Teachers’ Perspectives on Neighbourhood Factors Influencing Academic Achievements of Students in kwa Rhonda Slums in Nakuru Town West Sub -County, Kenya

Abstract

Globally, education is regarded as a valuable resource for economic development that contributes to improvement in the quality of life and the development of a nation. However, in Kenya, academic achievement of children living in slums faces several impediments. The study stemmed out to determine neighborhood factors that influence the academic achievement of children living in slums from the teachers’ perspective. Specifically, it sought to determine the effects of family economic status, cultural practices, and physical environment on academic achievement of children living in slums. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and covered a sample of 58 teachers drawn from a total population of 142 in public primary and secondary schools in Kwa Rhonda slums in Nakuru Town West Sub-County. The collection of data was done through structured questionnaires. The validation of instruments was through consultation with the supervisors and research experts. The researcher ensured the reliability of the data collection instrument by conducting a pilot study in two secondary schools in the neighboring Kaptembwa slum. Descriptive statistics mainly frequencies and percentages were used during data analysis, facilitated by SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 21.0. Tables were used for the presentation of results. Findings showed that, according to the majority of teachers, most school-going children in Kwa Rhonda slums come from poor economic families, and are exposed to cultural practices and a physical environment that compromise their education process. A majority of teachers also held the view that family economic status, cultural practices, and physical environment in the slums have an influence on the academic achievement of children living in slums. It was, therefore, concluded that these factors should be addressed in order to improve the academic achievement of children living in slums, and consequently, change their standards of living. The study recommends that policy makers in national and county governments should develop programs that caution children living in slums from effects of their poor family economic status. The study also recommends that stakeholders should sensitize the communities living in slums on the effects of their cultural practices on the academic achievement of their children and implement initiative that would change the quality of the physical environment.