Dispositional Optimism and Learning Strategies as Predictors of Academic Achievement among Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Bundi, Joel K. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-09-30T09:41:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-09-30T09:41:01Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-03 | |
| dc.description | A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment for the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning of Kenyatta University March, 2024 1. Doyne K. Mugambi 2. Peter A.M. Mwaura | |
| dc.description.abstract | Academic achievement of pupils from public primary schools in Nakuru County in national examination has constantly been skewed towards lower mean scores. This problem has continued to persist despite considerable effort made by teachers, psychologists, educational researchers, guidance and counseling professionals. The below average academic achievement has detrimental consequences to the learner, family, society and the nation. The affected learners miss out on the schools of their choices and become disoriented in career aspirations at this foundation stage, lose focus and hope. The family may be in stress looking for school to place the learner while the society and the nation may be in deficit of human resource capital required for socio-economic transformation and national development. To address this issue, the following objectives were formulated; To determine the relationship between dispositional optimism and academic achievement, to determine the relationship between learning strategies (deep, surface) on academic achievement, to establish if there exists significant sex differences in pupil’s learning strategies and dispositional optimism, to establish if there exists significant differences in learning strategies and dispositional optimism based on socioeconomic status of pupils and to establish the prediction equation of academic achievement from pupil's learning strategies (surface, deep) and dispositional optimism having controlled for demographic factors. The study was based on learning approaches model by Marton and Saljo (1976) and dispositional optimism theory by Scheier et al. (1994). The study adopted convergent parallel mixed research design. All the 41524 standard eight pupils enrolled in 2021 in 747 public primary schools in the county formed the study's target population. The accessible population was 1364 class eight pupils from 16 public primary schools and who were targeted to sit for 2021 KCPE. The sample consisted of 400 standard eight pupils selected from 16 public primary schools selected using Israel (1992) sampling table. Probability sampling procedures, namely stratified and simple random and purposive sampling which is a non-probability sampling procedure were used in the selection of the schools and the respondents. Questionnaires and interview guide were used to collect data. A pilot study was conducted among 30 class eight pupils to establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The study used both descriptive and relevant inferential statistical procedures to analyze the data. The results showed that dispositional optimism and academic achievement had a moderate, positive and significant correlation, r (366) = .31, p < .05. There was a moderate, positive and significant correlation between deep learning strategies and academic achievement, r (281) = .40, p < .05. The study established that there was no statistically significant relationship between surface learning strategies and academic achievement, r (71) = .11, p > .05. The mean differences in deep learning strategies among boys and girls were not statistically significant, t (281) = 0.92, p = .36. The mean differences in surface learning strategies among boys and girls were not statistically significant, t (71) = 1.29, p = .20. The mean differences in dispositional optimism between boys and girls were not statistically significant, t (366) = 0.95, p = .34. The study established that the differences in deep learning strategies based on SES were not statistically significant, F (2, 280) = 1.58, p > .05. The differences in surface learning strategies based on SES were not statistically significant, F (2, 70) = 0.04, p > .05. There were significant differences in pupil's dispositional optimism based on socio-economic status, F (2, 365) = 4.09, p < .05. Dispositional optimism, surface and deep learning strategies significantly predict academic achievement among the pupils, F (3, 364) = 147.84, P < .05. The study recommends that the MOE should enhance and regularly conduct capacity building for teachers on how to enhance pupil’s dispositional optimism and deep learning strategies for better academic achievement in primary schools. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/28981 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Dispositional Optimism and Learning Strategies as Predictors of Academic Achievement among Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |