School Based Factors Influencing Retention Of Urban Refugee Students In Secondary Schools In Ruiru District, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Secondary school for urban refugee students is a basic right, one that is vital in restoring hope and dignity to people driven from their countries. It helps them to get back on their feet and build back a better future. However a review of related literature shows that secondary education for urban refugee students is marred with retention issues. This has been attributed to such factors as limited professional training and support to secondary school teachers to meet the academic, psychosocial and emotional needs of urban refugee students, poor sense of belonging and unaddressed emotional and psychosocial problems among urban refugee students. This study attempts to investigate school based factors influencing retention of urban refugee students in secondary schools in Ruiru District, Kiambu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: First, to examine the extent to which teacher attitude influences retention of urban refugee students in secondary schools, secondly, to establish the extent to which host students attitude influences retention of urban refugee students, thirdly, to determine the extent to which the Kenyan secondary school curriculum influences retention of urban refugee students and finally to establish the extent to which the cost of secondary education influences retention of urban refugee students .The study adopted descriptive survey design. Participants were selected using purposive and simple random sampling. The study sampled 7 principals, 80 teachers, 100 urban refugee students and 576 host students. The study employed open and closed questionnaires as well as focus group discussions with urban refugee students. To ensure reliability of the research instruments, a pilot study carried out in one school with 1 principal,4 teachers ,5 urban refugee students and 5 host students. The research instruments were administered twice to cater for pretesting ahead of the main data collection. The pilot study data were computed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. It was presented using frequency tables and percentages. The major research findings were that the school based factors influencing retention of urban refugee students in secondary are discrimination, lack of school fees bullying, extortion, low achievement levels, language problems rigid teaching methods and curriculum and lack of training for teachers and principals on how to handle urban refugee students The major research conclusions are that lack of school fees, discrimination extortion, rigid curriculum and teaching methods and lack of training for teachers and principals on how to handle urban refugee students to a great extent influenced retention. The major recommendation for this study is that teacher and school principals should be trained on how to handle urban refugee students. Also, teachers should adopt to the needs of urban refugee students through inclusive and flexible curriculum and teaching methods. The major suggestions for further studies are studies on the influence of curriculum on academic achievement of urban refugee students as well as non school related factors influencing the dropout rates of urban refugee students