| dc.description.abstract | This study sought to establish the influence of institutional and home-based factors on students’ dropout in day secondary schools in Kathiani district, Machakos county, Kenya. The study sought to determine the influence of socioeconomic background, peer pressure, government policy on funding education, and institutional factors on secondary school day students drop out. The study also formulated five questions related to the objectives. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. Target population included head teachers and class teachers who were sampled from public secondary schools in Kathiani district, Machakos County. The sample comprised of
40 teachers, 260 students and 14 head teachers. The study regarded them as having
full knowledge on institutional and home-based factors on students’ dropout in Kathiani district. Therefore, they were to be used for analysis throughout the study. Data was collected using head teachers’ and class teachers’ questionnaires. Data was then analysed using quantitative and qualitative approach which involved descriptive statistical procedures, that is, frequencies and percentages. The study established that institutional and home-based factors had an influence on students’ dropout in public day secondary schools in Kathiani district. Data analysis established that some students in day secondary schools in Kathiani district drop out due to fee problems (36%), family background problems (40%) and for others, peer pressure (24%). The study, however, showed that there were other socio-economic factors leading to dropout of students. It also established that the teachers, head teachers and students forwarded the suggestions of giving CDF bursaries to the needy students, offering guidance and counselling, sensitizing parents on the need for educating all children and providing feeding programmes to needy students in schools in hardship places. The study recommended that teachers and head teachers to offer constant guidance and counselling to students in school to enable them complete schooling and discover their careers in life; the government of Kenya to continue providing bursaries to needy students to curb dropouts; parents to offer full support to their students and also to work hand in hand with teachers to curb issues of absenteeism and enable students complete school; and day schools to be equipped with adequate teaching and learning resources to enable students complete school. The study suggested that there is need to carry out a study on the role Ministry of Education and other collaborating partners to curb dropout in public secondary schools in Kenya. There is also need to carry out a study on the relationship between educational level of the parents and the level of educational attainment of the children. | en |
