Influence of Organization and Coordination of Laboratory Facilities on Students’ Achievement in Physics in Secondary Schools of Njoro Sub County, Nakuru County, Kenya

Physics is a science subject that provides the foundation of industrial, technological and economic development of any country. Despite this, student’s achievement in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) physics in Njoro Sub County has been poor over the years. The unsatisfactory performance may perhaps be due to Management of Laboratory Facilities (MLF). This study examined the influence of organizing and coordination of Laboratory Facilities on students’ achievement in physics in public secondary schools in Njoro Sub County.  The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population of the study comprised of all the 8229 students and 60 physics teachers in public secondary schools in Njoro Sub County. The accessible population was all the 60 physics teachers and 2385 form two students in the 35 public schools in sub county schools.  A sample of 53 physics teachers and 343 form two students who participated in the study were selected using purposive, stratified, proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. A student’s physics practical achievement test (SPPAT), laboratory facility checklist (LFC) and physics teacher laboratory facilities management questionnaire (PTMLFQ) were used to collect data. Data was analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The study established that organization of laboratory facilities has statistically significant influence on students’ achievement in physics. The study also revealed that coordination of laboratory facilities has statistically significant influence on students’ achievement in physics. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education through its various agents, to review its laboratory organisation and coordination policies. The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) should emphasise on the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) to ensure students’ performance is monitored across all classes. Keywords: Organization, Coordination, Management of Laboratory Facilities, Student’s Achievemen

Influence of Gender Streamed (Boys’ and Girls’ Only) Classes on Coeducational Secondary Schools’ Mathematics Teachers Perceptions in Nakuru, Uasingishu, Kericho and Baringo Counties of Kenya

The skills acquired in mathematics provide a country with a human resource that is highly educated and able to tackle most of the country’s social economic problems. However, the performance of students at the KCSE mathematics examinations in Kenya has been dismal for many years. In addition, majority of the girls in particular have been performing poorly in the subject compared to the boys. As a possible remedy to this, single sex classes within coeducational secondary schools were created. There is however limited research, which has been carried out to  compare mathematics teachers’ perceptions between single and mixed sex classes in coeducational  secondary schools in Kenya. Therefore, this study was designed to find out the effects this intervention. The study adopted an ex post facto causal comparative research design. A sample of 203 mathematics teachers from county and sub county co-educational secondary schools (those with mixed sex and single sex classes) in Nakuru, Uasingishu, Kericho and Baringo counties of Kenya participated in the study. Data was obtained using self-report questionnaires for mathematics teachers. The instrument was pilot tested and validated to improve it before actual data collection. A Chronbach alpha reliability coefficient was calculated and an index of 0.87 obtained. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at a significant level of alpha (α) equal to 0.05.The findings show that mathematics teachers’ perceptions of their classes are positive irrespective of the class gender composition. The findings further show that there were no statistically significant differences in their perceptions between single sex and mixed sex classrooms in both the sub county and county schools.  The results from the study have yielded valuable information that may inform the intervention in Kenya’s coeducational secondary schools and advice policy makers, teachers and administrators of the schools on appropriate measures to undertake to enhance its effectiveness in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Keywords: Gender streamed classes, mathematics teachers, Perceptions, Coeducational secondary schools

Effects of Experiential Learning Approach on Students’ Mathematical Creativity among Secondary School Students of Kericho East Sub-County, Kenya

Mathematics is a subject which seeks to understand patterns that permeate both the world around us and the mind within us. There are many ways of thinking and the kind of thinking one learns in mathematics is an ability to handle abstraction and solve problems that require knowledge of mathematics. Mathematical creativity is essential for scientists. Creativity is one of the goals of teaching mathematics in schools. This study investigated the Effects of Experiential Learning Approach on students’ mathematical creativity in Kericho East Sub-County. The topic Statistics I was taught to Form Two since it is one of the topics that is poorly performed according to KNEC reports on KCSE.  Solomon Four Non Equivalent Control Group Design under the quasi-experimental research was used. A random sample of four co-educational district secondary schools was drawn from schools in Kericho East Sub-County. Each school provided one Form Two class. This translated to a total of 168 students. In the experimental groups Experiential Learning Approach (ELA) was used while Conventional Teaching Methods (CTM) was used in the control groups. One experimental and one control group was pre tested. At the end of the treatment all the four groups were post tested using Mathematical Creativity Test (MCT). The instruments were validated with the help of experts in the Department of Curriculum Instruction and Education Management of Egerton University and mathematics teachers from selected secondary schools. MCT was pilot tested to estimate its reliability coefficient using Cronbach alpha which was found to be 0.778. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used in data analysis. These included mean score and ANOVA.  All statistical tests were subjected to test of significance at alpha (α) level of 0.05. The results revealed that ELA had a significant effect on students’ mathematical creativity. The findings of the study are expected to assist mathematics teachers to adjust their instructional strategies and also teacher trainers may use the information from the study to sensitise in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers on the importance of Experiential Learning strategies in enhancing Mathematical Creativity. The findings may also be used as a basis for future research in Mathematics Education. Keywords: Mathematical Creativity, Experiential Learnin

