Schools In Kenya Research Articles

Influence of Institutional Characteristics on Learners’ Academic Achievement in Selected Public Day Secondary Schools in Kenya

Rapid growth in Education as an investment has necessitated and heightened interest in the determination of institutional influence on Learners’ Academic Achievement in Kenya. This is observed in regular Curriculum reforms in the recent past to align the curriculum to learners’ academic aspirations. This study sought to determine the extent to which teachers’ characteristics and teaching learning resources influence students’ academic achievement as measured by the Mean Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination score and grade. The sample size of 109 Teachers and 384 Learners was obtained from the targeted population of 2830 people. Ex-post Facto Design and Correlational Design were adopted in the investigation. Questionnaires for teachers and learners, interviews schedule and document analysis were utilized to gather data. The Questionnaire instrument reliability co–efficient of 0.8 for Teachers and 0.75 for Learners was obtained following a pre-test based on split half technique. Inferential and Descriptive statistics using Chi square interactive facilitated data analysis. The study showed that favourable institutional factors positively correlates with learners’ academic achievement and vice versa. The study recommended that Day school learning facilities and teacher-student ratio be improved as this will facilitate attainment of a higher mean score by learners in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations. Keywords: Institutional Characteristics, Students’ Academic Achievement. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-3-06 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

Teachers’ Perceptions of Social Factors Influencing Boy- Child Drop-Out Rates in Day Mixed Secondary Schools in Kenya

Despite the fact that the government of Kenya has introduced Free Primary Education (FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE), many school going age boys have been dropping out of school. School drop-out for boys is a very serious issue not only in Kenya but also in the whole world. Although many studies have been carried out in other parts of Kenya, none has investigated the factors behind the increased dropout of the boy child in secondary education particularly in Kericho County. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the teachers’ perceptions on social factors influencing the boy-child’s drop-out in public mixed day secondary schools in Kericho County. The objective of the study was to examine teachers’ perceptions on the influence of social factors on boy child drop-out. The study used the descriptive survey research design. The study was guided by Gibson’s Theory of Direct Perception theory. The target population comprised of 210 form 4 class teachers. Multistage sampling was used during sampling whereby 136 Form four class teachers were sampled to participate in the study. Quantitative data was collected using a teachers’ questionnaires. Piloting of the teachers’ questionnaire was carried out to ensure reliability which was estimated using split-half reliability formula. Validity of the instruments was ascertained in relation to the set objectives. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The results of the study indicated that the selected social factors such as peer influence, family disputes, indiscipline and love relationships (F= 6.354, p< .05) influenced boy-child drop-out. A regression analysis revealed that social factors contributed 41.1% (R2 = .411) of the boys drop-out. Boys who dropped out of school are a threat to the society for lack of proper engagement. The results are significant to teachers, parents and students in addressing the factors that influence education retention among boys and they may come up with ways of curbing this drop-out problem.

Teachers’ Perceptions on School Based Factors Influencing Boy-Child Drop-Out Rates and Intervention Strategies in Secondary Schools in Kenya

The Government of Kenya has introduced Free Primary Education (FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE), many school going age boys have been dropping out of school. School drop-out for boys is a very serious issue not only in Kenya but in the whole world over. Although many studies have been carried out in other parts of Kenya, none has investigated the school based factors behind the increased dropout of the boy child in secondary education particularly in Kericho County. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the teachers perception on the influence of school-based factors on boy child dropouts, The objectives of the study were; to examine teachers’ perceptions on the influence of school-based factors on boy child dropout and to find out the intervention strategies put in place to curb the increasing boy child drop-out in public mixed day secondary schools in Kericho County. The study used the descriptive survey research design.. The study was guided by the Bronfenbrenner’s Biosystems Theory. The target population comprised 176 principals of public mixed day secondary schools and 210 form four class teachers totaling to 386. Multistage sampling was used during sampling whereby 121 schools were sampled to participate in the study. A sample of 121 principals and 136 form four class teachers were selected purposively. Data was collected using teacher questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically and reported in narrations. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The results of the study indicated that the school-based factors such as poor performance, teachers’ hostility, inadequate teaching and learning resources (F = 5.105, p < .05) influenced boy-child drop-out and the perceived interventions were confirmed. A regression analysis revealed that School based factors contributed 35.0% (R2 = .350) of the boys drop-out rates. The findings of the study can be used to provide useful information to the ministry of education policy makers on the implementation of workable strategies that can promote boys’ education. The results are significant to the teachers, parents and other stakeholders in addressing the factors that influence education retention among boys and ways of curbing the drop-out problem.

Stakeholders’ Participation as an Institutional Determinant of Strategic Plan Implementation in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya.

This study sought to investigate institutional determinants of strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. The study objective sought to determine the influence of the stakeholders’ participation in school development plans on strategic plan implementation. The study used Descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 351 public secondary school principals 1,404 class teachers, and 1,755 academic Heads of Departments from which a sample of 105 principals, 176 academic HoDs and 140 class teachers was derived. Stratified sampling technique was used to sample the respondents. A questionnaire and an interview guide were the data collection tools. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyses data. Data was presented by use of frequency distribution tables, and pie charts. Person’s product-moment correlation Coefficient and multiple linear regression was used to analyze the inferential data. The set level of hypothesis testing was set at a 0.05 level of significance. This study may be significant to the school Board of Management members and policy makers in terms of know how skills on formulation, implementation and evaluation of strategic plans implementation in schools. This study found that stakeholder participation in school development plans have a positive and significant influence on the strategic plan implementation. Based on these findings, the study recommended that the stakeholders’ need to honor the invitation to take part in the school development plans in the strategic plan and in essence parents ought to be part and parcel in formulating the school strategic plan, and ensure the strategic plan implementation through school fees payment in time. Likewise Constituency Development Fund as stakeholders need to perform its duty in order to ensure adequate strategic plan implementation. The researcher conducted Hypothesis testing using a multiple regression model at the 5 percent level of significance. The results of hypothesis testing gave a positive coefficient of 0.2519 on stakeholder participation in school development plans was realized with a p-value of 0.000 indicating a statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Hence we reject the hypothesis that, stakeholder participation in school development plans has an effect on strategic plan implementation. This indicates that, stakeholder participation in school development plans does have a statistically significant effect on strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Machakos County.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION AS A DETERMINANT OF STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA.

Education is critical for the progress and changes of nations across the world. The purpose of the study was to the influence of instructional supervision on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya. The article is an extract from a study done in public secondary schools in the Yatta sub-county, Machakos County, Kenya. The study was guided by the instructional leadership model. The researcher adopted a descriptive research design, survey method. The study was conducted among 247 respondents comprising 19 principals and 228 teachers. The study employed stratified sampling techniques and simple random sampling techniques. Data collection was done using questionnaires for principals and teachers. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings, from the principal’s perspective, revealed that there exists a weak positive correlation between the principal’s instructional supervision and students’ academic performance (r = 0.236 p = 0.330). However, from the teacher's perspective, the findings show that there is a weak negative correlation between the principal’s instructional supervision and students’ academic performance (r =- 0.190, p =0.009). Therefore, the study concluded that instructional supervision is crucial, but it must be carried out properly and with the participation of all parties concerned for the best result. It was, thus, suggested that the principals in public secondary schools should enhance instructional supervision by always being actively involved in the day-to-day learning of the institutions and engaging the teacher in planning for the supervision to enhance students’ performance.

The extent to which principals’ use of transformational leadership style influences students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which principals’ use of transformational leadership style influences students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Mwala sub-county, Machakos County. This study used descriptive survey research design. It targeted 72 schools, 72 principals and 505 teachers in Mwala Sub-county. The study employed stratified random sampling technique to select 36 principals and simple random sampling technique to include 216 teachers. The instruments were validated through piloting and by research experts to ascertain content validity while reliability was achieved through piloting using test-retest method. Data was coded and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics which included frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were employed to analyse data. Inferential statistics which basically involved running correlation analysis at 0.05 level of significance were employed to test the nature and strength of relationships between variables. The study employed tables to present the analysed results. The results revealed that there was weak positive but statistically significant correlation between transformational leadership style and students’ academic performance (R=.374, p=.038). The study recommends to: Kenya Institute of Educational Management (KEMI) and the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) to regularly in-service teachers on leadership styles; principals to enhance practices associated with transformational leadership practices since they improve academic performance.

