Jennifer Wanjiku Khamasi, PhD, EBS
Associate Professor
Chief-Editor
The Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership (JASEML) Volume 9 comprises of four chapters and covers the following areas: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Kiplagat, Ferej and Kafu); school feeding programs (Wakhu-Wamunga, Wamunga and Rono); children social-emotional competencies (Owino) and job satisfaction (Odunga and Wanjiku David). The issues covered in this volume are of concern and therefore raise questions for educators to ruminate on.
Enrolment and completion in TVET programs at any level of education should be a concern to educators. Chapter One focuses on six factors that determine completion rate of trainees’ in Technical and Vocational Training Centres in Kenya. The chapter also points at the challenges encountered by both the trainees and the trainers and give recommendations that could help both the trainees and the corresponding institutions achieve their objectives.
Some of the issues that hinder learning in most early childhood education programs in sub-Sahara Africa are poverty related issues. Food insecurity at household level is one of the issues that early childhood education programs in a number of communities in Kenya have to address to keep children in school. In Chapter Two, we encounter one of the interventions put in place by many early childhood education providers to help children stay in school as well as improve their nutritional status. The chapter reports on interventions given in one early childhood development center in Kenya. Chapter Three is a reminder that one of the early childhood education program’s role is to facilitate development of children’s socio-emotional competencies. The achievement of the competencies contribute to learners’ smooth transition from early childhood education program to primary school. In this regard, class size is reported to largely determine how successful such efforts will be. The author recommends that early childhood education teachers be provided with professional development opportunities in order to continually provide conducive learning environment for learners.
Job satisfaction is a concern globally because it affects service delivery and productivity. It is a concern in Kenya particularly in public service. Chapter Four reports on a study that sought to find out the factors that contribute to job satisfaction and forms of motivation given to staff. The findings point at the need to undertake a larger study.
Chief Editor
Jennifer Wanjiku Khamasi, PhD., EBS
Associate Professor
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
Hosea Kiplagat, Ahmed Ferej and Patrick Kafu
Abstract
Non-completion of an educational process greatly limits the chances of future success to school going youth. This paper investigated the influence of institution-based factors on trainees’ completion rate in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) in Kenya. The study was guided by the Theory of Student Departure advanced by Tinto in Long, 2012. Data was collected from the five VTC sites which were the first to implement the National Vocational Certificate of Education and Training (NVCET) curriculum in the selected counties. This paper therefore focused on the trainees taking NVCET courses in the VTCs and adopted sequential explanatory mixed methods design. Data was collected using two sets of questionnaires and interview schedules. Observation checklist and document analysis was also used to enrich data collected. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings of this study revealed that difficult NVCET curriculum, low qualification of instructors, inadequate general facilities and instructional materials, inadequate handling of guidance and counselling issues among others greatly influenced trainees’ low completion rate in VTCs. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made: VTCs together with parents should enhance guidance and counselling programs, Government and VTCs should employ additional qualified instructors, develop infrastructure and instructional materials, and the NVCET curriculum should be urgently reviewed.
To cite this article:Kiplagat, H., Ferej, A. & Kafu, P. (2018). Institution-Based Factors Influencing Trainees’ Completion Rate in Vocational Training Centres in Kenya: A Case of Selected Counties. Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership Vol. 9, pp, 5-19
Full Version
Available online January - April ,2018
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information. http://www.kaeam.or.ke
©2018 Kenya Association of Educational Administration and Management ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Florence Wakhu Wamunga, John Brian Wamunga, & Amos Kipkemoi Ronoh
Abstract
Hunger and malnutrition are burdens in developing countries where they manifest in form of protein energy malnutrition. Protein energy malnutrition compromises a child’s immune system leading to direct mortality and increased vulnerability to infectious diseases, stunting and poor brain development. According to the County Early Childhood Education Bill of 2014, every County Education Board should carry out feeding programs in early childhood education centres. The Act further states that the feeding programs should provide adequate and nutritious foods based on physiological needs and regional demands. This was a longitudinal study that sought to establish the effect of a nutritionally adequate and consistent school feeding program on child nutrition status and school attendance at Mateka Early Childhood Development Centre. Findings revealed that the prevalence of malnutrition at baseline was high with 30.1%, 6.7% and 10.8% of the children stunted, wasted and underweight respectively. This is attributed to consumption of cereals, root tubers and dark green vegetables with very little consumption of meat, eggs, milk and milk products. At the centre, the children were fed on maize–meal porridge which hampered their growth. Introduction of soymeal as a fortificant in an experimental study revealed reduced levels of wasting (3.8%) and underweight (5.4%). It is recommended that awareness of the nutritional benefits of soybean should be raised to increase consumption at household level and in the school feeding programs to alleviate protein energy malnutrition.
Key words: Malnutrition, school feeding program, soybean complementation.
Contact Author: Florence Wakhu Wamunga, University of Eldoret,
To cite this article:Wakhu-Wamunga, F., Wamunga, J. B. & Rono, A. K. (2018). Impact of the School Feeding Programs: A Case of Mateka Early Childhood Development Centre, Bungoma County., Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership Vol. 9. pp 20-33
Available online January- April 2018
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information. http://www.kaeam.or.ke
©2018 Kenya Association of Educational Administration and Management . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Elizabeth Akinyi Owino
Abstract
Overall life success requires that children have socio-emotional competence (SEC) amongst other skills. The effect of class size on children’s overall achievement continues to be a widely debated subject. The objective of this mixed methods study was to examine the influence of preschool class size on strategies used to scaffold SEC in children. A total of 301 preschool teachers purposively selected from 98 public and private preschools participated in the study; 6 preschool teachers were interviewed and 2 preschool classrooms observed. Data was collected using questionnaires, observation checklist and interview schedules. Data was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results revealed that preschool class size did not have a significant influence on the strategies used to scaffold SEC in children. However interviews and observations data showed that regardless of the class size, preschool teachers attempted to scaffold relationship management skills in children more. Strategies that preschool teachers in ‘high’ class sizes commonly used for scaffolding relationship management in children were: ‘monitoring’, ‘warning’ and ‘reprimands’. Preschool teachers with ‘optimum and below’ class sizes, mainly used ‘encouraging helping behaviour’, ‘warning’ and ‘monitoring’ strategies. The study concluded that despite the importance of SEC, preschool teachers did not intentionally scaffold all SEC components in children. The study therefore recommends that professional development and continuing education that focuses on SEC skills in children be encouraged among all preschool teachers.
Key words: Preschool, scaffold, socio-emotional competence, preschool class size
Contact Author:Elizabeth A. Owino, Moi University, School of Education
To cite this article: Owino, E. A. (2018). The Moderating Effect of Preschool Class Size on Children’s Socio-Emotional Competences in Eldoret Town, Kenya., Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership Vol. 9. pp 34-49, 2018
Available online January- April 2018
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information. http://www.kaeam.or.ke
©2018 Kenya Association of Educational Administration and Management . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED