Influence of Selected Socio-economic Factors on Cognitive Development in Pre-School Children in Sabatia Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The World Bank survey done in 2016 show that Sabatia Sub-County is the poorest sub-county in Vihiga County. This is because most parents are not educated nor employed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of family income on cognitive development of pre-school children in Sabatia Sub-County in Kenya. The study was based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory that postulates that learners' basic needs should be satisfied first before other needs are met. It employed descriptive survey to collect data and explain the association between the independent and dependent variables. It targeted 197 public pre-schools, 18 private pre-schools and 420 pre-school teachers. The schools were stratified according to Wards and simple random sampling was used to select 20 public schools, 2 private schools, 42 pre-school teachers and 42 parents. Instruments for collecting data were questionnaires for pre-school teachers and interview schedules for parents. Expertise judgement of the supervisors was used to determine the validity of the research instruments while the test-re-test method was used to test reliability using the Pearson Product Moment of Correlation Coefficient (r) Value. Piloting of the research instruments yielded an alpha value of r=0.85. The researcher analysed the data using descriptive statistics through frequency counts. The results of the study showed that parents' level of income greatly influence cognitive development of pre-school children in Sabatia Sub County. The study concluded that some learners in pre-primary schools in Sabatia Sub County were underachieving due to their Parents' Level of income. This study recommended that strategies should be sought to empower parents both economically and socially within the sub county. Initiation of economic activities in the sub county was highly recommended.