INFLUENCE OF FAMILY BACKGROUND ON PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN’S

PERFORMANCEIN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN ONGATA RONGAI ZONE,

KAJIADO NORTH DISTRICT, KAJIADO COUNTY, KENYA

MOKUA N. J. TRUPHENA

A Research Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirement for the

award of a Degree in Master of Education in Early Childhood Education,

department of Education Communication and Technology, School of Education,

University of Nairobi

2014
 DECLARATION

I declare that this research project is my original work and has not been used for the

award of degree in any other university. No part of this research should be reproduced

without my consent or that of the University of Nairobi.

Truphena N. J. Mokua Sign_________________ Date______________

E57/84152/2012

This research project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the

University of Nairobi supervisor.

Prof. Paul Obonyo O. Digolo Sign_______________ Date______________

Lecturer Department of Educational Communication and Technology in the University of

Nairobi

ii
 DEDICATION

This research project is dedicated to my late daughter Christine G. Mokua whose

determination encouraged me to venture into furthering my studies.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

First let me acknowledge my husband Mokua J. Nyariki for his moral support, my

daughter Julley-Anne Mokua for giving me the intellectual and financial support, my

sons Shadrack & Edwin for all their technical support in the use of ICT for my research.

You have all contributed immensely towards my success.

Secondly I acknowledge the immense guidance from my supervisor Prof Patrick Obonyo

O. Digolo. He has been instrumental in teaching me hard work and determination during

the research process. His timely communication of needed changes and corrections was a

key determinant for me completing the research project in time.

Thirdly, my staff mates especially the head teacher Mr. Mungai who gave me all the time

and enabling environment to collect the data. I also acknowledge the teachers for their

support while I was away. They ensured that school programs ran smoothly and that my

absence did not affect the learning process.

Finally, my appreciation to staff of the UoN and my fellow students for providing a

homely environment that enabled me to achieve my goals. The numerous interactions

have always jostled the intellect in me thereby enabling me achieve more.

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ................................................................................................................ ii

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT.................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ......................................................................... xii

ABSRACT ....................................................................................................................... xiii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Problem ...........................................................................................1

1.2 Statement of the Problem ...............................................................................................3

1.3Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................................4

1.4 Research Objectives .......................................................................................................5

1.5 Research Questions ........................................................................................................5

1.6 Significance of the Study ...............................................................................................6

1.7 Limitations of the Study.................................................................................................6

1.8 Delimitation of the Study ...............................................................................................7

1.9 Basic Assumptions .........................................................................................................7

1.10 Definition of Key Terms ..............................................................................................8

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 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................10

2.2 Family Background ......................................................................................................10

2.3 Family Structure and Children’s performance in English Language...........................12

2.4 Parent’s Level of Education and the children’s performance in English Language ....15

2.5 Social Economic Status of Parents and Children’s Competence in English Language16

2.6 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................18

2.7 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................20

CHAPTER THREE:RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................22

3.2 Research Design...........................................................................................................22

3.3 Target Population .........................................................................................................23

3.4 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size .........................................................................23

3.5 Research Instruments ...................................................................................................24

3.5.1 Use of questionnaires ............................................................................................24

3.5.2 Interview schedules ...............................................................................................24

3.5.3 Documentary analysis forms.................................................................................25

3.6 Piloting .........................................................................................................................25

3.6.1Validity ..................................................................................................................25

3.6.2 Reliability..............................................................................................................26

3.7 Procedure for Data Collection .....................................................................................26

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 3.7.1 Questionnaire ........................................................................................................26

3.7.2 Interview Guide ....................................................................................................27

3.7.3 Documentary Checklist.........................................................................................27

3.8 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................27

3.9 Legal andEthical Concerns ..........................................................................................27

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................29

4.2 Demographic Information ............................................................................................29

4.2.1 Gender of the Respondents ...................................................................................29

4.2.1.1 Head Teacher &Pre-primary School Teachers Gender ..................................29

4.2.1.2 Parents Gender ...............................................................................................29

4.2.1.3 Pupils Gender .................................................................................................30

4.2.2 The Relationship between Parent and Pupil .........................................................31

4.2.3 Parents marital Status ............................................................................................32

4.2.4 Parents Education Level .......................................................................................32

4.2.5 Parents Occupations ..............................................................................................33

4.2.6 Parents Area of Residence ....................................................................................34

4.2.7 Parents Distance from Town .................................................................................35

4.2.8 Parents Level of Income .......................................................................................35

4.3 The Influence of the Family Structure on the Performance of Children in English
Language ............................................................................................................................36

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 4.3.1 The Parent’s rating of Childsperformance in English language ...........................37

4.3.2 Language Parents Prefer for Child for Learning & Speaking...............................38

4.3.3 Language used by Parents when Speaking to Child .............................................39

4.4 The Effect of where Children Live on theirPerformance in English Language ..........40

4.4.1 Commonly Used Language in Area of Residence ................................................40

4.5 The Influence of Parent’s Level of Education on the Children’s Performance in

English Language...............................................................................................................41

4.6 The Relationship between the Social Economic Status of the Parents and the
Children’s Performance in English Language ...................................................................42

4.7 Pupils Performance in English Language in the year 2014 .........................................43

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................44

5.2 Summary ......................................................................................................................44

5.3 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................45

5.3.1 The Influence of the Family Structure on the Performance of Children in English
Language in OngataRongai............................................................................................45

5.3.2 The Effect of where Children Live on their Performance in English Language ..45

5.3.3 The Influence of Parent’s Level of Education on the Children’s Performance in

English Language...........................................................................................................46

5.3.4 The Relationship between the Social Economic Status of the Parents and the
Children’s Performance in English Language ...............................................................46

5.3.5 The Results of Pupils Performance in English Language .....................................47

viii
5.4 Recommendations ........................................................................................................47

5.4.1 Recommendations for Further Study ....................................................................48

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................49

APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................53

APPENDIX A: PARENTS QUESTIONNAIRE ...........................................................53

APPENDIX B: DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS - PUPULS PROGRESS REPORTS

IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ..........................................................................................58

APPENDIX C: TEACHERS QUESTIONNAIRE ........................................................59

APPENDIX D: HEAD TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE ..............................................64

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Sample size ......................................................................................................24

Table 4.1: Parents Marital Status ......................................................................................32

Table 4.2: Language used by parents when speaking to child ..........................................39

x
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Interactions in Social Learning Theory ...........................................................19

Figure 2.2: Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................21

Figure 4.1: Parents’ Gender ...............................................................................................30

Figure 4.2: Pupils’ Gender .................................................................................................30

Figure 4.3: Pre-School teachers’ marital status .................................................................31

Figure 4.4: Parents Education Level ..................................................................................33

Figure 4.5: Parents Occupations ........................................................................................33

Figure 4.6: Parents Area of Residence ...............................................................................34

Figure 4.7: Parents Distance from Town ...........................................................................35

Figure 4.8: Parents Level of Income ..................................................................................36

Figure 4.9: Childs Level in English according to Parent ...................................................38

Figure 4.10: Language used by parents when speaking to child .......................................39

Figure 4.11: Commonly used Language at Residence.......................................................40

Figure 4.12: Performance in English Language ................................................................43

xi
 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

CLD Culturally and Linguistically Diverse children

ECDE Early Childhood Education and Development

OHRP Office of Human Research Protections

ILO International Labor Organization

SES Social Economic Status

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

UN United Nations

UoN University of Nairobi

xii
 ABSRACT

This study sought to examine the influence of family background on pre-school

children’s performance in English language in Ongata Rongai zone, Kajiado north
district, Kajiado County in Kenya. These were necessitated by the desire to establish
whether family dynamics could be a reason to the bad academic performance in English
Language. Performance will entail the scores in the English Language. The study was
guided by the following objectives; to determine the relationship between the family
structure and the performance of children in English language; to assess how where the
children live affect their performance in English language; to establish the relationship
between the parent’s level of education and the children’s performance in English
language and finally to determine the relationship between the social economic status of
the parents and the children’s performance in English language. The research adopted a
descriptive survey design. This was suitable in this study as it helped the researcher
establish the existing conditions at the family level. It further allowed identification of
standards or norms with which to compare the family background. This eventually
impacts performance in English language. The target population was 1 head teacher,
2teachers and 65 pupils. The purposeful sample consisted of the head teacher, the 2
teachers and 20 pupils. A pilot study was carried out on a different set of respondents to
better plan for the research. The test-retest procedure was used for testing reliability and
it yielded favorable results to warrant reliance on the data collected and its findings.
Qualitative and quantitative data was obtained through questionnaires. This was further
analyzed and presented through narratives, tables and bar graphs. The study revealed that
to improve on the performance of the English language at Ongata Rongai, the family
background challenges have to be tackled. The family structure and the place where the
family lives were identified as major cause of poor performance. They need to put more
resources to improve on the performance. This presents a major challenge because
parents settle in places due to other factors beyond their control and as such to invest a lot
in education is a challenge. It was clear that the parent’s level of education and their
socio-economic standing play a part in poor performance in English language. The study
recommends that families should in partnerships with teachers and other education
stakeholders, device strategies to help learning and instruction of the English language at
schools but also at home. This will greatly improve performance in English language and
even in other subjects whose language of instruction is English.

xiii
 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Problem

There are many conditions that influence the academic performance of the children.

These conditions can be in the home or outside the home. These conditions can be looked

into so that we can establish their relationship with the children’s academic performance.

Some of these conditions that are important in the child’s academic performance can

include; the family structure, the distance from where the child leaves to the school, the

parents/ guardian’s level of education the social-economic status of the parent/guardian

and their attitude towards the child’s achievement in education.

The influence of the family in the socialization process, family interest and support of the

child’s academic development of the parents and other members of the family in the

home are an important influence on academic achievement and motivation (Circere11,

1978,Marjori-banks; 1979, Walberg and Marjori-banks, 1976).

Many factors and reasons have been given as responsible for the continuous falling of our

children in their academic standards of our educational system. These include the attitude

of the teacher towards their work; lack of seriousness on some of the pupils and to some

extent the degenerating moral standards of our children. Despite all the effort put forward

by the government and all the other stakeholders in education, we are yet to see the rise in

the academic standard to the level that we desire in the educational system.

The researcher’s motivation into this topic came about because of the fact that the pupils

are taught by the same teacher and they are given the same learning opportunities but

1
some pupils are so good in their performance while others are so bad. When in such a

case such low scores are experienced the problem could be attributed to the family

background. It is therefore important that the family’s influence on the children be

examined so that useful suggestions to the stakeholders who include the parents, teachers,

educational planners and the government can be made.

The family setting and its socialization influence mould the personality of the child. In

Ongata Rongai, where the researcher wants to carry out the study for example, there are

diverse ethnic groups with various cultural backgrounds in areas like family size,

parents/guardians occupation and religion. These factors pose their own restrictions on

the educational upbringing of the children. The social setting of where the family lives

and the extended family system may equally influence the academic performance of the

child. There are some factors which, when present in the child’s life make them to

achieve better academically. Motivation from family members is one such important

factor. It is most likely that children who perform better in their school days are largely

dependent on the kind of family to which the child belongs. For instance, a child whose

parents take a great deal of interest in what he/she does at school and give them moral

support all the necessities that are required in school has a greater advantage over a child

whose parents do not give them such incentives and encouragements.

The pupil’s attitudes to learning and educational performance are shaped by the kind of

stimuli offered to them by their environments. This can be considered in terms of the type

of family, the home, parental social economic status, educational level, to mention but a

few. It is therefore evident that the pupil’s performance greatly depends on the kind of

2
stimulus the home offers. Educational upbringing is not unconnected with the family

influence of a child. Individual members of the family serve as role models of the child as

he/she copies from each one of them. It is them who have to mould the academic life of

the child and the child’s future career. The economic factor of the parents greatly

influences the child’s education because when the parents have enough income they can

be able to sufficiently provide for the child’s educational needs. This research work is

therefore intended to explore the extent/degree to which these factors influence the

educational performance of the pupils with a view to making useful suggestions that

could be used in checking the system. (S. O. downloads).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

All over the world, people strive to achieve good education for themselves and their

children. In order to achieve this, so many factors must be put into consideration. Among

them is the family background of the child. The family has a great role on the overall

development of the child and his educational upbringing in particular. The gap in

performance between pupils and academic excellence is of great worry and concern to

the parents, school managers, policy makers and various other stakeholders concerned in

the education of the child. Many students are greatly handicapped in their performance in

many school subjects because their knowledge of English language is greatly inadequate.

English language occupies a vital and indispensable position in education. It is the

medium of instruction used in entirely everyway in schools right from preschool to

university education in the country. Despite the importance of English language, the

performance of students over the years has been on a downward trend.

3
Language and literacy development is an ongoing process that occurs all day long, both

in and out of the classroom. It is important to recognize that the rate of progress in

acquiring these skills will differ depending on the learning styles and abilities of each

child, the child’s primary language, the child’s racial, linguistic, cultural, and ethnic

background, and, for second language learners, the level of exposure to the new language

and the language spoken at home. The preschool years, when children’s cognitive and

motor skills are developing at a rapid pace, are the optimum time for teachers to provide

experiences that will build a firm foundation for the development of language and

literacy (Boocock 1995). Research into the factors that promote positive language growth

and learning in young children is central to addressing achievement gaps that exist in

children from different language and socioeconomic backgrounds. In the light of this, the

main problem of this search is to find out if there is a relationship between the family

background and the pupil’s academic performance in English language.

1.3Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of family background on the

performance of pre-school children in English language in Ongata Rongai Zone, Kajiado

North District, and Kajiado County. This study seeks to establish the relationship

between the family background; that is the family structure, where the child lives,

parent’s level of education and the parent’s social economic status and the English

language performance of the child in preschool. The research examined these factors and

ascertains what effect they have on the performance of the child in English language.

4
1.4 Research Objectives

The study seeks to fulfill the following objectives:

i. To determine the relationship between the family structure and the

performance of children in English language.

ii. To assess the effect of where the children live on their performance in English

language.

iii. To establish the relationship between parent’s level of education and the

children’s performance in English language.

iv. To determine the relationship between the social economic status of the

parents and the children’s performance in English language.

1.5 Research Questions

i. What is the influence of the family structure on the performance of children in

English language?

ii. How does where the children live affect their performance in English

language?

iii. What is the influence of parent’s level of education on the children’s

performance in English language?

iv. What is the relationship between the social economic status of the parents and

the children’s performance in English language?

5
1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings from this study will help the parents/ guardians to understand their role in

their children’s performance especially in English. They will be provided with rich

information as to why they are their children’s first teachers and very important in their

performance in English language.

Policy makers and other education stakeholders may use the information to understand

their role on factors affecting the performance of English language among preschool

children. This might be used to influence policy making especially on curriculum

development so as to ensure that it is adapted to the social conditions of children in

various localities leading to improved performance in English language.

It could also be used to encourage parents to help their children with their school work

and the children to know that their parents have the ability to provide them with all the

things that are required in the school.

Finally when completed it can add to the existing literature and may encourage further

research on the topic

1.7 Limitations of the Study

According to Best and Khan (2008), limitations are conditions beyond the control of the

researcher that may place limitations on the conclusion of the study and their application

to other situations. Personal characteristics of the respondents may have some effects on

the study. They might not give the correct responses to the items. Some might hide some

information saying it is personal. There are some factors that the researcher might not be

6
able to control such as the responses of the respondents which could be affected by

factors like suspicion and fear of the repercussions of their responses. The respondents

could therefore give socially accepted responses to avoid offending the researcher

(Musula, 1988) and this might result in getting responses that are less reliable and valid.

To avoid this, the only thing that the researcher did was to explain the importance of the

study to the respondents and request them to be as honest as possible in their responses.

1.8 Delimitation of the Study

The study was be carried out in Ongata Rongai Zone of Kajiado North District. There are

several preschools in this zone but only nine are public schools. The study focused on the

teachers, parents and their children sampled from one of the nine public schools in this

area. The area under study could have characteristics likely to be found in the nine pre-

schools in the zone; therefore, the findings may be generalized due to the similarity in

their way of life, regional and physical similitude.

1.9 Basic Assumptions

The main basic assumption that the researcher has taken is that the family background is

a factor that is affecting the child’s academic performance in English in Ongata Rongai

before actually verifying it. The assumption is that the home from where the children

come greatly influence the children’s performance. This is because the children learn in

the same class, taught by the same teachers who follow the same curriculum but their

academic performance in English is not the same. This makes the researcher to assume

7
that the home from which the children come play a significant role in the children’s

performance.

The other basic assumptions of the study was that all the participants answered all the

questions in the questionnaire truthfully; all the relevant information was obtained from

the sample population, that data obtained was reliable and that the instruments of data

were accurate.

1.10 Definition of Key Terms

Family: A unit consisting of father, mother or guardian and children.

Family background: Involves family structure, place of residence, parents’ level of

education and social economic status of the parents.

Family structure: The composition and nature of the members of the family living

together in the child’s home. It refers to the composition and characteristics of the

families such as: birth order, family size, family ages (ages of family members), gender

of the family members, number of adults, number of children, one and two-parent

families, and number of older siblings.

Language: A means of communication using words either spoken, gestured or written.

English Language: Communication using English Language.

Competence: Being able to write and speak fluently in English without any problems.

Performance: That which the child is able to attain because of the competence in

English language.

8
Preschool Children: Children between 4 to 8 years.

Preschool: An institution of learning for children aged between 4 to 8 years.

Parents/guardian: Include the biological parents and any other person living with the

child assuming that role.

Low Level Education: Education of below class eight.

High Level Education: Education of form four and above.

