Social Constructs as a Predictor of Boy-Child Educational Aspiration: A Study of Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Educational aspiration is one of the crucial determinants of a person's success in life. It is influenced by a number of constructs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the social constructs as a predictor of boy-child educational aspirations in secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. The question of educational aspirations among Kenyan boys has become the subject of concern. It is against this background that the need for this study was envisaged. The accessible population of the study was 9715 boys spread among secondary schools in Nakuru County, and 950 teachers. Four hundred and twenty boys were selected through simple random sampling from twenty-one secondary schools. The schools were selected through stratified random sampling. Twenty-one male teachers and twenty-one female teachers, one of each gender from every sample school were selected through simple random sampling. A causal comparative (ex-post facto) research design was used in the study and the research instruments used in collecting data were questionnaire and interview schedule. The reliability of the instrument was determined through the use of Cronbach's alpha formula and a coefficient of 0.867 and 0.923 for questionnaire and interview respectively. Expert judgment was employed to establish the validity of the research instrument. The researcher carried out analytical review of relevant literature. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) and inferential statistics (Anova, Pearson moment correlation coefficient, and linear regression). Null hypotheses were tested at α= 0.05. The findings from this study revealed that teachers' expectations, paternal educational attainment and paternal involvement in education significantly influenced boys' educational aspirations. It was recommended that teachers should treat all students in school equally irrespective of their gender. Teachers should also motivate and rate students equally without bias in term of social behavior. Fathers also need to be informed that they can contribute to the education of their boys through provision of constant advice on education, encouragement, modelling and concern on school progress by checking school report forms and active assistance and motivation among other strategies. Fathers also need to know their role in the education of their boys so that they do not put the blame entirely on other people when their boys do not excel well in school. However, precaution should be taken when it comes to involvement since unreasonably high demand and too much pressure made by some fathers on their boys' choices of careers may destabilize them and thus may affect their educational aspirations. Knowledge of such constructs would be useful to government, parents and teachers since it may guide in formulating strategies that may help improve boys' educational aspirations.