An Assessment of parental level of income on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya

An Assessment of parental level of income on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya

Justice Kiage and the Total Constitution: Judicial Protection of Religious Minorities in Kenyan Schools

Justice Kiage and the Total Constitution: Judicial Protection of Religious Minorities in Kenyan Schools

CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERARINESS IN CULTURAL CREATIVE DANCES PERFORMED IN THE KENYA SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES DRAMA FESTIVALS

The Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival is a series of student-theatre competitions in, held from January to April annually. Students across all learning institutions take part in these festivals. The competitive nature of these festivals provides an opportunity for participants to be creative in their submissions. The festivals feature many genres, including cultural creative dances. Traditional dances, as a sub-genre of orature, play are integral to the appreciation and maintenance of traditional cultures. They tell creative or literary stories orally and in a modern context. Therefore, this article seeks to articulate how cultural creative dances performed during drama festivals tell creative or literary stories orally. The study sought to describe the literary stories told and themes addressed through the dances, analyse the dramatic and oral literary features of these stories and the literary features included during performance and adjudication of cultural creative dances. The study used descriptive and analytical methods to underline important practical, philosophical, aesthetic, and psychological considerations in determining the artistic quality of cultural dances in Kenya’s Drama Festivals. It thus relied on qualitative data obtained through textual analysis, interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation. The study employed the performance theory and theatre semiotics to examine the unique literary quality of these dances. The study found that cultural creative dances tell stories unique to the cultures from which they are composed. They also address themes of human or universal relevance out of those cultures. Moreover, cultural creative dances exhibit all features of literariness in terms of their composition. Some of these features make it to the stage performance and adjudication process. However, adjudication examines other technical aspects of production based on the themes prescribed for the festival by the government. This research underlines the place of cultural creative dance as dramatic genre and oral literary performance.

Perceptions of Students and Administrators on Peer Pressure as a Predictor of Students’ Sexual Behavior in Secondary Schools in Homa Bay Town Sub County, Kenya

A favorable school atmosphere, in which learners are well behaved, is one of the greatest concerns of education stakeholders. Although studies have documented a number of factors that lead to misbehavior among students in schools, peer pressure is reported to contribute up to 53% of cases of students’ misbehavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of students and administrators on peer pressure as a predictor of students’ sexual behavior in secondary schools in Homa Bay Town Sub County Kenya. The objective was to find out the perception of students and administrators on the role of peer pressure in predicting risky sexual behavior among secondary schools’ students in Homa Bay Town Sub County, Kenya. The target population was 10761 students and 33 deputy principals in the 33 secondary schools in Homa Bay Town Sub County. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select 30 secondary schools from which 30 deputy principals were selected. Three hundred and seventy students were sampled by simple random sampling. A descriptive survey research design was adopted to find out the perception of students and deputy principals on peer pressure as a predictor of Students’ sexual behavior. Data on the students’ and deputy Principals’ perception was collected using structured questionnaires and deputy principal’s interview. The content validity of the research instruments was established by seeking opinions from the experts in Educational Psychology. Reliability was assessed by test re-test method and Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.882 and 0.996 was obtained for students and deputy principal’s questionnaires respectively. Descriptive statistics including frequency counts, means, standard deviation and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data from the deputy principals’ interview was transcribed and categorized into emergent themes. The study revealed that Students generally expressed moderate agreement that peer pressure relates to Students’ sexual behavior (mean=2.65). Deputy principals’ responses revealed that school administrators had higher level of agreement that peer pressure relates to Students’ sexual behavior (mean= 3.24). The findings of this study may help in increasing awareness and insight towards implementation comprehensive peer educational programs in school and provide useful information to the Ministry of Education and policy makers. The study recommend that secondary schools should implement comprehensive peer education programs that would bridge the gap in understanding and foster non-judgmental discussions on peer pressure and its influence on students behavior.