9
 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

According to Muriel (1976: 25-27), the spoken form of language, that is the basic speech,

occurred long before the writing in the history of language, as it occurs in the

development of every child. He states that; language is systematic, it is symbolic,

language changes from time to time, it is social and it is variable. The nature and form of

each language reflects the social requirements of the society that uses it and there is no

standard for judging the effectiveness of a language other to estimate the success in

achieving the social tasks that are demanded of it. Every person has a unique linguistic

experience and speaks in a way slightly different from the way anyone else speaks.

2.2 Family Background

Learning is a complex process that begins at birth and continues throughout life.

Therefore parents are the first teachers that children encounter and they have a strong

influence on the child’s learning. Family involvement matters for young children’s

cognitive and social development. Studies have shown that there is a powerful

relationship between the child’s family background and his/her achievement in life. The

child’s family and home environment greatly affect his/her language and literacy

development and educational achievement especially during the child’s early years.

Researchers (e.g., Weigel et al., 2005) have come to a consensus about the importance of

home environment to promote young children's literacy development because children

may have more opportunities at home to; become familiar with literacy materials,

10
observe the literacy activities of others, independently explore literate behaviors, engage

in joint reading and writing activities with other people and benefit from the teaching

strategies that family members use when engaging in joint literacy tasks. (DeBaryshe,

Binder, & Buell, 2000, 119-120).

However, there have been relatively few studies focusing on promoting home literacy for

children from CLD backgrounds.

To empower parental involvement in CLD young children's literacy learning within the

home contexts, educators should recognize families' feelings of competence in the

literacy development of their children and provide further guidance regarding concepts of

print, environment print, and sharing books (Hammer & Miccio, 2004; Ortiz, 2004;

Purcell-Gates et al., 1995). For example, Goldenberg et al. (1992) specifically discussed

the home-school relationship regarding the literacy development for Latino children.

They reported that the school offered homework and instruction for parents in Spanish

which facilitated the families to actively participate in their children's literacy learning.

Even though those children lacked literacy tasks and materials at home, schools’

incorporating these supports increased students' opportunities to learn. Children's literacy

experiences at school increased the frequency and amount of time they used school-like

literacy activities at home. Therefore, schools play an important role in facilitating and

supporting families to actively participant in their children's literacy learning (see Tips

for Teachers/Practitioners below). This could also be of importance to the schools

covered under this study because they fall under much the same environment.

11
2.3 Family Structure and Children’s performance in English Language.

The family seems to be the most effective and economical system for fostering and

sustaining a child’s development. The family structure may place some children at a risk

of lower language performance. Studies have shown that children who live in single

parent households are more likely to display developmental and cognitive delays.

(Lucchese 2007) than those who live with their other siblings and other members of their

extended families.

Therefore it is important to analyze the relationship between early language development

and family structure in a given group so as to improve better contextual understanding.

Parental involvement in their child’s literacy practices positively affects children’s

academic performance. Parents have the greatest influence on the achievement of young

children through supporting and enabling their learning both in the home and at school.

Many background variables affect the impact of the family and home environment (such

as family structure, socio-economic status, level of parental education, family size, etc.)

but parental attitudes and behaviour, especially parents’ involvement in home learning

activities, can be crucial to children’s achievement and can overcome the influences of

other factors (Bonci 2011).

Important variations in language learning settings exist based on family structure. For

example, children in different birth-order positions may have different opportunities such

as a difference in availability of family resources, availability of parental time, energy,

12
attention, quality of the relationship with parents, and other family members that

influence younger siblings’ language outcomes.(Lu &Treiman2008)

Siblings tend to play an especially important role on families dynamics and interactions.

For example, older siblings as active members of the family are likely to influence the

early language acquisition and language development of their younger family members

due to their frequent interactions. Sibling caretakers usually have introduced younger

siblings to new language, routine language use, and culturally appropriate ways to

behave. (Maynard 2004).

Where the Family lives and the children’s Performance in English Language

The positive link between where children live and their academic performance is well

established by Sirin (2005). He points out that the relation of poverty and low social-

economic status exerts pressure on the child’s outcome. These include; low IQ,

educational attainment and achievement and social emotional problems. Influence on

children’s educational outcomes can be associated with the geographical location and the

characteristics of residential neighborhood among other factors (Jacob, 2004;

Sanborimatsu et al, 2006). Stanley, Comello, Edwards and Marquart (2008) compared the

difference between urban and rural school communities and noted significant differences

in income and education of high school students’ parents. The findings showed that

parents education and social economic status rather than on community/school

characteristics of urban and rural settings has a role to play on academic attainment.

(Stanley et al, 2008). AnsuDatta (1987) stated that children from poor families are more

likely than others to be born in crowded areas often lacking normal amenities such as

13
baths, electricity and running water or even a toilet. The homes are in most cases poorly

furnished and have very little to offer to the children for imaginative play. The food

available is insufficient and nutritionally imbalanced. The clothes worn may not offer

adequate comfort or protection against the extremes of weather.

Onucha (1985), Crane (1983) and Rane (1998) argue that the family background and the

context of a child affect his/her reaction to life situations and levels of performance. Thus

Chado (1988) concludes that the environment one lives in has great influence on her/his

performance in school.

Eshiwani (1993) carried out a study to find out factors affecting performance among

school children in Western Province of Kenya. He identified environmental factors as

playing a key role in influencing academic achievement of students. According to his

findings, the environment in which an individual child lives influences how he or she

perceives him or herself and shapes his or her aspirations, self-esteem and motivation.

Therefore the environment can either enhance or hinder a child’s learning attainment.

In 1972 a report published by International Labor Organization (ILO) pointed references

to the wide range between a small group of rich and vast masses of poor Kenyans. In

Zambia, the second national development plan noted with concern that there existed large

differences between wages and different sectors of the economy in the 1960swhich were

interesting particularly between the lower and higher wage level. It may be worthwhile

here to note how social-economic differences tend to distinct patterns of behavior and the

extent to which they can be correlated to education. Everywhere social strata based on

wide disparities in income tend to develop the following characteristics of patterns of life

14
marked by residence, house furnishes, food habits, quality of nutrition kind, qualities of

clothing, posture, gesture, general physical being, speech ability and usage etc.

