| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to find out parental characteristics and its influence on academic performance of unity preschool children in Embakasi district, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study's objectives were to determine the influence of parental marital status on academic performance of preschool children, to investigate the influence of parental occupation/employment status and income levels on children's academic performance and to establish the influence of parental level of education on preschool children's academic perfonnance. The study employed the use of descriptive survey research design whereby the data collected was not manipulated by the researcher in any way. The researcher targeted children, teachers and parents of Unity preschool in Embakasi District.
The study adopted both simple and purposive sampling techniques to sample its respondents. The sample size comprised 27 parents, 27 children and 5 teachers in Unity preschool. Documentary analysis was provided by the teachers showing preschool children academic performance in the seven activity areas. Questionnaire for the parents was used for data collection. Reliability was ensured by computing a reliability coefficient and validity was tested through pilot study. The questionnaire was adjusted appropriately. The data was analysed using SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).
The research utilised descriptive analysis and data was presented in form of tables, graphs and pie charts. Research findings would be valuable to the government and education policy makers as it will inform them and give them a basis of further study particularly in academic performance in preschools. Parents and teachers and all scholars interested in education and factors affecting performance of preschool children. From the data analysed, the study noted the following findings; the type of family affects the children academic performance in preschool.
The preschool children that perfonn poorly are from single parents and polygamous families. This was because single parents have less time with their children since they are the sole bread winners for the family while those from polygamous families are unstable thus the children lack adequate academic support. Majority of the parents earn less and this affects their ability to provide for their children academic needs since the proportion of their income used on education of their children is small therefore affecting the academic performance of their children. Most of the parent's academic level is relatively low since most of them are KCSE certificate holders and hence are not capable enough to guide their children on academic matters leading to poor performance.
This study concluded that there was need to improve on the poor academic performance by the preschoolers. This could be done by the government empowering the parents through provision of academic materials for example books. The government through different stakeholders should try and provide school feeding programs for preschoolers. There is also need for every school to be mandated to organize general meetings where parents meet teachers and discuss problems affecting their children's academic performance. The government should take part in initiating adult education to help those parents that are not well educated so that they can appreciate the importance of preschool education. The researcher noted issues emerging from the study and recommended other research areas for further investigation such as ways to tackle the problems faced by the preschoolers as a result of the family set ups. | en_US |
