School health and safety and its effect on teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya
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Date
2024-11
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Education attainment is important to all governments across the world. It is imperative for governments to ensure safe school environments to ascertain teaching and learning takes place. Governments, however, face challenges concerning safe school environments that interfere with teaching and learning. One of the areas of concern is the issue of school health and safety. The purpose of this study was to establish how health and safety affects teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to establish how the status of school buildings affects teaching and learning; to determine how quality water affects teaching and learning; to establish how food safety practices affect teaching and learning; and to determine how waste management practices affect teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. To facilitate teaching and learning, Learners should be safe from diseases and injuries. Kenyan schools have experienced health hazards which have seen students getting sick and some dropping out. Hence, this study sought to establish how health and safety regarding school buildings, water, food and waste management affects teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) which upholds that the will, intent, attitude and perceived behavioral control influence how an individual behaves. The study adopted the mixed method approach whereby the convergent parallel design was applied. The study targeted 197 Public secondary schools, 197 principals, 8580 form two students, 884 class teachers and 2 County Quality Assurance & Standards Officers (CQASOs). Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 19 schools, 19 principals, 152 students and 76 class teachers from the sampled schools while 2 CQASOs were purposively sampled. Data were collected from the principals, teachers and students using questionnaires, while interview schedules were used to collect data from CQASOs. The validity of the research instruments was ascertained through pilot study and inputs from experts in the school of education were factored in. Reliability of research instruments was established through test retest. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using content analysis presented in narratives and verbatim form while the quantitative data were analyzed descriptively with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 28 and presented in frequencies and percentages. The study established that the classrooms, laboratories and libraries were clean, well-lit and well ventilated. The study also established that water was inadequate and not well treated. However, food was mostly well handled although cases of food poisoning were reported. Waste management was haphazardly handled with open sewers and open pits and burning of waste. It was therefore concluded that clean, well lit, well-ventilated premises make students attend, concentrate and remain in school, participate in practical lessons, develop a reading culture and remain disciplined. The study recommends that school health and safety policies should be disseminated and implemented accordingly
Description
A research thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of doctor of philosophy (Educational Management) in the school of Education and Lifelong
Learning, Kenyatta University, November 2024
Dr. George Onyango
Dr. Florence Itegi