SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS AND ACADEMIC …
Transcript of SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS AND ACADEMIC …
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS AND ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
IN MANDERA WEST DISTRICT, NORTH
EASTERN PROVINCE, KENYA.
A Thesis
Presented to the School of
Postgraduate Studies and Research
Kampala International University
Kampala, Uganda
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Masters in Educational Management and Administration
By:
Abdow Abdigey Hussein
M ED/20023/82/DF
April, 2011
DECLARATION A
“This dissertation is my original work and has not been presented
for a Degree or any other academic award in any University or Institution
of Learning”.
i~~J ?~
Name and Signature of Candidate
Date
DECLA~TION B
“I/We confirm that the work reported in this dissertation was
carried out by the candidate under my/our supervision”.
Name and Signature of Supervisor Name and Signature of Supervisor
c 0~L2~7
Date Date
DEDICAflON
I dedicate this work to my family for their love and care. My wifeand children, I owe this work to youi
V
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My gratitude first goes to Allah who has given me the strength and
courage to undertake this research. I want to thank my brothers and
sisters for their contributions in my life. All your contributions are saluted.
I also owe a lot of appreciation to all those who assisted me in
carrying out this research. I am grateful to my supervisor Mr. Edabu Paul
who tirelessly went to through my work and inspired me to dig deeper
onto the core matter. His kind criticism, patience and understanding
assisted me a great deal. I’m also indebted to Mr. Tindi Seje Who read
through this work and gave his expert opinion. All my lecturers in the post
graduate school are dully saluted. I am indebted to my friends who gave
me encouragement in times of difficulties.
I wish to thank my family for their love, financial support and
inspiration during my stay in Kampala International University (KIU).
Finally, I would like to thank all my respondents and those who responded
within a short notice without which this work would not have been
possible.
May Allah bless you all.
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ABSTRACTThe study sought to answer the questions about the education levels of
parents and its effect on academic performance of pupils, the relationship
exhibited between economic status of parents and pupil academic
performance and the type of parents’ occupation and its effect on pupils’
academic performance all in Takaba zone in Mandera West district. A
sample size of 26 teachers and 207 parents were selected by simple
random sampling and purposive technique. The study employed a
descriptive research design which was used in order to obtain information
concerning the current status of socio economic status of parents and
pupils educational attainment. The distinctive nature of selected primary
schools of study, prompted the researcher to employ a case study type of
descriptive research involving correlation studies concerned with
determining the extent to which variations in parents level of education,
income and occupation were associated with variations in pupils
educational attainment. The findings reveal that the higher the level of
Education, and economic status of the parent, the higher is the academic
performance of pupils in schools the study also found out that prestigious
parents’ occupation has a positive effect on pupils’ academic performance.
Less educated Parents may have inadequate skills for such activities as
reading to and with their children, and having inadequate resources and
limited access to available resources can negatively affect families’
decisions regarding their young childrenTs development and learning. The
researcher recommends that Parents should improve on their education
levels through adult education programs since it may positively impact on
the academic endeavors of their children. Pupils from low socioeconomic
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backgrounds should try to persevere through financial hardships and
remain in school because schooling eventually has a redeeming effect on
their poor plight. Teachers should help pupils who obtain low grades to
develop academic curiosity in fields which are more relevant to them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
IAPTER Page
ONE THEPROBLEMANDITSSCOpE 1
Back ground of the Study~ 1
Statement of the Problem 3
Purpose of the study~ 4
Research Objectives 5
Research Questions 5
Hypothesis 5
Scope 6
Significance of the Study 6
Operational Definition of Terms 8
TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9
Introduction
Concepts, Opinions, Ideas from Authors! Experts 9
Theoretical Perspectives 14
Related Studies 18
THREE METHODOLOGY 28
Research Design 28
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Research population~ 28
Sampling procedure 29
Research instruments 29
Validity and reliability of instrument 30
Data gathering procedures 31
Data Analysis 31
Ethical Consideration 32
Limitations of the study 32
FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRATATION 33
FIVE FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50
FINDINGS 50
Conclusions 61
Recommendations 62
REFERENCES 63
APPENDICES 67
Appendix I: Transmittal Letter 67
Appendix II: Clearance From Ethics Committee 68
Appendix III: Informed Consent 69
Appendix IV: Research Instruments 70
1. Research Questionnaires For Teachers 70
2. Research Questionnaires For Parents 74
Appendix V: Researcher’s Curriculum Vitae 78
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Showing the characteristics of respondents in tersm fo age,
marital status, qualification, gender and experience ~33
Table 2: Socio-Economjcs Status and Education Performance ~ 36
Table 3: Frequency of parents’ education level and pupils’ academic
performance
Table 4: Frequency of parents’ income level and pupils academic
performance 40
Table 5: frequency of parents occupations and pupils academic
performance 42
Table 6: Correlation between pupil academic performance and parents’
level of education, and their occupation 45
Table 7: Correlation between parents’ education, occupation; income and
pupils retantion rate 47
Table 8: Correlation between parents’ income and pupils’ academic
performance 48
Table 9: Population sample size 80
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: column graph showing parents education level 38
Figure 2: column graph showing parents education level and pupils
performance 39
Figure 3: Column Graph showing Pupils performance in mock by parents’
level of income 41
Figure 4: Pie chart showing proportion of pupils academic performance
by parents’ occupation 42
Figure 5: Column graph showing pupils academic performances rate by
parents’ occupation 44
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CHAPTER ONE
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Back ground of the Study
Over the last century to today, the greatest desire for every parent
and government is to provide equal opportunities through education to all
children. Formerly education was tailored to help the child fit into the
economic and social slots quite similar to those of their parents, Later in
the 1gth century when schools were opened to all kinds of children from
all social classes, it was discovered that education correlates with the
economic success of the society (Smith, 2006). How education is assessed
by the child biases the outcome though.
For those children who have sound economic bases, education has
been affordable and thus accessible. The children from poor background
therefore lack the means to access education that would later give him or
her status, occupation and a sound economic base. Through poverty, this
becomes a vicious cycle of poverty.
Frequent poverty invasion can have a negative impact on a
children’s academic routine and potential success (Alexander, et al, 1996;
Family Housing Fund, 2003; Kariuki & Nash, 1999; Popp, et al., 2003).
Mobility and absenteeism are often associated with poor school
performance (Alexander, et al., 1996). When children were administered a
measure of stressful life events, researchers found that children reported
changing schools being as stressful as the hospitalization or incarceration
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of a parent (Alexander, et al., 1996), In addition to being unprepared for
school due to lack of supplies, and no time or place to do homework,
there also may be changes in the methodical understanding of poverty
related cases (Noll & Watkins, 2003). Based on the national study of
poverty and performance over the last decade of over 10,000 Kenyan
school childrens, Rumberger & Larson (1998) concluded that the risk of
dropping out of primary school is greater for children who are highly
vulnerable to poverty related cases during their first four years of school
than that of their less stressed peers. Further analysis of a six-year study
led Rumberger, Larson, Ream, & Polardy (1999) to report a tendency for
highly starved children to suffer psychologically, socially, and
academically. Poverty is also shown to negatively impact the classrooms
and schools that have high rates of children associated with poverty,
impacting non-poverty as well as starved children. A study of children
(Mao, Whitsett, & Mellor, 1998) found that children who were stable
scored better on state standard achievement tests than their more
unstable peers. While findings support a relationship between increased
starvation and decreased academic performance, this relationship cannot
be considered to be causal due to limitations inherent to the research
design. The pupils’ performance in Takaba Zone is highly dependent on
the economic status of their parents. This is highly controlled by the
parental financial as well as social positions and their academic
performance are highly depending on these factors. A look at the
performance of primary schools in Takaba Zone indicates that just one out
of three pupils pass in first grade out of hundreds of KCPE candidates
every year. And for a long time, Mandera West district where Takaba
Zone is found has never reached 3% pass in highest grade (Kirewa Youth
Development Initiative, 2004). Not all children in Kenyan schools manage
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to complete primary school cycle and mostly those who complete it attain
poor Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) grades. The worry is
that pupils obtain poor results, dropout before becoming literate in English
or can not join world class schools that set high fees and high cut off
points, yet education is the key element for any one wanting to improve
on their poor plight, move towards a better future and get a better job.
Poor performance and illiteracy is generally associated with
unemployment, low earning, poor health and persistent poverty. More so,
poor performance and illiteracy is a formidable obstacle to development.
Providing education for all through attempts such as FPE, paying
salary of teachers and expansion of classrooms has not ended poor
performance and school drop outs. Many children are excluded from an
education because of poverty, conflict, their special needs, their gender
etc (www.Icc/ org. Uk.,).Other challenges to making sure all children receive
a quality education are: high numbers of pupils in the classroom and
insufficient furniture, which makes it very difficult for the teacher to cater
for all students’ abilities. Costs associated with education, e.g. school fees
and school uniforms, personal text books; costs for teaching materials etc.
inadequate water and sanitation supply at the school, need to work or
help out at home, e.g. looking after ill family members, and helping out on
market days.
Statement of the ProMem
In the recent past, evidence elicited by researchers has shown that
accessibility to education by children is to a great extend determined by
their socio-economic background (Bowles and Gintis 1976:31). Illiteracy
and low academic performance at school is closely linked to the family
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socio economic background. In Kenya today, a poor person is found to be
more permissive in raising their children and least interested in formal
education. Today, there is very little attention to education in Kenya
among the vulnerable children and this has been caused by persistent
financial constraints in most areas and notably in North Eastern Province
(Bowles and Gintis 1976:31). The major implications of these problems
are that children cannot access education and hence making them to be
more vulnerable to several pupil related academic challenges such as
failure to perform well and in extreme cases children are unable to attend
school.
Poverty has denied most children the equal opportunity to
education such that some failed to start schooling while those who start
dropped out for lack of financial ability to sustain a sound education. This
vicious problem has propagated the social problems of illiteracy, drop
outs, child labour and a much poorer society in Takaba zone in Mandera
West District. The question therefore is; what is the relationship between
socio economic status of parents and academic performance of pupils in
primary schools in Madera West district North Eastern province Kenya.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of parents’
education level, occupation, and economic status on the academic
performance of pupils in primary education in selected schools in Mandera
West district, North Eastern Province, Kenya.
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Research ObjectivesThe specific objectives of the study were:
(I) To determine the profile of respondents in relation to age,
gender and class.
(ii) Investigate the parent’s level of education and its relevance
on pupil’s academic performance.
(iii) To assess the economic status of parents of Takaba zone
and how this contribute to pupil academic performance
(iv) To investigate if the type of parent occupation influences on
pupils academic performance in Takaba zone, Mandera West
district.
Research QuestionsThe study was guided by the following research questions:
i. What are the education levels of parents of Takaba zone in
Mandera West district in Kenya?
ii. What relationship was exhibited between economic status of
parents and pupil academic performance in Takaba zone in
Mandera West district in Kenya?
iii. How was the type of parent occupation impact on pupil
academic performance in Takaba zone in Mandera West
district.
HypothesisThe hypothesis for the study is that, there is a direct relationship betweenparents’ education level, occupation, and economic status on theacademic performance of pupils in primary education in selected schoolsin Mandera West district, North Eastern Province, Kenya
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Scope
The study was conducted in Takaba zone in Mandera West district
in Kenya between May 2010 and March 2011. The research sites included
Takaba zone in Mandera West district primary schools in Kenya. These
schools were purposely included in the study because of their proximity
and convenience to the researcher’s location and accessibility. These
schools were located in the poverty stricken Takaba zone in Mandera
West district and most likely reflected the aspects of poverty under study.
Takaba zone in Mandera West district was the source of the main study
population. The site of Takaba Zone amounted to 236~4 Km2. It was
aimed at covering an extensive study on poverty and education among
the children and various issues contributing to their dropout
The researcher aimed at finding out the role Takaba Schools played
in understanding the relative impacts of poverty on eventual academic
performance of children, causes and effects of poverty on pupils’
academic performance
According to the topic, the relative understanding of poverty and its
effects pupil academic performance in schools was carried out in a rural
setting of Takaba Zone of Mandera, in North Eastern Province of Kenya.
The study was conducted in 4 schools. The sample consisted of sizeable
teachers, pupils and parents of the named institutions.
Significance of the Study
The study would be useful to the people of Takaba Zone as a
community, also useful to NGO’s such as basic needs and basic human
rights, women’s and children’s to understand and acknowledge the cause
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and impact of poverty in pupils academic performance in Schools in
Takaba Zone.
More so the study would be useful to other researchers, in that
would make them to understand on the existing and current problems of
poverty and its detrimental effects. In addition, to policy makers
(politicians) especially, the ministry of gender and social development. At
the same time, the study would enable them to come up with more
appropriate solution for supporting the children especially to overcome the
impacts of poverty on pupil academic performance.
The study would make the researcher get the possible solutions for
the particular increase in the cases of school dropouts among the affected
children, and by designing appropriate methodologies necessary to
support them. It would be useful in a way that it would open the minds of
the children on what to follow; this is whereby individuals would be able
to share out ideas on how to curb the issue of poverty.
It would incorporate a substantial further research in areas of
children management and the eventual understanding of the behavioral
characteristics of the children would form a basis for further ways of
managing the children. The study would act as a derivative for a
qualitative research and it would be a consultative component for the
scholars who wish to enhance their careers in the areas of children and
the young people.
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Operational Definition of Terms
Pupils Scholars at the level of primary schools education
Primary school — a school that provides the first eight basic education
Parents- those persons who are responsible for meeting the pupils’
basic need including Education.
Socio Economic Status- parents’ level of Education, Economic status
and Type of occupation.
Pupils’ academic performance- Enrolment, attendance, drop out,
repetition and pupil’s performance at school.
ACRONYMS
K~C. P~ E- Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
K~ C~ S~ E- Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
EFA- Education For All
NGO- Non Governmental Organization
UNICEF- United Nation International Children Educational Fund
GCE- Global Campaign on Education
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CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter is composed of the theoretical review, conceptual
framework and reviews of some of the works of different authors. In
conducting this review, the following study variables were of utmost
importance: parent’s education, income and occupation; and the
education activities such Enrolment, attendance, drop out, repetition and
pupil’s performance
Concepts, Opinions, Ideas from Authors/ Experts
The need for better attainment of education was realized far back
in 1990, at the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand
when some 150 organizations agreed to Huniversalize primary education
and massively reduce illiteracy by the end of the decade”(LJNESCQ 2009).
In 2000, ten years later, the international community met again in Dakar,
Senegal, and took stock of many countries being far from having reached
this goal. They affirmed their commitment to achieving Education for All
by the year 2015, and identified six key measurable education goals. The
six goals are: to expand early childhood care and education; provide free
and compulsory primary education for all; Promote learning and life skills
for young people and adults; Increase adult literacy by 50 per cent;
achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015; and improve the
quality of education.
According to Jean-Claude Guillemard 2010, the principal actors in
Education for All (EFA) are governments and civil society (Le. NGOs) at
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the national level. The International strategy for Education for All (EFA)
education includes:
Planning for Education for All (EFA) at national/regional level (National
educational plans)
Communication and advocacy through provision of messages on
social justice and equitable opportunity combined with stories of the
impact of education on the Jives of individuals and communities.
Financing education where by the Dakar forum proclaimed “no
National Education for All plan should be delayed for lack of financial
resources”.
The International and regional mechanisms include:
The Education for All (EFA) High level Group and the EFA Working
Group informed by the annual Education for All Monitoring Report
produced by an independent group of experts on a thematic basis.
The Collective consultation of NGOs on Education for All; this
mechanism aims to facilitate civil society participation in the Dakar Follow
up. The CCNGO/EFA organizes regional civil society forums.
The Global Campaign for education (GCE) initiated by 3 important
NGOs: Oxfam, education International and Action Aid. GCE lobbies for the
right to education and participates in the international co-ordination
mechanisms of the High Level Group and EFA Working Group.
The NGO Liaison Committee is the communication and liaison
channel on EFA matters to the NGOs in official relationship with UNESCO.
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The flagship programmes under the leadership of an international
Agency (i.e. UNESCO; UNICEF, UNHCR...) assist countries to achieve their
EFA goals and they provide special focus for one aspect of EFA such as
persons with disability in terms of advocacy, advice and monitoring of
progress.
Education is one of Government’s key sectors and has continued to
receive priority in resource allocation. Over the last five years the budget
allocation to the education sector has been increasing steadily from
Shs633.43b in 1005/2006 to 1.1 trillion. Part of this money is meant for
construction of class rooms because other schools do not have enough
class rooms and pupils are taught under trees (Wamakuyu F. & Baguma
A. 2010)
Education policy in Kenya also resulted in several documents, one
of which is the White Paper of 2008 on Education Policy. The document
covers all levels of education from pre-primary to higher education, and all
types of formal education such as general, technical, vocational, teacher
training as well as non-formal education.
Current national priorities, as stipulated in policy documents issued
by the Ministry of Education and Sports, include provision of Free Primary
Education (FPE); sensitization of the population about FPE in order that
communities fully participate in its implementation, and implementation of
strategies that will redress the existing imbalances i.e. gender,
geographical, social, or otherwise as well as the disparities in education
standards and performance throughout the education system in general
and primary and secondary education in particular.
The policy objectives of providing FPE were to:
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Establish, provide and maintain quality education to promote
national human resource development; and to make basic education
equitable, accessible and relevant to the nation; and ensuring that
education is affordable to the majority of Kenyans.
Free Primary Education (FPE) was formally launched in Kenya in
2003. Under the FPE program initially the government’s responsibilities
were to pay statutory fees for four children per family and all orphans;
provide instructional materials and teachers’ salaries in government grant-
aided schools. District authorities are expected to provide furniture, safe
water, land or premises where teaching and learning can take place;
assistance in the construction of school buildings; and supervision and
inspection of schools. Parents are responsible for the provision of exercise
books, pencils, meals; clothing for their children; and assistance in the
construction of the school buildings (for instance through provision of
labor).
The program enjoys significant support from the donors and also
from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, under which
Government is channeling proceeds from debt relief to the program.
There is also need to understand socioeconomic factors inherent in
our societies. According to the Commission on Social Determinants of
Health in Australia (2007), one major variable used to understand
socioeconomic position in studies of social inequities is social stratification.
The term stratification is used in sociology to refer to social hierarchies in
which individuals or groups can be arranged along a ranked order of some
attribute. Income or years of education provide familiar examations.
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Krieger, Williams and Moss as quoted in the draft report of the
Australian commission on health (2007); refer to socioeconomic position
as an aggregate concept that includes both resource-based and prestige-
based measures, as linked to both childhood and adult social class
position. Resource-based measures refer to material and social resources
and assets, including income, wealth, and educational credentials. Terms
they used to describe inadequate resources include “poverty” and
“deprivation”. Prestige-based measures refer to individuals’ rank or status
in a social hierarchy, typically evaluated with reference to people’s access
to and consumption of goods, services, and knowledge. Prestige-based
measure is linked to occupational prestige, income, and educational level.
