http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/409 2026-04-04T03:47:29Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2241 EFFECT OF INTEGRATION OF E-LEARNING IN THE TEACHING OF PRACTICAL’S ON PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY IN LIKUYANI SUBCOUNTY, KENYA CHEBICHI, LUCY MERCY This study investigated the effect of integration of e-learning in the teaching of practical’s on performance in biology in Likuyani Sub-county, Kenya. It also seeks to determine the availability and extent of use of e-learning resources in teaching Biology practical lessons, as well as explore other innovations in e-learning used for teaching Biology and their influence on performance. The research employed a Solomon's four-group research design to control for pre-existing differences between groups, targeting 1800 Form Three students and 54 biology teachers from 22 secondary schools. Data was collected using interview schedules, questionnaires, and Biology Achievement Tests 1 and 2, and analyzed using SPSS software. The study's findings have implications for stakeholders such as the Kenya National Examinations Council, Biology teachers, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, and the Ministry of Education, aiming to improve teaching practices and learning outcomes in Biology. Demographic characteristics of the respondents show a majority in the age bracket of 16 to 40 years, with 50.2% being male. The majority of teachers were below 35 years old, with most having above 10 years of teaching experience. An assessment of the availability and extent of use of e-learning resources revealed higher availability in Extra County, County, and Private schools compared to Sub county schools. Performance was evaluated using pre-test and post-test scores for both control and experimental groups. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant difference in performance between the school categories (F (3, 326) = 7.92, p < 0.001), with a post-hoc Tukey test showing significant differences between Extra county and County schools (p = 0.0240) and between County and Sub county schools (p = 0.0060). There was no significant difference between Extra county and Private schools (p = 0.731). Furthermore, a t-test analysis of pre-test and post-test scores showed a significant difference in performance between students taught through traditional lecture methods and those taught using e-learning methods (t = -50.2, df = 326, p < 0.001). Schools using e-learning showed higher post-test scores compared to those using traditional methods. The study concludes that integrating e-learning in teaching Biology practical lessons has a positive impact on performance in secondary schools. Schools with better e-learning resources and practices showed higher posttest scores. Recommendations have been made to enhance e-learning resource availability, improve laboratory conditions, and foster collaboration among schools. Further research is suggested to explore the impact of gender on Biology performance 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2063 EFFECTS OF LABORATORY METHOD ON MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE AND MOTIVATION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KAPSERET SUB COUNTY, KENYA JEPKOSGEI, PURITY According to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development's 2010 recommendation, all secondary school students require mathematics. The absence of a Mathematics laboratory is one of the factors contributing to Mathematics' persistence and poor performance. Based on this problem, this study used a quasi-experimental research methodology to investigate the impact of the Laboratory method on Mathematics achievement and motivation. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of laboratory methods on secondary school students' Mathematical performance, the impact of laboratory techniques on students' motivation to learn Mathematics in secondary schools, and the challenges faced by Teachers of Mathematics when implementing laboratory methods in secondary school Mathematics teaching and learning. Relevant literature was sought regarding performance, motivation, and challenges for students and teachers using the laboratory method. The study tools used were pre-test, post-test non-equivalent group experimental design, questionnaires, and an interview schedule. The study's population was comprised of students from 156 secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County. Twenty six Schools were chosen from 156 schools using stratified random sampling. Participants in the study were selected from Form 2 students. A sample size of 298 students, 26 teachers and ten heads of the mathematics department (HOD) representative of the research population was selected using simple random and purposive sampling. The experimental and control groups were created using the Solomon Four-Group design for the investigation. While the control group used a conventional educational style, the experimental group used a laboratory-based instructional strategy. The respondents were divided into four groups, two of which were observed and two of which were controlled. The identical material regarding reflection and congruence was taught to each group. However, groups 1 and 3 were taught using the laboratory approach, whereas groups 2 and 4 were conducted using the conventional way. Before beginning the laboratory technique treatment, groups 1 and 3 had preliminary testing. Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, and the Mathematics Achievement Test 1 and Mathematics Achievement Test 2. SPSS aided the data analysis. Chi-square tests were employed to identify associations, and a t-test was used to compare the results of laboratory and conventional approaches. The study's findings show that the laboratory approach stimulates students' attention, increases their engagement, improves their performance, enables them to gain the skills they need for more advanced study research, and fosters the growth of their scientific thinking. The study suggests that teachers should employ the laboratory method, which guarantees that students are more engaged and involved in Mathematics activities and that teachers should be taught to use the laboratory method. 