Teachers’ Perception on Determinants 0f Girls’ Access to Primary Education in Selected Schools in Tana River District, Kenya

ABSTRACT The work embodied in this thesis was carried out in Tana River District, Kenya with objectives to determine teachers’ perception on ~ieterminants of girls’ access to primary education in selected schools, and such include the profile of respondents and the difference in teachers’ perceptions in respect to gender, qualification, experience and age, and the level of teachers’ perceptions in terms of socio economic, cultural and school based factors. A review of related literature was conducted. A questionnaire was employed as a research instrument to investigate the major variables, The collected data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentage distribution on characteristics of the respondents and mean to determine the level of teachers’ perceptions on the major variables, T-test was used to determine the difference in teachers’ perceptions in terms of the profile of respondents. Tana River District has five educational zones and out this (Gable Central) with eighteen public primary schools and 144 teachers was selected for the study and no sampling was done. According to the findings, the access of girls’ to primary education are influenced by socio-economic, cultural and school based factors which further determine the parents and society’s commitments to investing and supporting girls education. The study concluded that there is need to have more female teachers’ in all schools for girls’ to emulate. The government and parents should address the independent variables that affect girls’ access to primary education, since they have significant effects on their participation. The study recommended that all learning resources in schools be increased and improvement on physical facilities such as toilets and furniture. The government should increase 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Declaration A

Declaration B ii

Approval sheet iii

Dedication -

Acknowledgements v

Abstract vi

Abbreviations viii

Table of contents ix

List of Tables’ xii

Chapter

One THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE I

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the problem 4

Purpose of the Study 5

Research Objectives 5

Research Questions 6

Hypothesis 7

ix

Scope 7

Significance of the Study

Operational Definitions of Key Terms 9

Two REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10

Concepts, Ideas, Opinions 10

Theoretical Perspectives 21

Related Studies 23

Three METHODOLOGY 29

Research Design 29

Research population 29

Sample Size 30

Sampling Procedure 31

Research instrument 31

Validity and Reliability 32

Data Gathering procedures 32

Data analysis 33

Ethical Considerations 33

Limitations of the study 34

Four PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION OF DATA 35

9ve FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOiViM~NDATiONS 52

Findings 52

Conclusions 54

Recommendations 56

References 58

Appendices 62

Appendix I: Questionnaire for Teachers and

Headteachers 62

Appendix II: Authority letter from DEO

Tana River District 67

Appendix III: Clearance Letter from Ethics

Committee 68

Researcher’s Curriculum Vitae 69