2.4 Parent’s Level of Education and the children’s performance in English

Language

The education level of parents is an important predictor of children’s educational and

behavioral outcomes (Davis-Kean, 2005, MCCartney & Taylor, 2002). The family social

economic status including parent’s education level, would predict the quality of family

interactions and child behavior. Guerra and Huesmann, (2004) point out that the quality

of family interactions and child behavior would shape by late adolescence, educational

and achievement and aspirations for future educational and occupational success in

adulthood (Slegers & Miller 2002).

Parents’ level of education has been said to have an influence on students’ need to

achieve. Kimto in Makindo (1999) on his study on relationship between secondary school

students and academic performance showed a strong and positive correlation between

father’s level of education and student’s achievement motive. Cantu (1975) in a study of

73 Mexico American pupils found the parent’s education attainment, income level and

environment proved to be highly significant in determining the child’s level of education

attainment.

Amalala (1975) in his study on 370 boys and 112 girls in Nigeria found out that male

students from educated families performed significantly well than male students from

15
uneducated families. Ball et al (1984) also found out that educational background of the

family is related to the academic performance of the child.

Level of education influences parents' knowledge, beliefs, values, and goals about

childrearing, such that a variety of parental behaviors are indirectly related to children's

school performance. For example, higher levels of education may enhance parents' ability

to be involved in their children's education and enable parents to acquire and model

social skills and problem-solving strategies conducive to children's school success. Thus,

children whose parents have higher levels of education may have an enhanced regard for

learning, more positive ability beliefs, a stronger work orientation and they may use more

effective learning strategies than children of parents with lower levels of education.

In addition to poverty, parental education is strongly associated with children’s language

skills and academic and cognitive outcomes as parents with more years of education tend

to provide greater material, social and human resources to their children. They are also

more likely to provide enriched literacy environments for their infants and toddlers at

home; including onset, frequency and duration of shared book-reading, and the use of

more expansive vocabularies during learning interactions. (Lucchese 2007).

2.5 Social Economic Status of Parents and Children’s Competence in English Language

Researchers frequently highlight the role of family socio-economic status (SES) in

children’s language development. SES is associated with parents’ language and cognitive

stimulation of children, parental mental health, children’s participation in learning

activities, and parental sensitivity.

16
Parents from lower SES households engage in less learning activities like book reading

with their young toddlers than do more educated parents. In terms of learning materials,

children from poor families have less access to books and toys than those from non-poor

families. Similarly, poor parents are less likely to play language games or use interactive

communications with their young children. (Tamis-LeMonda 2009).

Poverty places children at risk for cognitive, academic, and social-emotional problems.

Studies consistently show that low-income children lag behind their peers in language

skills from early on. They develop vocabularies up to four times slower than higher-

income children. In addition, low socio-economic status (SES) is associated with lower

language promoting experiences during the preschool years, which in turn predict lower

receptive language abilities during kindergarten and beyond, and decreased reading and

spelling competencies in the early school years (Lucchese 2007).

Early language skills contribute to later literacy, which in turn predicts school outcomes.

(Catts et al 1999, Dickinson et al 2003) Some children especially those living in

disadvantaged economic situations are at risk for language development delays. This

could be because their environments do not facilitate language development at rates

similar to their peers living in better economic situations (Hoff 2003). For example,

higher SES mothers show important speech characteristics associated with children’s

language development that lower SES mothers lack or have it at lower levels like

quantity of words, sentence complexity, or lexical richness on mother’s language use.

This risk may be magnified for children in homes where mother tongue or any other

language is mainly used for communication. This can be because young children in low

17
income families may have limited exposure to English and parents who themselves have

delayed language skills. (Ortiz 2009).

2.6 Theoretical Framework

This study was guided by the social learning theory by Albert Bandura (1977) which

states that people learn from one another through observation, imitation and modeling.

Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. The people they

observe are called models. Children are surrounded by many influential models such as

parents, siblings, the peers and the teachers. These models provide examples of behaviour

to imitate.

Social learning requires attention to the person(s) remembering the observed behavior,

the ability to replicate the behavior, and a motivation to act the same way. For example, a

child might see or hear the parent or older sibling reading a story book and they also try

reading thus improving their reading skills. The same way with the language they speak.

The indication here is that children can learn from their daily experiences at home and

they are able to model what they see their parents and older siblings doing. This therefore

makes the family setting an ideal place for the children to learn and develop their

language skills.

The social learning theory can therefore be used to try to explain the influence of family

background on the child’s performance in English language. It is suitable for this study as

the study looked at the family background of preschoolers and how it affects the

performance of children. It is postulated that the interactions a child makes both in school

18
and at home positively or negatively influences their academic achievement. This study

was used to determine to what extent this is true.

Below is the diagrammatic representation of the interactions in the social learning theory.

Figure 2.1: Interactions in Social Learning Theory

According to Bandura people learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes and

outcomes of those behaviors. Most human behaviors are learnt observationally through

modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed

and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. (Bandura)

Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal

interaction between cognitive, behavioral end environmental influences The following

are conditions necessary for positive modeling: Attention – various factors increase or

19
decrease the amount of attention paid; Retention –remembering what you paid attention

to; Reproduction – reproducing the image; Motivation – having good reason to imitate.

2.7 Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework is a written presentation that explains either graphically or in

narrative form, the main things to be studied, the key factors or variables and the

presumed relationship among them. It provides the content of the whole study based on

literature and personal experience. This is how the variables relate:

In this study the family background is the independent variable and the children’s English

language competence is the dependent variable. Family background is postulated to

influence children’s performance in English language. Family background is defined as

the family structure, where the family lives, parent’s level of education and the social

economic status of the parents and performance as that which the child is able to achieve

as a result of their competence in English language. It further postulates that the variables

in the family background will affect the overall performance of the children in English

language. The teaching methods, school environment, teacher’s level of education,

distance from home to school could also be used to enhance the children’s performance

in English language though they have not been controlled for.

20
Figure 2.2: Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

FAMILY CHILDREN’S
BACKGROUND PERFORMANCE
- Family structure. -Teaching methods. IN ENGLISH
- Where the -School environment. LANGUAGE
family lives. -Teachers level of
- Parent’s level of education.
education. - Distance from
- The social home to school.
economic status
of the parents.
Intervening Variables

21
 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This section covered research design, target population, sampling procedure and sample

size, research instruments, validity and reliability, procedure for data collection and data

analysis and ethical concerns.

3.2 Research Design

The research took the descriptive research design which is used to describe the

characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It does not answer the

questions about how/when/why the characteristics occurred. Rather it addresses the

“what” question (what are the characteristics of the population being studied). In this

study information is collected without changing the environment (nothing is

manipulated). The Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) defines descriptive

research as any study that is not truly experimental. It provides information about the

natural occurring behavior and other characteristics of a particular group. It demonstrates

relationships and describes the world as it exists. Bickman and Rog (1998) suggest that

descriptive studies can answer questions such as “what is” or “what was.” It was

therefore be used to determine what relationship there is between the dependent and

independent variables. The relationship may be negative or positive. Qualitative research

methods were employed. It was be used since the aim of the study is to determine the

influence of family background on the performance of pre-school children in English

language in OngataRongai Zone, Kajiado North District, Kajiado County.

22
3.3 Target Population

Mugenda and Mugenda (1999) defined population as the entire group of individuals

having common observable characteristics. Bricken (1988) defines target population as a

large sample population from which a small proportion is selected for observation and

analysis. Target population refers to the total number of interest to the researcher.

The target population in this case was the nine public schools in Ongata Rongai Zone,

Kajiado North District of Kajiado County. The head-teacher, two pre-school teachers,

twenty (20) parents and twenty (20) children were selected. This means that the actual

number of people who participated in the research were one head teacher, two teachers,

twenty pupils and twenty parents making a total of forty-three participants.

3.4 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size

The procedure of sampling was simple random sampling and purposive random

sampling. The school was randomly sampled from the nine schools. The pupils were also

be randomly sampled. The parents of these children were the ones to participate in this

research. The target was to get high level education and low level education parents.

Purposeful random sampling was carried out so that the right group was gotten for the

study. The research was done on twenty parents, ten of who were those with their

education level above standard eight and ten whose education level were below standard

eight. Twenty preschool children were sampled from the parents who have been sampled

for this study, and two preschool teachers. Thus the research was done on one head-

23
teacher, two pre-school teachers, twenty parents and twenty pupils making a total of

forty-two people who are going to be involved in the interview.

Table 3.1: Sample size

Category Target Sample size Percentage

Head teacher 1 1 100

Pre-school teachers 2 2 100

Pre-school children 65 20 30.77

Parents of pre-school children 65 20 30.77

3.5 Research Instruments

3.5.1 Use of questionnaires

The researcher set a number of questions for the pre-school teachers and the headmaster

to respond to in a written manner. This technique was used for teachers since they are

literate. It is preferred because it is not very expensive. There was also a likelihood of

honesty since the respondents were not asked to give there identification.

3.5.2 Interview schedules

Interviews were used to collect data from the parents. Interviews are social interactions

between the researcher and the participants. The researcher had face to face interviews

with the parents. The parents were interviewed individually. For the low level education

parents the researcher translated the interview into Kiswahili to give them the best chance

of participating and give relevant information.

24
3.5.3 Documentary analysis forms

Data from relevant documents such as children’s end of term report book, progress

records were used to access information on each learner. The researcher prepared the

documentary analysis which was comprised of the name of the document, purpose of the

document from which the researcher got information. This was important because it did

not limit the researcher to time and space. Secondly, the documents are always there and

readily available. This enabled the researcher to access the documents without any

problem or bias since the data is already there.

3.6 Piloting

In this study, the pilot study was done in two schools that were not involved in the actual

study. Ten respondents from one school were picked randomly and used for the pilot

study.

3.6.1Validity

Validity implies the extent to which the data constitute accurate measurements of what is

supposed to be measured (Sapsford, 2007). The researcher pre-tested the questionnaires

before administering them to the target population. This was to help determine the

effectiveness and validity of the questionnaires. The data collected from the pretest

questionnaires was analyzed and results were used to help modify and improve the

questionnaire before administering it to the sampled population. The researcher sought

assistance of an expert to improve on content validity.

25
3.6.2 Reliability

The research instrument was tested in order to assess their reliability. To test the

reliability, the test-retest was used. The questionnaires were given to the respondents to

fill in and then after one week, the same questionnaires were given again to the same

respondents. After the two tests are administered, the Pearson product- moment

correlation was computed to determine whether the scores on the test correlate. The

formula for determining r is given as:

n∑xy-∑(x) ∑(y)
r = _____________________
√n ∑x²-(∑x) ² √n∑y²-(∑y)

Where x was the scores for the questionnaire from the 1st school and y was the scores for

questionnaire for the 2nd school. A correlation coefficient of 0.7 was considered

appropriate (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003)

3.7 Procedure for Data Collection

In this study, questionnaires and an interview guide were used. Gay, (2006) states that

questionnaire give respondent’s freedom to express their opinions and also to make

suggestions.

3.7.1 Questionnaire

Two sets of questionnaires were administered, questionnaire for the parents and teachers.

The teachers and the parents were also requested to participate in the study and if they

agreed, they signed the consent form. The parents were then taken to a private room/place

where they were interviewed individually.

26
3.7.2 Interview Guide

The parents were taken through an interview guide to get data on their responses on

questions regarding the influence of family background on pre-school children’s

performance in English language in Ongata Rongai zone, Kajiado North district, Kajiado

County, Kenya.

3.7.3 Documentary Checklist

The researcher then proceeded to the respective classrooms and observed the children as

they were being taught in the English lesson.

