Thesis:

An investigation of contemporary school practices influencing academic performance Of students with emotional behavior disorders in public secondary schools in Kajiado West sub-county, Kenya

Academic performance of students with emotional and behavioral disorders has been dismal and a concern to teachers and other education stakeholders. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate contemporary school practices influencing academic performance of secondary school students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Kajiado West Subcounty, Kenya. The objectives of the study included; collaborative, classroom management, motivation and inclusive curriculum adoption practices in relation to academic performance of students with EBD. The study was guided by The Ecological Systems Theory. The study applied mixed method approach, that is, quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study applied explanatory sequential research design which involved collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The target population for this study comprise 13 public secondary schools, 120 teachers, 13 parents’ representatives and 1367 students all totaling 1500. Using The Central Limit Theorem of sample size determination, a sample of 3 public secondary schools, that is, 23.1% of 13 schools and 10 respondents, that is, 10% of 1500, were selected. Stratified sampling was applied to create 3 strata based on the number of zones in Kajiado West Sub-county. From each stratum (zone), 4 teachers and 5 parents’ representatives were selected using purposive sampling considering schools which have registered dismal performance in internal and national examinations and due to their roles in implementing the recommendations of the study. At the same time, from each stratum, 42 students were selected using simple random sampling to avoid the feelings of bias. Questionnaires were used to collect data from students whereas interview schedules were used to collect data from teachers and parents’ representatives. Piloting of instruments was conducted amongst 10 students to establish validity, reliability, credibility and dependability of the instruments. Reliability coefficient was obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Method with r = 0.6 indicating higher internal consistency. Data analysis began by identifying common themes from the respondents’ description of their experiences. Frequency counts of the responses were then obtained to generate descriptive information about the respondents and to illustrate the general trend of findings on the various variables that were under investigation. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically based on the study objectives whereas the basic quantitative data was analyzed using One-Way ANOVA in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (Version 21). The findings of the study were presented using tables. The study has established that there are different contemporary school practices such as collaborative, classroom management, instructional and inclusive adopted curriculum which influence academic performance of students with EBD. The study thus recommends that teachers should attend seminars and conferences on how to handle and manage the needs of students with EBD. Teachers should identify and adopt classroom management strategies which are geared towards enhancing the academic performance of students with EBD. Teachers should also adopt appropriate in achieving the objectives of modified secondary school curriculum for learners with EBD. Teachers should ensure that all students are treated equally without a feeling of discrimination