Educational level creates differences between people in terms of access to
information and the level of proficiency in benefiting from new knowledge,
whereas income creates differences in access to scarce material goods. In
conducting this study, parents’ education level, income and occupation
were taken as the independent variables.
Max Weber developed a similar view of status, He considered
Status to be prestige or honor in the community. Weber also considers
status to imply “access to life chances” based on social and cultural
factors such as family background, lifestyle and social networks. In this
study, the term “socioeconomic status” is used to acknowledge the
separate but linked dimensions of social class reflected in the Weberian
conceptualization.
Kunst and Mackenbach as quoted in the draft report of the
Australian commission on health (2007) have argued that there are
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several indicators for socioeconomic position, and that the most important
are occupational status, level of education and income level, Each
indicator covers a different aspect of social stratification, and it is
therefore preferable to use all three instead of only one. They add that
the measurement of these three indicators is far from straightforward, and
due attention should be paid to the application of appropriate
classifications, for examination, children, women and economically inactive
people, for whom one or more of these indicators may not be directly
available. Information on education, occupation and income may be
unavailable, and it may then be necessary to use proxy measures of
socioeconomic status such as indicators of living standards (for
examination, car ownership or housing tenure),
The researcher also drew from the model by Silicon Valley Blogger
(2007) which showed that if you’re a college graduate in the field of
science or mathematics, you’ll likely earn a decent income, In contrast,
the statistics for the legal profession support the fairly common
assumptions that judges and lawyers make a good living and that relative
to other professions; they’re a highly educated bunch.
Theoretica~ Perspectives
Educationalattainment in social theory
Social theory seeks to explain change in society: how it develops,
what factors facilitate and inhibit it, and what results from it. Looking at
foundational texts within the discipline, the researcher will consider the
principal ideas offered by some leading theorists and how those ideas
relate to the social and intellectual contexts in which they were produced.
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More important, he will consider their relevance for ongoing issues people
face today. Below is a careful consideration of what each theorist has
written with a critical analysis to our interpretation.
Pierre Bourdieu and Cultural capital
Bourdieu stated that education leads to social reproduction and
creation of a stratified society through honoring the cultural capital of the
elite class.
The term cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets, for
examination educational or intellectual, which might promote social
mobility beyond economic means. It is a sociological concept that was first
articulated by Pierre Bourdieu when he attempted to explain differences in
educational outcomes in France during the 1960s.
According to the Educated girl (http//hubpages.com/profile),
Bourdieu’s concern in relation to cultural capital was with its continual
transmission and accumulation in ways that perpetuate social inequalities.
Bourdieu sees the concept of cultural capital as breaking with the received
wisdom that attributes academic success or failure to natural aptitudes,
such as intelligence and giftedness. Bourdieu explains school success by
the amount and type of cultural capital inherited from the family milieu
rather than by measures of individual talent or achievement. For him,
ability is socially constructed and is the result of individuals having access
to large amounts of cultural capital. Ability is itself the product of an
investment of time and cultural capital.
Generally Parents provide their children with cultural capital by
transmitting the attitudes and knowledge needed to succeed in the
current educational system. As such children from higher socio economic
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status have an advantage over other children that give them better
educational success and consequently higher status in society.
Anneite Lareau and Concerted Cultivation
Annette Lareau 2003 stated that lower income families have
children who do not succeed to the level of the middle income children,
who feel entitled, are argumentative, and better prepared for life.
According to Jeremy Suizo(2010) analysis of Lareau’s book,
‘Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life’, there is a clear
distinction between the parenting styles of the working class families and
the middle class families. The middle class, practices a method she dubs
“concerted cultivation” while the working class use a style called the
accomplishment of natural growth.
Lareau observed that, middle class parents had a greater presence
in the lives of their children; primarily through organizing the child’s daily
life. For middle class families, there was a heavy emphasis on scheduling
and participating in various extracurricular activities and sports. Middle
class parents also encouraged their children to ask questions and to be
self-reliant.
Children under the concerted cultivation method tended to
participate in sibling rivalry and because of the heavy scheduling, middle
class children rarely visited extended family and had little free time.
The mantra of concerted cultivation is to prepare the children for
the future, a sort of ‘work hard, play later’ mentality where the children
can have their fun once they have grown up, gotten a job, and have the
money to indulge. The mantra of the natural growth style of parenting is
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to let the children play and have fun in youth because adulthood will be
hard. Working class parents favored letting their children play freely
compared to the middle class children who had lives scheduled around
extracurricular activities.
As a result of the financial and material issues surrounding working
class families, parents were most concerned with providing basic survival
needs like food and shelter. Extended family was more present in
working class families so as to help raise the children together. At home,
children are spoken to with directives rather than discussions or requests
and sometimes, the youngsters are forced to learn to fend for themselves.
This finding is similar to the concept of cultural capital as presented
by French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, which is concerned with the social
skills and knowledge passed onto children and give them advantages over
others into navigating through society successfully.
Randal Co/fins and Credential/sm
Randall Collins contributed the idea of credentials to the study of
class based differences in educational attainment. Collins maintains that
public schools are socializing institutions that teach and reward middle
class values of competition and achievement. He explained that Anglo
protestant elites are selectively separated from other students and placed
in prestigious schools and colleges, where they are trained to hold
positions of power. By teaching middle-class culture through the public
education system, the elite class ensures a monopoly over positions of
power, while others acquire the credentials to compete in a subordinate
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job market and economy. In this way, schools of medicine, law and elite
institutions have remained closed to members of lower classes.
Likewise in Kenya we have unlimited opportunity schools where the
children there are destined to hold positions of power in future by learning
middle class values while children in other schools acquire the credentials
to compete in subordinate job markets.
Related Studies
In this section, the researcher sought to know what other
researchers have found out about parents level of education, their income
level and occupational prestige in relation to children’s educational
attainment.
Parents’ level of education and pupil’s educational attainment
Parental educaticnal level is known as a factor positively related to
childrents academic achievement (Grissmer, Kirby, Berends & Williamson,
1994). The family is the main factor influencing the lives and outcomes of
students (Okantey, 2008). The educational level of parent is a powerful
factor influencing children~s academic success. It has been established
that generally, the educational level of parents is greatly connected to the
educational Attainment of their children (Sarigiani, 1990).
Parents play an immense and significant role in the academic
performance of their children. Educated parents would have increased
emphasis on educational excellence. Educated parents are equipped by
virtue of their education to take cognizance of the fact that parent
student- school- community relationship is important in order to promote
educational attainment and academic achievement of their children and so
they make the partnership a priority (Okantey, 2008).
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Douglas (1964) concluded in his research that the attitudes of
children given encouragement via their parents, particularly the educated
ones are better. Similarly, Musgrave (1983) established that parents who
visit the school often and wish their children to enjoy diversity and
protected education in general, give an enhancement to their children’s
educational programme and it is particularly the educated parents who
could confidently visit their children’s schools without feeling intimidated
or timid. It is worthy of note, however, that there is an exception to
everything, so to all the point raised previously, there is bound to be an
exception in terms of individual learner. Ezewu (1987) found that one of
the reasons for poor performance in 1985 by secondary school pupils in
Nigeria was “poor learner characteristics” which he identified in terms of
attitudes, enthusiasm, self concept as well as study habit.
Parents who have a high level of education tend to have higher
aspirations and higher education plans for their children than lower or non
educated parents (Sarigiani, 1990), Family environments are very
significant in controlling the aspirations of children (Wilson, 1992). Swift
(1973) asserted that parental stance towards children’s education was
found to account for 26% of the variation in education performance. Okoli
sighting Taiwo (1981) said clearly that the function of the home in
education is clear, it is to lay the foundation, moral, spiritual and
intellectual on which the children are to build upon latter in life which
implies that unless the foundation laid by the home is sound and solid, the
school would have nothing to build upon and the child could later become
a problem not only to his parents but also to the community
The children of the educated group are liable than the children of the
lower or non educated groups to have higher aspirations and higher
19
education plans (Wilson, 1992). Parents accounted that their obligation to
educational value is having a direct impact on their children’s educational
aspirations (Okantey, 2008). Research has shown that academic
aspiration of schoolchildren is positively related to the standing of their
parents. This is so because children tend to imitate their parents and so
aspire to be as highly educated as their parents. There is an indication
that children of parents with high level of education are likely to follow the
modern ideas while the children from parents with low level of education
are likely to follow old tradition i.e. not to appreciate the value of
education (Matanmi, 1989).
The study of Ezewu et al (1981) showed that more pupils from high
socio-economic status groups which usually fall into the well educated
groups aspire for highly rated professions such as medical profession, etc
in Nigeria more than the lower socioeconomic status groups which mostly
fall into the low or non educated groups. Children are on the other way
round at a disadvantage when their parents have a lower education as
well as this could possibly form a cycle of uneducated family members
making every generation of the family not to go much higher than the
previous parent owing to the aspirations shown to them by their parents.
Children of more highly educated families are more ambitious and attain
higher levels of education.
According to Nannyonjo H. 2007 pupils with parents who did not
finish primary or just finished primary, pupils with parents who finished
senior four or senior 6 or university performed considerably better. The
highest increase in test scores was for pupils whose fathers had a
university degree. Compared to earlier research, for examination by
Hanushek, found mother’s education has a significant effect on pupils test
20
scores. Fathers’ education had a stronger influence than mothers. Those
results possibly reflect the ability of parents to support the pupils’ school
work, and likely interactions of literate parents with their children in school
related or literacy nurturing activities as well as their ability to support
their children with home work or help with difficult home work questions.
