Browsing by Author "Wachira, Ann Njogu"

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    An Assessment of Student Leaders’ Involvement in Decision Making In Public Secondary Schools in Kilifi County, Kenya
    (Mount Kenya University, 2015) Wachira, Ann Njogu
    This study sought to assess student leaders’ involvement in decision-making in public secondary schools in Kilifi County, and how leadership practices, or student behaviour influenced their involvement. The Ministry of Education had directed that all secondary schoolsform and facilitate student councils. Literature indicates that in spite of student councils being formed with the goal of participating in decision-making, most of the time their decisions were not taken into consideration, or they were not involved in key decisions. The research was conducted in public secondary schools in Kilifi County. A mixed methods approach was used. Survey design was used as well as phenomenological design. The sample size was selected from a target population of 118 public secondary schools from Kilifi County using cluster sampling. Piloting of the instrument was done in two public secondary schools in Kilifi County. First, the schools were clustered into sub-counties then random sampling was used to identify 30% of the schools to be included in the study. Ten student leaders and the principals of the selected schools responded to a questionnaire with open and closed ended questions. Further, Focus group discussions were held in one school in five sub-counties with a group of form three students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the findings as well as inferential statistics. The reliability coefficient was calculated using Cronbach coefficient alpha and a reliability coefficient of 0.6 was obtained. To ensure content validity and reliability of the research instruments the items were reviewed by the supervisors. The focus group interview data was coded into four major themes: the type of decisions the student council made, leadership practices and student behaviour that influenced the participation of student leaders in decision making, and the achievements that have been realized. The answered questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentages, frequencies, mean and Chi-square test. Different forms of data representation techniques such as tables, charts, and graphs were employed. The study found out that 61% of student leaders made decisions on their own though the teachers joined them occasionally. 36% were consulted when the schools needed to change policy and 63% said that their views were taken seriously by school management. They had also achieved improvement on student behaviour and better performance. However, it was noted that lack of interest in student council activities influenced the leaders in the decision-making and schools had no budget to fund the student council activities. The study recommended that the ministry of education should set modalities to ensure the activities of the student council including but not limited to training are funded and student councils are represented in all decision-making forums in the school. Further research should be done to find out the perceptions of other students on the involvement of SCMs in implementation of school rules and to assess the effects of student leaders’ involvement in decision-making on academic performance.
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    Examining Instructional Approaches to Foster Soft Skills among Information Technology Undergraduates in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Kenya
    (International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering Management and Applied Science (IJLTEMAS), 2024) Wachira, Ann Njogu; Koros, Peter; Kanga, Anne
    This study examines the pedagogical methods meant to improve soft skill acquisition and development in information technology undergraduates in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. Utilizing a sequential mixed-methods design, the research adopted a two-stage cluster sampling where 10 universities were selected from a total of 31 within the region, representing 5 private and 5public institutions. Thereafter, 1,143 undergraduate IT students were randomly sampled from an overall population of 3,814 enrolled students, while professors and IT technicians were purposively selected for qualitative interviews. Quantitative data in this respectwere collected by using semi-structured questionnaires, capturing the points of view of stakeholders on perceived improvement in soft skills. Although the modern-day job markets require graduates with soft and non-cognitive skills, employers have nonetheless complained about the lack of such competencies among university graduates concerningaspects such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. This study was based on Vygotsky's social constructivism theory and investigated the development of soft skills among students taking a Bachelor of Information Technology at selected universities within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The results have indicated that modern learning methods support the development and acquisition of soft skills aptly. The programs for soft-skill are adequate and frequent training which impacts performance in other disciplines. Signs wereproving that there was significant enhancement regarding interpersonal and cognitive competencies of the students as a result of collaborative projects, problem-solving in real life, and reflective practices. It also stresses that educational institutions need to orient themselves more toward interactive and practical teaching methods to better prepare IT graduates for the challenges of a modern workforce.
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    Paideia Patristic Education: Analysis into the acquisition of soft skills in Universities in Machakos County, Kenya.
    (GILE Journal of Skills Development, 2024) Wachira, Ann Njogu; Cheruiyot, Mutai Noah; Bensam, Sambiri Benjamin
    The acquisition of soft skills is increasingly recognized as a crucial component of higher education, essential for preparing students to meet the challenges of the modern workforce. This study investigates the process of acquiring soft skills through Paideia Patristic Education (PPE) in universities in Machakos County, Kenya. This quantitative study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the PPE framework in promoting key soft skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and flexibility. Purposive sampling technique was used to target specific faculty members and students. Data was collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The study's results show that PPE has a positive effect on students' soft skills, particularly in enhancing their ability to work effectively in teams and collaborate. Universities in Machakos County and beyond should strongly consider incorporating Paideia Patristic Education principles into their curricula. This would help cultivate crucial soft skills in students, better equipping them for the challenges of the contemporary job market.
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    The Exploitation of Religious Symbols in Political Rhetoric in Kenya: A Critical Perspective
    (The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 2023-07) Wambua, Brenda Mueni; Mutua, Maurice Peter; Wachira, Ann Njogu; Menecha, Jared Bravin; Egara, Kabaji
    This paper critically examined the literature on the exploitation of religious symbols in political rhetoric in Kenya; it focused on the 2017 general and presidential elections in Kenya. The paper conducted an extensive critical study on the usage of three major religious symbols, that is, mganga, Jubilee and Canaan, used in the 2017 general and presidential elections in Kenya and the biblical, contemporary meaning of these religious symbols and their usage. Moreover, an intricate examination was carried out on the use of religious gab and garb in relation to the said election. The paper borrowed heavily from culture, context and biblical literature and the significance of these to the question of exploitation of religious symbols. The paper unravelled the deliberate exploitation of religious symbols by the presidential flag bearers in both the NASA and the Jubilee coalitions in the 2017 general and presidential elections. A careful correlation was drawn between the usage of these religious symbols in political rhetoric and the relationship on the outcome of the general elections of the said period. Secondary data from written texts, such as articles, books and journals; audio-visual data, such as video clips; iconic texts, such as drawings, paintings and hypertexts, such as vlogs and blogs, were mined and synthesized. Through appropriation of semiotic analysis, meaning was generated, related and evaluated under the torchlight of the biblical yardstick to obtain verifiable, valid conclusions. This paper is meant to serve as a wake-up call to Kenyan society on the exploitation of religious symbols and the implication of these symbols during and after the 2017 general and presidential elections. Moreover, it is designed to arouse a polemic response from the clergy on the preservation of divine language and the place of divine talk. Finally, the paper seeks to sensitize the electorates to the careful evaluation of political rhetoric before making important decisions on matters of voting. The paper enumerates the dangers of the exploitation of religious symbols in Kenyan society and why this practice needs to be interrogated. The paper endeavours to articulate recommendations based on a proper understanding of the appropriate usage and meaning of religious symbols.