Effects of Motivation on teacher’s performance in Kenyan Schools: A Survey of Nyamira District Secondary Schools in Nyamira County

Motivation of teachers serves as key to facilitate organization performance. However, there are strategies to make these teachers deliver their services to the best of their ability which includes financial and non-financial incentives .The management should take initiatives to shape these teachers through in service training organized by institutions. As it is known, the individual life structure is shaped by three types of external events: the socio-cultural environment, the role they play and the relationship they have and opportunities and constraints that enable them to express and develop their careers. This study was conducted in National, county and district secondary schools operating in Nyamira district, Nyamira County. The general objective was to assess the effects of motivation on teacher’s performance in Nyamira district, Nyamira County. The specific objectives were: To investigate the effects of financial motivation on teacher’s performance in Nyamira county, to investigate the effects of non financial motivation on performance and to establish the effects of teacher’s rewards on performance. The study was a survey research design which required quantitative methods. There were 68 respondents (40 teachers, 14principal and 14 Deputy Principals). This study adopted purposive and simple random sampling techniques in selecting the sample for the study. Three five-point likert type scale questionnaires were used to obtain data for the study. They were Secondary School Teachers Questionnaire (SSTQ) and Secondary School Principals/Deputy principals Questionnaire (SSP/DQ).The reliability coefficient on SSTQ and SSP/DQ of 0.65 and 0.68 respectively were obtained. The data was analyzed by use of a descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and multi linear regression model, using the SPSS package. Recommendations on ways of motivating teachers in order to improve the performance were made. Keywords: Effects, Motivation, Bonus pay, Promotion, Performance, Nyamira District, Nyamira County

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Assessment of the perceptions of tea farmers on the effect of temperature and rainfall variation on tea production in Kisii County

Kisii County’s agricultural systems largely depends on rain-fed conditions which are affected by the weather instabilities that cause climate variability. This has led to fluctuations in diverse crop production and in particular tea yields. The study aimed to assess the perceptions of tea farmers on the effect of temperature and rainfall variation on tea production in Kisii County. The study adopted a correlational research design. The sample size was 400 farmers but only 352 farmers returned duly signed questionnaires. The study targeted small scale tea farmers, Kisii Meteorological Department, and three Kenya Tea Development Agency factories of Kisii County. The study used questionnaires to collect primary data from small scale tea farmers and document analysis was used to collect secondary data. Interview schedules were used to collect data from the field service coordinators who were key informants. Primary data collected from small scale tea farmers included their perception on the effect of temperature and rainfall variability on tea production. Purposive and random sampling were used to choose tea factories and farmers respectively. The findings of the study reveals that the perception of the farmers concerning the effects of temperature is that scanty rainfall reduces tea yields, heavy rainfall causes erosion of top soil and washes away available fertilizer thus affecting tea production, and that frostbites reduce tea yields and production significantly since hailstones destroy the tea leaves and reduces tea yields drastically