Navigating antiretroviral adherence in boarding secondary schools in Nairobi, Kenya: A qualitative study of adolescents living with HIV, their caregivers and school nurses.

In Kenya, adolescents spend much of their formative years in boarding secondary schools, which presents a challenging environment for antiretroviral (ART) adherence support among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). We examined the experiences of ALHIV, caregivers of adolescents, and school nurses regarding navigating ART adherence in boarding secondary schools. Between July and November 2022, we conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) among ALHIV attending boarding schools in Nairobi, Kenya, and caregivers of ALHIV, and in-depth interviews (IDIs) with school nurses. Clinic records were used to identify ALHIV and caregivers, who were invited to participate based on their availability. We categorized boarding schools into national, county, and sub-county levels and selected two schools from each category. We obtained permission from head teachers and invited school nurses to take part in virtual IDIs. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. We conducted two FGDs with 11 caregivers, two FGDs with 18 adolescents, and 7 IDIs with school nurses. Most of the ALHIV reported having disclosed their HIV status to a school nurse or teacher during admission. School nurse friendliness, being understanding, fair, and confidential were qualities associated with ALHIV willingness to confide in them. Strategies ALHIV used to adhere to medication included: waiting until students were engaged in other activities, waking up early, stepping away from others, and stating their drugs were for different ailments. Caregivers were nervous about school-based adherence counseling, fearing it could lead to inadvertent disclosure of adolescents' HIV status and stigmatization by fellow students. All school nurses reported lacking appropriate training in HIV adherence counseling for adolescents. ALHIV have devised innovative strategies to navigate pill-taking and enlist quiet support while operating in stigmatized school environments. Establishment of a strong school nurse-adolescent rapport and building nurses' skills are key to improving school-based support for ALHIV.

Social Cultural Factors Influencing Participation of Women in School Administration in Public Secondary Schools in Mvita sub-County, Mombasa County, Kenya

Women participation in secondary school administration in Kenyan public secondary schools is a powerful means to contribute to social economic development. However, it is not known how social cultural factors influence participation of women in education administration in public secondary schools in Mvita sub county, Mombasa County Kenya. The study therefore investigated social cultural factors influencing participation of women in education administration in public schools in Mvita sub county, Mombasa Kenya. The target population was 223 respondents in 20 public secondary’s in Mvita sub county. Census and random sampling methods were used to choose the participants. The sample comprised of 100 teachers and 20 headteachers, one sub county director of education, one sub county staffing officer, and one sub county quality assurance officer. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data. The validity of the instruments was checked by my supervisor. The instruments were piloted in three secondary schools in Mvita county to establish their reliability. Test – retest method was used to compute reliability coefficient from the data collected from the pilot study. Reliability coefficient of the instruments was 0.75 for each instrument. The descriptive statistics used were frequencies and percentages. The data collected in this study was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer programme version20.0. The research findings established that family responsibilities cause gender imbalance in education administration in public secondary schools in Mvita county. It was therefore recommended that the government should come up with more affirmative action policies at the school and college level and ensure that they are implemented in order to correct gender imbalance and guarantee women opportunities for participation in school management positions and policy making. The study findings also revealed that personal interest in leadership positions influenced negatively participation of women in education administration in public secondary schools in Mvita sub county. It was recommended that Teachers Service Commission should encourage female teachers to apply for vacant management positions whenever they are advertised.

Level of Student Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness in Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya

The recurring, widespread and sudden nature of fire and floods disasters pose high degree of risks frequently in secondary schools. However, the capacity of the affected secondary schools is limited due to paucity of student’s disaster risk reduction awareness. The study endeavoured to assess the level of student disaster risk reduction awareness in secondary schools in Kisumu County. The study grounded on Planned Behaviour and Disaster Preparedness theory while adopting a descriptive research design. A sample size of 86 out of 172 public secondary schools was used. All principals from sampled schools were selected. Also, 172 students comprising of 2 student leaders, one Head of Department from each selected schools were sampled totalling to 86, and 4 ministry of education officials from Kenya School of Curriculum Development were purposively sampled. Data was collected using questionnaires and observation schedule. Qualitative data collected was put under themes consistent with the research objective. Quantitative data was coded and entered in the computer for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, means and frequencies were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there was no disaster risk reduction and resilience in current curricula in secondary school. Students lacked capacity to respond to disasters in secondary schools in Kisumu County since they lacked disaster management training. The study recommends formulation of effective and practical disaster syllabi, alongside specialized training for teachers who would be delivering DRR education which builds on students’ existing knowledge and experience by developing additional competencies needed for effective disaster management. Rehearsal drills in disaster preparedness must be done in secondary schools by students since it re-emphases points made in separate training programs and test the systems as a whole and invariably revealing several gaps that otherwise might have been overlooked.

Prevalence and correlates of compliance with 24-h movement guidelines among children from urban and rural Kenya-The Kenya-LINX project.

Like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has experienced rapid urbanization in recent years. Despite the distinct socioeconomic and environmental differences, few studies have examined the adherence to movement guidelines in urban and rural areas. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining compliance to the 24-hour movement guidelines and their correlates among children from urban and rural Kenya. Children (n = 539) aged 11.1 ± 0.8 years (52% female) were recruited from 8 urban and 8 rural private and public schools in Kenya. Physical activity (PA) and sleep duration were estimated using 24-h raw data from wrist-worn accelerometers. Screen time (ST) and potential correlates were self- reported. Multi-level logistic regression was applied to identify correlates of adherence to combined and individual movement guidelines. Compliance with the combined movement guidelines was low overall (7%), and higher among rural (10%) than urban (5%) children. Seventy-six percent of rural children met the individual PA guidelines compared to 60% urban children while more rural children also met sleep guidelines (27% vs 14%). The odds of meeting the combined movement guidelines reduced with age (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35-0.87, p = 0.01), was greater among those who could swim (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.09-9.83, p = 0.04), and among those who did not engage in ST before school (OR = 4.40, 95% CI = 1.81-10.68, p<0.01). The odds of meeting PA guidelines increased with the number of weekly physical education sessions provided at school (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.36-3.21, p<0.01) and was greater among children who spent their lunch break walking (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.15-5.55, p = 0.02) or running relative to those who spent it sitting (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.27-4.27, p = 0.01). Prevalence of meeting movement guidelines among Kenyan children is low and of greatest concern in urban areas. Several correlates were identified, particularly influential were features of the school day, School is thus a significant setting to promote a healthy balance between sleep, sedentary time, and PA.

A critical review on integration of virtual labs to enhance access to stem education for girls during and post Covid-19

Practical activities are extremely important in teaching sciences as they aid the students in comprehending scientific concepts through participatory learning. However, most Kenyan public schools lack well equipped laboratories. Additionally, the diminishing resources resulting from post-COVID effects offer no beam of hope. Disruption from COVID also poses critical challenges of handling physical devices in times of such pandemics. To address this, the Integration of Virtual Labs to Enhance STEM Education for Girls (IVLESTEG) project was conceptualized to enhance girl’s access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) subjects in Kenyan secondary schools. The aim of this research study was to critically appraise the current technology models in relation to girls’ access to STEM education with the overall objective of exploring the potential of e-learning in promoting participation of female students in STEM subjects in Kenya. Upon development and implementation of learning in the V-labs, quasi experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of use of V-Labs in enhancing the participation of female students in STEM disciplines in secondary schools. Schools were randomly chosen and classified as either experimental or control sites. This method allowed for comparison of performance in STEM subjects of the female learners who were exposed to learning in the V-labs and those not. The findings will contribute to the development of a framework for appraising models for ICT use in STEM teaching and learning processes for girls that can inform practice, policy and research.

Eacher’s Professional Knowledge and Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence of TPAD Implementation in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Teacher performance appraisal and development play a crucial part in enhancing staff performance, reward, motivation, and training. A thorough inspection of most public secondary schools in Transmara East Sub-County disclosed a decline in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education schools’ average performance from 2018 to 2022. It is not evident whether Teacher performance appraisal and development (TPAD) implementation has an influence on the performance of learners’ academic achievement. The investigation was steered by Goal Setting theory of motivation. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A target population of 277 respondents consisted of 1 Teacher Service Commission (TSC) Sub-County director, 34 principals, and 242 TSC teachers from 34 public secondary school teachers in Transmara East Sub-County. The project adopted a stratified random sampling technique on 164 respondents comprising 1 TSC sub-county director, 20 principals, and 143 teachers employed by TSC. Questionnaires were utilised in acquiring data from teachers while the interview schedule was given to the TSC Sub-County director and principals. The checklist was used to collect target and end-term mean scores. Data collected was examined using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative facts were evaluated by descriptive statistics, frequency, mean and standard deviation as well as a correlation for inferential statistics. The quantitative facts were illustrated using charts and tables. Qualitative data was analysed thematically, which was triangulated with quantitative data. Findings reveal that teachers in their professional knowledge, showed mastery of subject content, used appropriate teaching styles, developed required documentation and learning assessment, and utilised learning and teaching resources sufficiently. Hence, professional knowledge has a significant positive influence on the academic performance of students (P&lt;0.05). The study concludes that professional knowledge has a significant positive influence on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Transmara East Sub-County, Kenya. The study recommended that the government should improve training, assessment, and e-resource for ICT integration in the learning and teaching of students.

Negotiating contemporary issues through cultural creative dance expressions

This study sought to negotiate contemporary issues through cultural creative dance expressions. The study delves into the techniques of dramatisation in the dances, contextualised in their cultural and creative contexts. The synthesis of these concepts was propped on aesthetic theory, semiotics and discourses on African performance for the description of style, themes and messaging. The study was framed on qualitative design to analyse purposively sampled cultural creative dances on various chosen themes and cultures. Primary data included data observed in the sampled dances as well as unstructured interviews. Secondary data was gathered from books, journals, articles and online publications. The data was analysed using content analysis. The study finds that, indeed, a cultural creative dance performed in the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival tackle various themes that are derived from various issues the Kenyan society is grappling with. The study findings also note that the artist has a central role in bringing issues to the fore and affirms the cultural creative dance as a powerful and enduring platform for ruminating on societal concerns. In conclusion, the cultural creative dance, as the foregoing discourse elucidates, is a potent, lively and well-grounded mode of communicating and discussing the issues in the hearts of individual citizens and the nation at large.

Effect of Direct Costs of Education on Students’ Transition Rate in Public Boarding Secondary Schools in Kenya

Educational resources and facilities cost money. The government and families mostly cover these expenditures. Kenya has spent considerably in education to improve access and participation. Despite these attempts, many students enroll in secondary school in form one, but the numbers drop as they advance to form four. Some are unsuccessful in the four-year course. The study's main goal was to determine the effect of direct educational costs on the transition rates of students in public boarding secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County. This research employed a Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design. 34 principals and 3,917 parents were targeted. The sample includes all the 34 principals and 362 parents purposively and Yamane's Simplified formula-selected respectively. Proportional random sampling aided in the choice of parents. Interviews, questionnaires, and archive content analysis collected data. Thematic analysis helped interpret qualitative data while inferential and descriptive statistics interpreted quantitative data. The findings indicated that, in public boarding secondary schools, student transition is highly connected with direct educational expenses. Direct educational expenditures predict public boarding secondary school students’ grade to grade transition rate. They explain 81.8% of the variation with repairs, maintenance and improvement cost accounting for the highest (34.7%) and school meals was responsible for 0.1% of the variance. The study concluded that, direct costs of education affect students’ grade to grade transition. It recommends the government to: review and increase student capitation so as to cover boarding expenses, diversify funding sources to fully cushion the needy students and fully fund school projects and programmes in order to relieve parents/guardians of the cost burden and thus increase student participation in Public Boarding Secondary schools. Keywords: Direct costs of education, Boarding Expenses, Board of Management Salaries and Motivation Fees, Public Boarding secondary Schools, Student Capitation, Students’ Transition Rates

