Department of Education Psychology

Gender Differences in Attitudes towards Chemistry Curriculum Content and Performance in Chemistry

2024-07-24T15:59:24Z

Gender Differences in Attitudes towards Chemistry Curriculum Content and Performance in Chemistry Wanzala, Josephine N.; Othuon, Lucas; Okwach, Tony Chemistry is one of the essential science subjects in most professional courses at the university level. Poor performance in chemistry limits the opportunity to take professional courses like medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and engineering. Despite this highlighted importance of chemistry, secondary school students in Matayos Sub-County have continued to post poor results in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. From the year 2013 to 2017, the mean scores in chemistry subject ranged between 3.078 to 3.693 out of the total 12. 00 points. Analysis by gender shows that the mean score attained by boys was 2.05, while that of girls was 1.32 for the same period. This poor performance may be attributed to students’ attitudes towards the subject. Students’ gender could also be a pointer to the differences in the mean scores shown by boys and girls. No known study conducted in the Sub-County has established students’ attitudes towards chemistry and performance across gender. The purpose of this study was to establish gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude and performance in chemistry in secondary schools in Matayos Sub-County, Kenya. Correlation research design was employed. The target population was 900 form four students from all the 14 secondary schools in the sub-county. A sample size of 269 students was obtained. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 130 girls and 139 boys. Research instruments used to collect data were students’ questionnaires, interview schedule and document analysis guide. Reliability of the students’ questionnaire. Validity, the instruments were presented to experts from the Department of Educational Communication, reliability Technology and Curriculum Studies, Maseno University for scrutiny and examination. Descriptive statistics (means, frequency counts and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (t-test and Pearson’s r) were used for analysis of quantitative data reported in an ongoing process as themes and sub-themes emerged. The study found that there were gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards content ( r=.37 for boys, r=.33 for girls).

Strategies used by Students to Cope with Mental Health Issues in Secondary Schools in Kisii County, Kenya

2023-09-12T14:07:26Z

Strategies used by Students to Cope with Mental Health Issues in Secondary Schools in Kisii County, Kenya Kilel, C. Faith; Othuon, L. A.O; Kabuka, E. K Mental health issues are becoming increasingly common among students worldwide, Kenya has not been spared. Studies have shown that approximately 20% of school students are now affected by diagnosable mental illnesses, with half of all mental issues developing by 14 years.It is further indicated that mental health problems are the leading cause of behavioral adjustment difficulties among adolescents in schools. A survey carried out in Kisii County in the year 2017, and published in the East African Medical Journal showed that 23% of the students had symptoms of depression. Despite this not much had been done to establish the coping strategies students use to manage their mental health issues. The objective of this study therefore was to establish the strategies used by students to cope with mental health issues in secondary schools in Kisii County, Kenya. The study was based on Social Control Theory by Ivan Nye (1958), which emphasizes the importance of the learning environment. When the learning environment is not conducive it will trigger mental health issues. Descriptive survey research design was used. The target population was 30,955 form two students. Yamaneâ€™s formula was employed to determine the sample size of 395 students. A questionnaire was used to collect data. A pilot study was carried out among 40 students using test- retest method of reliability. Reliability coefficient index of the instruments was determined at .78. Face and content validity of the instruments were ascertained by experts. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of frequencies and percentages. Findings indicated that the key strategy students use to address their mental health issues is reaching out to parents (89.1%), followed by seeing teachers for advice/help (86.8%), and distancing oneself from friends as well as reading the word of God/ praying (77.2%), avoiding assignments that are difficult (67.3%). The least strategy used by students was seeing the school counsellor (19.2%). It was concluded that students mostly prefer seeing parents. The study therefore recommends that schools should engage parents when dealing with students` mental health issues. The study further recommends that there is need for the schools and the ministry to establish why students avoid seeing school counselors for their mental health issues yet they are the professionals trained in handling students` issues. This finding is useful to the school managers and the Ministry of Education in shedding light on the importance of engaging parents in handling students` mental health issues.

Predicting Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes Across Cultures: A Machine Learning Approach

