Nyakundi, Mercy Kerubo2026-05-132026-05-132017-02https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/33065A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education (Early Childhood Education) in the School of Education, Kenyatta University, February 2017. Supervisor 1. Dr. Nyakwara Begi 2. Dr. Rachel W, Kang'etheGlobal studies show the need for parental involvement in children’s school readiness. In Kenya, studies show that students’ poor performance in school is mainly caused by a lack of school readiness. Moreover, most parents in Kenya do not take children’s school readiness seriously, and the attitudes they have toward school readiness are influenced by various factors such as parents’ level of education and income. This study therefore sought to find out the determinants of parents’ perceptions of children’s school readiness and to determine the differences in parents’ perceptions of children’s school readiness based on education level, income level, area of residence, and gender. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which regards children as being at the center of various layers of systems. These systems can be used by parents to develop positive perceptions of children’s school readiness. A survey research design was used to guide the study. The study was conducted in Kasarani Division. The target population consisted of parents with children aged 5 to 6 years enrolled in pre-unit classes in licensed pre-primary schools in Kasarani Division... A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the sample. Out of the 184 pre-primary schools in Kasarani Division, 30% were selected, comprising 8 public pre-primary schools and 48 private pre-primary schools. Parents were sampled through their children. Thirty percent of the children enrolled in pre-unit classes in the division were selected. Therefore, two pupils from every school were sampled, giving a total of 112 parents. This also resulted in a sample size of 56 teachers. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to obtain data from the respondents. A pilot study was conducted in two pre-schools within Kasarani Division. Content validity was used to determine the validity of the instruments, while the reliability of the instruments was determined using the test-retest method.enThesis