MST-Department of Early Childhood Studies

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Browsing MST-Department of Early Childhood Studies by Subject "Academic Performance"

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    School Feeding Programmes and how they Affect Academic Performance of Grade Two Pupils in Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Ouma, Amollo Chrispinus; Wanjohi Githinji
    Kenya has over 30 years history of school feeding Programme. It began in 1979 with a government-led school milk programme. The purpose was to improve intellectual capabilities of school going children. A study by the Ministry of Education indicated that 80% of grade two pupils performed poorly in their final examinations with low grades posted by grade two pupils in Gilgil Sub County, there was need to establish whether this Programme has any influence on academic performance. This research work will help primary school head teachers, and administrators to understand better the issues related to nutrition and healthy eating habits. Previous studies have contextual and methodological gaps that were addressed by this study. This research therefore aimed at establishing the influence of school feeding Programmes on academic performance of grade two pupils in public primary schools. The study was guided by the theory of nutrition and the theory of academic achievement. The survey adopted a mixed methodology that made use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample population was 2302 respondents, consisting of 41 head teachers, 79 teachers of grade two, 82 representatives of parents, and 2100 pupils of grade two. A sample of 340 respondents was obtained using the Yamane Formula. Stratified sampling was used in the sub-county of Gilgil to produce five different strata based on the number of zones. Two head teachers, 13 grade two teachers, and two parents from each zone were selected using purposeful sampling. However, 51 grade 2 pupils were selected from each zone using the simple random sample to avoid bias. This sampling process allowed the researcher to get a sample of 10 head teachers, 65 grade two teachers, 10 parents’ representatives and 255 grade two learners. Questionnaires were used to gather data from teachers in grade two, interviews with school heads and parents' representatives. In contrast, a checklist of observations was used to collect data from pupils in grade two. A pilot study was carried among 34 respondents from a sample found from public primary schools in Gilgil, Using the test-re-test technique, reliability was determined and the consistency ratio, r = 0.725, was acquired using the Cronbach Alpha Method, which showed high adequate validity. Qualitative data were analyzed along the study goals using Kitwoods Qualitative Technique of Analysis and presented in narrative forms, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and percentages and using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Test Analysis inferentially with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 23) and presented using tables. This study’s findings contribute to knowledge gap by ascertaining the idea that school feeding Programmes have significant contribution in motivating pupils and enhancing their academic performance. The study found that school feeding Programmes influence pupils’ ability to grasp basic numeracy and linguistics skills. The study suggests that all public primary schools should have school feeding Programmes as a way of motivating grade two pupils and enhancing their academic performance