The Role of Opinion Leaders in Advancing Teenage Education Through Behaviour Change Communication: Evidence from Mount Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya

Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) plays an important role in influencing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that affect educational outcomes among teenagers. Within rural communities, opinion leaders can serve as important communication actors because of their familiarity with local contexts and the trust placed in them by community members. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how opinion leadership communication approaches contribute to advancing teenage education in rural settings such as Mt. Elgon Sub-County. This study examined the perceived effectiveness of opinion leadership communication approaches used by Restore A Dream Africa (RADA) in advancing teenage education in Mt. Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to students, parents/guardians and teachers, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews with community leaders and RADA staff and focus group discussions with students and parents/guardians. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data were organized thematically. The findings indicated that opinion leaders were perceived to play an important role in advancing teenage education through encouraging teenagers to remain in school, influencing education-related decisions, providing trusted educational information and helping to change attitudes towards teenage education. Questionnaire findings showed generally positive perceptions of opinion leaders, with agreement across the four indicators ranging from 73.6% to 78.7%. Community leaders were particularly identified as important links between RADA, parents and teenagers through community meetings, sensitization activities and direct engagement with families and young people. Religious leaders also communicated educational messages through sermons, worship settings and informal community discussions. The study concludes that opinion leadership communication approaches were perceived to provide an important mechanism through which BCC messages could be communicated, interpreted and reinforced within the community. The study recommends strengthening the involvement of trusted community and religious leaders in education-focused communication initiatives and enhancing their collaboration with RADA, parents, schools and teenagers to support continued school participation.