KABU Repository (Kabarak University)
Not a member yet
1292 research outputs found
Sort by
INFLUENCE OF SELECTED FACTORS ON EFFECTIVE COVERAGE OF KENYA CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION BIOLOGY SYLLABUS IN RONGAI SUB-COUNTY, KENYA
Get PDFThe need for effective coverage of secondary school syllabi is crucial in Kenya and the
world at large. This study sought to determine effective coverage of KCSE Biology
syllabus in secondary schools in Rongai Sub County. The study objectives include to
determine the influence of student related factors, teacher related factors, availability of
instructional resources and Time management on effective coverage of KCSE Biology
syllabus in Secondary Schools in Rongai Sub-County, Kenya. The study was grounded
on curriculum implementation theory and espoused correlational design. The study was
conducted in Nakuru Rongai Sub-County secondary schools. The target population of
this study encompassed 151 Biology teachers, 60 principals and 120 form four class
secretaries. Census method was used to sample Biology teachers and class secretaries
while purposive sampling technique was used to sample head teachers. In this study,
content validation of the questionnaire was determined by research supervisors from
Kabarak University who read the content, look at the items and ensured that they reflect
the actual content area. This study used test retest method of determining reliability of
research instrument. The instruments were piloted in Ndongeri Mixed secondary, Upper
hill mixed and Njoro day secondary school. Data was obtained using a questionnaire and
an interview schedule. Data was first analyzed using descriptive statistics while Pearson
Correlation coefficient was run to determine the existence and significance of the
relationship between independent and dependent variables. Also, Regression statistics
was used to determine the influence of independent variables on dependent variable.
Equally, interview data was analyzed systematically by organizing the responses into
themes which was then presented in prose form. Hypothesis was tested at 0.05 alpha
level. Data was then presented in form of pie charts and tables. The findings revealed
that student related factors significantly influence effective coverage of Biology syllabus
(β = 0.290; p<0.05). Similarly, teacher related factors significantly influence on effective
Coverage of Biology Syllabus (β = 0.390; p<0.05). Furthermore, availability of
instructional resources significantly influences effective coverage of Biology Syllabus (β
= 0.44; p<0.05). Finally, time management influence negatively effective coverage of
Biology Syllabus (β = -0.14.8; p>0.05). The study concludes that students’ perception
towards Biology, students’ participation in class especially in extra research on topics
learnt influence effective syllabus coverage. Moreover, teacher transfers and negative
perception towards some topics influence effective syllabus coverage. Besides,
availability of science laboratory equipped with reagents and materials, adequate
textbooks and physical classrooms influence effective syllabus coverage. Finally, it was
noted that adequate time allocated in the timetable for teaching influence significantly
effective syllabus coverage. It is herein recommended that Teacher transfers should be
managed appropriately in order to improve effective coverage of Biology Syllabus. Inservice
training of teachers as well as adequate equipping with new technologies,
pedagogical techniques and appropriate instructional resources should be underscored in
order to achieve effective coverage of Biology syllabus. Finally, school management
should emphasize on strategies geared towards management of instructional time in
order to boost effective coverage of KCSE Biology Syllabus
INFLUENCE OF SELECTED HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON JOB SATISFACTION OF SECURITY PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA
Get PDFEmployee job satisfaction is a critical aspect in organizations because it affects work-related behaviours such as productivity, efficiency, absenteeism and turnover. However, in Baringo County, there has been a notable concern over the low job satisfaction among security personnel in secondary schools. Researches in other regions have shown that human resource management practices have strong influence on the job satisfaction of security personnel. Therefore, the main study purpose was to ascertain the influence of HRM practices on the job satisfaction among security personnel in government-owned high schools in Baringo County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives: To explore the influence of job design on job satisfaction of security personnel; establish the influence of recruitment and selection practices on job satisfaction of security personnel; determine the influence of training practices on job satisfaction of security personnel, and to establish the influence of reward management practices on the job satisfaction of security personnel in public secondary schools in Baringo County. The study was informed by the Two Factor Theory of Frederick Herzberg, Analysis, Design, Develop, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) Model and Resource-Based View Theory. