| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting participation of students in secondary school in Vihiga District. Five research questions were formulated to guide the study. The study employed descriptive research design, the target population comprised on 12 headteachers, 48 form four class teachers, and 364 students. Data was collected by use of questionnaires among 12 headteachers and 350 students.
Findings revealed that there were SOCIO cultural factors that contributed to low participation of students in school. Such cultural factors included early marriages, helping at housework and taking care of other family members, preference in education of boys than girls, cultural beliefs, and initiation into adulthood among others. It was also revealed that there were parental factors which contributed to low participation of students in school. Such factors included parental level of education, parents not coming to school to discuss their children progress, lack of parental support and parental involvement in their children's education.
Findings revealed that socio economic factors contributed to low participation of students in school. It was found out that parents were not able to pay school fees, students did not have the basic necessities which made them not come to school. There were also school based factors that contributed to low participation of students in secondary school. This included lack of adequate facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, conflict between teachers and students, unhealthy relationship between teachers and students, and lack of role models for girls in the schools.
Finally students' related factors such as truancy, indiscipline and distance from school contributed to low participation of students in schools. Based on the findings it was concluded that there was low participation of students in schools in Vihiga district It was concluded that the low participation was attributed to several factors which ranged from socio economic, cultural school based and parental related factors. The study concluded that cultural factors such as early marriages, pregnancy, working at home, and negative attitude towards the education, cultural beliefs and practices were responsible for the low participation in school.
It was also concluded that socio economic factors such as lack of school fees, lack of basic necessities were some of the factors that led to low participation of students in school. The study also concluded that parental factors such as parental level of education, lack of parental participation in the education of students, lack of provision of basic necessities were some of the factors that led to low participation of students in school. The study also concluded that school related factors such as lack of facilities, distance from school, inadequate teachers, lack of role models, conflict with teachers, unhealthy relationship among teachers and students and among students were contributed to low participation of students in schools. Student related factors such as truancy, indiscipline contribute to low participation of student . | en_US |