3.8 Data Analysis

There is qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis. Qualitative analysis of

data refers to non- empirical analysis. Thematic analysis was done on Qualitative data

derived from open ended questionnaire items. The main themes and patterns in the

responses were identified and analyzed to determine the adequacy, usefulness and

consistency of the information. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive

statistical tools such as frequencies, percentages and means, Mugenda & Mugenda

(2003). All the collected data from the field was coded and entered in to computer for fast

and accurate analysis by use of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The

findings of the data analysis were presented in frequency tables.

3.9 Legal andEthical Concerns

All those who participated as respondents were not be coerced into participating in the

study and were free to withdraw at any time during the interview. They were well

27
informed about the purpose of the study and were only interviewed after they gave

consent either written or verbal. Confidentiality was maintained by ensuring that raw data

was only handled by the researcher and no identifying information was included in the

data collection instruments. Data was entered in a password-protected computer. All

completed forms were kept in a secure locked up safe in a locked room that is accessible

only to the researcher. Every eligible person was given an equal chance of participating

in the study. Approval was sought from school administration and parents.

28
 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the results of the data analysis. The study was concerned with

establishing the influence of family background on pre-school children’s performance in

English language in Ongata Rongai zone, Kajiado North district, Kajiado County. All the

questionnaires distributed to the Head teacher, two pre-school teachers and twenty

parents of pre-school children were collected and used in the study. This represents 100%

response rate. The findings are based on these responses are presented in this chapter.

First, the sample characteristics are shown followed by a presentation of the results based

on the study objectives.

4.2 Demographic Information

The findings of the study are presented in this section starting with the general

information and characteristics of the respondents.

4.2.1 Gender of the Respondents

4.2.1.1 Head Teacher &Pre-primary School Teachers Gender

The study involved the Head Teacher who is male and two pre-school teachers who are

all female.

4.2.1.2 Parents Gender

There were twenty parents involved in the study. Their gender distribution is as shown on

figure 4.1.

29
 Parents Gender
80% 65%
60%
35%
40%
20%
0%
Female Male

Figure 4.1: Parents’

s’ Gender

Figure 4.1 shows that 65% of the respondents were female wh

while
ile the remaining 35% were

male.. This shows that majority of the parents in the study were female. This being a

suburban area, it may be a case of the fathers having ventured into employment in the

nearby town.. What is clear is that female parents were more involved in the study and

may give a clearer picture on parental involvement in their children’s education.

4.2.1.3 Pupils Gender

The study involved twenty (20) pupils.. Their gender distribution is as shown on figure

4.2

Pupils Gender
Male
25%

Female
75%

Figure 4.2: Pupils’ Gender

30
From the pupils study the researcher found out that the pupils fraternity in Ongata Rongai

was dominated by female, 775% response from the pupils. This is followed by 25%

response from male pupils. This is a unique distribution because children gender should

be even. It could be a pointer to a problem on the boy child either being neglected thus

not taken to school or that they start school at a high

higher level.

4.2.2 The Relationship between Parent and Pupil

Further, we sought to establish the relationship between the parents and the pupils. The

finding are shown on Table 44.3

Relationship with Child

80% 65%
60%
35%
40%
20%
0%
Father Mother

Figure 4.3: Pre-School

School teachers’ marital status

The study found that 35%were fathers while 65% were mothers. It would be interesting

to note that mothers were more willing to respond as they may have a keen interest on

what was being asked or because they are not working far from home and would be

reached within the shortest time possible.

31
4.2.3 Parents marital Status

The parents were further requested to state their marital status. The findings are shown on

Table 4.2 In terms of the parent’s marital status, the study found that 85% were married,

10% were single and 5% were divorced.

Table 4.1: Parents Marital Status

Parents Marital Status Frequency Percentage

Single 2 10%

Married 17 85%

Widowed 1 5%

Total 20 100%

Table 4.2 From the data majority of parents were in marriage hence indicating an

experienced view in the case study in terms of how they are involved or rather influence

of parental involvement in the curriculum implementation in public primary schools.

4.2.4 Parents Education Level

In order to compare adequately, the study sought the parents’ education level to establish

a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County. The results were

presented in figure 4.4.

32
 Parents Education Level
50% 45%
40% 35%
30%
20% 10% 10%
10%
0%
Never been to Primary Secondary Tertiary
school

Figure 4.4:: Parents Education Level

In terms of the respondents’ levels of education, the study found that 10% of the parents

had never been to school, 45% had Primary education, and 35% secondary levels of

education. The results imply that majority of the respondents had at least a primary level

of education. The educational background points to the fact at least they easily

understood
erstood the issues rose in the questionnaire concerning the area of study.

4.2.5 Parents Occupations

The economic activities of the parents could be a determining factor in curriculum

implementation. The results

sults of the parent occupations are presented in figure 4.5

Parents Occupations
80% 70%
60%
40%
15% 15%
20%
0%
Trading Salaried Employment Casual Employment

Figure 4.5: Parents Occupations

33
From the research findings it clearly shows that most of the parents were employed as

casual workers. The mode of occupation they were involved in provided a platform for

better understanding in the study and im

impacted
pacted greatly on the influence of parental

involvement in implementation of curriculum as the study sought to find out. The study

further revealed that 75% of the parents were casual workers. Followed by 15% in

salaried employment and 15% of the responden

respondents
ts were engaged in Business as a form of

occupation

4.2.6 Parents Area of Residence

In order to compare adequately, the study sought the parents’ area of residence to

establish a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County. The results

were presented in figure 4.6

Parents Area of Residence

Town
20%

Outskirts
80%

Figure 4.6:: Parents Area of Residence

From the research findings it clearly shows that most of the parents (80%) live in the

outskirts of the town.

34
4.2.7 Parents Distance from Town

In order to compare adequately, the study sough

sought to find out how far the parents’ resided

from town to establish a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County.

The results were presented in figure 4.

