Factors Leading To The Enrolment Of Secondary School Teachers In The Master Of Education School Based Programme In Kenyatta University

ABSTRACT

The school based program is a holiday based in service that allows working people all over the country to further their education. Stringent conditions from their employers in some cases have made it very difficult for teachers to enroll for fulltime studies. Thus, this programme is a new development in teacher training in Kenya leading to widening access to education .Enrolment indices for both primary and secondary school teachers in the SBP have increased. The main objectives of the study was to investigate factors that lead to enrolment of secondary school teachers in the M. Ed SBP .This study was guided by five research questions derived from the objectives. Variables for this study were enrolment indices, admission criteria, structure of the programme, cost of the programe and employer related factors. A descriptive research survey was adopted by the researcher. KU was purposively sampled out of the six universities as the area for research. The researcher identified the target population of an estimated 500 secondary school teachers undertaking the Med SBP in the academic years 2005 to 2006. The sampling frame was derived from the office of Academic Registrar in KU where the researcher used convenience sampling technique to get the sample size of 50 M. Ed SBP Secondary school teachers for the study. The data collected were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Qualitative data collected were analyzed thematically by coding categories which were organized according to a particular research question. Once the themes, categories and patterns had been identified, the researcher evaluated the usefulness of the information in answering the research question. Quantitative data collected by questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequency distribution tables, means, and percentages. This research established that secondary school teachers enroll in the M.Ed. SBP due to problems emanating from their employer and specifically due to the desire for upward mobility and to improve their salary remunerations. From the research, it was evident that secondary school teachers are comfortable with the School Based Programme in Kenyatta University in terms of the admission criteria, structure of the programme and the cost of the programme. Thus the enrolment in the programme was increasing due to its flexibility. The study suggested that there should be a comparable study on the secondary school teachers‟ enrolment in School Based Programmes in all public universities. Recommendations from this research are that the teachers‟ employer should initiate secondary school teachers training and offer subsidies because it is an expensive venture. The government through Higher Education Loans Board should consider extending loans to teachers in the School Based Programme.