Influence of e-mentoring on self-esteem, self efficacy and academic achievement of secondary school girls in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to establish the influence of e-mentoring on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and academic achievement of secondary school students in Nairobi County. The study was guided by five objectives namely. The first objective was to establish the levels of self-esteem of students in the e-mentoring programme with those of students not participating in the programme. Second objective sought to contrast the levels of self -efficacy levels of students in e-mentoring programme with those of students not participating in the programme. Third was to compare the levels of self-esteem of students at different years in the mentoring programme. Fourth objective was to establish the levels of self-efficacy of students at different years in the mentoring programme. Lastly, the fifth objective was tocompare the academic achievement of students in the e-mentoring programme with those of students not in the programme. Mixed research designs were used. The study adopted purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The population of the study consisted of all students in form three and forms four in the two schools (277). The sample size was 92 participants drawn from GBBC members and non- GGBC. Data were collected using self-esteem questionnaire, self-efficacy questionnaire, and document analysis and focus group discussion guide. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used whereby data were analyzed using t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The following three hypotheses were tested using t-test: There is no significant difference in self-esteem levels between those students in and those not in the e-mentoring programme. There is no significant difference in self-efficacy levels between those students in and those not in the e-mentoring programme. There is no significant difference in academic achievement scores between those students in and those not in the e-mentoring programme. One Way Analysis of Variance was used on the following two null hypotheses: There is no significant difference in self-esteem levels between students at different years of the e-mentoring. There is no significant difference in self-efficacy levels between students at different years of the e-mentoring. The study found significant differences between those students in e-mentoring and non e-mentoring groups. The findings of this study suggest that the e-mentoring programme had positive influence on the e-mentees‟ self-esteem t (90) = 13.021, p<0.01), self-efficacy t (90) = 8.818, p<0.01) and academic achievement t (90) = 2.675, p<0.01).Length of time in the e-mentoring programme was also found to impact positively on the e-mentees‟ self-esteem and self-efficacy; that is F3, 52 (0.05) =18.387 and F3, 52(0.05) =18.384 respectively. The study is significant in that it may help improve the GGBC e-mentoring programme and other future e-mentoring programmes in Kenyan schools. In conclusion, the study reaffirmed the importance of e-mentoring relationships as a timely option to the traditional methods of mentoring which are proving to be difficult due to changing times. The study also came up with several recommendations. One of the recommendations that were derived from the study is that future studies could look at the levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy and academic achievement of e-mentee before the implementation of the programme in order to ascertain to what extent the e-mentoring programme has influence on the e-mentees. Implications of the study are discussed.