Stakeholders conceptualization of school dropouts in public secondary schools in Kesses Sub-County, Kenya: a sociological study

Abstract

Despite the Kenyan government's commitment to providing free primary and secondary education, the dropout problem still exists in secondary schools in Kesses Sub-County. Therefore, there was a need to establish how stakeholders conceptualise the issue of school dropout causes from a multi-dimensional view, such as the school, the home, and the community. The study examined the stakeholders’ conceptualization of school dropout causes in public secondary schools in Kesses Sub- County, Kenya. The study's objectives were to investigate how educational stakeholders conceptualize the school-based, home-based, and community-based causes of dropout among secondary school students. Structural Functionalism Theory guided the study. The study adopted an exploratory design to collect qualitative data and explanatory research design to collect quantitative data. The target population for the study was 990 respondents and the sample size was 307 participants. Stratified sampling, purposive sampling, snowball, and simple random sampling techniques were used to select participants. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 109 teachers, interview schedules were used to collect data from 2 area chiefs, 13 secondary school principals and 27 parents of dropout students, and focussed group discussions used to collect data from 156 students. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages. Inferentially, a correlation was used. Analysed data were presented as tables, graphs, and charts. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic and verbatim transcription methods and presented as verbatim reports. Quantitively, the study results indicated that school-based (r = 0.705, n=136, p<0.01), home-based (r = 0.718, n=136, p<0.01) and community-based factors (r = 0.718, n=136, p<0.01) were positively correlated with school dropout cases. The study findings show that some schools lacked functional structures to support proper learning conditions. Extreme home poverty levels made schooling unbearable for some students who could not persevere. High levels of teenage pregnancies contributed to student dropout cases. The community also influenced students' schooling life, either with bad or good morals. In conclusion, stakeholders conceptualised that school-based, home-based and community factors contributed to students dropping out of secondary school. The study recommends that the ministry of education could initiate supportive programs that cater for the needy students to ensure deficiencies in their homes do not affect their education and school dropout. Parents need to guide their children at home to make appropriate decisions about their future life and avoid school dropout. The community should have a capacity-building on a positive upbringing of children to reduce bad morals that the students might adopt, hence leading to school dropout.