Editon Consortium Journal of Curriculum and Educational Studies

A competency-based curriculum for Kenyan primary schools: Learning from theory

Dorothy Atieno Okeyo — 2021-03-30

The main focus of this paper is placed on how competent each student is in the subject and not how much knowledge they have acquired in the subject. A competency-based curriculum for Kenyan primary schools. Competency-based curriculum (CBC) is designed with a view to help learners acquire desired knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to enable them cope with life challenges. CBE adopts a learner-centered pedagogy, formative and authentic assessment approaches that emphasize the development of competencies and application of knowledge in real life context. This paper is based on library research and seeks to review literature concerning the CBC in order to come up with various lessons to help in the Kenyan education. A brief analysis of Kenyan adoption of CBC under the system of 2-6-3-3 unveiled in 2017 to replace the current 8-4-4 system which has served Kenya for the last 32 years has been done. The adoption of 2-6-3-3 has received attention because it provides an opportunity to reflect on the end of an Era in Kenyan education system where examination has been the center of the sector. The paper will focus on the potential and prospects of CBC for Kenya based on the experiences of CBC in other countries. Illustrations from some countries will be used to point out why CBC will be useful in the development of the Kenyan education.

Examining hindrances to students participation in decision making in Nakuru County, Kenya

Betty Jeruto Tikoko — 2021-04-30

This study investigated the hindrances to student participation in decision making in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was prompted by the frequent student unrests in Kenya. The institutionalization of the Student Councils in secondary schools was aimed at reducing the incidences of unrests by offering the students opportunity to present their grievances to the school administration for action before resorting to violent acts. The study utilised a survey research design. There are 87 boarding secondary schools in Nakuru County. 15 secondary schools were selected using simple random sampling to form the study sample. A survey questionnaire was used in collecting data; it was distributed among 300 secondary school learners. Data analysis involved descriptive statistical technique. The findings revealed that though students' councils have been instituted in schools, there are hindrances towards their successes, such as lack of support from the adults in the school community and the students not being taken seriously. Other hindrances included: suggestions from the students taking too long to be implemented; students are not taken seriously by the school administration; students participation in decision making seen as rebellion and the view that students have insufficient knowledge to deal with certain issues such as finance.

The influence of social economic background on academic performance of secondary school student council officials in Kenya

Rosemary Wahu Mbogo — 2021-07-31

This paper investigates the influence of socio-economic background on the academic performance of student council officials in secondary schools. The study was conducted in public secondary schools in Kajiado North, Sub-County, Kajiado County. A sample size of seven (7) principals, ten (10) deputy principals and ninety-four (94) student council officials was used in the study. Data collection was done using questionnaires, after which analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics were done for data analysis using Statistical Package for Social Science software program (SPSS). The measure of associations was determined using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient (r) between variables which enabled the authors to determine whether the relationship between variables was positive or negative (-1.0 to +1.0). The study findings established that the high social-economic background of student council officials significantly influenced their academic performances (r=.025; p<.05). The findings further indicated that the availability of funds enables student council officials to have access to more academic resources; availability of funds motivates student council officials to perform better in examinations, and that student council officials from high socio-economic status were competent to pursue good grades in examinations. However, the study hypothesis was partially rejected. The authors recommend that public secondary schools should try to reduce the gap between students from the high social, economic background and low backgrounds.

Are school grounds safe for students? An examination of implementation of safety standards and guidelines in secondary schools in Kenya

Jackline Sigei — 2021-11-15

The objective of this paper was to investigate the relationship between the implementation of safety standards and guidelines for school grounds and student safety in public mixed boarding secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. Invitational Theory and Systems Theory guided the study. The target population included 2130 Form 4 students, 16 principals, 18 deputy principals representing all 16 public mixed boarding secondary schools in Nakuru, Kenya. The study applied a descriptive survey design. A census approach was used. A stratified sampling technique was used in categorising the population into three strata; principals, deputy principals, and Form 4 students. Principals and deputy principals were selected using the purposive sampling technique, while the students were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklist was used in data collection. Data analysis was performed using tools in the SPSS version 22. The analysis involved computation of descriptive statistics: frequencies and percentages, and inferential statistics: Pearson Correlation. The data was later presented in tables and textually. The study found that implementation of Safety Standards and Guidelines for School Grounds have a statistically significant relationship with student safety in public mixed boarding secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study recommended that school management should consider taking inspection and supervision of the school grounds seriously. There should be serious compliance with the Safety Standards and Guidelines for School Grounds. The schools should follow the schools' guidelines on labelling trees showing those that may be poisonous as this had not been done.