Articles

Influence of Teachers’ Academic Qualifications on the Implementation of History and Government Curriculum in Kenya: A study across Secondary Schools in Emuhaya Sub County

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Teachers undertake teacher education in their professional training and development for purposes of implementing school curriculum in their subject areas of specialization. The subject areas of specialization may be Science, humanities and language at secondary school level of education. The teacher’s competence is measured in terms of academic qualification specifically, the class of degrees earned such as First Class honours; Second Class honours (Upper Division); Second Class honours (Lower Division) and Pass. Besides years of teaching and seminars attended also have value addition to their academic qualifications. In the implementation  of History and  Government curriculum  as a subject of study at secondary school level, the  teachers academic qualification helps the teacher to comprehend  the objectives of the curriculum, adapting History and Government content, delivery, assessment of learning among learners and  providing feedback to curriculum developers for improvement. All these activities and engagements are reflected in learners’ performance. Therefore learners’ performance in summative evaluation – Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations is used conventionally to measure the extent to which teachers’ academic qualification influences the implementation of curriculum.  The objective of the study was to determine the influence of teachers’ academic qualifications on the implementation of History and Government curriculum in Secondary schools. A conceptual framework postulating the influence of the independent variables on the implementation of History and Government Curriculum was used to focus on the objective of the study. The findings revealed that academic qualification of a teacher accounted for 2.8% of the variation in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations of History and Government mean score. However the influence was not statistically significant because the p-value was 0.115 greater than the set p-value of 0.05. The findings of this study are significant to the practicing History and Government teachers and principals of secondary schools in developing strategies and methods of effective implementation of History and Government curriculum.

Influence of Students’ Entry Behavior on History and Government Curriculum Implementation in Kenya: A Study across Secondary Schools in Emuhaya Sub County

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There had been a growing concern among educators and other stakeholders on the successful implementation of the History and Government curriculum. Data on students’ performance in History and Government at secondary school level indicated that the implementation of the curriculum was not as envisaged. Thus statistics of Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Examination (KCSE) of 2019 revealed that 69.13% of candidates in Kenya took history and government in 2019 KCSE examinations and the mean score of the subjects nationally was 4.1 which is a D+ according to the grading system. Students’ performance in Emuhaya Sub-county had been low for the years from 2016 to 2019 where performance was; 3.59 lower than the neighbouring sub-counties, that is Hamisi, 5.33; Vihiga, 4.72; Sabatia, 5.12 and Luanda, 4.25 Sub- Counties. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of students’ entry behavior on the successful implementation of History and Government Curriculum in Secondary schools in Emuhaya Sub County, Kenya. A conceptual framework postulating the influence of the students’ entry behavior (Independent Variable) on the implementation of History and Government Curriculum (Dependent Variable) was used to focus on the objective of the study. The findings of the study indicated that students’ entry behaviour accounted for 13.7% of KCSE History and Government mean score. This means that the students’ entry behavior contributed for 13.7% to the successful implementation of History and Government in secondary schools.  86.3% was the contribution made by other factors that were not subject of the study. These factors included teaching learning resources, teachers’ qualifications, school infrastructure, teachers’ attitudes among others. The study concluded that the entry behavior of students significantly influenced the successful implementation of History and Government curriculum at secondary school level. The findings of this study are significant to the Ministry of Education and School Boards of Management in formulation of policies that can enhance implementation of History and Government Curriculum. The findings also form baseline information for further studies in related areas.

Influence of Dividend Payout Rate on Financial Performance of Selected Listed Companies