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2041 EFFECT OF PROBLEM BASED LEARNING STRATEGY ON ACHIEVEMENT IN PHYSICS IN SUB-COUNTY GIRLS’ SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BUNGOMA COUNTY-KENYA MANGENI, GLADYS NASAMBU The government of Kenya has invested enormously in educational resources, such as infrastructure development in schools, learning materials and professional development of teachers. Despite the efforts put in place to support access to quality education, enrolment and performance in physics in most sub-county girls’ secondary schools in Bungoma County at Form 3 remain relatively low and poor. The study aimed at investigating the effect of Problem-Based Learning Strategy (PBLS) on achievement in physics using the topic fluid flow. Objectives of the study were to: investigate girls’ ability to derive the equation of continuity, determine the gain in problem solving abilities of girls, establish the effect of PBLS on girls’ motivation, and determine the ability of girls to illustrate Bernoulli’s effects in nature using PBLS. The study adopted constructivist theories of learning. Quasi-Experimental design was used with eight schools targeted in Bungoma County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select schools, then simple random sampling was applied to assign schools to experimental and control groups. The study sampled Form two students because the topic of fluid flow is taught at form two. The study used motivation questionnaire, Physics Achievement Test (PAT) and observation schedule. Two groups of each n=40 either control or experimental were exposed to pretest and post-test. The reliability coefficient was calculated using KR-Fomulla-20 and Cronbach’s alpha at 0.75 and 0.70 respectively. Results show statistically significant difference in the ability of girls to derive the “equation of continuity”, problem solving abilities, illustrate Bernoulli’s effects in nature using PBLS and its effect on girls’ motivation was relatively higher than conventional methods. The ability to derive continuity equation, problem solving abilities in fluid flow and the ability to illustrate Bernoulli’s effects in nature led to improved girls’ achievements in physics. Similarly, the motivation effect helped in enhancing enrolment of girls in physics at form three. The study recommends the method should be strongly advocated by policy makers, the government, curriculum developers, principals and teachers while teaching science subjects for effective skill development among the learners. The study is significant in bringing total reforms to CBC that call for the use of learner-centered instructional strategies to develop key competencies for skill development. 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1295 EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH OF TEACHING ON KNOWLEDGE MASTERY AND SKILLS ACQUISITION IN CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF TESO SOUTH ELUKET, LUKE RAYMOND Chemistry as a subject is one of the very important science subject in the Kenyan secondary schools curriculum. Being a science, the subject is experimental in nature where learning should start with hands on experiences and not abstract definitions. In this approach of teaching, the learners interact with apparatus, make observations and come up with conclusions. In addition, it should conform to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics since the country is geared towards achieving vision 2030.The study looked at the effects of experiments on knowledge mastery and science process skills acquisition in Chemistry in Teso South Sub-County secondary schools. The Kenya National Examination Council reports of 2014, 2016, and 2017 which pointed out the need for practical work among secondary school learners hence the choice of the study. Specifically the objectives of the study were two; to determine the effects of experimental work on students’ knowledge mastery in chemistry and also effects of experimental work on students’ acquisition of science process skills. Piaget theory of constructivism formed the theoretical framework of this study. The units of analysis in this study were the form three students. This study targeted 1216 form 3 students in 18 secondary schools of Teso South Sub-County since chemistry is one of the compulsory subjects in the region. Of this, 333 form three students from six secondary schools were sampled out. The methodology employed in this research study was both quantitative and qualitative. The design used was quasi-experimental design. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain six mixed secondary schools; three treated as experimental while the other three control. The study employed three instruments namely: A Pretest, Observation Checklist for acquisition of skills and Post-test. The data obtained was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. For the first objective, the means for pre-tests for experimental group is 15.4±1.3 and that of the control group 17.3±1.8 while those of post-tests for experimental group 34.2 ± 1.3 and that of control group is 32.0 ±1.4. The p values were used to determine the significance of the study. In this research study, a p=0.001 was obtained; therefore there was significant difference in the learners’ performance for the experimental group of learners and the control group. For the second objective, seven science skills (of observing, measuring, recording, classifying, setting-up apparatus, reading scales, manipulating data) were examined whether students acquired them proficiently or to small extent or unable. The t-test of these three dimensions gave p=0.0026, p=0.0016 and p=0.0238 respectively, to mean that there was a significant difference in the science process skills acquisition for the leaners in the experiments group and those in the control group. In a nut shell, experimental group of learners performed better than the control group of learners in both mastery of knowledge and acquisition of process skills. Therefore, the study recommended teachers of chemistry to use experimental approach in teaching chemistry to enhance students’ performance. The findings of this study would be useful to chemistry and other science subjects, teacher training institutions, Kenya National Examination Council and finally Ministry of Education. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1285 EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL METHOD OF TEACHING ON RETENTION AND APPLICATION OF MOMENT CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF MARAKWET WESTSUB-COUNTY, KENYA. CHEPKWONY, SAMUEL KIPROP The study investigated the effect of experimental method of teaching on retention and application of Moment Concepts in Physics among Form Two students. The objectives were as follows: to investigate the effect of experimental method on:(i) retention of Moment concepts (ii) application of Moment concepts and, (iii) the challenges facing physics teachers when using experimental method to teach Moment concepts. Quantitative Research methods and a quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent group design were employed. The study adopted stratified random sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques to sample the respondents. The target population was 1500 Form two students and 41 Physics teachers. The sample size comprised of 271 Form two students and 20 physics teachers. Tests for students and questionnaires for physics teachers were used as instruments for data collection. Reliability was determined through testing and re-testing technique whereas the validity of the Tests was approved by KCSE Physics Paper One examiners and that of the questionnaire by the university supervisors. Analysis was done using inferential statistics on SPSS (version 23.0) and Excel. The study established that there was no significant mean difference in pretest hence, the two groups were equivalent in ability. Moment Test 2(Posttest) showed significant mean difference in both retention and application of moment concepts between learners taught through experimental approach and those taught through lecture method of teaching. Experimental method of teaching was therefore seen as effective in enhancing higher retention and application than lecture method. Teachers of physics face the following challenges: Heavy workload, overpopulated classes and inadequate teaching resources. Finally, it was recommended that experimental method of teaching to be adopted to improve retention and application of moment concepts in learners. These results will form the basis of advising physics instructors, Teachers’ employer and curriculum developers about necessity of designing students’ experiments which will enhance their Retention and Application of Moment concepts. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1172 AN INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR PERFORMANCE IN CHEMISTRY AMONG GIRLS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NANDI NORTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA. BITOK, NORAH JELIMO Chemistry is one of the most important branches of science and its contributions to development of a country need to be emphasized. Its performance, however, has been poor especially amongst girls. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing the performance of girls in chemistry in secondary schools in Nandi North Sub-County, Nandi County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to; investigate the attitude of girls towards learning of chemistry, establish the type of teacher interaction styles used in teaching chemistry, determine the influence of availability of teaching and learning materials on secondary school students’ performance in chemistry and investigate the perception of teachers towards teaching of chemistry. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The sample consisted of 303 Form three students and 9 chemistry teachers selected using proportionate, simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires, interviews and observation schedules were used to collect data. Validity and reliability of these instruments were determined before data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and t-test while qualitative data were transcribed and arranged thematically before reporting in narrations and quotations. The study found out that there was a significant difference between boys and girls in terms of attitude towards Chemistry. It emerged that there was a significant difference between male and female students (p≤.05) on effect of teacher interaction styles used in chemistry on students’ achievement. However, the study found that there was no significant difference on the mean of boys and girls on influence of availability of teaching and learning materials on students’ achievement in chemistry (p≥.05).The study findings showed that majority (68.1%) of male students believed that they were sure of learning chemistry while majority (57.4%) of the female students were not sure of learning chemistry, pointing out poor confidence among girls in learning chemistry. The study found that there was no significant difference on the mean of boys and girls on influence of availability of teaching and learning materials on students’ achievement in chemistry (p≥.05). Further the findings showed that majority of the students believed that there were no well-equipped chemistry laboratories in their schools thus making student not to be acquainted to practicals. The analysis also showed that background characteristics and teacher’s negative attitude towards learners’ ability in chemistry were the main causes of persistent poor performance. The study recommended that teachers of chemistry need to encourage and motivate girls to develop a positive attitude toward the importance of chemistry as a subject. Further, teachers of chemistry need to be aware of the best instructional strategies that motivate girls to like chemistry. Furthermore, there is need for the government and other education stakeholders to provide adequate and relevant teaching and learning materials which motivates students to learn Chemistry. The findings of this study could provide a framework for teachers on which they could re-evaluate their instructional strategies during chemistry lessons for the enhancement of effective teaching and learning. It could also provide insight for the curriculum designers into the kind of practical experiences in secondary school chemistry needed to aid sound understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Further the study findings could provide a framework for the KNEC on which it could re-evaluate their objectives and objectives so that the practices during secondary school chemistry lessons especially practicals are in line with what the curriculum demands on students. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1130 EFFECT OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED LEARNING ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN KENYA: A CASE OF MT-ELGON, BUNGOMA COUNTY. SAMIKWO, DINAH CHESAMI The study was designed to investigate the effect of computer-assisted learning (CAL) on secondary school students’ achievement in Biology in Mt-Elgon sub-county, Bungoma County, Kenya. The purpose of the study was therefore to investigate the effect of CAL on secondary school students’ achievement in Biology among the form three students in Mt-Elgon sub-county. The study was carried out in twelve selected secondary schools in Mt Elgon sub-county, where students have persistently scored low grades in the subject. The study therefore investigated the effect of CAL as an intervention on students’ achievement in Biology. The objectives of the study were: to investigate the effect of computer-assisted learning on students’ retention of biological knowledge, to establish the influence of computer-assisted learning on students’ attitudes towards Biology and to find out the influence of computer-assisted learning on students’ self-efficacy in Biology. The study was guided by the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) coined by Mayer (2001). Literature was reviewed using secondary such as books, journals and theses. The study was based on a pragmatist philosophical stance and employed mixed methods research methodology. The study adopted a quasi-experimental. Stratified sampling was used to separate secondary schools in the sub-county that were equipped with and without computers hence 6 schools equipped with computers and 6 schools without computers participated in the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study respondents from the sampled schools. Data were collected from a sample of 274 students sampled from a population frame of 946 students. Teachers in the sampled schools with computers were interviewed. Data collection instruments included questionnaires, interview schedules and a computer-assisted learning achievement test (CALAT). Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (t-test) with the aid of SPSS version 20 and MS Excel statistical packages. The findings of the study showed that CAL was effective in improving the students’ retention of biological knowledge hence achievement as compared to the conventional approaches of teaching. The results also established that the Biology students in the experimental group showed positive attitude and self-efficacy towards CAL. The study concluded that computer-assisted learning programme has the potential to improve achievement, attitudes and self-efficacy in the learners. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommended that all schools should strive to be equipped with computers and the necessary software, Biology text books to have digital content included, and teacher preparation programs to include e-learning so that both learners and their teachers can access them for meaningful learning to take place. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be useful to Biology teachers, curriculum developers (KICD), policy makers and the general public about the necessity for introducing computers as tools for learning Biology. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1122 EFFECTS OF STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION ON PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAKURU NORTH SUB-COUNTY KENYA RUTHIGA, DORCAS WANJIRU This study was set to investigate the effect of students’ language interpretation on performance in mathematics. Performance in Mathematics as demonstrated by the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education results has remained deprived for years. Numerous interventions have been set into place to address this low students’ performance in Mathematics in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. The Ministry of Education has attempted to boost mathematics teaching in most schools by introducing projects that includes Strengthening Mathematics and Sciences in Secondary Education, in order to boost performance. However, the students’ low performance in Mathematics in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education persists. This prompted the researcher to investigate the effect of students’ language interpretation on performance in mathematics. The study was directed by the following four objectives; Firstly was to investigate how students’ interpretation of language influenced their performance in mathematics; Secondly was to investigate how representation of word problems in mathematics contributed to poor performance in mathematics; Thirdly was to investigate how students’ analysis of mathematical vocabulary influenced performance in mathematics and finally was to investigate if students ‘manipulation of mathematics problems influenced their performance. The origin for the study was the constructivist theory by J. Bruner which recommends for teaching learners to build their meanings of mathematical terminologies. The study used Quasi-experimental design. This design was suitable because the students who participated in the study could only be found in intact classes. The target population consisted of all Form 3 students in Nakuru North Sub-County which had a target population of 1926 students in the 35 public schools. Sixteen schools with a population of 731 students formed a sample. Written tests and questionnaire were applied as the data collection instruments. The data was analyzed by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. The results indicate that the students performed significantly better after they were taught mathematics’ vocabularies than before (p=0.000). This study concluded that good performance in mathematics is greatly related to students’ understanding of mathematical vocabularies. The findings of this study are beneficial to Mathematics teachers, teacher educators, textbook writers as well as the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. The study recommends that mathematics teachers should put more emphasize on definition of mathematical language while presenting content to learners. Students’ Mathematics textbooks should have well defined vocabularies to ensure that the students understand them. 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1051 EFFECTS OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING ON ACQUISITION OF SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WARENG SUB-COUNTY, KENYA WABUKE, JOY MUKHWANA This study investigated the effects of Inquiry-based learning (IBL) in Biology students‘ acquisition of Science Process Skills (SPS) and achievement among Form three students in Wareng Sub-County of Kenya. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of IBL on Biology students‘ acquisition of SPS and achievement. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which IBL affects the acquisition of SPS and impacts on achievement among Form three Biology students in Wareng Sub-County of Uasin-Gishu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the constructivist learning theory, derived from the works of Piaget (1973) and Vygotsky (1978). The study was based on a pragmatist philosophy and used Solomon fourfold non-equivalent group design as a quasi-experiment. The study variables were independent variable – IBL and dependent variables were acquisition SPS and achievement in Biology. The study sample comprised 220 Form three students representing a population of 2,594 students. Stratified, systematic and simple random sampling was used to obtain the study sample. Selected students‘ responded to a Biology Science Process Skills Questionnaire (BSPSQ) which sought to obtain views from learners on IBL. Students were also exposed to two sets of Biology SPS Achievement Test (BSPSAT) – Pre-test and Post-test – so as to establish their achievement. A Biology SPS Observation Checklist (BSPSOC) was used to record observations on application of SPS made during the study. Data was coded, collated and analysed using the computer software of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Qualitative and quantitative data was presented using tables (frequency and percentages) and graphs. Independent samples t-test and both one-way and two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), was used to compare the achievement of the experimental and control groups and also examine the interaction effect between IBL and gender on achievement. The study established a significant difference between students taught using IBL and those taught using TL. The study established that students taught by IBL had higher levels of acquisition of SPS and higher achievement when compared with those taught using TL. The study also established that there was an interaction effect between IBL and gender on achievement. The study concluded that IBL is an effective teaching method on acquisition of SPS and achievement in Biology subject when compared to TL. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will be useful to secondary school Biology teachers, Biology curriculum developers, policy makers in education and other stakeholders in the education sector as relates to effectiveness of IBL on the acquisition of SPS and achievement in Biology. The study also provides suggestions for further research. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/517 Bridging Gender Disparities in Mathematics Achievement through Computer Based Learning Mubichakani, Joseph M.; Koros C., Symon C. The purpose of this paper was to establish the influence of computer based learning (CBL) in Mathematics on learners’ achievement level in relation to gender. Specifically, the study sought to find out if there is any significant difference in achievement between boys and girls when exposed to CBL among secondary school students in Bungoma North District, Western Province, Kenya. This study was based on the theory of situated learning which states that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs (Lave, 1988). The study adopted an experimental design where pre-test and post-test control group was used. The target population of the study was 1,173 form three secondary school students from Bungoma North District, Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select schools with and without computers after which simple random sampling was used to select nine schools for the study. The study used a sample size of 240 respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select students who were computer literate then simple random sampling was applied to choose the respondents of the study. Mathematics achievement tests were used to collect data from the respondents. In data analysis both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Descriptive statistics involved means, while inferential statistics utilized independent samples t-test. It was found out that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in Mathematics achievement when exposed to CBL. The paper therefore made the following recommendations: gender digital divide to be addressed, develop and use interactive Mathematics programmes, rural electrification to be continued, teachers to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to use the CBL technology, computer studies to be made compulsory in secondary schools. All this recommendations aim at bringing CBL into classroom to give every student, especially girls, a competitive edge in mathematics achievement 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z