Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://erepository.kibu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/9624

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 53

Effect of a Socialized Mathematical Language Module on Students’ Understanding of Mathematics and their perception of the Learning Environment
(OSSREA, 2007-01-04) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike; Mondoh, Helen Omondi
There is evidence that students have problems in understanding and interrelating symbols and special language structure as used in mathematics. The study or which the paper is based was designed to develop and explore the instructional potential of a Socialised Mathematical Language (SML) module in teaching and learning of statistics in mathematics. A quasi-experimental approach adapted from the Solomon Four Group Experimental Design was employed to compare experimental and control groups drawn from schools in Bungoma district. Four different instruments namely achievement test, students' questionnaire, teachers' questionnaire and observation schedule were used to collect data from 156 Form Two students selected for the study. Both descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, & percentages) and inferential statistics (t-test & the Analysis of variance) were used for data analysis. The findings indicate that the SML module resulted in significant learning gains better perception of the environment and provided appropriate opportunities for student participation and interaction. The study concluded that the SML module was helpful in enhancing the teaching and learning of mathematics. The module was found to facilitate in making the subject more understandable to students and hence improved student performance in the subject.
Effectiveness of a Language Based Program in School Mathematics on Students Understanding of Statistics
(Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2006-12-04) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Mathematical knowledge and understanding is important not only for scientific progress and development but also for its day-to-day application in social sciences and arts, government, business and management studies and household chores. But the general performance in school mathematics in Kenya has been poor over the years. There is evidence that students have problems in understanding and interrelating the symbols and special language structure as used in mathematics. Nevertheless in a recent study, a program called Socialized Mathematical Language (SML) module was designed to enhance student’s learning outcomes in school mathematics. The study was carried out in a real classroom setting that involved comparisons between the treatment and control groups. A Solomon Four Group quasi-experimental design was employed to involve four high schools in Bungoma District. A total of 156 form two students enrolled in four intact classes from the selected schools were exposed to the same content in statistics for a period of two weeks. Three dependent measures namely the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), the Mathematics Skill Test (MST) and the Mathematics Classroom Environment Questionnaire (MCEQ) were used to assess the effectiveness of the program on students’ academic achievement in understanding of statistics, their skill performance and perceptions of the classroom environment during statistics lessons. The results affirm statistically significant learning gains in favour of the treatment groups. The study concludes that the use of SML program has amajor implication for school mathematics instruction in the area of statistics.
Income Inequality Controversies on the Development of Education in Kenya.
(Problems of Education in the 21 st Century:, 2008-12-04) Maiyo, Julius Kiprop; Achoka, Judy; Ndiku, Judah; Amunga, Jane; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Income differentials are a phenomenon that is manifest among individuals, regions and nations. The magnitude of the inequality has diverse effects on education which is itself a key determinant of individual as well as group income. Income inequality is reflected in the unequal access to different levels of education and to schools of different quality of education. This results in unequal consumption of education. These factors heighten the already existing inequality since the distribution of earnings is to a large extend determined by the level and distribution of schooling across population. The effect of income inequality on education dispersion and the average attainment in the population depresses economic growth and affects investment in education by individuals as well as states. Differential investment in education means unequal access to new knowledge and skills which are the driving force in this century. Already, the knowledge revolution has brought the threat of widening the gap between developed and developing countries with disparities in knowledge and information reinforcing disparities in capital and other resources. This paper examines the controversies causes of income inequality and the resultant effect on the development of education. The study is a desk review which nevertheless extensively explores existing literature on income inequalities and education dispersion. It narrows this down to the situation in Kenya by focussing on current reactions to income inequality in general and the effect on education. The paper also provides the conclusion and the way forward through the recommendation.
Effectiveness of Teaching Preparations on Mathematics Achievements: A case of Kenya
(Problems of education in the 21st century, 2011-12-30) Amadalo, Maurice Musasia; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike; Wambua, Joseph Mulei
Despite playing a central role in peoples’ daily life, the average Kenyan secondary school students’ mathematics score in national examinations has consistently averaged below 40%. The contribution of teachers’ lesson preparations and subsequent delivery leading to this poor result has not been investigated sufficiently in Kenyan secondary schools. This is especially so for topics deemed to be difficult. The present study investigated the effect of teacher preparations when teaching the topic “Vectors” to form three secondary school students. The instructional plans impact on achievement as well as on skills performance in Mathematics formed the objectives of the study. The Solomon- four experimental design was adopted. Professionally drawn Instructional Plans provided the treatment. Students’ achievement was determined using a Mathematics Achievement Test, MAT. The study determined that the use of the instructional plans improved students’ achievement and skill performance compared to the control group. Consequently use of instructional plans when teaching mathematics was recommended for improved students’ achievement. Emphasis on students’ stepwise skill performance rather than insistence on acquisition of correct answers during problem solution in mathematics was recommended
Investigation of Factors That Influence Syllabus Coverage in Secondary School Mathematics in Kenya
(International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2012-08) Amadalo, Maurice Musasia; Shikuku, Beatrice Nakhanu; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Mathematics plays a vital role in individual, national and global development. However, over the years mathematics has been one of the most poorly performed subjects in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE). In an attempt to improve performance, great effort has been put into completion of the syllabus. This study was done in Kakamega South district, involving a total of 85 secondary schools. The main objective was to determine the percentage of the syllabus covered, and correlate it with student performance. 16 out of 85 schools were purposively selected and used in the study. The head teacher, the head of mathematics department, and two randomly selected mathematics teachers from each of the 16 schools took part in the study. In total there were 64 respondents. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, and data collected using three questionnaires. Correlation between syllabus coverage and student performance using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was 0.8343. Furthermore, a One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was determined and confirmed that syllabus coverage has a significant effect on student performance in mathematics at KCSE level. Also, a number of factors were identified as being responsible for early, late or non coverage of the coverage
A computer mediated simulation module for teaching cell division in secondary school biology
(International Journal of Educational Research and Development, 2013-05-04) Wekesa, Duncan Wekesa; Wekesa E. W.; Amadalo M. M.
This paper describes the design and development of a valid, reliable and flexible instrument, a Computer-Mediated Simulation (CMS) module for teaching cell division topic in secondary school biology. The design was based on the generic instructional approach of Plan, Do, See and Improve (PDSI). Each step has an outcome that feeds the subsequent step or results in modification of the prior step. The design and development of a CMS module is aimed at bringing out the dynamics of the process of cell division to facilitate students understanding of the topic better. The process of cell division specifically involved the aspects of meiosis and mitosis. The module was also developed to fill, in some way, the special need for media and technology in biology teaching at secondary school level in Kenya and perhaps elsewhere. Evaluation of the CMS results of the actual implementation in test schools provide improvement highlights of the strengths of the module geared towards shifting the point set presently to a more desirable outcome
Influence of Instructional Practices on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Mathematics
(Journal of Education and Practice, 2015-12-04) Odhiambo, Mabel Nandwa; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike; Toili William Wanjala
Mathematics is a key subject which students cannot avoid if they have to lead a bright future. Despite the introduction and implementation of different teaching methods and strategies suggested by researchers the achievement of students in mathematics at school level has persistently been poor, hence the need to explore the influence of different instructional approaches. The purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which instructional practices influenced students’ achievement in secondary school mathematics. This entails the use of Behavioral Objective- Based (BOB), Peer Instruction enriched with Concept Tests (PICT), both BOB and PICT (BO-PICT) and Conventional Instruction (TI). The theoretical framework which guided this study was social constructivism theory. The study adopted quasi-experimental, utilizing pretest posttest non-equivalent group design. The target population for the study was all the 3056 form three students in the 38 secondary schools in Mumias sub-county. Disproportionate stratified sampling and simple random sampling was used to select 327 students who took part in the study. Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that there was a significant difference in achievement, between all Experimental groups (BOB, PICT and BO-PICT) and the control group in favor of the Experimental groups. There was a significant difference between means of groups that used BOB and BO PICT as well as PICT and BO-PICT. Those ones who used BOB and PICT were found to have similar achievement in the learning of mathematics. Based on the findings, BOB, PICT and BO-PICT were found to be viable instructional strategies that could promote performance in mathematics.
Effectiveness of Scientific Calculators on Secondary School Students’ Attitude Development in Mathematics
(Journal of Education Research and Behavioral Sciences, 2016-12-12) Odhiambo, Mabel Nandwa; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
There is poor performance in mathematics among secondary school students in Kenya. In an effort to improve performance in the subject, there has been introduction of various devices aimed at helping learners to get solutions to mathematical problems starting from counting sticks, abacus, slide rule, mathematical tables and recently scientific calculators. Unfortunately, there is no tangible evidence to show that scientific calculators will solve the problem in mathematics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using scientific calculators in Mathematics instruction and establish if they had any effect on students’ attitude. An experimental research design was adopted entailing the pre – test post-test equivalent groups design. The population was drawn from the form three students selected from public secondary schools in Mumias Sub County. The findings in the study showed that the use of scientific calculators was superior to mathematical tables.
Influence of Selected Teacher Instructional Strategies on Secondary Schools Students’ Mathematics Learning Outcomes.
(International Journal of Advanced Research,, 2016-12-04) Odhiambo, Mabel Nandwa; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Mathematics is a key subject which students cannot avoid if they have to lead a brighter future. Despite the introduction and implementation of different teaching methods and strategies suggested by researchers, students‟ motivation towards mathematics has persistently been poor. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence of selected teacher instructional strategies on students‟ motivation in mathematics in secondary schools. This entailed the use of Behavioral Objective Based (BOB) Instructional Strategy, Peer Instruction enriched with Concept Tests (PICT), both BOB and PICT (BO-PICT) and Conventional Instruction (TI). This study investigated the relationship between the motivation of students who used BOB, PICT and BO PICT strategies and their counterparts who used TI. The theoretical framework which guided this study was social constructivism theory. This study adopted a pre-test post-test non-equivalent group design. The target population for the study was all form three students in the 38 secondary schools in Mumias sub-county. Stratified random sampling was used to select schools that took part in the study. The strata were boys‟ schools, girls‟ schools and co- educational schools. This study used disproportionate stratified sampling to select 2 schools out of 3 boys‟ schools by saturated sampling, 3 schools out of 10 girls‟ schools and 3 schools out of 25 co-education schools by simple random sampling giving a total of eight (8) schools that participated in the study. One stream selected randomly from each sampled school took part in the study. The Control group (C) used (TI), the Experimental group one (E1) used BOB Instructional Strategy, the Experimental group two (E2) used (PICT) while the Experimental group three (E3) used both BOB and PICT (BO-PICT) in the learning of mathematics. Each group (C, E1, E2, and E3) comprised of two schools selected randomly from the eight schools. Students‟ Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) was used to collect the required data. The instrument was developed basing on the objective as well as variables in the theoretical model and given to experts in mathematics education to validate. The Split half technique was used to determine the reliability of the research instruments because it requires only one testing session to save on time and it eliminates chance error. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in motivation between all Experimental groups (E1, E2 and E3) and the Control group (C) in favor of the Experimental groups. BOB, PICT and BO-PICT Instructional Strategies were found to be viable instructional strategies that could promote performance in mathematics. Recomemendations were made for the adoption of BOB, PICT and BO-PICT instructional strategies in the teaching of Mathematics in secondary schools. Specifically it was recommended that BO-PICT which was superior to other strategies be adopted in schools for the teaching of mathematics.
Effectiveness of Computer Based Instruction: An Analysis by Gender.
(International Journal of Development Research, 2017-01-30) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
This study was designed to explore the instructional potential of a Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) program in the teaching of probability concepts to form three mathematics curriculum in selected secondary schools in Kenya. Specifically, the study reported herein sought to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference by gender on students exposed to the computer based instruction in terms of the students’ achievement, their perception of the learning environment, and their attitudes and motivation during the instructional process in the area of probability. This involved comparisons between the male and female students on all the dependent measures namely the Mathematics Achievements Test (MAT), the Students’ Perception Questionnaire (SPQ), the Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Students’ Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ). The results infer that the CBI program resulted in significant learning gains, proper perception of the learning environment and lesson elements, better attitudes and motivation towards the topic on probability. This is statistically non significant based on the gender of the subjects. Moreover, the CBI program alleviated the problem of teaching probability that is considered difficult to teach and learn, and hence provides better opportunities for equal students’ participation and interaction. In this regard, it is concluded that computer based interventions improve teachers skills in teaching and students understanding of concepts that have high cognitive demand irrespective of students gender. It is thus recommended that the CBI program be integrated in the teacher training curricula and instructional process in the classroom
Computer Based Instruction: A Springboard to Students Performance in Mathematics.
(International Journal of Innovative Research & Development, 2017-01-03) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Mathematics is regarded by most people as an essential subject in the curriculum. Its usefulness range from social, aesthetic, utility and communication. Mathematics plays a pivotal role in providing means of studying other disciplines and is designed to enable the learners to acquire attitudes and knowledge that will be relevant to their life after school. Great emphasis is thus placed on the application to real life situations and practical approaches to the teaching and learning of the subject. However, the formidable problem currently facing mathematics education in Kenya is the need to improve the student’s performance in mathematics. The literature is replete with studies indicating that Computer Based Instructional programs enhance students learning outcomes. With the introduction of e-learning in Kenyan schools, there is need to develop and explore the effects of computer-based programs in the area of mathematics for instructional purposes. This paper examines a Computer Based Instructional program that can be used to enhance students learning of mathematical probability concepts in secondary schools in Kenya.
A Program for Understanding Mathematical Probabiliy Concepts in Secondary Schools.
(International Journal of Development Research, 2018-03-03) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
The pace of technological development in educational setting is on the increase in Kenya. The literature is replete with studies indicating that Computer Based Instructional programs enhance students learning outcomes. With the introduction of e-learning in Kenyan schools now at the pilot stage, there is need to develop computer-based programs in the area of mathematics where little or no studies have been done.
Classroom Interaction Patterns and Students’ Learning Outcomes in Secondary School Mathematics in Kenya
(International Journal of Science and Research, 2018-12-03) Katiambo, Dorcas; Mutsotso, Stanley Ngome; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Dismal performance in mathematics continue to persist in all levels of basic and secondary learning institutions yet performance and attainment in this subject is deemed crucial for students’ admission to scientific and technological professions in higher institutions of learning in Kenya. This is despite the continued efforts made by the government to increase performance in this subject such as introduction of the Strengthening of mathematics and sciences in secondary education project. Knowledge on the effect of classroom interaction patterns on learning outcomes in mathematics is scanty and undocumented. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish the relationship between the Classroom Interaction Patterns (CIPs) used and the students’ learning outcomes in secondary school mathematics in Mt. Elgon Sub-County. To achieve this objective, a quasi-experimental design was employed. A sample of 450 learners from 10 secondary schools and 10 teachers of mathematics were used in the study. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics encompassed use of Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-tests. Results showed that classroom interaction patterns significantly (P<0.05) influenced learning outcomes in mathematics in secondary schools in the study region. The study recommends teachers of secondary mathematics to promote interactive lessons for better learning outcomes
Level of Water Governance in Schools and its Effect on Student Participation in Education
(International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2021-12-30) Marakia, Wambeye Kimweli; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Adequate access to water, hygiene and sanitation is every human’s and child’s right. These do not reflect national policies aspirations and are not adequate to student’s needs, affecting their health, well-being, performance and participation at school in Kenya. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted to sample from boarding schools that were sampled to take part in a study conducted in Bungoma County in the Western region of Kenya.Stratified sampling was employed in choosing the Schools while questionnaires, interview schedules, document analysis and focus groups were used to gather data. The model was not able to significantly predict the level of water governance in schools and its effect on student participation in education and hence concluded that every boarding secondary school should develop a drinking water access plan. This study provides an empirical pattern of participation in education influenced by WASH in schools.