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design and the target population comprised 508 security personnel and 169 principals in public secondary schools in Baringo County. Slovin‟s formula was deployed to obtain a sample of 224 security personnel. Random sampling technique was utilised to identify 10% of the school head teachers to take part in the research. A questionnaire and an interview schedule were utilised to gather quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Content validity of the research tools was determined through opinions and judgment of five experts in the field of human resource management and then tested for reliability. Cronbach Alpha was calculated to test reliability. The test revealed a score of 0.788 for reliability, which was above the 0.70 acceptable threshold. Qualitative data was managed thematically in line with the research objectives while quantitative data was evaluated using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The inferential statistics consisted of Pearson product moment correlation and multiple linear regressions. The multiple regression outcomes indicated that four HR management practices accounted for 31.2% variation in security personnel‟s job satisfaction (R2 = 0.312). Moreover, job design (β1= 0.353, p<0.05), recruitment and selection practices (β2=0.322, p<0.05), training practices (β3= 0.323, p<0.05) and reward management practices (β4 = 0.556, p<0.05) all had significant influence on security personnel‟s job satisfaction. The researcher concluded that the HR management practices were significant determinants of security personnel‟s‟ job satisfaction. It was recommended that schools should formulate job design policies and put them in operation in schools; security personnel should be rewarded in line with the governments‟ recommendation and the rewards should be commensurate with their work experience, skills and qualifications. Concerning recruitment and selection, school boards of management should define clearly the requisite knowledge and competences for security personnel. They should announce vacant positions for security guards and avoid hiring from only the schools‟ catchment areas. They should ensure they select the suitable persons for the right functions. Additionally, the boards should provide regular training for security personnel to enhance their skills and enable them to be more productive. Overall, the results of this study extend the existing literature by providing empirical evidence that HR managerial practices influence job satisfaction among security personnel in public secondary schools in Kenya
STUNTING IN CHILDREN LESS THAN TWO YEARS IN RURAL AND URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN TURBO SUB COUNTY, UASIN GISHU COUNTY
Get PDFGlobally about one fifth of children less than five years are stunted with more than a third from Africa. Stunting is low length for age with poor cognitive and physical development. It occurs in the first 1000 days of life increasing morbidity, mortality, reduced individual output and chronic conditions. Since surveys indicate stunted children are also found in food secure households with good access to diverse foods, there seems to be a major research gap on factors contributing to stunting in this households, more so in Turbo Sub County. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributors to high prevalence of stunting(31.2%) in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County. The study findings will inform the county on effective intervention strategies. The study objective was to find out contributors of stunting in food secure households in children less than two years in Turbo, UGC. Cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. A sample size of 331 stunted children aged 0-23 months were recruited using multistage, systematic random sampling. The results indicate that their biological mothers cared for 92.1% of the children. Children below six months were exclusively breastfed at 40.3% with more urban children than rural at χ2(P=0.001). Continued breastfeeding at one year was 67.3% and at two years 47.1%. More rural children had a dietary diversity score of ≥4 than urban with χ2(P=0.004). Dairy (66.4%) and business (46.9%) were the most practiced economic activities. There was poor knowledge on meal frequency with no difference between rural and urban at χ2(P=0.033) and χ2(P=0.019) for 9-11 and 12-23 months respectively. Rural families that produced milk fed it to children Fishers exact test χ2(P=0.004). The study indicate poor feeding practices for stunted children and recommends training caregivers on infant and young child nutrition
DIETARY PRACTICES, NUTRITION AND HEALTH STATUS OF INFANTS BORN TO ADOLESCENT MOTHERS IN TRANSMARA WEST, NAROK COUNTY, KENYA
