Effect of Home-Based Factors on Girls' Participation in Education in Public Secondary Schools in Pokot Central Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The tenacity of the enquiry was to scrutinize the effect of home-based factors on girls' participation in education in Pokot Central Sub-County in West Pokot County in Kenya. This is in the dainty of apprehension that notwithstanding the introduction of Free secondary Education in Kenya, infrastructure funding by both the National and County governments, bursaries for needy students from National, County governments Non-Governmental organizations and mentorship programs for girls by Non-governmental organizations to stimulate girls participation in education in Arid and Semi-Arid areas in Kenya, girls participation in secondary school education in West Pokot County has endured indefinable and below par participation. The study was guided by the following research questions: what is the effect girls' participation in home chores and family size on girls' participation in education in Pokot Central Sub-County, West Pokot County, Kenya. The study adopted quantitative research methodology, ex-post facto research design. The study targeted 3100 girls in public secondary schools. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 341 girls to participate in the study. Census approach was used in which all the 15 Principals and 15 PTA Chairpersons of the sampled schools were involved in the study. Questionnaires, Interview Schedules and Document analysis guide were used as data collection instruments. Data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Graphic statistics was analyzed in form of frequencies, proportions, mean and standard deviation. Analysis of Variance was used to test the hypotheses. The enquiry established that there was a negative association between family size and girls' participation in home chores and their participation in education. The study concluded that increased family size and girls' participation in home chores affected girls' participation in education negatively. The study recommended that girls should be given minimal home chores so as to enable them to effectively participate in education.