Challenges and Strategies for Teachers and Learners of English as a Second Language: the Case of an Urban Primary School in Kenya

With over 40 spoken tongues in Kenya, English serves as a language of instruction in schools and is taught from the onset of schooling, making the language a significant factor in academic achievement and subsequent social mobility. This article draws on a case study conducted in an urban multilingual primary school in Kenya and focuses on the challenges and strategies for teaching and learning English as a second language (ESL) in primary schools. The findings are based on evidence gathered from teachers, through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and from pupils, through learner diaries. The data show a strategic approach to teaching and learning English and reveal the tremendous effort invested by teachers and learners in grappling with the challenges of learning English in the context of an unresolved national language policy, interference from regional linguistic heritage languages and an examination-oriented education system. The strategies deployed by teachers to address these challenges include varied instructional approaches and creating a warm classroom climate to provide a non-threatening environment for learning and language acquisition. Data from pupils shows that group based interactions with their peers and individual reinforcement strategies, such as keeping vocabulary notebooks, are the most common learner strategies. The study shows how school-based research can give teachers and learners a voice in the development of successful language teaching and learning strategies for complex and challenging multilingual environments

An alternative management strategy for Lake Victoria (Kenya)

In Kenya, fisheries resource management has been based on the top-down centralized approach since the colonial days. Stakeholders have never been consulted concerning management decisions. The 4-beaches Study was undertaken to investigate the potential for an alternative management system for Lake Victoria

Analysis of the Impediments influencing the Management of Special Needs Education in Inclusive Settings in Primary Schools in Embu County, Kenya.

In recent times there has been a growing support of inclusive education worldwide, formation of numerous commissions, change of policies and education systems, support from NGO’s and group activists all advocating for better lives for persons with special needs, (PWSN) however it has been observed that the PWSN still face stigmatization, exclusion/seclusion from meaningful participation in the economic, social, political and cultural lives of their communities. This study sought to analyze the impediments influencing the management of  special needs education in inclusive settings in primary schools and to make an assessment of the situation on the ground with a view to making suggestions and recommendations on how to overcome the reasons for effective and efficient management of inclusion so that the persons with special needs can access all the essentials of life and so live a meaningful life. The study adopted a survey design. This study was conducted in Upper Embu County which is made up of three districts, Embu West, East and Embu North. The target population was a total of 180 respondents from 60 schools practicing inclusion. The study collected both primary and secondary data. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for analysis of data and for descriptive analysis, percentage and frequency distributions were used. The study concluded that inclusive education is available. Disagreement on whether to practice inclusion or not featured as factors. Causes of retardation for effective management of special needs education in inclusive settings in primary schools of Embu County were diverse, covering all the aspects of learning from labeling, cultural factors, policy issues, curriculum, staffing, learning and teaching resources, the children themselves, attitudes, professional and parental disagreement among others. The study also concluded that although the schools in Embu County have physical and human resources, the resources do not respond and match to the needs of special needs education. The MOEST to come up with a national policy on implementation of IE which will address all the noted difficulties. Keywords: Special Needs Education, Inclusion, Management

Secular trends in risk behaviour of Cape Town grade 8 students

Objective. To compare prevalence rates of selected risk behaviours and age of first intercourse of grade 8 students in Cape Town between 1997 and 2004. Design. Cross-sectional surveys in 1997 and 2004. Survival analysis was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of first intercourse. The log-rank statistic was used to compare the survival distributions. When comparing data from the two studies we used a logistic regression model with the factors year, race and age group to test the difference in reported risk behaviours between 1997 and 2004 within each gender. Setting. Public high schools in Cape Town. Subjects. Multistage cluster samples of 1 437 and 6 266 grade 8 students in 1997 and 2004 respectively. Outcome measures. Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those that had, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease at last intercourse, and (if so) what was used; use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana; violence-related behaviours; and suicidal behaviour. Results. There was a significant delay in first intercourse in 2004 compared with 1997. For males, levels of condom use were lower in 2004 than in 1997, while for females levels of injectable contraceptive use were lower. There were significant increases in past month use of cigarettes for males and marijuana for both genders. Rates of perpetration of violence behaviour remained stable or decreased from 1997 to 2004, while the rate of suicidal behaviour for males increased. Conclusions. School-based interventions that address sexual risk behaviours should be expanded to include other risk behaviours

