDPs, lack of feeding programs and poor implementation of children's rights hindered the provision of quality ECE. It recommends financing of infrastructure, running costs and feeding programs by the government or donors) mobile clinics and further research. The findings will inform teacher, policy maker and donor decisions to improve the quality of ECE for displaced children.
Determinants of Standard One Pupils’ Achievement in Literacy and Numeracy in Gucha District, Kisii County Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Ouko, O. H.
Pre-primary school learning experiences plays a critical role in laying a strong foundation for pupils‟ later academic progression and achievement. The experiences equip learners with the requisite competencies and abilities for managing formal and life-long learning including basic literacy and numeracy skills. In Kenya, the entry criteria for joining standard one is six years irrespective of whether one has gone through pre-primary school or not. This means that pre-primary school is not compulsory. In a typical standard one classroom in Kenya, pupils may have varied pre-primary school learning experiences. The purpose of this study was to establish standard one pupils‟ academic achievement in literacy and numeracy. The study further investigated the influence of pre-primary school learning experiences, teachers‟ self-efficacy, pupils‟ gender, and type of school on standard one pupils‟ literacy and numeracy achievement. Albert Bandura‟s Self-Efficacy and the Ecological Systems Theory by Urie Bronfenbrenner theories guided the study. Ex post facto research design was used. The independent variable of the study was standard one pupils‟ achievement in literacy and numeracy, while dependent variables were; pupils‟ pre-primary school experiences, gender of pupils, teachers‟ self-efficacy and type of school. The study was conducted in Gucha District of Kisii County, Kenya. The target population was both public and private primary schools in the District. All standard one pupils and their teachers participated in the study. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed. The study sample consisted of 154 pupils and eight teachers. Descriptive and inferential techniques were employed to analyze data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized in data analysis. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that pupils‟ performed better in numeracy compared to literacy. Pre-primary school learning experiences, teachers‟ self-efficacy, and type of school attended influenced pupils‟ achievement in literacy and numeracy. The study underscored the crucial role played by pre-primary school experiences in promoting academic achievement. The main recommendation is that, in order to improve pupils‟ achievement in literacy and numeracy, parents and head teachers should ensure that children have quality pre-primary school experiences so that they may have adequate school readiness skills to help them to cope with standard one syllabus. Further it was recommended that the government should put policies in place to make pre-primary school mandatory to enhance academic performance at primary and subsequent levels.
Determinants of Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-Primary Education in Ilala District, Dar Es Salaam Region, Tanzania
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Libent, Daphina
Globally, studies have shown that the demand for pre-primary education is increasing. In cognizance of the increasing demand and importance of pre-primary education quality, researchers and professionals provided a definition and developed standards of pre-primary education quality. However, parents as key stakeholders in pre-primary education, their voices are usually unheard in these deliberations and processes. Since parents create an ongoing demand for pre-primary education how they perceive the quality of pre-primary education is imperative. Besides, studies done in Tanzania show that the structural and process quality of pre-primary schools is not compatible with the increasing demand of pre-primary education. Despite poor provision of pre-primary education parents are still enrolling their children in these schools. It was not known whether they were satisfied with pre-primary education. This study intended to investigate parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. The study also explored factors influencing parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The study adopted the Ecological Systems Theory in the theoretical framework. The dependent variable was parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The independent variables included parents‟ perception of the quality of pre-primary education, parents‟ demographic characteristics (gender, education level) and type of school. The study employed descriptive survey research design. A stratified random sample of 829 parents with children aged 5 to 6 years from 34 pre-primary schools was used. Data was collected using a four point Likert scale questionnaire. Prior to data collection, the instrument was pilot-tested in two pre-primary schools in order to ensure validity and reliability. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used during data analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The independent samples t-test was used to test Ho1 and Ho2. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test Ho3. The bivariate correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to test Ho4. The level of significance tested for each hypothesis was .05. Findings revealed that parents believed that their children’s pre-primary schools were of high quality, specifically in process indicators than in the structural category. As a result, they were more satisfied with process quality than structural quality of pre-primary education. Results also indicated that parents‟ gender, education level and type of school significantly influenced their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Parents who were females, more educated and had children in private pre-primary schools were found to be more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education. The study also revealed a positive and significant relationship between parents‟ perception of quality and satisfaction with pre-primary education. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training should take appropriate measures to improve pre-primary education and allocate resources to meet parents' demands. Moreover, school heads and managers should strengthen parent-teacher partnerships.

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