Students’ Involvement in Physics Club Activities and Science and Engineering Fair, and Enrolment in Physics at KCSE level in Secondary Schools in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii County-Kenya

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue IX, September 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Students’ Involvement in Physics Club Activities and Science and Engineering Fair, and Enrolment in Physics at KCSE level in Secondary Schools in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii County-Kenya

Otieno Jacktone Gangre^1*, Shem Mwalw’a², Billiah Gisore^3
1,2The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
³Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya
*Corresponding Author

Abstract-Low enrolment of students in Physics in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) has attracted the attention of various stakeholders in Masaba South Sub-County. This study was anchored on John Dewey’s Education Theory. The study sought to answer the question that: To what extent does involvement of students in Physics club activities and science and Engineering Fair influence enrolment of students in Physics at KCSE level in secondary schools in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii County? This study used a mixed method approach, specifically, a convergent parallel mixed -method design with a population of 44 public secondary schools from where 13 were sampled.The 13 principals of the selected schools were purposively included in the study as well as 13 HODs and 13 Physics teachers. Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table was used to sample 354 out the 4,199 form four students in the sub county. Questionnaires for students, teachers of Physics and Heads of Department (HODs) and interview guides for Principals were used for data collection. The study obtained correlation coefficients of Alpha, α = 0.761, for students questionnaire, α = 0.897 for teachers of Physics questionnaire and α = 0.899 for HODs questionnaire. Thus, the study instruments were considered reliable as their reliability coefficients α > 0.70.The study achieved an overall response rate of 97.7%. The level of participation in Science Engineering Fair was generally to a low level as majority could only go up to the regional level 91 (26.2%) although Science club activities were found to improve the interest of students to learn Physics (Mean = 3.63 ± 1.437). The study established that there is a statistically significant relationship Chi-Square, χ2 = 6.606 (p = 0.037) between student participation in Physics Club and SEF and students enrolment in Physics at KCSE (p < .05). The study concludes that participation in science/Physics club activities as well as SEF enhances confidence and understanding of Physics concepts. The study recommends that school principals should facilitate formation of Physics clubs in addition to the existing science clubs in their schools.

Keywords- Science Engineering Fair, Physics, Enrolment

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