Effect of Socioeconomic and Technology Response on Education in Kenya During the Covid-19 Pandemic
(Research Journal of Educational Studies and Review, 2021-12-03) Wekesa, Duncan Wasike; Marakia, Wambeye Kimweli
The social and economic effects of COVID-19 will be severe. Schools have a particularly important role to play. Coronavirus-related disruption can give educators time to rethink the sector. Technology has stepped into the breach and will continue to play a key role in educating future generations. With students being able to gain access to knowledge and even learn a technical skill, through a few clicks on their phones, tablets and computers. This may mean that the role of educators will need to move towards facilitating young people’s development as contributing members of society. The move toward universal internet would help prepare educators to provide education under future health emergencies-not to mention the many broader benefits, such as equalizing economic opportunity in the information age. Digital technologies are playing a critical role in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Media, and especially social media, can also be used to educate students about the virus itself and to teach basic hygiene and debunk myths and misinformation. Considering the impacts of the national lockdown on behavioural change, the significant socio-economic inequity and a lack of cash, food and access to chronic medication among the poor posed great threats in education. This research will enable government policy groups to develop a more targeted and effective approach in addressing the effects of the pandemic on education.
Mechanism of Waste Management in Schools and Its Effect on Student Participation in Education
(International Journal of Development Research, 2021-10-20) Wambeye K.M; Wekesa, Dancun Wasike; Obino, Paul Onganyi
Waste management is pausing challenges to the environment especially in schools world over. In schools, water, sanitation and hygiene do not reflect national policies aspirations and are not adequate to student’s needs and hence affecting their health, well-being, performance and participation at school. An investigation intothe mechanism of waste management in schools and its effect on student participation in education in Bungoma County, Kenya was done using a cross-sectional survey design approach.A sample of sixty five (65) boarding schools was chosen to take part whilestratified sampling was employed in choosing the boarding Schools from the targeted population of 289 secondary schools. Questionnaires, interview schedules, document analysis and focus groups to gather data.Standard multiple linear regressions at α= .05 was used to examine waste disposal to see if it could predict participation in education in school. The model was not able to significantly predict the effect of waste management in schools on participation in education. It was concluded that engagement of school related groups need to encourage students to make waste reduction a part of their everyday life while increasing the flow of reusable and recyclable materials can even generate extra funds for school departments and groups
Specialised Mathematical English as A Resource of Learning Secondary School Mathematics: A Case Study in L2 Classrooms
(International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2022-12-03) Otuma, Nick Vincent; Kati, Robert; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
Perhaps more than any other subject, teaching and learning mathematics depends on language. Mathematics is about relationships: relation between numbers, categories, geometric forms, variables and so on. In general, these relationships are abstract in nature and can only be realized and articulated through language. Even mathematical symbols must be interpreted linguistically. Thus, while mathematics is often seen as language free, in many ways learning mathematics fundamentally depends on language. For students still developing their proficiency in the language instruction, the challenge is considerable. Indeed research has shown that while many second speakers of English (L2) students are quickly able to develop a basic level of conversational English it takes several years do develop more specialised mathematical English. This paper reports findings of a study whose part of the objectives investigated how students construe specialised mathematical meanings from everyday words to express conceptual understanding of mathematics. The study employed multiple-case study design in three categories of schools, that is, Sub-County School (SCS), County School (CS) and Extra-County School (ECS). Data were collected by questionnaires, classroom observations and interviews. Findings indicate that students had challenges in interpreting mathematical meanings of ordinary vocabulary used in mathematics curriculum-they stated ordinary meanings of words instead of mathematical meanings. The paper recommends integration of mathematical language as a strand in the curriculum of mathematics in secondary schools in L2 context to assist learners attain conceptual understanding of mathematics
Influence of Average Household Education Expenditure on Student Enrolment Sustainability in Public Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
(International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2022-12-03) Wasilwa, Bakari; Maiyo, Julius; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which average household education expenditure influence student enrolment sustainability in secondary schools. The study was guided by the theoretical and conceptual framework which borrows heavily from the concepts of human capital theory which was proposed by Schultz and developed extensively by Becker. This theory postulates that expenditure on training and education is costly and should be considered an investment since it is undertaken with the view to increasing personal incomes. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population consisted of principals and household heads from public secondary schools in Bungoma County. In order to have a representative sample, this study employed a stratified random sampling to select 691 school principals and household heads. Questionnaires, interview and observation schedules and document analysis were used as data collection instruments. Validity was established through expert opinion. Reliability was established through piloting. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that there is a negative relationship between the average amount of money spent by household to educate a child in secondary school and student’s enrolment rate in secondary schools. This implies that as the household expenditure in education increases the enrolment decreases. This study therefore recommends that government or other educational stake holders should support parents who have children in form one as a strategy of increasing students’ enrolment rate
Application of National Education Management System to Student Enrollment and Secondary School Administration in Bungoma County's, Kenya
(International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2022-12-03) Khaemba, Lorna; Kipkenei, Simon; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
National Educational Management Information System (NEMIS) is the Kenyan integrated Education Management Information System. NEMIS is necessary to support overall education management. It is in form of a portal helps the Ministry of Education to gather accurate and real time information on learners, staff and learning institutions. The main objective of the study was to determine the influence of NEMIS students’ enrolment on secondary school management. The study was guided by the Technological Acceptance Model. Descriptive survey research design was employed with a target population 553 respondents comprising of managerial teaching staff from Extra County, county and sub county schools. Simple random sampling was used to select 164 respondents from the 30 public secondary schools in Bungoma West Sub County. Questionnaires, and interview schedule were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The research findings revealed that NEMIS was well managed in Extra County and County Schools and then in Sub County Schools hence it had a significant influence student enrolment in the system. The study recommends training of all senior management in the utilization of NEMIS and have all school adopt digital record keeping systems that are compatible with NEMIS for easy retrieval of data on enrollment.
Government Education Budget and the Sustainability of Student Enrollment in Public Secondary School in Bungoma County, Kenya
(International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2023-04-19) Wasilwa, Juma Bakari; Maiyo, Julius; Wekesa, Duncan Wasike
In Kenya, since 2008, the government has increased monies going to the education sector in collaboration with other foreign organizations in an effort to reduce the amount of money that households spend on their children who attend public secondary schools. In public secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya, this study aimed to determine how much the average government education spending affects the sustainability of student enrollment in secondary schools. A descriptive survey design was used for the investigation. The principals and household heads from Bungoma County's public secondary schools made up the target population. The 691 school principals and household heads in this study were chosen using a stratified random sampling procedure to ensure that the sample was representative. As instruments for gathering data, questionnaires, schedules for interviews and observations, and document analysis were all used. Expert judgment was used to determine validity. Through piloting, reliability was established. Statistics, both descriptive and inferential, were used to analyze the data. According to this survey, a secondary school student's Kshs 10,265 allowance is insufficient to keep them in school. According to the study's findings about government spending on each student, more students are enrolling in secondary school as government spending rises. As a result, this study suggests that, in order to raise the enrollment rate of pupils, the government or other educational stakeholders can assist parents who have children in first grade in purchasing a school uniform.

Browse

Recent Submissions