Articles

Influence of Principal-initiated Motivational Speakers Strategy on Academic Achievement of Students in Kenya: A Study across Public Secondary Schools in Mbita Sub County

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The use of motivational speakers strategy in enhancing students’ academic achievement in schools in Kenya was adopted by many school administrators in the late 1980s after the introduction of private / holiday tuition in the late 1970s. By 2010, many charismatic professional motivational speakers were commonplace in schools on invitation. Currently many schools are utilising services of motivational speakers. This is based on the premise that worldover research has shown that motivation of the students enhance their academic achievement. There was therefore need to conduct a rigorous study to establish the actual position of this strategy in the 21st Century. Mbita Sub County was selected as the site for the study. This is because  despite the existence of principal-initiated motivational strategy put in place by principals, the Sub-County still performs least with results showing that between 2018 and 2020, the Sub-County was ranked last in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations compared to the five other neighbouring sub- counties in Homa Bay County. Mbita Sub-County was ranked position five with an average mean score of 4.886 compared to Rangwe which was position one with a mean score of 5.354, Rachuonyo South was second with a mean score of 5.022, Rachuonyo East was third with a mean score of 4.988 while Homa Bay town was fourth with a mean score of 4.958. The objective of the study was to establish the influence of Principal-initiated motivational speakers strategy on students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools in Mbita Sub-County, Kenya. The study established that Principal-initiated motivational speakers strategy significantly influenced students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools by enhancing frequent consultation with teachers. The study recommends that Principals should advise motivational speakers on the specific aspects to address as they talk to students targeting the aspect of optimum use of study time, discipline, examination answering skills, change of attitude about difficult subjects and other aspects that lead to students’ academic achievement. The findings are beneficial to policy makers and education administrators in improving students’ achievement.

Exploring the Relationship Self-Efficacy, Academic Achievement, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Student’s Sustainable Behavior: An Empirical Study

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This study investigates the relationship between self-efficacy, academic achievement, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and sustainable behavior among students in an educational context. Self-efficacy refers to individuals’ belief in their ability to succeed in academic tasks, while PBC pertains to individuals’ perception of their control over their behavior. Sustainable behavior of students encompasses actions that support sustainable learning and environment. The study includes a sample of students from different educational levels and collects data through surveys to measure self-efficacy, PBC, sustainable behavior, and academic achievement. The findings highlight the significant role of self-efficacy in predicting sustainable behavior, and sustainable behavior as a mediator between self-efficacy and academic achievement. Additionally, PBC has an influence on both self-efficacy and sustainable behavior of students. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the psychological factors related to improved academic achievement. The practical implications of this study provide insights for educators and policymakers to develop strategies that enhance self-efficacy, PBC, and sustainable behavior among students, ultimately leading to enhanced academic achievement.

The Adoption of Blended Learning as an Emerging Mode of Learning among EFL Students: Current Challenges and Future Directions

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Blended learning is one of the well-known concepts that has emerged as a result of the significant impact that technology has had on learning and teaching. The latter has created obstacles that have greatly influenced learning while also bringing new opportunities to learn from. In order to ascertain students’ perceptions of this type of learning and weigh the advantages and disadvantages to ensure best practices that support the quality of online learning, the current study was conducted among EFL students at three Moroccan universities (Dhar Mehraz University, Sais University, and Moulay Ismail University). 304 EFL students who successfully completed an online survey were included in the study. According to the quantitative and qualitative data collected, it was found that EFL students are thrilled with this approach to learning as they are prepared to switch from traditional learning to blended learning due to its benefits, such as self-paced learning, increased student engagement, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. The findings also indicated that EFL students encounter several difficulties while employing blended learning, which include procrastination, distraction, content overload, technical issues, and plagiarism.