2023-05-18T12:23:03Z

Predicting Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes Across Cultures: A Machine Learning Approach Oburu, Paul Odhiambo Adolescent mental health problems are rising rapidly around the world. To combat this rise, clinicians and policymakers need to know which risk factors matter most in predicting poor adolescent mental health. Theory-driven research has identified numerous risk factors that predict adolescent mental health problems but has difficulty distilling and replicating these findings. Data-driven machine learning methods can distill risk factors and replicate findings but have difficulty interpreting findings because these methods are atheoretical. This study demonstrates how data- and theory-driven methods can be integrated to identify the most important preadolescent risk factors in predicting adolescent mental health. Machine learning models examined which of 79 variables assessed at age 10 were the most important predictors of adolescent mental health at ages 13 and 17. These models were examined in a sample of 1176 families with adolescents from nine nations. Machine learning models accurately classified 78% of adolescents who were above-median in age 13 internalizing behavior, 77.3% who were above-median in age 13 externalizing behavior, 73.2% who were above-median in age 17 externalizing behavior, and 60.6% who were above-median in age 17 internalizing behavior. Age 10 measures of youth externalizing and internalizing behavior were the most important predictors of age 13 and 17 externalizing/internalizing behavior, followed by family context variables, parenting behaviors, individual child characteristics, and finally neighborhood and cultural variables. The combination of theoretical and machine-learning models strengthens both approaches and accurately predicts which adolescents demonstrate above average mental health difficulties in approximately 7 of 10 adolescents 3–7 years after the data used in machine learning models were collected.

Gender and Age Differences in the Relationship between Sensation-Seeking and Sexual Risk-Taking Behavior among Adolescents

2022-11-02T18:25:24Z

Gender and Age Differences in the Relationship between Sensation-Seeking and Sexual Risk-Taking Behavior among Adolescents NJAU, Annie N., OTHUON, Lucas The study examined gender and age differences in the relationship between sensation seeking and sexual risk behaviors among secondary school students in Kenya. The study was conducted in Kisumu Municipality. Kisumu was chosen as it is one of the leading regions in HIV prevalence, estimated at 15%. The HIV prevalence was assumed to indicate a positive relationship between sensation seeking and high sexual risk-taking behavior. A sample size of 357 adolescents (44% males and 56% females) was drawn using a stratified sampling method from a population of 10,278 secondary school students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, while the qualitative data was summarized thematically. The study's findings indicated that about half the adolescents were highly sensational seekers predisposing them to take risks. There also existed significant gender differences in the prevalence of sensation-seeking and sexual risk-taking behavior, with the male adolescents being higher risk-takers than their female counterparts. Similarities in the prevalence of sensation-seeking were also reported. However, this varied across ages and different gender. Female adolescents' sensation-seeking increased earlier in life than their male counterparts.Further, the study indicated gender differences in the adolescents' tendency to indulge in sexually risky behaviors due to their sensation-seeking.

Household Income Predicts Trajectories of Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior in High-, Middle-, and Low-Income Countries

2022-02-17T12:55:14Z

Household Income Predicts Trajectories of Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior in High-, Middle-, and Low-Income Countries Lansford JE, Malone PS, Tapanya S, Tirado LMU, Zelli A, Alampay LP, Al-Hassan SM, Bacchini D, Bornstein MH, Chang L, Deater-Deckard K, Di Giunta L, Dodge KA, Oburu P, Pastorelli C, Skinner AT, Sorbring E, Steinberg L This study examined longitudinal links between household income and parents’ education and children’s trajectories of internalizing and externalizing behaviors from age 8 to 10 reported by mothers, fathers, and children. Longitudinal data from 1,190 families in 11 cultural groups in eight countries (Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and United States) were included. Multigroup structural equation models revealed that household income, but not maternal or paternal education, was related to trajectories of mother-, father-, and child-reported internalizing and externalizing problems in each of the 11 cultural groups. Our findings highlight that in low-, middle-, and high-income countries, socioeconomic risk is related to children’s internalizing and externalizing problems, extending the international focus beyond children’s physical health to their emotional and behavioral development.

Prevalence and Gender Disparity in Substance Use and Abuse among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu East Sub-county, Kisumu, Kenya

2022-02-15T07:32:31Z

Prevalence and Gender Disparity in Substance Use and Abuse among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu East Sub-county, Kisumu, Kenya Lenah C. Kirop, John Agak ,Catherine V. Mbagaya Substance use and abuse is a serious problem in Kenya. Kisumu County leads in substance use and abuse among 12–25- year-olds. There is, however, a dearth of studies on the prevalence and gender disparity in adolescents’ use and abuse of substances in secondary schools in Kisumu East Sub- County. This study investigated the prevalence and gender disparity in adolescents’ substance use and abuse in public secondary schools in Kisumu East Sub- County, Kisumu. The study found the prevalence of substance use and abuse among secondary school’s adolescents in the study area to be 38.2%. The paper established the most abused substances to be sleeping pills, bottled beer and local brews. It further found out no significant gender difference in the adolescents’ use and abuse of substances. The study concluded that there is a high prevalence of substance use and abuse in the study area, and that this prevalence defies gender considerations https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Agak-2/publication/357047660

Interaction of Reward Seeking and Self-Regulation in the Prediction of Risk Taking: A Cross-National Test of the Dual Systems Model

