MEM Theses and Dissertations (2021)

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11071/12703

Browse

Browsing MEM Theses and Dissertations (2021) by Title

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An Examination of the relationship between induction of newly recruited teachers and students’ academic achievement in public primary schools in Nyandarua South Sub-County
    (Strathmore University, 2021) Ndwiga, Eston Murithi
    Students’ academic achievement is the primary goal of learning institutions in Kenya, especially at basic level (Primary and Secondary schools). Effort by the government, parents and other stakeholders are aimed at ensuring students get best academic results among other achievements. Academic achievement by students is the basis for placing Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) graduates to various classes of secondary schools in the country. Those who attain highest marks in this KCPE are placed in national schools. Owing to the need for students to get high academic achievement, Ministry of Education, Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), and school boards of management have always, implicitly and explicitly, worked on various programmes to induct newly employed teachers in an effort to improve students’ academic achievements among other reasons. The government could be wasting limited resources on an activity that is not productive. This study aimed at investigating whether a relationship between induction of newly recruited teachers and students’ academic achievement exist. Findings of this study will inform Ministry of Education, TSC and school boards of management on whether to intensify induction programs or consider other measures to improve students’ academic achievement. This academic work was founded on Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura. It employed quantitative research design and used closed-ended questionnaires and document analysis to collect data from newly recruited teachers (those recruited between 2015 and 2019). Secondary data collection was by analysing records with details of students’ KCPE academic achievement from Sub-County education office. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23. Analysis of data was by determination of descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation coefficients and significant values, T-test and Regression analysis. T-test was used to compare mean scores for various schools where teachers were inducted and where teachers were not inducted. The study did not find significant relationship between induction of newly employed teachers and students, academic achievement. Further, KCPE mean scores for students taught by teachers who had been inducted were not significantly different from those of students taught by teachers who had not been inducted. Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) should review current ways of inducting teachers with a view to improving it. TSC should prepare a comprehensive induction program to be applied uniformly to all teachers in the country. Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education should provide enough resources in form of tied grants to all schools and its agents to create capacity to carry out comprehensive teacher induction across the country.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors influencing the implementation of a differentiated instruction model in Kianjiruini Primary School
    (Strathmore University, 2021) Mwangi, Lynette Wanjiku
    The differentiated instruction model has been cited as an effective tool in enhancing inclusive education by enabling teachers to give all learners personalized attention. A differentiated instruction model caters for diversity in an inclusive education setting whereby learners have mixed skills levels thus ensuring that needs of each learner are met. However, use of a differentiated instruction model is faced by rampant challenges such as hostile learning environment, lack of adaptive aids, lack of appropriate teaching and testing methodology and lack of training for teachers. There are various factors that influence the successful implementation of a differentiated instruction model. The study looks at the following categories: school-based factors, teacher personal factors and the interplay between school-based factors and teacher personal factors as outlined in the social model of disability. The study also contextualizes the differentiated instruction model using Tomlinson’s model. Conducting the research offered a solution to the various challenges encountered when implementing a DI model. The study utilized a mixed research methodology taking a case study approach. The case study approach was appropriate as it provides an in-depth understanding of the research problem in a real-life environment. The study population constituted of the head teacher, 30 teachers and 17 guardians of pupils with disabilities in Kianjiruini Primary School, Murang’a County. Since the target population is small, the study did not sample but rather conducted a census. This constituted 48 respondents. The study used primary data collected using semi-structured questionnaires and a key informant interview guide. The questionnaires were used to gather data from the teachers and guardians while the key informant interview guide gathered data from the head teacher. The questionnaires were self-administered to the respondents using the drop and pick later method while the key informant interview was conducted face to face. The analysis of quantitative data was facilitated by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. On the other hand, qualitative data was thematically analyzed using content analysis. The data was presented in continuous prose form. Ethical considerations regarding confidentiality, anonymity and voluntary participation were adhered to. Since the study was case study research, the outcomes of the research can be used to develop a study of a number of integrated schools to check whether the various factors influencing implementation of a differentiated instruction model in an inclusive setting can be generalized to a wider population. The study concluded that school-based factors, teacher personal factors