Winnie Mucherah

How Teachers Perceiv e Their Classroom Environments and Student Goal Orientation: A Look into High School Biology Classrooms in Kenya

Aims: To examine teachersand observersperceptions of classroom climate and goal orientation in high school biology classrooms in Kenya. Study Design: A mixed design utilizing quantitative and qualitative approach. Place and Duration of Study:A boysand girlsboarding high schools in Kenya, observed between May and July of 2010. Methodology: Participants included 12 biology teachers from two same se

The Construct Validity of the Self Description Questionnaire on High School Students in Kenya

This study investigated the structural equivalence of the Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ) in relation to Kenyan high school students. A total of 1,990 students from two same-sex boarding schools participated. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the overall model fit the data well. However, an examination of the individual factors revealed that only 3 of the 13 had all items loading well. These low loading values may be attributed to a combination of cultural differences between Kenyan children and the Western children on whom the scale was initially normed as well as to the complexity of the sentence structures of some items, which may have been difficult for the non-native English speaking students to fully understand. The findings from this study have important implications for those considering the use of the SDQ in African countries. The lack of construct equivalence for some of the subscales may be due in part to the use of colloquialisms in some of the items, and to the differing nature of religious beliefs in the African culture, when compared with those more common in the west. Thus, care needs to be taken when using the SDQ in these differing cultural contexts.

The Contextual Difference Developing Preservice Teacher Efficacy Through Immersive Learning Experiences

This study’s purpose was to examine the self-efficacy of preservice teachers throughout an immersive learning semester and compare it with a control group. The study suggests that a community-based immersive program supports preservice teacher efficacy development within the dynamic cultural context of families and schools. The immersive learning participants’ (n = 32) teacher efficacy was assessed thrice and compared with a traditional on-campus program (n = 64). Using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, results revealed significant improvement in the Immersive group across time in all three areas (Engagement, Management, and Instruction). Comparison of net gains between groups suggests that an immersive and supportive environment promotes preservice teacher efficacy development even in the midst of a socio-cultural gap between preservice teachers and students.

Meeting the need: Delivering quality child‐care education on the web

Abstract This investigation describes the initial attempts to deliver a self‐paced online program to prepare child‐care providers to receive Child Development Associate (CDA) certificates through the Child Care Learning (CCL) organization program. The program made use of several strategies attempting to promote a sense of community of the students, while allowing all students to progress at their own pace through the five‐course program. This paper discusses the experiences for the students in the program, identifying the efficacy of an established mentoring process within this online learning framework. Finally, several suggestions for providing effective high‐quality training to child‐care providers through Internet learning are offered, and a basic model for delivering quality child‐care training is proposed.

The relationship of school climate, teacher defending and friends on students' perceptions of bullying in high school

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of school climate, teacher defending, and friends on bullying and victimization. Participants were 2273 high school students from 3 public schools (an all girls, all boys boarding, and a co-ed day) in Kenya. A structural equation model was used to examine relationships between school climate, teacher behavior toward bullying, and student demographic characteristics, and bullying. Results revealed that a positive school climate was associated with less bullying behavior and victimization. In addition, when students reported that teachers stop bullying by students, bullying behavior and victimization scores were lower. Contrary to previous research these results showed that residents of a boys only boarding school were less likely to report bullying behavior than residents of an all girls school, or students at a co-educational institution. Furthermore, there were no differences in bullying behavior or victimization by gender or grade level. Implications of these results are discussed.

Loving out Loud: Community Mentors, Teacher Candidates, and Transformational Learning through a Pedagogy of Care and Connection.

Although there has been significant research examining the practice of culturally responsive teaching, little empirical work to date has examined the role that community-engaged, teacher preparation models play in shaping prospective teachers’ orientation toward cultural responsiveness. This study of 60 preservice teacher candidates enrolled in a program of community-engaged teacher preparation at a midsized Midwestern public university specifically examined the ways in which caring relationships between preservice teachers and volunteer community mentors scaffolded candidates’ contextualized understanding of culture, community, and identity of children and families. Findings provide evidence that as candidates experience authentic caring within the space of supportive relationships, they emerge equipped to care in more authentic, culturally responsive ways for their students.

Reducing barriers to primary school education for girls in rural Kenya: reusable pads’ intervention

Abstract Purpose The current study explored girls’ perceptions of the impact of sanitary pads’ intervention on their school attendance and grades. Methods Participants included 150 girls in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in two rural schools in Kenya. Participants completed a questionnaire on menstrual health issues and the perceived impact on school attendance and academic performance. Results Results indicated that of all participants (150), those who had passed menarche and had cloth pads had similar comfort levels at school as those who had not yet had their period. Of those who had reached menarche (with pads n = 34, without pads n = 91), they answered questions about how much their period interfered with their attendance and grades. Those who had received the pads reported significantly less negative influence on their attendance and schoolwork than those who did not have pads. They also reported significantly lower levels of wanting to hide their menstrual cycle from friends and family. In addition, they reported significantly higher levels of comfort at home and school than those who did not have pads. Finally, those with pads reported significantly lower levels of fear during their period. Conclusion These findings suggest providing girls with pads minimizes the barriers to successful schooling.

Differential Bundle Functioning Analysis of the Self-Description Questionnaire Self-Concept Scale for Kenyan Female and Male Students Using the MIMIC Model.

Understanding adolescent self-concept is of great concern for educators, mental health professionals, and parents, as research consistently demonstrates that low self-concept is related to a number of problem behaviors and poor outcomes. Thus, accurate measurements of self-concept are key, and the validity of such measurements, including the popular self-description questionnaire (SDQ), rests on the assumption that instruments used in this regard perform similarly for different groups of individuals (e.g., males and females). When this comparability across groups cannot be guaranteed, resultant scores for individuals from different groups are not comparable so that the validity and utility of these scores is called into question. Over the years, a great deal of literature has grown up around the assessment of such comparability in the framework of differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF). The current study uses a novel approach, in the form of the MIMIC model, to ascertain whether there exists gender-based DBF in the SDQ for Kenyan high school students. Results show that DBF was present for both mathematics and academics self-esteem measures. Implications of these results and of the MIMIC model as a tool for DBF assessment are discussed.