2022-02-11T07:27:34Z

Interaction of Reward Seeking and Self-Regulation in the Prediction of Risk Taking: A Cross-National Test of the Dual Systems Model Duell, N., Steinberg, L., Chein, J., Al-Hassan, S. M., Bacchini, D., Lei, C., Chaudhary, N; Di Giunta, L; Dodge, KA.; Fanti, KA.; Malone, PS.; Oburu, P; Pastorelli, C; Skinner, A T.; Sorbring, E; Tapanya, S; Uribe Tirado, L M; Alampay, L P & Lansford, J. E Dual systems models of adolescent risk taking posit that height ened risk taking at this age is the result of a maturational imbalance between brain systems responsible for reward processing, which mature early in adolescence, and systems responsible for cognitive control, which do not mature until early adulthood (e.g., Casey, Getz, & Galvan, 2008; Steinberg, 2008). Consequently, during middle and late adolescence, youth experience a heightened sen sitivity to reward, which impels them toward sensation seeking, before they have the mature self-regulatory capacities required to rein in impulsive behavior (Steinberg, 2008). Thus, dual systems theories postulate that the adolescent-peak in risk taking is a function of the interaction between brain systems influencing reward seeking and self-regulatory behaviors, which develop along distinct and independent trajectories. Although various terms have been used to describe the behaviors underlying these neurological systems, for the purposes of this article, we use the term reward seeking to broadly describe behaviors related to sensation seeking and reward sensitivity, and self-regulation to describe behaviors related to cognitive control and response inhibition. Numerous empirical examinations of the dual systems perspec tive exist in both the neuroscientific and psychological literatures (for a review, see Shulman et al., 2016). However, three issues have not received sufficient attention. First, few researchers have directly examined the independent, additive, and interactive con tributions of reward seeking and self-regulation to risk taking; although the brain systems that govern these processes develop independently, they are thought to function interactively (Galvan et al., 2006). Second, it is unclear how the interplay between these two systems differs across developmental periods; their relative importance for risk taking may vary as a function of age. Finally, it is unknown whether the dual systems perspective of adolescent risk taking is generalizable across cultures; although heightened risk taking in adolescence is seen around the world (World Health Organization, 2004), it is unknown whether the underlying contri butions of reward seeking and self-regulation to risky behavior are similar in different cultural contexts. The most robust findings in support of the dual systems model concern cross-sectional data on the differing developmental tra jectories of reward seeking and self-regulation (Harden & Tucker Drob, 2011; Shulman et al., 2016; Steinberg et al., 2008), as well as their underlying neurobiological processes, reward processing, and cognitive control, respectively (Casey, Jones, & Hare, 2008; Smith, Chein, & Steinberg, 2013; Spear, 2013). Both self-report (Harden & Tucker-Drob, 2011; Steinberg et al., 2008) and behav ioral indicators (Cauffman et al., 2010) of reward seeking suggest that this trait increases in early adolescence, peaks in mid- to late adolescence, and declines into adulthood. In contrast, self-report (Steinberg et al., 2008) and behavioral indicators (Albert & Stein berg, 2011; Huizinga, Dolan, & van der Molen, 2006; Luna et al.,

Relationship between Teachers’ Attitudes towards Challenging Behaviours and the Choice of Management Strategies among Learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

2022-02-10T12:20:51Z

Relationship between Teachers’ Attitudes towards Challenging Behaviours and the Choice of Management Strategies among Learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders hasakhala Edward Okaya Teachers working with learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often feel ill prepared to manage challenging behaviours presented by them. Quite often, when they are faced with cases of challenging behaviour, they use coping strategies that have led to delinquency and other anti-social behaviours resulting into school dropout among these learners. Teachers’ negative attitudes towards challenging behaviour presented by learners with ASDs makes them vulnerable to experiencing negative emotional reaction which can lead to stress and burn out. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between Teachers’ Attitudes towards Challenging Behaviours and the Choice of Management Strategies among learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders public primary schools in Western Kenya. Descriptive survey research and correlation designs were adopted for this study. Target population of the study was 106 teachers. A saturated sampling technique was used. The sample size for the pilot study was 20 teachers. The reliability coefficient was set at 0.70 and above at an alpha level of 0.05. Test-retest of teachers’ attitude questionnaire in the pilot study yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Data was collected using questionnaires, observation schedules document analysis and interview schedules. Qualitative data from observation and interview schedules were collected, organized and categorized into themes, which were reported. Teachers exhibited both negative and positive attitudes towards challenging behaviour presented by learners with ASDs. The negative feelings expressed were: guilty, hopeless, afraid angry, incompetent, frustrated, helpless, disgusted, resigned, humiliated, betrayed and sad, while the positive feelings expressed were confident, happy, self-assured, relaxed, cheerful and excited. There was a significant relationship between positive attitudes and the choice of least restrictive management strategies such as intensive interaction (r=0.438,); development of social understanding, (0.287,); social stories, (r=0.429,); gentle teaching, (r=0.473,); and behavior therapy (r= 0.317,). Negative attitudes were correlated to more restrictive strategies such as experimental functional analysis, (r=0.283,) and mental health consultations, (r=0.243,). This implies that teachers who had positive attitudes towards challenging behaviours presented by learners with ASDs chose strategies that were least restrictive whereas those who had negative attitudes chose strategies that were most restrictive such mental health consultation. Concerted efforts need to be made to ensure that teachers feel confident in managing challenging behaviour. This can be achieved by giving them practical skills of managing challenging behaviour and establishment support networks with other professionals