New antitrypanosomal tetranotriterpenoids from Azadirachta Indica

Organic extracts of the leaves of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. yielded ten antitrypanosomal terpenoids. Three of these (1 – 3), are novel and are derivatives of nimbolide and nimbin. They were extracted from chloroformfraction of methanol extract. These compounds were found to exhibit strong antitrypanosomal activities against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense with MIC values ranging of 6.9, 15.6 and 7.8 μg/ml respectively and were more active than Cymerlarsan ( a standard drug), which had an MIC value of 187.5 μg/ml when tested against T. b. rhodesiense The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including; NMR, MS, UV and IR.Key words: Meliaceae, limonoids, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Azadirachta indica, antitrypanosomal activity

The Relationship between Students’ Attitude towards Mathematics and their Mathematics Self-Concept and Achievement in the Military Science Programme of Egerton University, Kenya

Knowledge of mathematics as a tool for use in everyday life is important for the existence of any individual and society. It is for this reason that tertiary institutions take mathematics as part of professional development. Despite the importance of mathematics as a basic preparation for full participation as a functional member of the society, the performance in the subject has been poor as shown in national examinations in Kenya. The general trend in students’ performance in mathematics in the military science programme of Egerton University indicates higher percentage of graduates who underachieve in the subject. This study sought to investigate the relationship between Students’ attitude towards mathematics and their mathematics self-concept and achievement in the military science programme offered at Egerton University in Kenya. The guiding theory was based on the Systems Approach theory. Correlation research design was used in the study. The study population was 145 student officers (Cadets) enrolled in the military science programme of Egerton University in Kenya. Sample size for the study was the entire population. Two instruments were used namely: Self  Descriptive Questionnaire III (SDQ III) and Students’ Mathematics Attitude Scale (SMATS). These instruments were validated and pilot tested for suitability and reliability. The study found the reliability for Students’ Mathematics Self Concept (SMSC) and SMATS to be 0.86 and 0.82 respectively using Cronbach’s alpha, hence were reliable. Questionnaires solicited information on the students’ academic background and their mathematics scores in KCSE. Students’ Mathematics Achievement Scores (SMAS) were mathematics scores in University examinations. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to test the stated hypotheses at alpha (?) level of 0.05. Pearson moment correlation was used to test hypotheses. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. This study is important to understand factors that affect students’ attitude towards mathematics and their mathematics self concept and achievement in order to embrace mathematics as a utility subject in school and life Keywords: Mathematics, Self Concept, Attitude, Achievement, Tertiary institutions, Keny

Quantitative Analysis of Total Phenolic Content in Avocado (Persia Americana) Seeds in Eastern Province of Kenya

Phytochemical rich plants have played a significant role in diet based therapies to prevent and cure various ailments. The avocado (Persia Americana Mill,) fruits are much sought after for their high nutritional and sensory value. Avocado (Persia Americana) seeds were analysed for total phenolic content. This phenolic component is responsible for antioxidant activity. The amount of phenols was analysed using Folin-Ciocalteu method. The maximum phenolic content was found in the Fuerte seed extract (18.55 ± 2.8 mg/g) prepared at 50ºC. The phenolic content decreased by 10.3% at an extraction temperature of 50 °C to 70 °C and 32.1% at an extraction temperature of 50 °C to 100 °C for a duration of 30 minutes. Keywords: Avocado seeds, Persia Americana, Total phenolic

