Abstract

Philip M. Mugo

ABSTRACT

The gap in gender enrolment and academic performance between boys and girls in secondary schools has been widening in the society. Students in public secondary schools face varied sociocultural challenges in their academic work which affects their motivation to learn. This study sought to investigate the effect of selected socio-cultural factors (early marriage, puberty related issues and community’s view on education) on students motivation to learn in public secondary schools in Nyahururu sub-county, Laikipia county. The study adopted a survey research design. The population included 5206 students in the 18 public secondary schools. A random sample of 349 students (including 194 boys and 155 girls) and 18 school principals was drawn from 18 randomly selected schools. Data were collected using two sets of self-administered questionnaires (one for the students and another for school principals). The questionnaires were pilot-tested to validate and determine their reliability. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 for Windows. The study findings indicate that there was no difference in the level of motivation towards learning and community views on education, the effect of menstrual period on girls’education and effect of a parental preference of early marriages of daughters among the respondents. The study recommends that there is a need to create awareness among the concerned stakeholders on the social as well as the educational effect of withdrawal of learners from school for the purpose of early marriage.