Similarly Okumu et al (2008) in a study of Socioeconomic Determinants of
Primary School Dropout found that High academic attainment of a mother
and father significantly reduces chances of primary school drop out for
both boys and girls in rural and urban areas. For a mother, this
phenomenon could be attributed to the fact that educated mothers reduce
the time spend doing household chores while increasing the time spend
with their children than their uneducated counterparts. Also educated
mothers are more effective in helping their children in academic work. In
doing so, they are also able to monitor and supervise their children’s
academic progress. While for fathers it’s attributed to the fact that
educated fathers are also interested in their children thus they would be
willing to spend more time in helping their children in academic problems.
Educated fathers are as well aware of the possible returns to their children
and they are more likely to have access to information and social
networks necessary for their children to engage into relatively human
capital intensive activities yielding high returns to education
The educational levels as well as income of parents are interconnected;
this is because educated parents by virtue of their educational background
possess the potential for increased income. Thus, educated parents have
the capacity to build bridges out of poverty and benefit from better quality
of life (Okantey, 2008), Parental education which leads to good income
empowers parents to give their children a solid foundation for school and
21
life success and enables them to build up strong partnerships between
parents and schools in order to sustain achievement standards. It also
heightens parents’ feelings of competence and confidence in guiding their
children’s education (Okantey, 2008).
Wilson, Smeeding and Haveman (2007) said that parental
education andoccupational class are more strongly associated with
student’s educational attainment. It has been put forward that parents of
high socio-economic status have more positive attitudes towards their
children’s schooling and have high expectations for the children since they
have the economic empowerment to buy the advantages that money can
buy. Money may encourage or discourage going to school. The children
from comfortable homes eats balanced diet and thus have a good health,
Again, the values he/she is exposed to at home are similar to the ones he
finds in school and therefore he is able to adjust easily to school life, A
feeling of belonging to a comfortable social school environment further
helps him/her to show his best, Payne, (1998) believes that students from
poverty lack cognitive strategies needed to be successful in the
educational system. Conger and Elder (1994) asserts that families at a
variety of income levels who suffer economic stress of any kind are more
likely than families that are not economically stressed to experience
depression, marital clashes and to be harsh with their children which
points to the fact that, poverty and economic stress are associated with
parent- child conflict which leads to poorer grades and weakens emotional
and social growth. The disparity in home learning environment of higher
and lowerincome children is a reason for nearly half of the effect income
on the achievement scores of preschool children (Klebanor, 2002).
22
Ezewu and Okoye (1981) found that educated parents who most
often fall into high or middle- socio- economic class families tend to show
more concern over their children’s poor performance at school either by
teaching them in those subjects in which they performed poorly or they
appoint lesson teachers to further coach them. Even if non educated
parents who most likely fall into the low- socio- economic status families
were worried over their children’s poor performances at school, they are
not always able to coach their children as they themselves had little or no
education and they may not have the financial capacity to hire lesson
teachers for their children.
Ezewu (1990) said that on the average, children from high socioeconomic
status homes which most likely are the homes with educated parents are
more likely to achieve better outcomes at schools. Children from high
socio-economic status families are likely to improve on their academic
achievement even if they have been performing poorly before because
they can be provided with the incentive to do better
Parents’ ~ncome and pupH’s educat~ona~ atta~nment
One of the most dramatic changes in education over the last
decade has been the “massification” of primary education. However there
is still poor performance among the poor. According to Kakuru 2001,
Kasente D, 2003, FPE decisions still get taken that deny some boys and
girls of school going age from getting access to primary school education.
At higher levels most girls that access secondary education tend to come
from middle and above wealth quintile families. The children themselves
hardly make these decisions but rather it is their parents, guardians and
relatives. For the children who are not enrolled in school, there are
explanations for what drives the decision taken by their parents and
23
guardians. For examination some studies found investment in children to
be related to household income. Bjorkman M (2005 Pg 18), depicted the
correlation between district income and girls and boys enrolment as
follows: For low levels of income very few girls attended education and
there is a large gap between boys and girls enrolment. The differential
treatment of children’s education was explained by the returns to
education, and the share of the children’s income transferred to his or her
parents. On the other hand, the differential treatment of girls’ verses boys
is related to the fact that parents’ values of child labor where girls bear
the bulk of the additional work required at home.
Income shocks do not only affect investment in children’s education
but also children’s performance. When families are constrained by fewer
resources and there are differences in boys and girls access to resources,
children’s learning is consequently affected. According to Bjorkman M
(2005), a negative income shock has two effects on the female student’s
performance: marginal girls will be withdrawn from school than boys and
the resources (food) provided will fall more for girls than for boys. As such
only brighter girls reach grade seven. On the other hand as girls are
provided with less resources within the household, or alternatively, have
to spend more time on domestic work as compared to boys and this
effect causes girls to perform worse on the test as compared to boys.
According to Alissa 2010, Children’s test scores are lowest when poverty
persist across the generations, and highest when material advantage is
long-lasting On the other hand, while good social skills also appeared to
be linked across generations, these do not make a significant direct
contribution to the current gap in cognitive test scores between rich and
poor children. Alisa found that the gap in attainment between children
24
from the poorest and richest backgrounds grew particularly fast during the
primary school years. By age eleven, only around three-quarters of
children from the poorest fifth of families reached the expected level at
Key Stage 2, compared with 97 per cent of children from the richest fifth.
according to Alisa, Poorer children who performed well in Key Stage tests
at age seven were more likely than better-off children to fall behind by
age eleven, and poorer children who performed badly at seven were less
likely to improve their ranking compared with children from better-off
backgrounds — an important factor behind the widening gap. Akanle,
2007) identified Parental income in this work to be a cogent factor upon
which the academic/vocational successes of secondary school students lie.
He found Parental income not to be sufficient to sustain the academic and
personal social life of the student in sub rural school areas. This to a large
extent affects the psychological balance or homeostatic balance in the
class room, which causes low concentration, low perception, frustration,
sickness and emotional disability in academic performance of the
students. Therefore when a child is deprived of the essential needs he
may be found to perform poorly in his school work. This is consistent with
Bugembe et al 2005 finding that child welfare at school is a determinant
of child academic performance and also incorporates the rights of children
to adequate living standards (shelter, nutrition and healthcare, water, and
sanitation services) that are vital for child growth and development.
Bugembe explained that In urban areas, most poor families can hardly
afford the cost of water, resulting in children from poor families being sent
on long treks in search of water, often having to stand in long queues and
consequently being late or absent from school.
25
Parents’ occupation and educationall attainment
Checchi D, & salvi A. (2010 pg 16) found that in Ghana some
negative correlation emerged with the probability of enrolment and low
income jobs. In Mauritania they found that, there is also positive
association with household head working as public employee, which is
typically associated with less volatile higher earnings, for Kenya, the
coefficients of both father and mother education exhibited a nicely
increasing trend, suggesting an increasing pressure on educating the
offspring, especially when the main source of income comes from
‘transfer’, which helps to raise school attendance, However one third of
Kenyans classified as unemployed were actually taking up unpaid family
jobs, thus agreeing with Okumu et all 2008, finding that a large
percentage of the economically active persons are economically
unproductive; thereby vindicating the household’s dependence burden
implying that educated workers accept only high quality jobs and possibly
experience long spells of unemployment and or migration. This squeezes
out the household’s resources, resulting into pupils in the family dropping
out of school. Another problem is that Dr Dunne and her colleagues, who
presented their findings to the British Educational Research Association’s
annual conference, examined pupil-placement decisions in English and
Math in 44 secondary schools and 124 primaries. Their analysis included
information on pupils’ prior attainment, gender, ethnicity and home
neighborhood and found that working-class pupils are more likely to be
placed in lower sets than middle-class pupils who have the same test
results, and that, pupils from middle-class backgrounds more likely to be
assigned to higher sets, irrespective of their prior attainment. The schools
said that prior attainment and perceived ability were the main criteria on
26
which setting decisions were based. However, over half the pupils with
low prior attainment in English ended up in middle or high sets. Setting
decisions were therefore clearly not made on this basis alone. Teacher
judgments and pupil behavior influenced setting decisions but social class
was more important. This phenomenon is present in Kenya where pupils
who wish to transfer from a rural school to urban schools are often placed
in lower classes due to perceived low attainment in their previous schools.
To conclude this review, there is a huge complexity of reasons why
students from low socio economic status are less likely to excel in
education. These range from family and community expectations due to
possible returns of education for the family, financial hardship, parents
ambivalent attitudes to education, poor attendance patterns due to need
for child labor. Like wise there are also many reasons why pupils from
high socioeconomic status excel in education. These include ability of
literate parents to support pupils with home and school work, monitoring
and supervision of children’s school work and access to information and
social networks necessary for their children’s success in
27
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGy
Research Design
The researcher used a descriptive research design in order to
obtain information concerning the current status of socio economic status
of parents and pupils educational attainment. The distinctive nature of
Selected primary schools in Takaba in Mandera West District, Kenya,
prompted the researcher to employ a case study type of descriptive
research involving correlation studies concerned with determining the
extent to which variations in parents level of education, income and
occupation were associated with variations in pupils educational
attainment
Research popullat~on
The target population included 28 teachers and 442 parents.
Teachers and parents were targeted because socioeconomic status is an
aggregate concept linked to both childhood and parents’ social positions
and the primary years for children are essential for their development and
transition to secondary education.
Samp~e S~ze
A sample size of 26 teachers and 207 parents was selected from
the target population of 233 using a formula suggested by Krejcie and
Morgan (1970). According to Krejcie and Morgan (1970), the population of
the parent with the population of 442 will have a sample size of 207 while
28
the teacher population of 28 will have a sample size of 26(refer to
appendix VI).
