Factors Influencing Girls’ Performance In Science Subjects At Secondary School Level: A Case Study Of Ngara Falls Secondary School In Wareng District

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1.2 STAEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 3 1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 3 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 3 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4 CHAPTER TWO 6 LITERATURE REVIEW 6 2.0 Introduction 6 2.1 GENDER DIFFERENCE IN RATING OF GIRLS 6 2.2 PORTRAYAL OF GIRLS IN TEXT BOOKS 7 2.3 GIRLS’ ATITUDES AND PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE 7 2.4 ATTITUDES OF SOCIOLIZING AGENTS 9 2.4.1 TEACHER 9 2.4.2 PARENTS 9 CHAPTER THREE 12 STUDY METHODOLOGY 12 3.1 Introduction 12 3.2 Study design 12 3.3 Area of the study 12 3.4 study population 13 3.5 Sampling techniques 13 3.5.1 Sample size 13 3.6 methods of Data collection 13 3.6.1 Interviewing 14 3.6.2 Observation 14 3.6.3 Questionnaires 14 3.7 Reliability and validity 15 .3 3.7.1 Editing and spot checking 15 3.8 Procedure for data collection .~ 6 3.9 Data processing 16 3.9.1 Coding 16 3.10 Data analysis 16 3.11 Limitations and solutions encountered during the study 17 CHAPTER FOUR 18 PRESENTATION Of FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 18 4.1 Introduction 18 4.2 Procedures 18 4.2 Background information 18 CHAPTER FIVE 26 DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 26 5.0 lntroduction 26 5.1 Summary of the findings 26 5.2 Conclusion 26 5.3 Recommendations 27 5.4 Suggestion for further research 28 REFERENCES: 29 Proposed expenditure 31 Work plan 31 36 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS FAWE : African Women Education Department for Education and Skills V CHAPTER ONE ti

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The World Bank (1 980) observed that education is means of increasing skilled workers and raising the number of skilled manpower. This helps the c country to develop economically and hence reduce the poverty. The level of skills possessed by an individual and hence ability to participate in economic activities is dependent on the level of national education achieved. Science subjects are one of the subjects taught at secondary school level It is compulsory to pursue at least one science subject. Those science subjects include biology, physics and chemistry. The budgetary allocation of the education sector in Kenya constitutes more than 30% of the entire national budget. This amount is considered to be substantially high by all standards. The rationale of such allocation to the education sector, all the expenses of other sectors of the economy is that education plays a great role on manpower and industrial development and hence national development. Science subjects are considered in enrolment into certain courses such as engineering~ medicine, veterinary and architecture. The performance science subject at KCSE determines whether the student will join the university or not. This ultimately determines the profession one will join after university education. Performance of girls in science at K.C~S.E has been persistently poor as shown annual K.C.S.E analysis conducted by the Kenya National examination council. For instance the 2003 analysis for the number of students who attained grade B and above and below D and below revealed the following information. The gender disparity in performance has persisted in successive education the importance of disparity was that though approximately equal number of boys and girls enroll in primary schools only 30% of the university students are female (ENESCO, 1998) The economy survey in of 1992 revealed that women occupy a decimal 10% of the lucrative professions such as medicine, engineering and pharmacy since these professions require a good credit pass in science subjects, yet performance of girls in sciences is poor. The effect of this is that most women do not acquire these skills necessary for their optimum participation in economic development. This leads to the marginalization of large percentage of the population. Therefore to make continuous investment in girls’ education meaningful, the cause leading to KCSE poor performance in science subjects should be identified and solved. Thus all the money spent on the education of women by the government and parents can be considered wasted, yet education should justify the claims to scarce national resources in competition with other socio services such as health and transport.