International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XII, December 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Dr. Rose M. Kithungu (Ph.D), Dr. Gideon Kasivu (Ed.D)*
Lecturer South Eastern Kenya University, Kenya
*Correspondent Author
Abstract: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County. The objective of the study was to establish the parental influence on students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County. Related literature was reviewed that provided an overview of computer studies in secondary schools and findings from previous researches on factors which determine students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in regard to the research objective. The study used mixed method research design. The study embraced purposive sampling and simple random sampling techniques to select the sample size of the computer studies students and parents. Data was collected through questionnaires and focus group discussion schedule. Data analysis was done by use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The audio recorded responses from the focus group discussion were organized into themes and integrated with rest of the data for purposes of triangulation. Data was presented in percentages, frequency distribution tables and verbatim quotations. The study established that parental factors influenced students’ choice of computer studies in both public and private secondary schools though with some variations; and that most of the students in both public and private secondary schools were guided by their parents on their choice of computer studies. The study recommended that parents need to make follow up in order to establish whether their children choose subjects in line with the courses they have been aspiring to pursue. This was due to the finding that in private secondary schools the directors determine the school curriculum. In view of this paper, computer studies should be made compulsory for all the students in the Kenyan education system.
Key words: Students’ choice, parental influence, computer studies, public and private schools
I. INTRODUCTION
Acquisition of computer skills plays a significant role in equipping learners with skills for adaption in the world of technology. To alleviate this, the Kenyan government through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology introduced computer studies as a subject in the Kenyan education curriculum in 1994 (MOE, 2000). The introduction of computer studies in Kenyan schools was either societal oriented where students are trained to operate and fit in the technology dominated society or vocationally aligned to equip students with skills required by the computer driven job market (Kavagi, 2001).