Get PDFGlobally, adolescent motherhood remains a challenge because they are unprepared for childcare hence putting their infants at risk of malnutrition. In order to prevent the occurrence of common illnesses, infants should be fed according to WHO recommendations. Research on dietary practices and the health of infants belonging to young mothers is scarce in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to determine dietary practices, health and nutrition status of infants born to adolescent mothers in Transmara West, Narok County. Five health facilities were purposively selected in Transmara West Sub County, Narok County by use of analytical cross-sectional study design. A sample size of 246 infants and 246 adolescent mothers were recruited from the health facilities. Quantitative data was analysed using SPPS for windows version 24.0 and ENA for SMART survey 2011. The relationship between nutritional status and other variables was established by use of chi-square test at a significance level of less than 0.05. Most of the mothers were between 16 to 17 years with the youngest mother being 14 years old. Breastfeeding practices was as follows; early initiation within one hour was (62.2%, exclusive breastfeeding was (50.0%) and continued breastfeeding at 12 months was (5.5%).The infants who had been introduced to solid and semi-solid foods were 88.6%. A few of the breastfed infants achieved the minimum meal frequency: 6-8 months (2.6%) and 9-12 months (0.4%) unlike the non-breastfed infants (90.9%). The most commonly consumed food groups being vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables, dairy products and grains. Slightly less than half (40.3%) of the infants received their recommended minimum meal frequency while 47.6% of those aged 6-12 months achieved the minimum dietary diversity while most achieved the minimum acceptable diet (61.9%). Malnutrition levels were 17.1 per cent 22.0% and 22.0 per cent for wasting, stunting and underweight respectively. Meal frequency, exclusive breastfeeding and infant illness two weeks before the study were significant (p<0.05) factors associated with malnutrition. Educational level of the mother did not influence the nutritional status of their infants. The study alluded to the existence of malnutrition among infants of adolescent mothers and hence the study recommends that policies should be in place that governs the care and health of young mothers and their infants. Similar research should be replicated especially to compare the nutrition status of infants of adult mothers with that of young mothers in the same study area
Collecting Blood Pressure and Activity Data Using an Integrated Mobile and Smartwatch Application
Get PDFFULL TEXTPredicting hypertension among individuals using historical blood pressure (BP)
readings has been the focus of recent studies in Artificial Intelligence in health. This has been
occasioned by the growing prevalence of hypertension in the general population as well as
individuals’ desire to manage their health. The BP data used for predictions is collected during
clinical visits and does not capture fluctuations in between clinic visits. Additionally, current
prediction approaches rely solely on the BP readings without regard for the individual’s
lifestyle and activities, which are known to affect individuals’ BP. This study developed a
system comprising of (i) a smartwatch with a Photolethysmograph (PPG) heart rate sensor for
detecting the BP and (ii) a mobile phone application for receiving the BP readings and to
collect data on participants age, weight, height and other health conditions. This system was
piloted for regular collection of BP and related activity data for use in monitoring and
prediction of an individual’s BP. Activities at the time of BP reading (sleep, exercise, chores)
were also recorded. An alert was sent to the participant if the BP reading was abnormal. The
pilot unearthed the following challenges: inability of the smartwatch to take readings on darkskinned
persons, the short time interval (30 mins) duration for data collection caused
inconveniences, missing of readings during device charging, lack of complete integration
between smartwatch and mobile application for the automatic transmission and recording of
readings, inability to take readings in some locations due to security concerns for devices,
inability to take readings at night because the smartwatch required light to function, and cases
of forgetfulness by the participants in wearing smartwatch and/or entering the data.
Recommendations from pilot include (i) an increase in the time interval to four hourly (ii)
automate the process of taking and recording BP reading (iii) identify a smart watch that uses
both PPG and ECG, and (iv) explore ways to for those not so literate to use the application
The Joint Effect of Creative Problem Solving and Perseverance on Micro and Small Enterprise Survival in Wakiso District, Uganda
No full textThis study examined the joint effect of creative problem solving (CPS) and perseverance on Micro and Small
Enterprise (MSE) survival in Wakiso district, Uganda. Multiple sampling methods were used to derive a
sample of 306 MSEs from the accessible population of 1,500 MSEs and a cross-sectional survey research
design using a positivist approach were used. Questionnaires were filled out by owners/managers as units of
enquiry whereas the firm was the unit of analysis. Correlation and regression analysis were used. Results
revealed that CPS, perseverance and MSE survival were significant and positively related and equally
accounted for 7% variance in MSE survival. MSE owner/managers need to enhance their CPS and
perseverance abilities. They should utilize their inherent creative and innovative ideas when solving problems
concerning their product and service offering. Similarly, they should strive to persevere at all costs during the
period of adversity, stay focused on goal achievement, and face the situation head on with a winning mindset.