Detection of Pneumococcal DNA in Blood by Polymerase Chain Reaction for Diagnosing Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Young Children From Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND.: We investigated the performance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on blood in the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia among children from 7 low- and middle-income countries. METHODS.: We tested blood by PCR for the pneumococcal autolysin gene in children aged 1-59 months in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study. Children had World Health Organization-defined severe or very severe pneumonia or were age-frequency-matched community controls. Additionally, we tested blood from general pediatric admissions in Kilifi, Kenya, a PERCH site. The proportion PCR-positive was compared among cases with microbiologically confirmed pneumococcal pneumonia (MCPP), cases without a confirmed bacterial infection (nonconfirmed), cases confirmed for nonpneumococcal bacteria, and controls. RESULTS.: In PERCH, 7.3% (n = 291/3995) of cases and 5.5% (n = 273/4987) of controls were blood pneumococcal PCR-positive (P < .001), compared with 64.3% (n = 36/56) of MCPP cases and 6.3% (n = 243/3832) of nonconfirmed cases (P < .001). Blood pneumococcal PCR positivity was higher in children from the 5 African countries (5.5%-11.5% among cases and 5.3%-10.2% among controls) than from the 2 Asian countries (1.3% and 1.0% among cases and 0.8% and 0.8% among controls). Among Kilifi general pediatric admissions, 3.9% (n = 274/6968) were PCR-positive, including 61.7% (n = 37/60) of those with positive blood cultures for pneumococcus. DISCUSSION.: The utility of pneumococcal PCR on blood for diagnosing childhood pneumococcal pneumonia in the 7 low- and middle-income countries studied is limited by poor specificity and by poor sensitivity among MCPP cases

Impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on pneumonia in The Gambia: population-based surveillance and case-control studies.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are used in many low-income countries but their impact on the incidence of pneumonia is unclear. The Gambia introduced PCV7 in August, 2009, and PCV13 in May, 2011. We aimed to measure the impact of the introduction of these vaccines on pneumonia incidence. METHODS: We did population-based surveillance and case-control studies. The primary endpoint was WHO-defined radiological pneumonia with pulmonary consolidation. Population-based surveillance was for suspected pneumonia in children aged 2-59 months (minimum age 3 months in the case-control study) between May 12, 2008, and Dec 31, 2015. Surveillance for the impact study was limited to the Basse Health and Demographic Surveillance System (BHDSS), whereas surveillance for the case-control study included both the BHDSS and Fuladu West Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Nurses screened all outpatients and inpatients at all health facilities in the surveillance area using standardised criteria for referral to clinicians in Basse and Bansang. These clinicians recorded clinical findings and applied standardised criteria to identify patients with suspected pneumonia. We compared the incidence of pneumonia during the baseline period (May 12, 2008, to May 11, 2010) and the PCV13 period (Jan 1, 2014, to Dec 31, 2015). We also investigated the effectiveness of PCV13 using case-control methods between Sept 12, 2011, and Sept 31, 2014. Controls were aged 90 days or older, and were eligible to have received at least one dose of PCV13; cases had the same eligibility criteria with the addition of having WHO-defined radiological pneumonia. FINDINGS: We investigated 18 833 children with clinical pneumonia and identified 2156 cases of radiological pneumonia. Among children aged 2-11 months, the incidence of radiological pneumonia fell from 21·0 cases per 1000 person-years in the baseline period to 16·2 cases per 1000 person-years (23% decline, 95% CI 7-36) in 2014-15. In the 12-23 month age group, radiological pneumonia decreased from 15·3 to 10·9 cases per 1000 person-years (29% decline, 12-42). In children aged 2-4 years, incidence fell from 5·2 to 4·1 cases per 1000 person-years (22% decline, 1-39). Incidence of all clinical pneumonia increased by 4% (-1 to 8), but hospitalised cases declined by 8% (3-13). Pneumococcal pneumonia declined from 2·9 to 1·2 cases per 1000 person-years (58% decline, 22-77) in children aged 2-11 months and from 2·6 to 0·7 cases per 1000 person-years (75% decline, 47-88) in children aged 12-23 months. Hypoxic pneumonia fell from 13·1 to 5·7 cases per 1000 person-years (57% decline, 42-67) in children aged 2-11 months and from 6·8 to 1·9 cases per 1000 person-years (72% decline, 58-82) in children aged 12-23 months. In the case-control study, the best estimate of the effectiveness of three doses of PCV13 against radiological pneumonia was an adjusted odds ratio of 0·57 (0·30-1·08) in children aged 3-11 months and vaccine effectiveness increased with greater numbers of doses (p=0·026). The analysis in children aged 12 months and older was underpowered because there were few unvaccinated cases and controls. INTERPRETATION: The introduction of PCV in The Gambia was associated with a moderate impact on the incidence of radiological pneumonia, a small reduction in cases of hospitalised pneumonia, and substantial reductions of pneumococcal and hypoxic pneumonia in young children. Low-income countries that introduce PCV13 with reasonable coverage can expect modest reductions in hospitalised cases of pneumonia and a marked impact on the incidence of severe childhood pneumonia. FUNDING: GAVI's Pneumococcal vaccines Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UK Medical Research Council

Digital auscultation in PERCH: Associations with chest radiography and pneumonia mortality in children.

BACKGROUND: Whether digitally recorded lung sounds are associated with radiographic pneumonia or clinical outcomes among children in low-income and middle-income countries is unknown. We sought to address these knowledge gaps. METHODS: We enrolled 1 to 59monthold children hospitalized with pneumonia at eight African and Asian Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health sites in six countries, recorded digital stethoscope lung sounds, obtained chest radiographs, and collected clinical outcomes. Recordings were processed and classified into binary categories positive or negative for adventitial lung sounds. Listening and reading panels classified recordings and radiographs. Recording classification associations with chest radiographs with World Health Organization (WHO)-defined primary endpoint pneumonia (radiographic pneumonia) or mortality were evaluated. We also examined case fatality among risk strata. RESULTS: Among children without WHO danger signs, wheezing (without crackles) had a lower adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for radiographic pneumonia (0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15, 0.82), compared to children with normal recordings. Neither crackle only (no wheeze) (aOR: 2.13, 95% CI: 0.91, 4.96) or any wheeze (with or without crackle) (aOR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.34, 1.15) were associated with radiographic pneumonia. Among children with WHO danger signs no lung recording classification was independently associated with radiographic pneumonia, although trends toward greater odds of radiographic pneumonia were observed among children classified with crackle only (no wheeze) or any wheeze (with or without crackle). Among children without WHO danger signs, those with recorded wheezing had a lower case fatality than those without wheezing (3.8% vs. 9.1%, p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Among lower risk children without WHO danger signs digitally recorded wheezing is associated with a lower odds for radiographic pneumonia and with lower mortality. Although further research is needed, these data indicate that with further development digital auscultation may eventually contribute to child pneumonia care

Impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in The Gambia: 10 years of population-based surveillance.

BACKGROUND: The Gambia introduced seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in August 2009, followed by PCV13 in May, 2011, using a schedule of three primary doses without a booster dose or catch-up immunisation. We aimed to assess the long-term impact of PCV on disease incidence. METHODS: We did 10 years of population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and WHO defined radiological pneumonia with consolidation in rural Gambia. The surveillance population included all Basse Health and Demographic Surveillance System residents aged 2 months or older. Nurses screened all outpatients and inpatients at all health facilities using standardised criteria for referral. Clinicians then applied criteria for patient investigation. We defined IPD as a compatible illness with isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae from a normally sterile site (cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or pleural fluid). We compared disease incidence between baseline (May 12, 2008-May 11, 2010) and post-vaccine years (2016-2017), in children aged 2 months to 14 years, adjusting for changes in case ascertainment over time. FINDINGS: We identified 22 728 patients for investigation and detected 342 cases of IPD and 2623 cases of radiological pneumonia. Among children aged 2-59 months, IPD incidence declined from 184 cases per 100 000 person-years to 38 cases per 100 000 person-years, an 80% reduction (95% CI 69-87). Non-pneumococcal bacteraemia incidence did not change significantly over time (incidence rate ratio 0·88; 95% CI, 0·64-1·21). We detected zero cases of vaccine-type IPD in the 2-11 month age group in 2016-17. Incidence of radiological pneumonia decreased by 33% (95% CI 24-40), from 10·5 to 7·0 per 1000 person-years in the 2-59 month age group, while pneumonia hospitalisations declined by 27% (95% CI 22-31). In the 5-14 year age group, IPD incidence declined by 69% (95% CI -28 to 91) and radiological pneumonia by 27% (95% CI -5 to 49). INTERPRETATION: Routine introduction of PCV13 substantially reduced the incidence of childhood IPD and pneumonia in rural Gambia, including elimination of vaccine-type IPD in infants. Other low-income countries can expect substantial impact from the introduction of PCV13 using a schedule of three primary doses. FUNDING: Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; UK Medical Research Council; Pfizer Ltd