Gideon Kasivu’s scientific contributions

Governments around the world agree that the ability to provide quality education for all and to respond to new priorities depends on the availability of adequate funding in education (OECD, 2016). Financing of education is the greatest enabler of learners to participate in education and flow through education system from entry to exit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of financing by non-state agencies on participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive survey design where the targeted respondents included School Principals and their Deputies from 196 secondary schools in Makueni County as well as 9 Sub County Directors of Education from Makueni County. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for Principals, Deputy Principals and interview schedule for Sub-county Directors of Education. The instruments were piloted and tested for content validity and reliability. The response rate from the data collection exercise was 91.8%. The data was analyzed by use of SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically through content analysis and the responses were presented in narratives. Tables and figures were used to present the analyzed data. The results revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between education financing by non-state agencies and participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County. The adjusted R square of 0.630 indicated that 63% of the variation in the participation of students in schooling in public secondary schools in Makueni County could be explained by provision of funding by non-state agencies in financing education. From this result, the study concludes that financing by non-state agencies does influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The qualitative results also confirmed that education subsidies influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study recommends that government should increase funding to schools and also enhance the partnership with other stakeholders in financing education to enhance students’ participation rates in education

Adequate funding of the education sector is crucial to the provision of quality education for all (OECD, 2016). Financing of education is the greatest enabler of learners to participate in education and flow through education system from entry to exit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) on participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The targeted respondents included School Principals and their Deputies from 196 secondary schools in Makueni County as well as 9 Sub County Directors of Education from Makueni County. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for Principals, Deputy Principals and interview schedule for Sub-county Directors of Education. The instruments were ascertained through piloting and by research experts to ascertain content validity while reliability was achieved through piloting and testing reliability. Data collection registered a response rate of 91.8%. The data was analyzed by use of SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically through content analysis and the responses were presented in narratives. Tables and figures were used to present the analyzed data. The results revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between FDSE capitation grants and participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County. This was at R values of 0.67 which was positive and significant with values of 0.014. From this result the study concludes that Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) capitation grants influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The qualitative results also confirmed that education subsidies influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study recommends that government should sustain and increase capitation grants to schools and also partner with other stakeholders in financing education to enhance students’ participation rates in education

This study sought to investigate how principals’ use students’ support systems in promoting social cohesion in public secondary schools in Machakos County. The study was guided by the ecological systems theory of human development and socialization. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design wherein a target population of 375 principals’ and 9 Sub County Directors of Education were respondents. Further, the study used stratified proportionate sampling in selecting sample sizes for the study in which case a sample size of 113 principals and 9 Sub County Directors of education totaling to 122 respondents were surveyed. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis. Quantitative data was processed and analyzed using SPSS software version 26 and presented in tables. Simple regression analysis was employed in testing hypotheses of the study for inferences. While qualitative data was transcribed into themes and presented in narratives. The findings of the study revealed that principals use of students support systems t (113) = 10.586; p ≤ .05; β = .734 was statistically significant in contributing to the promotion of social cohesion in public secondary schools in Machakos County. The MOE should increase Form one admissions quota for the national and any extra county schools to allow more students from other regions and ethnicities get admission into these schools for more integration and cohesion to occur.

Studies show that only 27% of graduates believe that Universities and colleges taught them how to ask their own questions. The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) imparts students a way that makes them to think critically every time they read, connect the concepts and when deciding whether to take facts and information at face value or to dig a little deeper. Generally, it is reported that students ask less than a fifth of the questions teachers estimated would be elicited and deemed desirable Poor participation by students in the questioning during teaching and learning process has often led to poor learning outcomes which are manifested by poor performance in academics. The study was instituted to evaluate the equipping of 21st skills to secondary schools’ students using QFT trained teachers in ten schools in the South Eastern Region of Kenya. The teachers and students were trained to develop skills in producing of questions, categorizing questions, prioritizing questions and in reflections. The study found that teachers were eager to be trained in QFT skills so as to enhance an observed low student engagement and poor performance. The assessment of the implementation of QFT in content delivery found that students had many questions to ask if given opportunity and not judged during the teaching and learning process. The analysis of the questions showed that the QFT sparked student’s potentials into divergent, convergent and metacognition types of thinking during and after the teaching and learning process. The teachers had a challenge of focusing the student class questions to achieve the lesson objectives in the stipulated time of the lesson. However, online engagement of students with teacher was observed to be a key in spurring more learners’ curiosity in learning and in developing patterns in their thinking and ask questions and facilitate lifelong learning.