influence of primary school teachers’ attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education in eldoret municipality

Abstract

Kenya still lags behind other countries in terms of provision of education to all children and especially girls. The levels of access are lowest for girls at the University level and other tertiary institutions. At the primary school level, the enrollment figures for girls may be comparable to those for boys but as one goes up the education ladder, the proportion of girls drops rapidly .The girls also tend to drop out more and in greater numbers due to myriad of factors. Thus, this study set out to investigate primary school teachers’ attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education, in Eldoret Municipality of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The teacher plays a pivotal role in any education set up and so the researcher carried out the study with the main aim of finding out the teachers’ attitude towards the girl-child access and equity in provision of education. The study targeted both male and female Teachers. The sample was drawn from different schools, public and private and the main instrument of data collection was a questionnaire. The sample comprised of 200 teachers: 100 males and 100 females from public and private schools. The following objectives guided the researcher in the study: To investigate the influence of teacher’s attitude, gender, age, professional qualification and type of school on the teacher’s attitude towards girl-child access and equity in the provision of education. The data collected was analyzed using inferential statistics, means, t-test and one-way ANOVA. The mean showed that the teachers had an ambivalent attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education with a score of 68.54. The result of the t- test analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the teachers’ attitude on girl-child access and equity in provision of education. There was no significant relationship between the teachers’ age and their attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education. In the one-way ANOVA, the results indicated that the teachers’ professional qualification had no significant influence on their attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education. While the results of the t-test indicated that type of school had no significant influence on the teachers’ attitude towards girl-child access and equity in provision of education. The researcher concluded that some teachers had ambivalent attitude towards access and equity in the provision of education for the girl-child. Those teachers tested on age and professional qualification (Diploma) had a positive attitude; on gender and type of school had ambivalent attitude towards access and equity in the provision in education. In all the activities that they carry out in the schools they are sort of confused as they did not come clearly to state their stand. There is need to assess the hidden curriculum for the flaws that make the girl-child to be disadvantaged. Teacher training content need to be reviewed before being delivered to the teachers and learners to cater for the girl-child access and equity in the provision of education because the teachers though with higher professional qualifications uses the same content for the learners in the different classes. There is a strong need to enhance positive attitude in teachers to be able to influence the girl-child access and equity in the provision of education.