Policies/programs to improve MSE owner/managers’ skills in perseverance and CPS abilities should also be
implemented
KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN ON VASECTOMY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF A MISSION HEALTH CENTRE IN BURUNDI
Get PDFVasectomy is a safe, cheap, easy to perform a method of contraception. However, its uptake in Burundi is low. Moreover, matters of family planning are packaged as a female responsibility than male, and it is not clear what attitude and knowledge married men and women have towards vasectomy. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of married men and women towards vasectomy as well as demographic factors that influence vasectomy uptake. A cross-sectional survey design was carried out utilizing a questionnaire. Stratified and simple random sampling was used. The sample size consisted of 234 respondents, with 142 male respondents and 92 female respondents. Descriptive statistics, independent T-test and chi square for assessing association between variables using SPSS version 17 were used for data analysis. This study found that 51.2% of respondents had good knowledge about vasectomy. Knowledge did not correlate with acceptance of vasectomy: 92.6% of respondents with good knowledge, 96.2% of those with fair knowledge and 92.9% of those with poor knowledge did not accept vasectomy (P=0.787). In terms of attitude, the overall attitude Mean score was 47.1% signifying a negative attitude towards vasectomy. 95.6% of respondents agreed that vasectomy was not acceptable in the Burundian culture, and 90.1% of respondents stated that vasectomy was against their religious belief. 80% of respondents also agreed that there is not enough information available on vasectomy, 90.5% agreed that the irreversibility of vasectomy constituted a reason for not adopting it. In terms of acceptance of vasectomy, the study found that the majority of respondents was not willing to accept vasectomy: 91.6% of male respondents and 95.7% of female respondents. A significant association was noted between vasectomy acceptance and age (P=0.029) and the number of current children (P=0.012). No other significant association was noted with other socio demographic factors. Overall knowledge of married men and women about vasectomy was acceptable (52.1%), attitude towards vasectomy was poor, and acceptance was low. Myths and misconception about vasectomy were noted. There is a need for greater awareness of vasectomy knowledge as a potential vehicle to affect attitude change towards vasectomy
Challenges of Health Information Exchange in Maternal Healthcare in Kenya A Case Study of Nakuru County Level 5 Hospital.
Get PDFFULL TEXTIn Kenya, Medical facilities have made efforts to adopt Electronic Health
Records systems at various levels and for different use cases. However, there lacks a
robust and secure system for sharing sensitive and confidential health records. This
curtails the potential benefits that can be gained by shared electronic health records
especially the antenatal care process. Besides, there lacks a portable mechanism of
sharing patient medical history especially when the patient seeks care from one
provider to another. This situation is even dire and most detrimental to the most
vulnerable of citizens, in expectant mothers, children and marginalized groups. This
study seeks to determine the challenges of Health Information Exchange in Maternal
healthcare, Antenatal Care Process. The findings were drawn from a qualitative
research study conducted at the Nakuru County Level Five Hospital utilizing a case
study methodological approac
INFLUENCE OF ADVERTISING THROUGH MEDIA ON CONSUMERS’ ATTITUDE: A COMPARISON OF ONLINE AND OFFLINE CHANNELS USED BY SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA
Get PDFThe media landscape in Kenya has changed over time with more internet-enabled channels, giving marketers a wide range of communication mediums to advertise through. This has made institutions to push their advertising through online instead of offline channels, yet there is scanty scientific studies to justify this shift. Marketers use media advertisements to shape consumers’ attitude positively. The objective of this study was to establish the influence of advertising through media on consumers’ attitude: a comparison of online (Facebook, Google Ads and YouTube) and offline (TV, Radio and Newspaper) media channels used by selected commercial banks in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study used the AIDA model to make assumptions on advertising through media and the Tri-Component attitude model on consumer’s attitude. The study population comprised all consumers who bank with Equity Bank Limited, Kenya Commercial Bank Limited and Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited in Nairobi County. It adopted a positivist paradigm research philosophy and used a descriptive cross-sectional survey from a sample size of 384. Data were collected using questionnaires comprising Likert scale type of questions to measure consumers’ attitude. Collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that there was a significant and positive influence of offline media channels (TV and Radio) on consumers’ attitude; save for Newspaper. Further, the study found out that the influence of online media (Facebook and Google Ads) was insignificant in influencing consumers’ attitude, save for YouTube. The relationship between advertising through media and consumers’ attitude was found to be moderated by age. The recommendation for this study is that marketers should advertise through online channels to influence awareness and offline channels to influence action sub-constructs of consumers’ attitude