Teachers’ Characteristics Influencing Pupils’ Reading Readiness in Low-Cost Private Multi-Grade Pre-Primary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Loading...
Date
2025-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Reading is the bedrock of all learning, and each subject area depends on it for comprehension of information. To be able to prepare pupils for reading, job experience, training, and attitude of a teacher among other factors is of paramount importance. Despite this knowledge, poor reading performance has been noted worldwide which causes concern. Here in Kenya, low levels of reading preparedness among preschool children were noted in Nairobi while 50% of grade three learners in primary schools were below average in reading of letters and letter sound recognition but the study did not explore what role teacher characteristics played in this dilemma. Moreover, other previous studies that have been done on the subject exhibited contextual, conceptual, and methodological gaps. Accordingly, this study assessed what specific influence teachers’ attributes had on pupils’ reading readiness, since this is the foundational level of education and life-long learning. Additionally, it was important to ascertain how teachers handled the mixed groups of children of different abilities and age, in low-cost private multi-grade preschools. Although there are many factors that can influence pupil’s reading readiness, this study focused on teachers work experience, their training, as well as attitude towards pupils’ reading readiness in low-cost private multi-grade pre-primary school classrooms in Kasarani Sub-County of Nairobi City County, Kenya where reading performance was reported to be one of the worst, among other counties nationally. Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory guided this correlational design study. A sample size of 15% (50) schools, teachers, and head teachers out of 350 was selected using simple random sampling, in low-cost private multi-grade pre-primary schools. Data were collected through questionnaires and interview schedules. Furthermore, validity of the instruments was ensured by strictly basing the entire research content on the study’s objectives while Split half technique was used to determine their reliability, at 0.7 coefficient. Data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively because the two methods supplement each other. To test the three hypotheses, inferential statistics comprising Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression were used. The findings from the study show that teacher characteristics had statistically significant relationship with pupils’ reading readiness training at (r = 0.014, P<0.05.), experience (r = 0.023, P<0.05) and attitude (r = 0.042, P<0.05) respectively. In conclusion, the study recommended that the school management should liaise with the government to regularly train multi-grade pre-primary school teachers and in addition, offer them better remuneration.
Description
A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Early Childhood Education) of Kenyatta University, June 2025
Supervisors;
1.Maureen Mweru
2.Juliet W. Mugo