PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING SCHOOL DROP OUT AMONG MASAI BOYS IN MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Education is a significant tool for empowering people socially and economically. It is capable of improving the livelihoods of people around the world. A high rate of school dropouts therefore has the capacity to reduces the pool and diversity of qualified workforce that contributes to national. Building. A study was therefore conducted on psychosocial factors that influence boys dropout rates among primary school boys in Illodokilani Zone of Kajiado County, Kenya. This paper is a presents the findings of school dropout rates among boys in selected primary schools within Illodokilani Zone of Kajiado County, the psychosocial factors that influence boys dropout in the selected primary schools and the relationship between the psychosocial factors and the drop-out rates among boys in the selected schools. A sample of 354 was employed, it comprised 90 class seven boys, 60 drop out boys 54 teachers and 150 guardians. The participants were obtained by through random sampling, snowballing and purposive sampling in case of drop-out boys and their parents. Mixed research design, interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussion were used to gather data while descriptive methods and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Class 7 recorded the highest rate of dropout (30.8) and psychosocial factors explained 80.8% of boys drop out from school. Schools should provide psychosocial support services. Boys peer group empowerment and Adult Education is needed for parents.