Publication:

Factors affecting truancy among primary school pupils in Lower Yatta district, Kitui county, Kenya.

This study aimed at investigating factors affecting truancy among primary school pupils in Lower Yatta district-Kitui County, Kenya. The purpose of the study was to assess the practicability of and suggest additional ways of improving truancy intervention measures among primary school pupils in Lower Yatta district-Kitui County, Eastern province, Kenya, Africa and other parts of the World. The study was be guided by the following objective: to establish the extent to which school related factors, administration, teaching methods; home family associated factors; teacher-pupils relationships; ways of truancy intervention in terms of support services in guidance and counseling and ill health influences of truancy among primary school pupils. Literature review was conducted on factors influencing truancy among primary school learners in Lower Yatta district-Kitui County, Kenya. The literature review has also been internationally conducted and organized according to the objectives of the study. A survey research design approach in the quantitative methodology was used. The study targeted a universe of all 708 Primary school teachers in the 74 Public primary schools in Lower Yatta district-Kitui County. Both probability and non-probability sampling methods were used. Probability sampling was used to select 8 primary schools, 10 percent of the total number of schools in Lower Yatta district using simple random sampling. In simple random sampling, each primary school had an equal chance of being selected. Non-probability sampling involving purposive sampling was used to select 10% (71) of the study target population. The 10 percent wss the minimum recommended representative sample of the population. A questionnaire for the teachers was used during the data collection exercise. This questionnaire was presented as a means of a pilot study. Lecturers from the department of English/Literature in Mt. Kenya University were requested to assist in ascertaining the validity of the questionnaire by ensuring that there were no doublemeanings or ambiguities in the items. To establish reliability, spit-half method where (Old-Even item number divided into two of the first 22 (11-11 items dichotomy) was used in a pilot study test with 5 teachers in one of the primary schools in the district to ensure that the questionnaire was reliable. The questionnaire was personally administered to the sampled teachers by the researcher during the data collection period. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis. Tally system was used to get frequency counts from which percentages and means were calculated. The findings were presented in frequency distribution tables followed by explanations. Based on the study findings, valuable conclusions and recommendations were made followed by suggestions for further studies on truancy among primary school pupils.