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dividend payout on financial performance of selected companies listed on the NSE, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: Establish the effect of dividend payout rate on financial performance, determine the effect of dividend per share on financial performance, examine the effect of dividend yield on financial performance and determine the moderating effect of company size on financial performance of selected companies listed on Nairobi Securities Exchange. The study used longitudinal research design targeting 57 companies listed on NSE as at 31st December 2020. Purposive sampling technique was used on the target population, whereby 18 least performing companies as at 31st December 2020 were selected. A total of 90 observations were included in the dataset. Secondary data was collected mainly from NSE Handbook 2020-2021 and annual reports of the companies over five years from 2016 to 2020. The analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. An empirical estimation was then carried out involving testing for stationarity of the variables, cointegration and estimating the cointegrating relation. It was expected that the output of this study provided a basis for Board of Directors and managers of companies in Kenya, Investors, Government agencies and regulatory bodies to make an informed decision and develop policies for investments. The study came with findings, made conclusions and appropriate recommendations. Based on the findings, the study concluded that dividend payout rate led to an increase in ROA of selected companies listed on Nairobi’s Securities Exchange. Therefore, dividend payout rate had a positive and significant effect on financial performance of selected companies listed on Nairobi’s Securities Exchange. When companies enhance dividend payout, there is a likelihood of improved financial performance of selected companies listed on NSE, Kenya. The study recommended that companies listed at NSE should ensure that the dividend payout rate is aligned with the company’s long-term strategic objectives. For instance, a mature, stable company may prioritize regular dividends to reward shareholders, while a growth-oriented company may reinvest profits for expansion. Furthermore, the study recommends that the government should support companies by ensuring that there are sound decision practices on dividend payout policy for the sustainability of companies. This study should be used by academicians to understand how well management allocates profits between reinvestment and shareholders returns. Dividend payout rate can be used to tell a company’s financial health and examine key financial metrices. Suggestions for further studies to be carried out in the entire East Africa Region to assess the establishment of companies in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda, and then compare the results of those listed companies in the region. Also, more studies should be carried out in the future to investigate the effect that dividend policy contain on the expansion of the economy.

Influence of Colors to the Memorization Skill of the Senior High School Students

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This study aimed to investigate the influence of colors on the memorization skills of senior high school students at St. Paul University Surigao. This study applied the quantitative research design employing a descriptive survey technique with 272 participants. The main instrument employed in gathering necessary data was the researcher-made questionnaire. The gathered data were treated using sample percentage, mean, standard deviation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the results, the influence of colors on the memorization skill of senior high school students got an average mean of 3.28, and a standard deviation of 0.71 which can be verbally interpreted as Strongly Agree and qualitatively described as Always. When participants are grouped according to their sex and strand, it was revealed that there is a significant difference in terms of influence of colors on the memorization skill of the senior high school students.

The Influence of Spiritual Leadership on Teacher’s Organizational Commitment Based on (Louis W. Fry Model): A Literature Review

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This study aimed to investigate the influence of principal’s spiritual leadership on teacher’s organizational commitment. Spiritual leadership is very interesting to study, because this leadership concept is a synthesis of value-based leadership constructs to answer problems related to human relations. Spiritual leadership has an important role to play in education as it can help build good relationships between principals and teachers, and increase teachers’ emotional and psychological attachment to the organization. Spiritual leadership can also help improve the quality of education and organizational performance. In addition, spiritual leadership can help improve teacher retention issues and increase organizational commitment. By applying spiritual leadership, principals can motivate and inspire individuals and engage every member of the organization to achieve school goals. Therefore, spiritual leadership can help create a positive learning environment and build a strong organizational culture in schools. The method used in this study was a literature review to investigate the influence of principals’ spiritual leadership on teachers’ organizational commitment. The article selection procedure was very rigorous using various selected journal databases to select ten research articles that met the inclusive criteria of this study. The results of this study show that spiritual leadership of school principals can significantly influence teachers’ organizational commitment.

The Study of Self-Esteem in Chronically Ill Individuals in Correlation to Health Care in Bangkok Teenagers Aged Between 15 and 19

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Chronic diseases have persisted in a person’s body throughout their life. Most chronic diseases lead to disabilities in people, which may influence their self-esteem, behavioral outcomes, and/or quality of life. Self-esteem, on the other hand, is an attribute of an adaptable personality that has been correlated to physical well-being. Correspondingly, low self-esteem has frequently been associated with self-stigma, in which one incorporates negative perceptions of chronic disease and sees the illness as a poor reflection of the self. Thus, we conducted survey research on Thai students aged between 15 and 19 using an online questionnaire to determine whether having chronic diseases and accessibility to healthcare services influence an individual’s level of self-esteem. The survey conducted in this research has shown that chronic diseases don’t have an impact on a person’s self-esteem. Instead, lifestyle choices and health care management appear to be the factors determining the quality and quantity of self-esteem in an individual. Therefore, it is crucial that individuals are aware of making healthy life choices that will positively impact their self-esteem rather than poor decisions that will have adverse implications. Thus, examining the correlation between chronically ill individuals and their level of self-esteem in Thai teenagers can assist in raising social awareness about making healthy lifestyle choices to prevent the potential negative effects.