Factors Influencing Profitability of Diversified Cash Crop Farming among Smallholder Tea Farmers in Gatanga District, Kenya

Small-scale farming account for about 75% and 55% of total agricultural production and marketed output respectively in Kenya. Cash crop farming is the main occupation of a majority of the farmers in central Kenya. However, with continued decline in the prices of traditional cash crops, horticultural crops have become an integral part of smallholder farms as a strategy to enhance farm incomes. It’s, however, not well documented as to whether this cash crop multiplicity has helped improve the economic welfare of these peasant farmers. The study aimed at determining whether diversified cash crop farming is more profitable than specialization in tea farming and also identify the factors influencing this profitability. The study revealed that diversified cash crop farming is at least 63% more profitable than specialization in tea farming.  Gender, farming experience, farm tools, farm size, credit, hired labour and the fertilizer and manure applied are the significant determinants. Keywords: profitability, smallholder, tea, horticulture, diversification, cash crop

An Evaluation of the Principal’s Instructional Supervision on Academic Performance: A Case of Sameta Primary School Kisii County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of principal’s instructional supervision on academic performance in Sameta primary School in Kisii, Kenya. The specific objectives of this study were; to determine if there was effective instructional supervision by the principal, to investigate the quality of teaching and learning process, to explore the level of syllabus coverage in all classes, to identify challenges encountered by the principal while conducting instructional supervision and give recommendation on how to mitigate the challenges of instructional supervision by the principal. A descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The study focused on the head teacher, heads of departments and teachers. The study targeted the school due to its drop in performance over the years from 2008 to 2012. For this purpose census method was used to select all 6 heads of departments, 13 teachers and 1 head teacher. The sample size for the study is 20. This method ensures that the entire sample group has an equal chance of being selected for the study. The study used questionnaire, interview schedule, and document analysis in data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such frequencies and percentages with the aid of a computer program SPSS (Version 17). Inferential statistics such as chi-square (x2) was also used to test the differences amongst the variables and if they had a significant effect. The major forms of instructional supervision techniques used by the principal in Sameta primary School, Kisii were exploration and discovery, question and answer, open ended observation, observational learning, rating scale, checklist and peer review. The use of thematic learning as a way of determining syllabus coverage in school showed no significant difference since teachers in this school mostly do not use thematic learning as a way of determining the extent of syllabus coverage in class. Similarly, monitoring by teachers aids in measuring the extent of syllabus coverage in class. Therefore most teachers in the school use monitoring as a way of measuring the extent of syllabus coverage in class. It was recommended that in order to improve on the academic standards of the school, the principal should devise more ways of instructional supervision techniques that are aimed at improving the general academic standards of the school. The study is useful to the Education Managers, principalsl, head teachesr, teachers, parents and even students of Sameta primary as well as other Schools in the region and globally. Key words: Principal’s instructional supervision on academic performance, Kisii County

Standardization of the Computerized Battery for Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children (BENCI) in an urban setting, in Kenya: a study protocol

Objective: In sub Saharan Africa one of the key challenges in assessment using neuropsychological tools has been the lack of adequately validated and easily implementable measures. This study will translate into English, adapt and standardize the Computerized Battery for Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children (BENCI). The BENCI battery will be adapted using back-translation design, comprehensive cultural adaptation and standardized in a case–control study involving two groups of children: HIV infected and HIV unexposed, uninfected children. The content adaptation will be iteratively carried out using knowledge of English and feedback from pilot testing with children. The proposed study will first involve the cultural adaptation of the BENCI. It will then recruit 544 children aged 8–11 years with half of them being HIV+, while the other half will be HIV unexposed-uninfected. Test–retest reliability will be analyzed using Pearson’s correlation while ANOVA and correlational analyses will be used to calculate discriminant, convergent and construct validity. Results: This study will result in an open access adequately adapted and standardized measure of neuropsychological functioning for use with children in East Africa. The protocol paper provides an opportunity to share the planned methods and approaches

