No abstract

No abstract

This study seeks to contribute to our understanding of the relative importance of selected student, teacher and school characteristics on student achievement and attitudes towards science. The sample included 424 Form 4 students and 144 science teachers from ten secondary schools in Kenya. Data were collected on school type, location and science resources; teacher experience, training and expectation; and student gender, science experiences, attitudes and aspirations with respect to science, and science achievement. The results indicate that the school and teacher characteristics play a more significant role in shaping science attitudes and achievement in developing countries like Kenya, than in developed countries.There were significant differences between boys and girls in student motivational orientation and achievement, but the relationship between gender and achievement is indirect and mediated through variations in the resources of different types of secondary schools and the teachers assigned to them.

The curriculum support materials used in an instructional process may influence assessment and achievement of learners. Curriculum support materials are both print and electronic in nature. One of the main electronic curriculum support materials used in schools is interactive digital content. In recent years, there has been rapid expansion in curriculum digital content access and utilization in Kenyan schools. However, little has been done to establish how utilization of curriculum digital content in the instructional process influences learners’ assessment and achievement. The study reported in this paper therefore investigated the influence of curriculum digital content utilisation on secondary school learners’ assessment and achievement in Biology. It was guided by two specific objectives including to: investigate the influence of the utilisation of Biology digital content on learners’ assessment and examine the influence of the utilisation of Biology digital content on learners’ achievement. A mixed methods approach that employed triangulation design was used in this study. Data was obtained from fifteen Economic Stimulus Programme-ICT phase 1 secondary schools in Nairobi County. Three instruments including Biology teacher questionnaire, learners’ focus group discussion guide and documents analysis sheet were used for data collection. The collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in form of notes, tables, and graphics. This study found out that most assessment aspects improved with curriculum digital content utilization. In addition, utilisation of curriculum digital content had a positive influence on the achievement of secondary school learners in Biology. The study recommended that all schools, and not only ESP-ICT schools, be provided with proper infrastructure to enable learners and teachers access and utilize curriculum digital content in the instructional process. This would enhance assessment modes and learners achievement in secondary schools in Kenya.

Physics is key in STEM and plays a major role in National development yet its performance and enrollment in schools has not been impressive. This paper is based on a study to determine the use of Learner-Centered Instruction in the enhancement of Performance in Physics among students in Kenya. The study deployed Descriptive survey design. The study subjects were Form Three Physics Teachers and students in Migori County. A total of One Hundred and ninety two (192) students and twenty (20) teachers across twelve (12) schools in the county undertook the study. Data was gathered using a Checklist and questionnaires. Data was then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented in descriptive statistics using frequency tables, percentages and graphs. The study finding revealed that Multimedia was predominantly used to enhance performance in Physics. Web-based learning and Resource-based learning was rarely and in most instances not used at all. Only one sampled school had a Learning Resource Centre and none of the schools that had computer rooms used them to access Physics WBLR. The study also revealed that even though majority of the teachers were familiar with the educational technology learner centered instruction, this was not reflected in the actual lessons as the learner centered instructions were rarely used. Lack of appropriate facilities was a major hindrance to implementation of the learner-centered methods. Others found hindering implementation of learner-centered instructions included: a tight school programme with little flexibility and high teacher work load.