https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/16 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 07:16:37 GMT 2026-06-06T07:16:37Z 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 Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1708 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1707 Graffiti Writing and Its Likely Influence on English Language Learning in Selected Secondary Schools in the Larger Laikipia East District, Laikipia County, Kenya Mwangi, Francis Gichuki; Gathumbi, Agnes W.; Bwire, Adelheid M. Graffiti takes the form of written language whose authorship always remains anonymous. It precisely refers to any wall writing, pictures and symbols or markings of any kind on any surface anywhere no matter what motivates the writer. Most graffiti are viewed as illegal or vandalism of property by those in authority. Secondary school students use graffiti as a form of communication when they feel other channels to express themselves, have been blocked by those in authority. The study at aimed at identifying the communicative strategies employed in graffiti writing and the influence of graffiti on learning of English language and classroom learning environment in our schools. Graffiti texts were collected in ten secondary schools purposively sampled in the Larger Laikipia East District in Laikipia County. Out of one thousand graffiti texts collected, two hundred were randomly sampled for analysis. Twenty English teachers were purposively sampled to take part in an interview. One hundred students were randomly sampled to fill in questionnaires. A Focused Group Discussion (FGD) was carried out with another group of five students randomly sampled across the classes in each school. The data collected from this exercise were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to arrive at inferences and conclusions. The study used a sociolinguistic approach to the study of graffiti. The study was guided by General System Theory. The findings of the study were that students used varied communicative strategies like humour, symbolism, irony, short forms, acronyms and abbreviations in their graffiti writings. It was also established that teachers expressed varied opinions that graffiti influenced learning of English language and classroom learning environment in secondary schools. The findings of this research may contribute to the study of sociolinguistics in general and communication in schools in particular. It has been established that students use graffiti to communicate a lot of information that would be beneficial to the head teachers, quality assurance officers, students’ counsellors, policy makers and other stakeholders. Classroom teachers may also use graffiti to establish the unspoken students problems and behaviour and thus prevent entropy of the school system. A Paper Presented at the 4th International Conference on Education, Kenyatta University. 13th - 17th July, 2015 Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1707 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1706 Outcomes of First Year Secondary Students in a Computer‐Augmented Physics Program on Measurement Kibossa, Joel K.; Ogunniyi, Meshach B. Measurement is a foundational topic in secondary school physics that must be taught to all secondary education students in Kenya. The secondary level offers education for students who are aged between 12- and 18-years-old. Physics teachers in the Rift Valley province identified the topic of measurement as an area that is difficult to teach through traditional methods. This study explored the effectiveness of a computer-augmented physics (CAP) program on teaching the topic of measurement to first year secondary students. A total of 118 secondary education students (65 males and 53 females) participated in the study. They were randomly selected and randomly assigned to three similar classrooms situated in three schools easily accessible by the Njoro-Menengai and Nakuru-Marigat roads better and served as the treatment and control groups. Except for the treatment group, all groups received the same course content for a period of six weeks. The findings of the study affirmed the impact of innovation on the students’ learning outcomes in that the mean gains of the participants in the CAP treatment were significantly higher than that of their counterparts in the regular program. Also, the results indicated that the mean differences between the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in favour of the treatment group. The findings also showed no relationship between the participants’ gender and their learning outcomes. The study concludes that the use of the computer to augment conventional physics teaching has major implications for secondary physics in this area A research article in Learning, Media and Technology Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1706 2005-10-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1705 Influence of Teacher Accessibility and Attitude towards Integration of Computers in Mathematics Instruction in Secondary Schools in Kenya Sulungai, Metrine Wambani The widespread use of computers in schools renders accessibility and preparedness in these technologies necessary. It is critical to understand whether mathematics teachers are accessible to computers and have the necessary attitudes regarding computer integration into their classrooms. The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of teacher accessibility and attitude towards integration of computers in mathematics instruction in secondary schools in Kenya. A descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. 147 mathematics teachers in 25 public secondary schools of Kakamega South were selected through purposive, stratified and simple random procedures. The instruments for data collection were the questionnaire and interview schedule. Reliability of the data collection instruments was determined by split –half method. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings had implications on integration of computers in secondary school mathematics. A research article in International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1705 2017-03-01T00:00:00Z