Mental health challenges and perceived risks among female sex Workers in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Female sex workers (FSWs) in Kenya are at an increased risk of violence, poverty, police arrest, and problematic alcohol and other substance use, all of which are linked to poor mental health and suicidal ideation. Despite the psychological stressors experienced by FSWs, there is no published qualitative methods research investigating their mental health experiences in Kenya. In this paper, we draw on data from in-depth interviews to examine FSWs’ lifetime mental health experiences and perceived risk factors. Methods: We used baseline in-depth interviews of the Maisha Fiti longitudinal study of FSWs in Nairobi. We randomly selected 40 FSWs from 1003 FSWs who attended a baseline behavioural-biological interview as part of the Maisha Fiti study. The interview guide was semi-structured, and participants were asked to detail their life stories, including narrating specific events such as entry into sex work, experiences of violence, mental health experiences, and use of alcohol and other substances. Interviews were recorded in Kiswahili/ English and transcribed in English. Data were coded and thematically analysed in Nvivo (v.12). Results: Results indicated that the majority of participants understood ‘mental health’ as ‘insanity’, ‘stress’, ‘depression’, and ‘suicide’; nevertheless, a number described mental health symptomatically, while a few believed that mental health problems were caused by witchcraft. Interestingly, poverty, low levels of education, poor job opportunities, a lack of family support, harmful gender norms, intimate partner violence and subsequent relationship breakdowns, and family bereavement all contributed to poor mental health and subsequent entry into sex work. In addition, the consequences of sex work such as sexual risks, and ongoing violence from police and clients, further exacerbated poor mental health. Conclusions: There is a need for both micro- and macro interventions to address poverty and violence against FSWs in Kenya, thereby reducing mental health problems. Addressing violence against women and girls may also reduce entry into sex work. Improving mental health literacy and providing mental health intervention services for ‘at-risk’ populations such as FSWs should enhance coping strategies and help-seeking efficacy

Rates of acquisition of pneumococcal colonization and transmission probabilities, by serotype, among newborn infants in Kilifi District, Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Herd protection and serotype replacement disease following introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) are attributable to the vaccine's impact on colonization. Prior to vaccine introduction in Kenya, we did an epidemiological study to estimate the rate of pneumococcal acquisition, by serotype, in an uncolonized population. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were taken from newborns aged ≤ 7 days and weekly thereafter for 13 weeks. Parents, and siblings aged <10 years, were swabbed at monthly intervals. Swabs were transported in skim milk-tryptone-glucose-glycerin and cultured on gentamicin blood agar. Pneumococci were serotyped by the Quellung reaction. We used survival analysis and Cox regression analysis to examine serotype-specific acquisition rates and risk factors and calculated transmission probabilities from the pattern of acquisitions within the family. RESULTS: Of 1404 infants recruited, 887 were colonized by 3 months of age, with the earliest acquisition detected on the first day of life. The median time to acquisition was 38.5 days. The pneumococcal acquisition rate was 0.0189 acquisitions/day (95% confidence interval, .0177-.0202 acquisitions/day). Serotype-specific acquisition rates varied from 0.00002-0.0025 acquisitions/day among 49 different serotypes. Season, coryza, and exposure to cigarettes, cooking fumes, and other children in the home were each significant risk factors for acquisition. The transmission probability per 30-day duration of contact with a carrier was 0.23 (95% CI, .20-.26). CONCLUSIONS: Newborn infants in Kilifi have high rates of nasopharyngeal acquisition of pneumococci. Half of these acquisitions involve serotypes not included in any current vaccine. Several risk factors are modifiable through intervention. Newborns represent a consistent population of pneumococcus-naive individuals in which to estimate the impact of PCV on transmission