School-Type as a Correlate to Secondary School Boys' and Girls' Self-Esteem in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The study purposed to investigate how school-type was related to students' self-esteem by gender. The main question was, ‘Does self-esteem of boys and girls significantly vary according to the school-type attended?'' Students' admission into different school-types is based on the criteria of their KCPE marks. National schools get the best KCPE grades, followed by Extra County schools, and at the bottom are Sub-County schools (Day schools) getting very low grades. Over time, ‘‘school labels'' and prestige has developed among school categories. This may affect students' self-realization, consequently influencing their self-esteem. It is proposed that, a reciprocal influence exist between self-esteem and academic achievement. However, studies have not delved into finding out, if self-esteem of both boys and girls is influenced the same way across school types. This is with a view of addressing any psychological gap(s) that may influence one's academic performance. The study used correlational research design, guided by social cognitive and self-concept theories. A sample of 480 form 4 students from 12 public secondary schools in Nairobi County was used. Cluster and purposive sampling were used. 40 students from each school's stream were obtained through simple random sampling. Standardized questionnaires were administered to the 480 students to provide quantitative data. ANOVA tested differences in self-esteem for both boys and girls by school type. Null hypothesis was rejected at P< 0.05. The study found a significant difference in gender self-esteem by school type. Therefore, school type influences self-esteem for both males and females the same way. There was need to develop self-esteem enhancement programmes especially in day schools to boost academic performance. Moreover, expansion on day school's infrastructures was critical in improving on the school's environmental image for prestige and academic performance.