Sampllãng procedure
The sampling procedure was purposive sampling, used to obtain
the sample schools, Simple random sampling was used to select
respondents from those schools to avoid biased information. This ensured
that all teachers and parents in the sample schools were represented. The
questionnaires were distributed to the school teachers because they were
the ones who could give in~depth information concerning the role rewards
play on teaching and performance on matters concerning education. The
teachers were from Takaba primary school, Dandu Primary, Gither
primary school, Rock Hill Primary and Wangaidahan Primary school.
Research histruments
Questionnah-es
The questionnaires were preferred for this study because it enabled
the researcher reach a larger number of respondents within a short time,
thus made it easier to collect relevant information. The questionnaires
were developed basing on the objectives of the study and the personal
profile of the respondents.
Observation Guide
The researcher also employed the formal observation technique to
collect data on pupil’s academic performance. In fact Sechrest (1966) as
cited by Musazi (2006) suggest that “social behaviors and attitudes for
examination are best studied in the environments in which they are likely
to occur rather than relying on individuals to give self reports about their
29
own behaviours and attitudes.” The observation was used to know how
things were happening in the selected schools through their activities.
This was targeted on the teachers, parents and pupils.
Va~idfty and rehabi~ity of histrument
According to Moser and Kalton (1971), validity is the success of a
scale in measuring what it was set out to measure so that differences in
individual scores can be taken as representing true differences in
characteristics under study.
The researcher consulted statistical specialists and his supervisor who
ensured the relevance and suitability of the content in the questionnaire
would provide coverage of the objectives of the study. The validity of the
questions were checked by the responses acquired and the content
validity index. The validity of the questionnaire was ensured by employing
the formula suggested by Handy (2007)
L~ =
To
•2 7075
36
Where V=Validity
RQ=Relevant Question
TQ= Total number of Questions
The number of relevant questions divided by the total number of
questions was 0.75 which is above 0.5 hence valid.
30
Reliability is a measure of the degree to which a research
instrument yields consistent results after repeated trials. According to
Christensen (1988), reliability refers to consistency and stability in
measurements. To establish the reliability of the questionnaire, the
researcher used the methods of expert judgment and pre-test in order to
test and improve the reliability of the questionnaire.
Data gathering procedures
The researcher distributed the questionnaires to respondents of
selected schools after the pre-test exercises, The questionnaires are
delivered and collected by the researcher in person.
Data Analysis
During data analysis, quantitative and qualitative methods of
research were used to analyze the data. The data was mainly analyzed
using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentages, bar
charts and histograms. This enabled the researcher to meaningfully
describe distribution of scores or measures on the effects of rewards on
pupils’ academic performance. Data was presented in word as well as
frequency tables.
Also data from each questionnaire was categorized and edited for
accuracy and completeness of information, The information obtained was
further triangulated with information from secondary sources for
meaningful interpretation and discussion.
31
Ethical Consideration
After pre-testing of the questionnaire the researcher sought
permission from the relevant authorities to conduct the study. The
researcher justified itself when approaching the school head teachers in
order for them to believe that the study was being carried out purely for
academic purposes. The university had offered the researcher an
introductory letter requesting the schools to assist by supplying the
required information for the study.
Also the researcher promised the respondents that their identity
could not be disclosed as there were no writing of names on the
questionnaires and that everything was to be confidential. The researcher
gave the respondents the true facts about the research in order to make
informed decisions about participating or not.
Limitations of the study
Some of the limitations encountered included incorrect responses
by some respondents due to fear of school supervisors.
Also there was a lot of silence and lack of goodwill among the
teachers which made the atmosphere unfavorable for the researcher
when he was collecting the questionnaires from the selected schools.
32
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRATATION
IntroductionThis chapter deals with the presentation and analysis of the major findings
from the research instruments that were used for collecting the data with
specific emphasis on the Socio-economic issues of parents on the
academic performance of pupils in primary education in selected schools
in Mandera West district, North Eastern Province, Kenya.
In order to conceptualize the situation, first the characteristics of the
respondents are presented below.
The character of the respondents included aspects of gender, age,
marital status, level of education and working experience filled on the
questionnaire and the results are presented and analyzed in table 1 below
are table four for clear clarification
Table 1: Showing the characteristics of respondent in terms of
age, marital status, qualification, gender and experience
33
E~JoYrs2~~Yi29~ ifl~E~Ti6
22.2 8 3,7 54 25.
9
~~yrs 34 16.6 8 3.7 42 20.
Totall 168 8L 39 18~ 207 10
5 5 0
Marital Married 122 59.2 22 11 144 70.
status 4
Single 46 22.2 15 7.4 63 29.
6
Totall 168 8L 37 18, 207 10
5 5 0
Diploma 22 11.1 15 7.4 39 18.qualificatio
5n
Certificate 154 70.2 22 11.1 168 81.
5
Totall 176 81~ 37 18, 207 10
5 5 0
5 years 46 22.3 15 7.4 19 35.
Working I 2
34
Table 4 above shows that the parents and teachers were mainly male
representing 81.4% of the total number of respondents while the
respondents constituted only 18.5%. This finding generally suggests high
gender disparity among the respondents in favour of male. Among the
male and female respondents, a majority of 35% of them were aged 20-
30 years followed by 25.9% who were aged between 41-45 years. A total
of 20.3% of the respondents were aged between 46-50 years while
16.9% of were aged between 3 1-40 years.
Table 1 above further shows that among the male and female
respondents, a majority of 70.2% were married while only 29.6%
similarly, a majority of 18.5% of the respondents had attained diploma
education while those who had attained a primary certificate level
constituted 81.5% of the total numbers of respondents a finding which
revealed that the respondents were of a reasonable education level.
Source; Primary data
35
TaNe 2: Sodo~Econom~c status of Parents and Educat~onPerformance.
STATUS INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT RESULTS
OCCUPATION EDUCATION INCOME EDUCATIONAL
ACTIVITY
Elite or Non Manual Post graduate Mot~ Performance UnlimitedUpper Jobs. degree (0%) Attendance opportunityclass Bachelors’ 40,000 to succeed.
degree
(12.5%)
EnrolmentMiddle Manual and Diploma 21,000 to Parentsclass non manual (0%) 40,000 support
jobs. Certificate 8100 to pupils to
52.3% (16.67%) 20,000 attend andperformSecondary - Repetition better
0 &Alevel(27.08%)
Lower or Predominantly Primary 4,100 to No chanceworking manual jobs. (41.67%) 8,000 to excel inclass 40% Not gone to (17.02%) performance
School Less than(2.08%) 4,000 Drop out
(82.98%)
Source: researcher
The figure above shows that the parents’ occupation, education
and income fell in some kind of hierarchy as follows:
The elite or upper class consists of parents with post graduate and
bachelors degree. These parents generally earn a descent income and are
36
occupied in non manual or highly skilled jobs. They make a good living.
Their children perform well in school; and the children have unlimited
opportunity to succeed in school. Unfortunately only 7.3%, of the sample
represented those working in non manual jobs, 12.5% of the parents had
bachelors’ education and none of the parents earned an income of more
than one million Kenya shillings.
The middle class consisted of parents with diploma, certificate
(16.67%) and secondary education (27.08%) who earn a fairly descent
income. But none of the parents in selected schools in Mandera West
district earned an income above five hundred thousand Kenya shillings per
month. 52.3% of them are occupied in manual and non manual jobs, i.e.
skilled and semi skilled jobs. They can support their children to attend
better schools or assist with academic work to compensate for poor
quality in the FPE schools.
The lower or working class parents who have primary education
(41.67%) or had not gone to school (2.08) earn the least income. 17.02%
earned between 4,100 to 8,000 and 82.98% receive Less than Kenya
shillings 4,000 per month. 40% of them are occupied in predominantly
manual jobs. Their children do enroll in school but many drop out, or have
to repeat to reach the minimum standards.
37
Education level of Parent
This was mainly assessed through a questionnaire for pupils. To
determine parent’s level of education, a number of items were subjected
to the respondents and later analyzed using SPSS. The items which were
presented to the participants in an attempt to evaluate parent’s socio
economic status basing on their education included questions about
father’s level of education, and mother’s level of education.
The majority of parents had primary education level in percentages as
(121 for mothers and 86 fathers). There were no parents with the levels
of education beyond first degree where frequency of 25 for fathers and 12
for mothers. 56 of fathers and 55 of mothers in this school had secondary
education, 12 Mothers and 4 Fathers had not gone to school. The
frequency for those with certificate was 8 for Mothers and 34 for Fathers
as shown by the graph below.
Figure 1: column graph showing parents education level
35
30
25
20
15
10 rather
5• mother
0
— 49 ~— ~%
4~OO &q0
Source; 2011 Primary Data
38
Overall majority of parent’s had low level of education. So Free Primary
education has helped parents from low socio economic backgrounds to
enroll their children in school. More so greater numbers of mothers with
lowest levels of education allowed their children to be enrolled in school.
Parent’s educational level and pupil academic performance
Education of parents is crucial to the attainment of pupils because parents
provide head start for the pupils learning.
Table 3: Frequency
performanceof parents’ education level and pupils’ academic
Figure 2: columnpupils performance
graph showing parents education level and
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Source; 2011. P imary Data
Gr4do A
Gr4de B
Gr4d.~ C
— Gr4d~ 0
Education Level I Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade DPOSTGRAFUATE 34 23 12BACHELORS 30 26 19
DIPLOMA 18 21 39 14CERTIFICATE
NONE
6 15 27
21 12 19
19
28
POSTGRAFLJATE BACHELORS OIPLOI~4A CERflFICATE NONE
39
The graph suggests that the higher the education level of pupils parents,
the better the performance of pupils because parents with high
qualifications had more children in grade A and B. It can also be observed
that parents who have not been to school had children who performed
better (Grade B and C) than some children whose parents had higher
educational qualification that obtained Grade D in the mock examinations.