The Role of Strategic Plan Implementation on Internal Efficiency of Public Secondary Schools in Mombasa County, Kenya

Strategic plan implementation is a concept that has been embraced across sectors of the global world due to its effect on internal efficiency. Therefore, the study sought to determine the role of strategic plan implementation on the internal efficiency of public secondary schools in Mombasa County. It was addressed by the following objectives: to analyze the role of education mission and vision on strategic plan implementation and strategic resource mobilization on the internal efficiency of public secondary schools in Mombasa County. The Resource-Based theory guided the study. The study adopted a Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods design where data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Stratified systematic random sampling techniques were used in the study. Principals, teachers and BOM chairpersons formed the population with 134 respondents forming the sample. The instruments were validated as reliability was determined. Tests such as t-tests, correlation, ANOVA and regression analyses. Descriptive statistics in the form of mean, variability such as standard deviation and variance were applied. The data was then presented in tables, graphs, pie charts and percentages. The study findings indicated that although most of schools had developed strategic plans, some were partially implemented as others not implemented at all. The results obtained through correlation and regression show that mission and vision and also strategic resource mobilization had a significant correlation with internal efficiency. Therefore, when other factors are held constant, for every unit change in the independent variables, the internal efficiency increases. This indicated that there are strong relationships established. As a recommendation, the study provides a base for policymakers to inform and formulate policies on applying strategic planning in improving the internal efficiencies of public secondary schools in Kenya. Keywords : Academic performance, Completion rate, Government Policy, Educational mission and vision, Strategic resource mobilization DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-36-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Developing Instructional Processes for Competency Based Learning of Integrated Science at Junior Secondary School in Kenya

Curriculum reforms world over indicate an overwhelming acceptance of Competency Based Learning in basic education. The curriculum reform in Kenya from the content based learning in the 8-4-4 system of education to Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) entails a paradigm shift in pedagogical approaches from content-based approaches to learner-based approaches. Competence-based learning approach is an integrated and holistic understanding of what we want the young people to learn, be able to do, and to become. This is demonstrated in competencies developed by learners. Such a change in the curriculum require that teachers be adequately trained and supported for its successful implementation. It is however notable that as the first CBC class enters junior secondary school level at Grade 7, many teachers are not adequately prepared for competence-based teaching/learning. This situation informs the need to develop a guide that can be used to assist teachers in implementing competence-based learning. This paper therefore seeks to answer the question ‘How should teachers design competence-based learning of Integrated Science for junior secondary school?’. Research work has been done over time to unveil the best processes that help learners acquire competencies in learning. This paper consolidates from literature views on the best practices that help teachers implement heuristic teaching strategies required in the competence-based learning of integrated science. An elaboration on the importance of teacher preparedness for competence-based learning of science at junior secondary school is discussed. The teacher is then guided through designing appropriate competence-based learning environment which involves: (i) Adequate understanding of integrated science curriculum design and competence-based teaching and learning situation; (ii) Creating the learning environment and preparation of resources; (iii) Planning for competence-based learning; (iv) an understanding different heuristic teaching strategies, approaches and methods; (v) Appropriate interaction with learners and (vi) Appropriate assessment of learning. The paper consolidates the characteristics of approaches and methods of teaching science in competence-based learning with a focus on their application by the teacher in a face-to-face classroom situation. Keywords: Competence-Based Learning, Developing Competency, Heuristic Teaching Methods, Junior Secondary School, Integrated Science Learning, Teacher Preparedness for Competency Based Curriculum. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-35-02 Publication date: December 31 st 2022