https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/43 2026-08-10T05:19:04Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1708 Teaching Load as Classroom Based Predictor on Quality Academic Achievement among Girls in Mathematics as a Subject in Secondary Education in Kisumu County Agunda, Josephine Adhiambo; Onderi, Henry; Ajowi, Jack The education of females has a profound effect on national development as lack of their education has been linked to poor sanitation and high illiteracy rate. As the world grows even more dependent on technologically driven competencies, girls’ participation in mathematics affects future career and economic opportunities. It is documented that women’s participation in mathematics related fields such as engineering is below 20%. There was therefore need to conduct a study in Kisumu County, Kenya to establish the influence of teaching load as a classroom based predictor as an independent variable on girls’ academic achievement in mathematics in secondary education at form four level. The dependent variable was Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results of girls between 2010 and 2014. The objective of the study was to establish the influence of teaching load on girls’ academic achievement in mathematics at form four level. Correlation research design was applied to examine the degree of influence that exists between two or more variables by use of statistical data. The target population consisted of 142 public secondary schools which presented female candidates for KCSE between 2010 and 2014, 142 Principals, 142 Heads of mathematics department and 390 mathematics teachers who taught the girls under study. Stratified random sampling technique was applied whereby schools were categorized as girls’ secondary schools and mixed secondary schools. Purposive sampling was done to select all the 18 girls’ secondary schools in Kisumu County while systematic random sampling was applied to select 38 out of 124 mixed secondary schools in Kisumu County. The sample constituted 39% of the study population. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. Instruments of data collection were validated by the researcher’s supervisors and reliability of the instruments was established through test retest method by carrying out a pilot study in 5 schools which were not part of the study sample. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of frequency counts, percentages, means, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and regression analysis. Qualitative data from interview schedule was analyzed by using thematic analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was applied to assist in analyzing data. The findings of the study concluded that there was a negative relationship between teaching load and quality academic achievement among girls in mathematics at form four level. The study recommended that more mathematics teachers should be employed to reduce the teaching load for effective classroom performance. An article published in American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1626 Physics Classroom Discourse Favors Boys More Than Girls: A Myth or Reality? Wambua, Joseph M.; Twoli, Nicholas W.; Maundu, John N. Mode of instruction used in teaching is key to the understanding of the concepts and skills to be learned. Instruction in classrooms is controlled to a larger extend by the interaction patterns involving teachers, learners and resources. Some interaction patterns seem to promote learning especially science subjects. In Kenya, enrolment and performance of girls in Physics has been comparatively low for a long period of time when compared to their male counterparts. This concern was one of the objectives that prompted a study on interactions in Physics lessons with the aim of determining the common patterns that can aid in drawing possible inferences on the effects of instruction in Physics. The study was descriptive in nature and five schools in Matungulu district (Kenya) were used. The main instrument was modified Flanders’ Interaction Analysis Categories (FIAC) that was used in Physics lessons. Data was analyzed using ratios, percentages and chi-square. It was observed that there exists a significant difference in the teachers’ verbal behavior patterns in the boys’ and girls’ schools. Teachers in girls’ schools used patterns related to ‘direct’ methods that created autocratic climate in class and hence limited participation in girls during lessons. On the other hand, patterns in the boys’ schools related to ‘indirect’ methods which encouraged boys to ask questions and interact with resources more, thus creating a more democratic learning climate. It is therefore important for teachers to give equal attention during classroom discourse in Physics to both boys and girls. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Education. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenyatta University, July 14-16, 2015 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/355 Mathematics Gender Gaps In Kenya: Are Resource Differentials Between Boys and Girls to Blame? Ng’ang’a, Alice; Mureithi, Leopold; Wambugu, Anthony The Blinder-Oaxaca approach has been used to decompose the gender gap in mathematics test scores in private and public primary schools in Kenya. That is, the mathematics production functions are estimated separately for boys and girls, the difference between the boys’ and girls’ average scores is estimated and then decomposed into three components. That is, gap due to differences in resources between boys and girls, gap resulting from difference in utilization of educational resources and the gap due to unobservable factors. The results show that boys outperform girls in mathematics in both school types. In both private and public primary schools, boys take better advantage of the resources compared to the girls hence girls’ scores can be improved by better utilization of the resources. In addition, the boys’ scores in public primary schools can be improved by increasing the educational resources for boys. This indicates that resource based policies aimed at improving the girls’ mathematics scores may not necessarily close the gender test score gap. Further, such policies may reverse the gender gap and disadvantage the boys. There should be focus on factors that improve utilization of resources by girls in order to improve their scores. An article published in Cogent Education 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/334 Influence of Teacher’s Gender on Student Performance in Biology in Secondary Schools in Kenya Nabwire, J. L; Toili, W. W; Ong’unya, R.O; Songok, J. R Student academic performance and interest in secondary school Biology has been generally poor over the years. This has been attributed to factors like methods of instruction and misconceptions in the subject. However, literature suggests that teachers‟ gender too seems to influence students‟ academic performance generally. This suggests that interaction and relationship between students and teachers in the classroom seems to be affected by the teacher’s gender. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the influence of teacher’s gender on student academic performance in Biology in secondary schools in Malava sub-County in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and 414 respondents were involved. These included: 384 eleventh grade students; 10 Biology teachers; 10 Heads of science department and; 10 directors of studies drawn from 10 co-educational secondary schools in the sub-County. Data collection was done through interview schedules and questionnaires. Pilot testing was done to establish validity and reliability of the instruments. Data collected were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences to generate frequencies and percentages as well as means to establish the distribution of opinions of the respondents on study variables. The means were in turn used to compare the students‟ performance. Pearson’s Product-Moment correlation was used to determine the degree of association between the teacher’s gender and the students‟ performance. The Chi-square tested whether the teacher’s gender had effect on students‟ performance. An article published in International Journal of Advanced Research 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z