Parent’s income and pupil academic performance
Another factor in determining socio economic status is income because
income creates differences in access to scarce material goods.
Table 4: Frequency of parents’ income level and pupils academicperformance
Majority of pupils enrolled in Mandera West district schools are those from
lower incomes between zero and 10,000 since this school offers free
tuition to pupils.
40
Parent’s income and pupil’s performance
80
70
60
50
40
Figure 3: Column Graph showing Pupils performance inmock by parents’ level of income
GRADEA
GRADE B
GRADE C
0 GRADED
30
20
10
I I7/ /
Source; 2011. Primary Data
Children from lowest income quintile are represented in all Grades.
However large numbers of pupils with low income pass in lower grades
than those from higher income quintiles. So the lower the parents’
income, the poorer the pupils perform.
Parents’ occupation and pupils’ enrolment 2
The results showed that Majority of the households depended on manual
and non manual formal training e.g. policeman, driver and business.
Secondly, 29 rely on predominantly manual e.g. subsistence farming,
peasantry chores while 4 had non manual with secondary, tertiary
education e.g. teachers as depicted by the pie chart below
Table 5: frequency of parents occupations and pupils academicperformance
Occupation Frequency Percent
non manual with secondary, tertiary education e.g. 15 7.3
teacher(skilled)
Manual and non manual formal training e.g. 109 52.7
policeman,
driver, business( semi skilled)
predominantly manual e.g. subsistence farming, 83 40
cleaner(unskilled)
Total 207 100
Figure 4: Pie chart showing proportion of pupils academicperformance by parents’ occupation
7.30non manual withsecondary, tertiary
40% education eg teachermanual and non manualformal training egpoliceman,driver,business
52.7 predominantly manual egsubsistancefarming, cleaner
Source; 2011 Primary Data
So majority of pupils (52.7 percent) who are enrolled in Takaba zone
primary school have parents who do manual and non manual work with
42
formal training. Pupils whose parents have the least occupation prestige
are also enrolled in in large proportions(40 percent) while very few pupils
whose parents do non manual work are enrolled in the school.
The type of businesses observed around the communities of these schools
include retail shops, transport (taxi, motorcycle and bicycle), livestock
trade, sells of livestock product, Agric produce selling etc. Employment
opportunities in this area include people working in pastoral farming and
business, schools, medical centers etc. there are subsistence farming
activities around the rural and indigenous occupants around these
schools. The crops grown include maize, millet, beans etc.
It was difficult to determine the educational level of people employed in
business and how much profits they earn, Neither was it possible to
determine income of those in farming. But these are very tiresome and
one has to work for long hours to earn a living. As such people in this
area who are engaged in pastoral activities, business and farming are
unlikely keep children in school as they need the children’s labor.
43
Parents’ occupation and pupil’s performance
Figure 5: Column graph showing pupils academic performancesrate by parents’ occupation
18
16
14 non manual w,th
12 secondary, tertiaryeducation eg teacher
10• manual and non manual
8 formal trainingegpoliceman,driver,business
• predominantly manual egsubsistance
2 farming, cleaner
0
divi divii dlviii divlV DIVX DIVU
Source; 2011 Primary Data
Concerning performance, there is no indication that parents low socio
economic status is associated with poor performahce because pupils
whose parents do predominantly manual work are represented in Grade A
in the same numbers as those whose parents do manual and non manual
work. None of those whose parents do non manual work passed in Grade
A, meaning that high socio economic status is not associated with better
performance.
Correlations
Pearson worksheet functions calculate the correlation coefficient between
two measurement variables when measurements on each variable are
observed for each of N subjects. (Any missing observation for any subject
44
causes that subject to be ignored in the analysis~) It provides an output
table, a correlation matrix that shows the value of Pearson’s applied to
each possible pair of measurement variables. The correlation coefficient is
scaled so that its value is independent of the units in which the two
measurement variables are expressed. (For example, if the two
measurement variables are parents level of education and pupils
performance, the value of the correlation coefficient is unchanged if pupils
performance is converted from percentages to grades~) The value of any
correlation coefficient must be between -1 and +1 inclusive.
Tabile 6: Correllation between pupifi academic performance and
parents’ ilevell of education, and their occupation
FathersMothers Parents
Educationeducation Occupation
levellevel
Parents education level pearson correlation 1 ~859**
.881 * *
(Father) sig. (2 tailed) .ooo~ooo
N 4744 47
Parents education level Pearson’s correlation ~859**
1 779**
(mother) sig. (2 tailed)
45
.000
.000
57
Pupils performance Pearson correlation
.641** .875**
sig, (2 tailed).000~ 000
N
44N
4444
Parents occupation779**
.000
1
.000
Pearson’s correlation ,881**
sig. (2 tailed)
N44 47
income
47
.609**.675**
.000
44
754**
sig. (2 tailed)
N 47
44
.000
5947
46
As shown in table six, This study found that There existed a positive
correlation between the parents level of education and pupils academic
periormance, with fathers education significant at 804 while mothers
educational level was significant at 0~641
Table 7: Correlation between parents’ education, occupation;
income and pupils academic performance
Parents parents Parentsparents income performance
Educational educational occupation
level (father) level (mother)
Parents education level 1
(Father)
Parents education level .859** 1
(mother)
Parents occupation .881** 779 ** 1
Parents income •754** 675** .609**
1
Pupils performance .804 ** .641** .875**757**
47
The study also proved that there was also a positive correlation between
parent’s level of income and academic performance, significant at 0.875
levels. This is clearly demonstrated in table 7 above.
TaNe 8: Corre~at~on between parents’ ~ncome and pupUs’academk performance
(mother)
.000
44
Parents’ occupation
.875**
sig. (2 tailed)
N
.000sig. (2 tailed) .000
Parents’pupils’ performance
Parents’ education level
.804**
(Father)
.000
N47
Parents’ education level
.641**
incomePearson’s correlation •754**
sig. (2 tailed) .ooo
47
Pearson’s correlation .675**
.000
44
Pearson’s correlation .609**
59N 57
48
The Pearson’s correlation was used to find a correlation between the
continuous variables. The value for the Pearson’s fell above 0.00 (no
correlation) and 1.00 (perfect correlation). Generally, correlations above
0.08 are considered pretty high. This study finally showed that Parents
occupation was as well positive with a correlation significant at 0.757
1
sig. (2 tailed)
757**
.000
N57
Pupils performance Pearson correlation
1
N118
57
757**
sig. (2 tailed) .000
57
NB: **~ correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).N: means number of observations.
49
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FINDINGS
The main objective of this area is to identify and synthesize the available
evidence about the determinants of pupils educational attainment so that
‘policies to secure and improve the quality of education can be designed
basing on pupils academic performance.
Parents’ education ~eve~ and pupils’ academic performance
Recent discussions about educational attainment reviewed in chapter two
and data presentation in this study indicate that low socio economic status
is associated with perceptions of lower educational attainment, This is
consistent with the concept of cultural capital. It is also consistent with
pupils academic performance.
Cultural capital encompasses a broad array of linguistic competencies,
manners, preferences, and orientations.” Bjorkman (2005) identifies three
variants of cultural capital: first, in the embodied state incorporated in
mind and body; second, in the institutionalized state, that is, in
institutionalized forms such as educational qualifications; and third, in the
objectified state, simply existing as cultural goods such as books, artifacts,
dictionaries, and paintings.
Cultural capital is not the only capital accruing to individuals, It is primarily
a relational concept and exists in conjunction with other forms of capital.
50
Therefore, it cannot be understood in isolation from the other forms of
capital that, alongside cultural capital, constitute advantage and
disadvantage in society. As well as cultural capital, these include
economic, symbolic, and social capital. Social capital is generated through
social processes between the family and wider society and is made up of
social networks. Economic capital is wealth either inherited or generated
from interactions between the individual and the economy, while symbolic
capital is manifested in individual prestige and personal qualities, such as
authority and charisma. In addition to their interconnection, Bjorkman
envisages a process in which one form of capital can be transformed into
another. For example, economic capital can be converted into cultural
capital, while cultural capital can be readily translated into social capital.
Regarding parents level of education, this study found out that the
education level of parent’s influences pupils’ performance positively. This
implies that an increased level of parents’ education leads to better levels
of pupils’ attainment, The correlation coefficient for parents’ education
visa vise pupils’ performance was significant at 0.804 for father and 0.641
for mother (see table 6, 7, 8). This means that the education level of the
father influences pupils more positively in Mandera West district schools
than mother’s education level. This is consistent with Anneli (2005):
finding that mothers had significant effect on pupils test scores but that
father’s education had a stronger influence than mothers.
majority of pupils enrolled in Mandera West primary schools had parents
whose education level fell in the quadrant of a low socio economic
status(see figure 1). This would explain the poor performance of the
pupils in this school. Because parents only completed primary education,
51
they cannot be competent to help pupils with their academic work. These
are parents who probably dropped out from school.
However some pupils whose parents’ education level was low still
performed better than pupils whose parents were better educated. This is
contrary to Alisa 2003, & Okumu (2008)’s finding that, pupils from highly
educated families perform better because parents encourage them to do
so or because parents read, monitor and supervise their children’s
academic progress. It would mean that pupils whose parents do not read
with them can find other people to read with or to encourage them. So
pupils whose parents are less educated could befriend other children
whose parents are better educated to learn from those parents.
Sometimes the disadvantages that low educated parents face may be a
motivation for their children to be more attentive in class so that they
perform better in order not to face the same problems they witness their
parents facing. In addition elder brothers or sisters or other relatives may
encourage pupils from lower education background to work hard since
extended family is evident in most lower class families as mentioned by
Larreau, (2003.)
One can also note that children whose parents have higher education still
perform poorer than those from worse off education backgrounds. So it is
possible that these educated parents do not have time with their children
to encourage them to do better.
Okumu et al (2008) explained school success by the amount and type of
cultural capital inherited from the family milieu rather than measures of
individual talent or achievement, But these days the education ministry
52
and schools or other form of organized learning facilitate the acquisition of
knowledge, skills and attitudes that have intrinsic value and also help in
addressing important human goals. As such education for all is
emphasized because now education leads to global benefits rather than
benefiting individual families.
The goals of education are other factors to consider in determining
educational attainment, The experience of UPE head teachers seems to be
a sense of dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic nature of the formal school
system. This is supported by Okumu et al (2008)’s findings that the
schools remain passive, expecting initiatives to come from above rather
than be self directed. Private schools are more robust in peiformance in
KCPE because they have a tendency to operate outside the formal school
system or independently from it,
Another factor for better educational attainment is early child hood care
and education. Children learn most of the values early so it is very
important that childrens’ expectations for education are emphasized early
in childhood otherwise they may fail to cope up with the rest of pupils. For
the children who are not enrolled in school, there are explanations for
what drives the decision taken by their parents and guardians. These
include Childs safety, need for labor, monitory costs and Child’s physical
readiness.
The sex of pupils has an influence on their educational attainment, In
Dandu primary primary school, boys tended to perform better in KCPE.
This can be attributed to the fact that in the evening girls join their
mothers to prepare food for the family while a boy waits or plays.
53
Furthermore, the existing social relations of gender that structure women
as providers of reproductive labor also affect the girls who are socialized
as apprentices of their mothers so they can play similar roles in future.
Other items prominent in the schools were behavioral problems of pupils
such as absenteeism, drop outs.
According to head teacher of Dandu primary, there is an attitude problem
in his school because most parents here don’t consider education as a
priority, they see children, especially girls, as valuable for marriage and
tending gardens. Subsistence farming affects academic performance
because it leads to high levels of both pupil and teacher absenteeism at
school. This corroborates Kasente (2003)’s finding that While the parents’
income can be boosted by earnings from gardening, very few spend it on
their children’s education. Secondly while the cash from gardening is a
huge boost to the parents, education and health don’t come cheaply.
Parents prioritize buying food ahead of paying school fees. This partly
explains why the school had very few good grades in KCPE in the last
three years. On the other hand, Some parents refuse to make any
contributions towards their children’s education, believing that
government will provide all the necessities.
Some teachers walk long distances to school and fail to make the journey
back the next day in time. But other problems like overcrowded
classrooms persist.
Exposure to educational opportunities determines differential
consequences for more and less advantaged groups (including economic
54
and social consequences). However there is a possibility of movement
from lower to upper class through success in education.
It is recommended that a well developed support system is essential for
educational attainment, The performance of students, and schools need to
be tracked closely in order to reveal both excellence and
underperformance and as a basis for designing policy interventions,
Parents’ Income and pupiOs’ Acadenik performance
This study found that the parents’ level of income positively affects
educational attainment of pupils in Dandul primary schools with a
correlation coefficient at 0.757 (see table 7, and 8).
Costs generally increases with the number of school years attended. And
parents with lower level of income have worse income shocks. As such
they may fail to acquire the materials needed for their children’s education
success.
However it is important to understand whether lack of income has
temporary or permanent effects on pupils’ enrolment and performance. As
for enrolment lack of income may have temporary effects whereby pupils
withdrawn from school may return to school in the following year. But
where lack of income has a permanent shock on enrolment, pupils who
dropped out of primary school will remain absent over time. This is
especially possible for pupils whose parents may decide to allow them to
marry in families that value their labor more than education.
55
The next time a child cries over being dropped from a class or game,
allow him or her to experience the pain of losing, but encourage the child
to get over it by changing his or her attitude. Reassure the child that all
people fail at some point, but work at improving their current state.
Remind the child that even the most popular people have failed once or
more at some point in their lives, but chose not to stay at the place of
failure. Mention to your child that instead of giving up, successful people
strive to improve their skills or find better ways of coping with challenges
they cannot change. Bauer and Julie (2009)
Only parents with more income and who are willing to invest this income
in their children’s education by means of providing educational
requirements will better enable their children to perform better. This is
because they can afford school fees, buy exercise books, text books which
are some of the variants of cultural capital that Bjorkman (2005) thought
give the children who possess them advantage over those who do not.
One should also note that parents with more income but unwilling to
invest it in their children’s’ education will have pupils who may perform
poorly.
In such cases do not let the pupil dive into a mood of giving up.
Encourage him or her to remember that it is always important to finish
whatever they start and where there is a will there is a way. This kind of
thinking helps children to stroll out of the disappointment mood and have
something to look forward to.
In the view of the researcher, unlike level of parent’s education which is
acquired over time, income obtained from non salary sources varies and
56
pupils who had more books at home also have parents with higher
educational attainment, a variable that has been found to have a positive
influence on test scores, However the results are not entirely in line with
the findings of the aforementioned researchers. These results implied that
the higher the number of pupils sharing a text book, the lower the test
scores.
So provision of text books should be accompanied by increased access to
the text books by pupils. In this regard, pupils should be allowed to take
school text books to their home. This can enable Pupils to work together
in pair or in small groups (with or without assistance from parents)
Parents’ occupation and pupils’ academic performance
Parents whose occupational prestige is low had more children who
perform poorly. Likewise, parents with higher occupation have children
who aim higher and perform better (see table.1)
In the conceptual frame work, the parents’ occupation was classified as
manual or non manual. Such a description better suited the trends of
occupation in Kenya though others would classify occupation as skilled,
semi skilled and unskilled, This researcher assumed that even manual jobs
exercise certain skills. Therefore all jobs involve skills. The predominantly
manual occupation tends to be done by parents with low education and
low income. As such occupation problems add to the disadvantages
parents with little income and level of education face.
This study found a strong and positive correlation between parent’s
occupation and pupil’s performance (see table 7). This implies that the
lower the parents’ occupations’ prestige, the poorer pupils’ performance
58
tends to be. The correlation coefficient between parents’ occupation and
pupils’ attainment was found to be 0~875.
However job status can be a sensitive thing. For example, one may tell
another a more flattering title or inflate their status simply by changing
the label of the job they do. But there is no need to candy-coat failure,
loss, defeat or disappointment, under the guise of low occupation. One
should not dwell on it either Benninga & Berkowitz, (2003) advises that,
you can, instead, choose to let the child know that things may not always
work out as expected. Let pupils know that you too as a parent get
disappointed sometimes, but have learnt to overcome disappointments.
Reassure the child that he or she has a chance of winning another time
because there is always room for one at the top
Another explanation why pupils from peasant backgrounds drop out is
that it does not require complicated skills learned in school to do
subsistence farming. So schooling appears to be irrelevant for subsistence
farmers. But if it is true that proceeds from subsistence farming are
allocated basing on parent’s priorities (Kakuru 2001, Kasente D, 2003,
Bjorkman M (2005), there is need for them to change attitude. This is
because Rural development is often presumed to rest on educational
improvement and high levels of mathematics achievement might seem
essential to improving the quality of rural life and the viability of rural
communities. Opolot-Okurut,(http://dg~cme11.org/) using a sample of 36
professionally qualified primary school teachers of mathematics who had
diploma certificates in education, from the corpus of primary school
teachers, investigated factors that hinder pupils opportunity to learn
mathematics and reported that the challenges that teachers face include:
the characteristics of the pupils; the overcrowded classrooms; the nature
59
of the curriculum and syllabus; government policies on education and the
learning environment and assessment.
These factors need to be addressed to enhance the academic
performance of pupils in the country and the dropout rate, Poor
performance in mathematic make some pupils leave school.
Parents are typically less motivated to send their children to school during
periods of disorder because of unstable occupations. To approximate the
extent to which individuals are affected by period of instability Michal
Bauer and Julie Chytilova (2009) calculated the number of years of the
respondents primary schooling age (7-14) that overlap with the period of
tribal conflict. They expect that the higher the exposure of tribal fued era,
the lower the education level. Similar pattern was found by other studies
as well in Burundi, DR Congo, Mozambique, Sudan, Nicaragua and Turkey
where there were greater negative change in school enrolment in boys
than for girls Losing may help children to develop empathy and
perseverance. These virtues are vital as the child lives in the real world.
Congratulating and praising a child for every effort, regardless of
the struggles experienced, motivates him or her to persevere.
One important characteristic for educational attainment is an extremely
high level of energy among learners, teachers and parents. This can be
associated with an environment of competition albeit from different stand
points and in different forms.
60
Condusions
A family’s socioeconomic status is based on family income, parental
education level, parental occupation, and social status in the community.
Less educated Parents may have inadequate skills for such activities as
reading to and with their children, and Having inadequate resources and
limited access to available resources can negatively affect families’
decisions regarding their young children’s development and learning.
As a result of the financial and material issues surrounding working class
families, low income parents are most concerned with providing basic
survival needs like food, shelter and clothing.
Families with higher occupational prestige often have more success in
preparing their young children for school because they typically have
access to a wide range of resources to promote and support young
children’s development. They are able to provide their young children with
high-quality child care, books, and toys to encourage children in various
learning activities at home. Also, they have easy access to information
regarding their children’s health, as well as social, emotional, and
cognitive development. In addition, families with high socioeconomic
status often seek out information to help them better prepare their young
children for school
61
Recommendatbns
1. Parents should improve on their education levels through adult
education programs since it may positively impact on the academic
endeavors of their children.
2. Pupils from low socioeconomic backgrounds should try to persevere
through financial hardships and remain in school because schooling
eventually has a redeeming effect on their poor plight.
3. Teachers should help pupils who obtain low grades to develop
academic curiosity in fields which are more relevant to them.
62
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66
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: TRANSMITTAL LETTER
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLOR (DVC)
SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH (SPGSR)
Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: INTRODUCTION LATTER FOR MR~ ABDOW ABDIGEYHUSSEIN TO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN YOUR INSTITUTION,
The above mentioned candidate is a bona fide student of KampalaInternational University pursuing a Masters in Education Management.
He is currently conducting a field research for his dissertation entitled,
SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
OF PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN MANDERA WEST DISTRICT,
NORTH EASTERN PROVINCE,
KENYA.
Your institution has been identified as a valuable source of informationpertaining to his research project. The purpose of this latter then is torequest you to avail him with the pertinent information he may need.
Any data shared with him will be used for academic purposes only andshall be kept with utmost confidentiality.
Any assistance rendered to him will be highly appreciated.
Yours truly,
Novembrieta R. Sumil,ph.D.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, SPGSR,
67
APPENDIX II: CLEARANCE FROM ETHICS COMMITTEE
Date______________________
Candidate’s Data
Name
Reg.#
Course
Title of Study
Ethicall Rev~ew Checklist
The study rev~ewed considered the folllowhig:
- Physical Safety of Human Subjects- Psychological Safety- Emotional Security
Privacy- Written request for Author of Standardized Instrument- Coding of Questionnaires/Anonymity/Confidentiality- Permission to Conduct the Study- Citations/Authors Recognized.Resuilts of Eth~ca~ Review,
- Approved- Conditional (to provide the Ethics Committee with corrections)- Disapproved/Resubmit proposal.Ethks Committee (Name and Signature)
Chairperson________________________
Members_________________________
68
APPENDIX III: INFORMED CONSENT
I am giving my consent to be part of the research study of
Mr.Abdow Abdgey Hussein that will focus on Social Economic status of
parents on pupil academic performance in Primary Education in selected
Schools in Mandera’s West, North Eastern Province Kenya. I shall be
assured of privacy, anonymity and confidentiality and that I will be given
the option to refuse participation and right to withdraw my participation
any time.
I have been informed that the research is voluntary and that the results
will be given to me if I ask for it.
Initials:________________________________
Date______________________________
69
APPENDIX IV: RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
L RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES FOR TEACHERS
I am ABDOW ABDIGEY HUSSEIN, A master’s student of Educational
Management and Administration at Kampala International University. I
am carrying out research on the effects of Socio-Economic Status of
parents and its influence on pupils’ academic performance in Takaba
Zone, Mandera West district.
The questionnaire is specifically for academic purposes and all information
received shall be kept confidential.
Tick (v’) where necessary and (x) cross where it is not applicable.
a) What is your marital status?
Single ( ) Married ( ) Divorced ( )
b) Sex: Male ( ) Female ( )c) Age range; 15-20( ) 21—24( ) 25—33( )33&above
( )d) Level of education: Primary ( ) Secondary ( ) University ( )none( )Evaluate the following statements using the following;
70
A~ LEVEL OF PARENTS’ EDUCATION
Response T I I
1 Parents level of education contribute to academic Iperformance
2 Factors that aid parents’ study and achievement are 1 2 3 4 5
related to the pupils’ final performance.
3 The level of parents’ education motivate children 1 2 3 4 5
4 Education level of the parents encourage children 1 2 3 4 5
to struggle and achieve their goals
5
6
Parents’ education level improve the pupil’s urge to
study
All factors aiding pupil’s academic performance
are related to the level of parents’ education
7 The parents’ levels of education is the main factor
aiding pupil’s performance in Takaba zones
12345
71
B. THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE PARENTS
2 3 415
-~-----1 parents’ economic status encourage pupils to 1 2 3 4 5
perform better
2 parents economic status is the major contributing i 2 3 4 5
factor in pupils’ academic performance
3 parents’ economic status is a valuable concern in I I Ianalyzing the way pupils perform
~4 Teachers have made positive contribution in 1 2 3 4 5
enhancing the academic performance of pupils
-~-----5 Teachers perceive the parents’ economic status as 1 2 3 4 5
key factor contributing to pupils’ academic
performance — — —
72
C~ OCCUPATION OF THE PARENT
Teachers view pupil academic performance basing
on the ability of the parent to meet the pupil’s basic
needs?
Economic status of the pupil’s parent has a positive
or negative impact on the child’s academic
performance
Response i 2 3 4 5
1 The kind of occupation a parent is engaged in 1 2 3 4 5
contribute to pupil’s academic performance~--2
3
234 5
12345
73
2, RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES FOR PARENTS
I am ABDOW ABDIGEY HUSSEIN, A master’s student of Educational
Management and Administration at Kampala International University. I
am carrying out research on the effects of Socio-Economic Status of
parents and its influence on pupils’ academic peiformance in Takaba
Zone, Mandera West district.
The questionnaire is specifically for academic purposes and all information
received shall be kept confidential.
Tick (V) where necessary and (x) cross where it is not applicable.
a) What is your marital status?
Single ( ) Married ( ) Divorced ( )
b) Sex: Male ( ) Female ( )c) Age range; 15-20( ) 21—24( ) 25—33( )33&above
( )d) Level of education: Primary ( ) Secondary ( ) University ( )none( )Evaluate the following statements using the following;
strongly Agree Neither agree Disagree Strongly
Agree nor disagree disagree
5 4 3 [2 1
74
A~ LEVEL OF PARENTS’ EDUCATION
2
Response
Parents level of education contribute to academic T i 1 ~brmance
~rstare~s’stud~and~ementare I I I Irelated to the pupils’ final performance.
3 The level of parents’ education motivate children I I I ~ I
4 Education level of the parents encourage children I I I I Ito struggle and achieve their goals
5 Parents’ education level improve the pupil’s urge to 1 2 3 4 5
study
6 All factors aiding pupil’s academic performance
are related to the level of parents’ education
7 The parents’ levels of education is the main factor
aiding pupil’s performance in Takaba zones
75
B. THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE PARENTS
Response T I I ~ I
1 parents’ economic status encourage pupils to 1 2 3 4 5
perform better
2 parents economic status is the major contributing 1 2 3 4 5
factor in pupils’ academic performance
3 parents’ economic status is a valuable concern in T I I 4 Ianalyzing the way pupils perform
4 Teachers have made positive contribution in 1 2 3 4 5
enhancing the academic performance of pupils
5 Teachers perceive the parents’ economic status as 1 2 3 4 5
key factor contributing to pupils’ academic
performance
76
C~ OCCUPATION OF THE PARENT
Response i 2 3 4 5
1 The kind of occupation a parent is engaged in 1 2 3 4 5
contribute to pupil’s academic performance
2 Teachers view pupil academic performance basing T ~ I ~ Ion the ability of the parent to meet the pupil’s basic
needs?
3 Economic status of the pupil’s parent has a positive 1 2 3 4 5
or negative impact on the child’s academic
performance
77
APPENDIX V: RESEARCHER’S CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL PROFILE
NAME: ABDOW ABOIGEY HUSSEIN
DATE OF BIRTH: 31st DECEMBER 1965
SEX: Male
MARITAL STATUS: Married
RELIGION: Islam
Educatbnal Background
Takaba Primary School 1977 — 1983.
Mandera Secondary School 1984 — 1987
Kilimambogo Teacher’s Training College 1991 — 1992
Kenya Institute of Special Education 2005 - 2008
Kampala International University 2006 - 2008
Kampala International University 2009 — To date
Work Experience
Assistant Teacher 1988 — 1995.
Deputy Head Teacher 1995 — 2003
Head Teacher 2003 — To date.
Other Relevant Data
Attended many seminars/work shops on Education
Chairman of Constituency Bursary Committee — To date
Hobbies
Reading the Holy Quran
Participating Comm unity Development Project.
78
TABLEIO FOR DETERMINING SAMPLE SIZE FROM A GIVEN POPULATION
N S N S N S N S N S10 10 100 80 280 162 800 260 2800 338 —
15 14 110 86 290 165 850 265 3000 34120 19 120 92 300 169 900 269 3500 24625 24 130 97 320 950 274 4000 35130 28 140 103 340 181 1000 278 4500 35135 32 150 108 360 1100 285 5000 35740 36 160 113 380 1200 291 6000 36145 40 180 400 196 1300 297 7000 36450 44 190 123 420 201 1400 302 8000 36755 48 200 440 205 306 9000 36860 52 210 132 460 210 310 10000 37365 56 220 480 214 313 15000 37570 59 230 500 217 317 20000 37775 63 240 550 225 320 30000 37980 66 250 600 234 2000 322 40000 38085 70 260 152 650 242 2200 327 50000 38190 73 270 155 700 248 2400 331 75000 38295 76 270 159 750 256 2600 335 100000 384
Note: “N” is population size“S” is sample size.
Krejcie, Robert V., Morgan, Daryle W., “Determining Sample Size for ResearchActivities”, Educational and PsycholoQical Measurement, 1970.