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Browsing by Author "Nyaga, Milcah Njoki"

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Contributions of Selected Classroom Factors on Bullying Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Kenya.
(The International Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2018-09) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
Bullying is a major challenge in secondary schools in Kenya. The vice is practised underground among students thus many students experience high level of bullying without the knowledge of teachers and parents.The study investigated the contributions of classroom factors on bullying among adolescents in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was grounded on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological theory. A descriptive design was employed. The sample of 320 students was obtained through random sampling and while eight deputy principals were selected from sampled schools. The instruments for data collection were student’s questionnaire, deputy principal’s questionnaire, record analysis and researcher’s observation schedules. The data was analysed through descriptive statistics and Chi- square was used to test for the association between the classroom factors and bullying. The findings revealed that all the classroom factors: general discipline, individuals responsible for discipline, common disciplinary measures, rating of disciplinary measures and counselling services, were significantly associated with bullying.The findings revealed that bullying was very common though it was rarely disclosed to school management. Further, the study observed that the teachers were administering corporal punishment and in most cases the punishment was not proportional to the offence committed. In addition, the guidance and counselling services were not effectively offered in most schools. The study recommended that all teachers should be involved in matters of discipline in schools. Similarly, the disciplinary measures should also be modified in consultation with the students and teachers. The counselling services need to be activated and managed by trained teacher counsellors.
Contributions of Selected Family Factors to Drug Abuse Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Manyatta Sub-county, Embu County, Kenya
(Science Publishing Group, 2016) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki; Mwai, Kimu
The aim of this research is to investigate the contributions of selected family factors to drug abuse among adolescents in Kenyan secondary schools. To achieve this, the study sought to investigate the role of parental monitoring, residence, employment and parenting behaviours in predisposing the adolescent in the development to drug use. In addition, the study established the significance of associations between family factors and drug abuse among adolescents. The data were collected from form two students and deputy principals in secondary schools. The findings revealed that lack of parental supervision, parental employment, authoritarian style of parenting and lack of open discussion with adolescents contributed to drug abuse as well as most parents do not take active roles in schools. The study further revealed that not residing with the biological parents was not significantly associatedwith drug abuse. This was contrary to the view held by most scholars that the adolescents who do not reside with their biological parents were prone to drug abuse. To avoid drug abuse, parental monitoring should be given to all children regardless of the birth order, absence of aggression at home, parental quality time, open discussions with adolescents, authoritative parenting and parental involvement in school activities. Majority of the children born after the first child portrayed antisocial behaviours; hence the further the birth position in the family the higher the engagement in drug abuse Based on these findings, there is need to give all children as much supervision as that given to the first born children. Thus, the schools should organise sessions for parents and educate them on effective ways of parenting adolescents. Parents need to be encouraged to take active role in schools. Therefore, schools must create partnerships by providing an open and accommodative environment with their wider community. This would help in forminga link between the school and the home as well as the school and the family.