and the interplay between school-based factors and teacher personal factors influenced use of the DI model in Kianjiruini Primary School in Murang’a County. The study results reveal that the concept of use of DI is still new with only few schools using it in an inclusive setting. Hence, this study recommends that the government of Kenya through the MOE should pass across the message on the importance of DI more so in an inclusive setting. This will involve upgrading of more schools so that they can take up SNE learners. This will in return aid in distribution of the SNE learners in more schools thereby decongesting the current schools that have enrolled many SNE learners. The study recommends that a similar study be conducted in a different county for comparison purposes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Influence of Catholic Church sponsorship in management of student unrest: case of public secondary schools in Siaya County, Kenya
    (Strathmore University, 2021) Isalano, Makhungu Antonina (Sr)
    This study explored influence of church sponsorship in management of students' unrest in secondary schools in Siaya County. Explicitly, the study analyzed relationship between church appointed school administrative leadership and the management of students' unrest; determined relationship between spiritual guidance of students and management of students' unrest; and examined relationship between sponsorship of development projects and management of students' unrest. The study was unde1pinned on the structural functioning theory. The study targeted catholic sponsored secondary schools in the county from which the sample size was taken. The study adopted a pragmatic approach method therefore employing concurrent triangulation mixed method design. Questionnaires, interviews and document analysis were used as data collection methods. The quantitative data was analyzed descriptively through frequencies and percentages using SPSS Version 26. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed through content analysis approach. The outcome of the study was evidence of disparities between numbers of student unrest among the church appointed school administrator institutions in comparison to the government appointed school administrator institutions. The church appointed administrators had less incidences of student unrest in comparison to those schools with government appointed administrators and this difference was statistically significant. The findings indicated a positive and significant correlation between church appointed administrative leadership and sponsorship of development projects with the management of student unrest. The findings showed a negative but insignificant association between spiritual guidance and management of student unrest. An increase in church appointment. of administrative leadership and sponsorship of development projects yielded an increase in management of student unrest while spiritual guidance did not have any effect on management of student unrest. The study concludes that student involvement and inclusion in planning of development projects of church sponsors and students would contribute to the reduction of student unrest cases; that lack of appropriate spiritual care initiatives and inexperienced teacher’s in these schools means that there was an increase in student unrest; and that schools that have a government appointed administrator had more cases and violent cases of student unrest.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Influence of parental involvement on discipline of secondary school students in Kitui Central Sub- County
    (Strathmore University, 2021) Kaluma, Cosmus Mutemi
    The performances of schools generally rely on effectiveness of the management of learners’ discipline. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of parental involvement in managing the discipline of the students. The study specifically sought to determine effect of parental social, economic and cognitive involvement on the learners’ discipline. This study adopted a correlational study design. The target population for the study included all the principals, deputy principals, class teachers and students in the 35 public secondary schools in Kitui Central Sub-county. The study used census to select all the 35 principals and deputy principals in Kitui Central Sub-county to participate in the study. Proportionate and purposive sampling was used to select 149 class teachers and 371 learners in form three and four classes. The study relied on data collected though questionnaire structured to meet the objectives of the study. Responses were tabulated, coded and processed by use of a computer statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 2.0 programmes to analyze the data. The findings of the study were there was a significant strong positive correlation between parental social involvement and management of discipline of learners. There was a significant strong positive correlation beween parental economic involvement and students’ discipline in public secondary schools. There was a significant strong positive correlation between parental cognitive involvement and student’s discipline (P<0.05). The study concluded that parental involvement in its different forms influenced discipline of learners significantly. The study recommends that parents should limit use of mobile phones and TV in homes, the parents should enquire about students behavior while in school, the ministry of education should in-service school principals on management of students to reduce indiscipline cases in secondary school, the government should increase the amount of funding to schools to include exercise books and writing materials to students from needy families. This would help the students from poor families to have enough learning material hence reduce temptation to steal from the other students, the national and county levels of government ensure and support the 100% transitioning policy for learners so as to finish secondary education. The government should review the use of all disciplinary methods in public secondary schools and provide policy guidelines on parental involvement in the management of students’ discipline in all learning institutions.