Adherence to School Safety and Its Relationship to Students’ Performance in Machakos County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Wambua, Mwongeli Mercy | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-08-05T06:28:34Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-08-05T06:28:34Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-02 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Administration) in School of Education and Lifelong Learning of Kenyatta University February, 2025 Supervisor; 1. Irene N. Njogu | |
| dc.description.abstract | Safety in schools is a crucial component of the wellbeing and success of learners in all educational institutions. Learners who do not perceive their school to be safe may not concentrate well in studies for good performance. The aim of the research was to examine the effect of school safety on the achievement of high school learners in Machakos County, Kenya. Specifically, this research sought to: establish the safety status of public secondary schools within Machakos County, examine how safety in schools impinges on the learning process in high schools in Machakos County, establish whether secondary school students’ perception of safety in school correlates with their academic achievement, and find out the measures being taken to improve safety in the schools. This research study employed a descriptive survey research design. The targeted respondents were all the 84,800 students, 2,954 teachers, and 332 principals in the 332 public high schools in the County. The research utilized stratified random sampling method to select 20 schools for the study, with 10 schools comprising those that consistently perform well in KCSE while 10 schools were drawn from those that consistently perform poorly. The sample size was computed using a sample size determination formula, arriving at 400 students (0.5%), 40 teachers (1.4%) and 20 principals (6.0%), leading to 460 participants. Data was obtained using students’ questionnaires, teachers’ questionnaires, and principals’ interview schedules. To ensure reliability of the instrument, test-retest method was utilised, and the questionnaires was deemed reliable with an index of 0.781. Data was analysed per research objective, by use of statistical analysis as well as descriptive approach. Qualitative data was analysed thematically using content analysis. The study found that, while the respondents generally perceive certain aspects of school safety positively, there are notable areas of concern that warrant further attention and intervention to enhance overall safety and well-being in secondary schools. Results indicated a moderate positive correlation between students' perception of school safety and their academic performance (r = 0.136, p < 0.05). Recommendations include enhancing safety protocols, increasing stakeholder involvement, and investing in technology to enhance school safety. The study findings could be useful to policymakers, principals and tutors by identifying measures that may be utilised to improve school safety for the wellbeing of students in schools. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/31093 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Adherence to School Safety and Its Relationship to Students’ Performance in Machakos County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |