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 Teachers’ Characteristics on Their Attitude Towards the Integration of ICT in Mathematics Instruction in Primary Schools Mathematics Instruction in Nakuru East Sub-County – Kenya

There is pressure placed on the Government of Kenya and the private sectors in the country to strive and compete in the digital world in their operations.  In particular, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in institutional operations in Kenya is significant, especially in the education sector. Teachers’ lack of ICT skills is the main challenge to integration of ICT in the instructional processes in schools. This study sought to find out whether teachers characteristics influence their attitude towards ICT integration in their classroom practice. Teachers’ characteristics entailed qualification and teachers’ computer competencies, experiences and computer training. The study investigated the influence of teachers’ characteristics on their attitude towards integration of ICT in primary school mathematics instruction in Nakuru Town East Sub-county of Nakuru County, Kenya. In the study, a Correlational research design was applied. A total of 1364 primary school teachers in Nakuru Town East Sub-County, was the target population in the study. The accessible population were all the mathematics teachers from the public primary schools from which a sample size of 140 participated in the study. Simple random sampling was used to select five divisions and proportionate stratified sampling was used to select participating schools and teachers in the study. The head teachers in the participating schools were selected purposefully as part of the teachers to provide information about ICT resources. The data was collected using a self-report questionnaire. The experts in the department of curriculum Instruction and Educational Management validated the instrument. The tool was pilot tested in schools in the neighboring county which had similar characteristics as the study are. The reliability of the research instrument was found to be 0.906 which was within acceptable threshold for social science research. Descriptive (frequency distributions, means, and percentages) and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) were used to analyze the collected data with the help of SPSS program version 26. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 Alpha (α) level of significance.  The study established the existence of a strong statistically significant positive relationship (r = 0.879, p < 0.05) between teacher characteristics and attitude towards the integration of ICT in mathematics instruction. The study established that teacher characteristics (Teaching experience, qualification, and ICT training) were strong predictors of teacher attitude towards integration of ICT in mathematics instruction (b = 0.155, p < 0.05, b = 0.247, p < 0.05 and b = 0.465, p < 0.05) respectively. The findings may help in informing policymakers and teacher trainers to include ICT in both on the job and out of job teacher training programs. Keywords: Attitude, Information Communication Technology, teacher characteristics and integration of ICT, and mathematics instruction DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-36-11 Publication date: December 31st 202

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