Contributions of Selected Microsystems to antisocial behaviours among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Manyatta Sub- County, Embu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2015-04) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
Antisocial behaviour is a major challenge in secondary schools in Kenya. It is linked with delinquent behaviour such as truancy, drug abuse and bullying. These behaviours are related to negative interactions with parents, teachers and peers. The individual lives in constant conflict which results in ultimate long time consequences like failing examinations, frustrations and failure in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the contributions of microsystems to antisocial behaviours among adolescents in secondary schools in Manyatta, Embu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish the extent of truancy, bullying and drug abuse among adolescents in secondary schools and to investigate the contributions of family, class room and peer group factors on antisocial behaviours. The study was grounded on Erikson‟s Psychosocial theory and Bronfenbrenner‟s Ecological theory. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The target population was 11,329 students from 46 public schools which are either county boarding schools or coeducation day schools in Manyatta, Embu County. Stratified sampling was used to obtain two girls boarding schools, two boys boarding schools and four co-education day schools. The 2,834 Form Two students were purposively sampled because this group was rated the ring leader in Eastern region. The sample of 320 students was obtained through random sampling while eight deputy principals were selected from sampled schools. A pilot study was conducted on 30 form two students selected from the two categories of secondary schools in Embu County.This was to improve the instruments‟ reliability and validity. The data was collected using student‟s questionnaire, deputy principals‟ questionnare, records analysis and an observation schedule in all the sampled schools. Both descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were used to analyse the data. Chi-square tests were used to determine the significance of association between the independent and dependent variables. The findings revealed that all the classroom factors: academic performance, individuals responsible for discipline, common disciplinary measures, rating of disciplinary measures and counselling services, were significantly associated with antisocial behaviours.The findings showed that among the family factors; parents‟ supervision, students‟opinion on parenting style, parents‟ employment and sharing with parents were significantly associated with antisocial behaviours, while not living with biological parents was not significantly associated with antisocial behaviours. The study further found out that among the peer group factors; students‟ opinion on an individual student and identification based on informal group were significantly associated with antisocial behaviours, while participation in informal group, sharing problems with peers and characteristic of friends‟ behaviour were not significantly associated with antisocial behaviours. The study found out that truancy was the most common, followed by bullying and drug abuse respectively. The study recommended that all children be given equal supervision as that given to the first born children. The study also recommended peer counselling training to be offered to all students.The counselling services need to be activitated and managed by trained teacher counsellors. The disciplinary measures should be modified in consultation with the students and teachers. Parents and teachers should aim at developing a holistic individual who is socially, intellectually and psychologically fit in the society. The concerted effort of the individual and the stakeholders are important for successful adolescents‟ transition.
Effectiveness of Physical Exercise on Primary Dysmenorrhea Among Female University Students
(2017-09) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki; Muriithi, David
Primary Dysmenorrhoea is a condition that has attracted attention among the stakeholders in education and health professions. Primary Dysmenorrhea is chronic cyclical pelvic pain associated with menstruation in the absence of an identifiable pathological condition. Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common complaints and gynaecological problem worldwide among young females. Many females use pain killers such as paracetamol and Non-steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) to treat primary dysmenorrhea. The aim of this study is to investigate effectiveness of physical exercises on primary dysmenorrhea among University female students. The study adopted a descriptive research approach. It involved fifty students who had enrolled for gym at the University and had participated in regular exercise. The control group involved 50 students who had not enrolled for gym. The data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. The findings revealed that majority of the students were aware that exercise treats the symptoms of dysmenorrhea but they continued using painkillers. The study found out that majority of the students would consider exercise as an alternative therapy in treating the symptoms of dysmenorrhea. The study further revealed that the experimental group had late onset of menstruation and they took a longer time to menstruate as compared to controlled group. Overall the results of this study indicated that participating in exercise is a likely alternative approach to reduce the effects of primary dysmenorrhoea symptoms especially pain and improve the quality of life in young females.
Effects of Performance Ranking in Mathematics on Students’ and Teachers’ Identity Development
(Science Publishing Group, 2019-04) Njiru, Samson Murithi; Nyaga, Milcah Njoki; Karuku, Simon
Student and teacher identities are generally considered to influence students’ academic performance in Mathematics. The objective of the study reported in this paper was to investigate the effects of performance ranking in Mathematics on students’ and teachers’ identity development. The participants for the study were Mathematics teachers and students in secondary schools in Embu County in Kenya. A random sample of 1989 students and 101 teachers drawn from a population of 41925 students and 414 teachers participated in the study. The study adopted a mixed methods research design. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and surveys. Chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis; performance ranking does not mediate Mathematics students’ and teachers’ identity development. The findings indicate that, performance ranking is a tool used by teachers and students in giving them feedback on their level of capabilities as Mathematics teachers and students. Secondly, performance ranking influence Mathematics teachers in furthering their studies in Mathematics-related courses, and students in aligning themselves to their preferred careers. Additionally, the study revealed that performance ranking is a motivation for students to work hard so as to have good relationships with their teachers as teachers are friendly to the students at the top of the rank. Similarly, the students identify themselves with peers of their abilities as far as Mathematics is concerned. The study recommends that the practice of performance ranking in Mathematics should continue and be used as a tool to identify the best Mathematics classes, students and teachers so as to act as a benchmark to encourage the rest to learn from
Mid-Life Challenges and Work Performance of Secondary School Teachers in Embu Municipality.
(2016) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
Mid-life is that period of life approximately thirty-five years to fifty- five years. The teacher may experience challenges in internal and external aging, health problems, menopause, climacteric and marriage conflicts due to impotence, which affect the work performance. These problems have contributed to misunderstandings between the teacher and the school administration. The study sought to determine which factors can be attributed to mid-life challenges and give recommendations on how to prevent, control and cope with these challenges in order to improve work performance. Descriptive survey was used for data collection. The sample frame constituted all 176 secondary school teachers and 12 principals in Embu municipality. A sample of 130 teachers and 10 principals was drawn from the twelve public secondary schools in the study area. Then, randomsampling was used to select the sample. In addition, data was collectedusing questionnaire and interview schedule which was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study indicated that most of the teachers were undergoing mid-life challenges. Furthermore, many teachers did not have any specific coping mechanism, but most of them freely shared their problems with their fellow teachers and not the principals. The study recommends that for the teachers to be effective in workperformance there is need for creating awareness on the particular challenges that the teachers expect during midlife years and also on the strategies to adapt when this period comes in one’s life. The principals should be made aware that midlife challenges are not inadequacy hence they should understand teachers’ predicamentduring mid –life years.Finally, there is need for provisionof counselling services to enable the teachers handle the period of midlife effectively in order to improve work performance
Performance ranking in school mathematics in Kenya: A device that conceals and naturalizes inappropriate teaching strategies
(2020-08) Njiru, Samson M.; Karuku, Simon; Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
Teaching strategies have a significant influence on students’ academic performance. This paper presents results from a qualitative study that examined the effects that performance ranking in Mathematics has on teaching strategies employed in Mathematics classrooms. In particular, the paper demonstrates how performance ranking disguises and legalizes inappropriate Mathematics teaching strategies. The participants for the study were Mathematics teachers and students in secondary schools in Embu County in Kenya. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were employed in data collection. Results showed that due to competition by teachers to achieve a higher mean score, they engaged in examination malpractices such as leaking examination questions to students. Secondly, teachers’ desire for excellence in their subjects, and achieving top rank to receive prizes was found to be another reason behind teaching students to pass examinations rather than for conceptual understanding. Additionally, the study revealed that performance ranking promoted private tuition to offer assistance to the weak students in Mathematics to improve performance in the subject. This paper recommends that the practice of ranking should be tailored to include all the aspects.
Performance rankings in education: Implications for policy and practice
(ACADEMIC JOURNALS, 2020-11) Njiru, Samson M.; Karuku, Simon; Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
In recent decades, school performance ranking (or ‘league table’) have become a common feature of many education systems in the world. The ranking is usually published by government and news agencies in an attempt to measure and compare the relative performance of individual schools against a number of criteria, including academic performance. This paper reports parts of larger case study that set out to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions of performance ranking in secondary schools in Kenya. The study participants were teachers and students of Mathematics drawn from secondary schools in Embu County in Kenya. Data were gathered through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys. The transcriptions of the audio-recorded interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed by first reading the texts of the transcriptions holistically, followed by the development of codes, organizing the codes into larger categories and, finally, organizing the categories into overarching themes. This paper, in particular, examines the research findings through the lens of the existing literature on school performance rankings. The paper demonstrates how school performance rankings in Kenya have been abused over the years to the detriment of quality teaching and learning. Finally, the paper highlights the implications of school performance ranking for policy and practice.
Staff Profile: Dr. Milcah Njoki Nyaga
(2016) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
BED (University of Nairobi), BA (Caribbean College), MED (Kenyatta University), PHD (Kenyatta University). Has more than 20 years teaching experience.
Student-Teachers’ Acquisition of New Knowledge Teaching Practice Exercise. A Case of University of Embu
(Machakos University, 2019-04) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
Teaching practice gives student -teachers an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge into practical knowledge. The student- teacher is able to interact with school administration, teachers and learners as well as non- teaching staff. The study investigated student –teachers’ acquisition of new knowledge during teaching practice exercise. A descriptive survey design was employed. The respondents were one hundred and sixty and they were randomly selected from four hundred and ninety-five student-teachers. The instruments for data collection were student’s questionnaire, interview schedule and researcher’s observation schedules. The data was analysed through descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that some student-teachers acquired new knowledge on professional ethics in teaching career while other student-teachers acquired new knowledge of interacting with school administration, teachers and learners as well as non-teaching staff. In addition, the study reported that the student- teachers acquired knowledge on how to cope with different personalities while other student- teachers acquired soft skills. Further, the study indicated that some student- teachers acquired knowledge on innovations and improvisation of teaching learning resources while other student-teachers sharpened their knowledge in co-curriculum activities. Therefore, the study recommended that all student-teachers should actively be involved in teaching practice exercise. Further, the study recommended that proper induction for student -teachers proceeding for teaching practice exercise is paramount. Moreover, the schools providing attachment to student -teachers need to provide conducive environment. The findings from this study will help universities and colleges when preparing student -teachers for teaching practice.
Teachers’ Selected Factors on Truancy among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Kenya
(SciePub, 2019-03) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
The study investigated the contributions of teachers’ factors on truancy among adolescents in secondary schools in Manyatta, Embu County, Kenya. A survey design was employed. The respondents were three hundred and twenty that were randomly selected from two thousand three hundred and eighty four. The instruments for data collection were student’s questionnaire, deputy principal’s questionnaire, record analysis and researcher’s observations schedules. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and Chi- square was used to test for the association between the teachers’ factors and truancy. The findings revealed that some teachers were not involved in the discipline of the students. Further, the study observed that the teachers were administering harsh punishment and in most cases the punishments were not proportional to the offence committed. In addition, the guidance and counselling services were not effective in most schools. Moreover, the study observed that the teachers’ factors were significantly associated with truancy among the students. Therefore, the study recommended that all teachers to be involved in matters of discipline in schools. The disciplinary measures to be modified in consultation with the students and teachers. The counselling services need to be activated and managed by trained teacher counsellors. Further, the study recommended peer counselling training to be offered to all students.
Youth Radicalisation in Kenya University Perspective
(2017-11) Nyaga, Milcah Njoki
The aim of this research is to investigate the youth radicalisation in Kenya. The study sought to investigate recruitment of youth to the unlawful groups, sponsors of unlawful groups, gender prone to unlawful groups, level of education and preventive measures against radicalisation among youth in Kenya. The study observed that radicalisation was going on in Central, Nairobi, Eastern, Nyanza, North Eastern, Coast, Western and Rift Valley regions in Kenya. The study revealed that the politicians were the leading sponsors towards radicalisation of the youth. Further, the study observed that politicians heavily sponsored the youth during the last year before election. The study revealed that males were more prone to radicalisation than females. In addition, the study reported that university students were the most prone learners towards radicalisation. Therefore, it was evident that the higher the level of education the more students were prone to radicalisation while the employed youths were least prone to radicalisation. The study revealed that the potential determinants to radicalisation were unemployment and poverty. The study observed that tobacco, bang and alcohol were the most abused drugs among the members of the unlawful groups. In absence of traditional reference groups the youth may be magnetically be attracted to a cult, gang, or subversive group. This may be as result of looking for a sense of love and belonging, sense of self-acceptance or sense of approval. . It is the obligation of the government and society to build Ego and Psychic strength for the youth. This can be done through effective mentorship programmes, guidance and counselling, as well as involving the youth in decision making.

Browsing by Author "Nyaga, Milcah Njoki"

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