Attachment goes to court: child protection and custody issues

2022-02-03T09:37:07Z

Attachment goes to court: child protection and custody issues 177. Forslund T, Granqvist P, van IJzendoorn MH, Sagi-Schwartz A, Glaser D, Steele M, Hammarlund M, Schuengel C, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Steele H, Shaver PR, Lux U, Simmonds J, Jacobvitz D, Groh AM, Bernard K, Cyr C, Hazen NL, Foster S, Psouni E, Cowan PA, Pape Cowan C, Rifkin-Graboi A, Wilkins D, Pierrehumbert B, Tarabulsy GM, Carcamo RA, Wang Z, Liang X, Kázmierczak M, Pawlicka P, Ayiro L, Chansa T, Sichimba F, Mooya H, McLean L, Verissimo M, Gojman-de-Millán S, Moretti MM, Bacro F, Peltola MJ, Galbally M, Kondo-Ikemura K, Behrens KY, Scott S, Rodriguez AF, Spencer R, Posada G, Cassibba R, Barrantes-Vidal N, Palacios J, Barone L, Madigan S, Mason-Jones K, Reijman S, Juffer F, Pasco Fearon R, Bernier A, Cicchetti D, Roisman GI, Cassidy J, Kindler H, Zimmerman P, Feldman R, Spangler G, Zeanah CH, Dozier M, Belsky J, Lamb ME, Duschinsky R Attachment theory and research are drawn upon in many applied settings, including family courts, but misunderstandings are widespread and sometimes result in misapplications. The aim of this consensus statement is, therefore, to enhance understanding, counter misinformation, and steer family-court utilisation of attachment theory in a supportive, evidence-based direction, especially with regard to child protection and child custody decision-making. The article is divided into two parts. In the first, we address problems related to the use of attachment theory and research in family courts, and discuss reasons for these problems. To this end, we examine family court applications of attachment theory in the current context of the best-interest-of-the-child standard, discuss misunderstandings regarding attachment theory, and identify factors that have hindered accurate implementation. In the second part, we provide recommendations for the application of attachment theory and research. To this end, we set out three attachment principles: the child’s need for familiar, non-abusive caregivers; the value of continuity of good-enough care; and the benefits of networks of attachment relationships. We also discuss the suitability of assessments of attachment quality and caregiving behaviour to inform family court decision-making. We conclude that assessments of caregiver behaviour should take center stage. Although there is dissensus among us regarding the use of assessments of attachment quality to inform child custody and child-protection decisions, such assessments are currently most suitable for targeting and directing supportive interventions. Finally, we provide directions to guide future interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Influence of subjective norms of family members on students’ performance in mathematics in public secondary schools in Migori county, Kenya

2022-01-31T09:54:46Z

Influence of subjective norms of family members on students’ performance in mathematics in public secondary schools in Migori county, Kenya Hamisi S. Etshiano1 , Dr. Jane Kembo,PhD2 , Prof. Lucas O. Othuon, PhD Performance in Mathematics has been poor at secondary level in Kenya despite initiatives like Strengthening Mathematics and Science Studies Education (SMASSE), providing text books and employing trained mathematics teachers by the Government. In view of the aforementioned problem; the purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of home based factors on students’ performance in Mathematics in selected public secondary schools in Migori County, The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of subjective norms on students’ performance in Mathematics in Public Secondary Schools. The study was guided by Ajzens theory of planned behavior. The study adopted mixed methods approach and its research design was descriptive survey. The targeted population was 17000 form IV students. Using simple random sampling, purposive sampling techniques and Glen’s Israel formula of getting the sample size was used to get a sample size of 56 schools and 800 students. Data was collected using a questionnaire for selected students analyzed by descriptive statistics of mean, frequency, standard deviation, correlation coefficient and inferential statistics (ANOVA).SPSS Program version 23 was used in the analysis of data. The study has revealed that, subjective norms significantly predicts performance in mathematics among secondary school students, F(1, 690) = 436.580, p< .05.