4.7

Parents Distance from Town

100%
85%
80%

60%

40%

20% 15%

0%
Near Far

Figure 4.7:: Parents Distance from Town

Most of the parents interviewed live near th

thee town. Only 15% live some distance from

the town. Comparing this with areas of residence, it shows that Ongata Rongai is a small

township if 80% said they live in the outskirts and a similar number said they live near

the town.

me
4.2.8 Parents Level of Income

The study sought to find out the parents’ level of income to establish a link with poor

performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County. The results were presented in figure 4.8
4.

35
 Parents Level of Income
60%
50%
50%
40%
30% 25%
20% 15%
10%
10%
0%
5,000 5,000-10,000 10,000-20,000 Above 20,000

Figure 4.8:: Parents Level of Income

From the research data it can be clearl

clearly witnessed that majority of the parents earn below

Kshs 5,000/=.
=. Another 25% earn between Kshs 5,000/= and Kshs 20,000/= while the

rest 25% earn above Kshs 25,000/=. This presents a picture of poverty and could be a

pointer to the poor performance in Eng

English language in the study area.

4.3 The Influence of the Family S

Structure on the Performance of Children in

English Language

This study was concerned with the influence of family background on pre-school
pre

children’s performance in English language in Ongata Rongai zone, Kajiado North

N

district, Kajiado County. At this stage, the researcher sought to find out various aspects of

the appreciation, use and propagation of the English language at school and at home. The

school is where pupils spend much of their ttime

ime more than home. At school pupils are in

an environment where they can learn and practice the English language unlike at home

where they have confirmed that they don’t speak in English. The following section

reports on these dynamics.

36
The poor level of performance in English could be attributed to the family structure. The

study found that there were more mothers than fathers involved in the study. The mothers

spend more time with the children and were available for the interview. Mother also have

the major burden for the family and would want to contribute to the improvement of the

children’s performance in English. The mother could be available because they are not

working far from home and were reached within the shortest time possible. The study

also found that majority of parents was in marriage hence indicating that they were in

organized family units.

The teacher’s responses on the influence of family structure on performance of the

English language point to the fact that a stable home environment is a great ingredient.

The teachers reported that children who come from small families perform better in

English language than their counterparts from larger families. According to the teacher

the home background also influences the child’s performance in English since the

language they learn at home is Kiswahili.

4.3.1 The Parent’s rating of Childsperformance in English language

To establish a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, the study

sought to find out the parents view on the child’s level in English language. The results

were presented in figure 4.9.

37
 Childs level in English according to
parent
50% 45%
40% 35%
30% 20%
20%
10%
0%
Good Average Poor

Figure 4.9: Childs Level in English according to Parent

From table we find that 45% of the parents think that their children are doing very well in

English, 35% believe the child’s

hild’s performance is average while 20% believe it is poor.

This is interesting noting that at home these children do not speak English and one would

want to know how the parents arrived t this conclusion. However the study also sought

information on the children’s

hildren’s performance in English and the results indicate that the

children perform relatively well in English language.

4.3.2 Language Parents Prefer for Child for Learning & Speaking

To establish a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County,

ounty, the study

sought to find out the preferred language both for learning and speaking for child by

parents when speaking to the child. The results were presented in Table 4.3

38
Table 4.2: Language used by parents when speaking to child

Preferred Language
age for Child Frequency Percentage

19 95%
English
Kiswahili 1 5%
Total 20 100%

Table 4.3 clearly shows that a majority of parents would want their children to gain

proficiency in English as compared to the other languages. Of the parents interviewed,

inter

95% were for their children to learn English best while only 5% were for their children to

Learn Kiswahili best. None of them preferred the mother tongue. This is in contrast to

what happens at home where they themselves don’t communicate to the children
ch in the

preferred languages.

4.3.3 Language used by Parents when Speaking to Child

To establish a link with poor performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, the study

sought to find out the language used by parents when speaking to the child. The results

were presented in figure 4.10

Language used by parents when

speaking to child
100% 85%

50%
15%
0%
First Language Kiswahili

Figure 4.10: Language used by parents when speaking to child

39
From the table we can see that a majority of the parents use Kiswahili while speaking to

their children and only 15 % Use Mother Tongue to speak to their cchildren.

4.4 The Effect of where Children Live on their Performance in English Language

4.4.1 Commonly Used Language in Area of Residence

The study sought to find out the commonly used language in their areas of residence to

establish a link with poor perf

performances in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County. The results

were presented in figure 4.11

Commonly Used Language at Residence

95%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20% 5%
0%
First Language Kiswahili

Figure 4.11: Commonly used Language at Residence

From the research findings it is clear that Kiswahili is predominantly used in the area.

95% of parents say that Kiswahi

Kiswahili
li is used in the area while only 5% of the parents

interviewed say that mother tongue is used. The study findings clearly indicate that most

of the parents live in the outskirts of the Ongata Rongai Township. This means that they

are not prone to the many challenges children who live inside the town could face such as

transport, air pollution and noise

noise. The life in the outskirts is not very far from the town as

shown by responses from the question on whether they live far or near Ongata Rongai

40
town. Majority reported that they live near the town while only 15% reported that they

live some distance from the town. A comparison between these findings and those on

areas of residence, one can conclude that Ongata Rongai is a small township.

According to the teacher the children from town perform better in English since they may

be from areas where English is spoken and they are also exposed to the media. The

teachers indicated that the child’s residential area affects the child negatively since

English is not spoken there. The area of residence of the child affects his/her preschool

performance in English. This is because the child will write or express themselves well in

the language they use often where they live.

The teachers also reported that the children from town perform better than those from the

outskirts since the parents from town are more educated. This is a confirmation of the

question on parent’s education being a major factor in performance of English language

in Ongata Rongai.

4.5 The Influence of Parent’s Level of Education on the Children’s Performance in

English Language

In terms of the respondents’ levels of education, the study found that 10% of the parents

had never been to school, 45% had Primary education, and 35% secondary levels of

education. The results imply that majority of the respondents had at least a primary level

of education. The educational background points to the fact at least they easily

understood the issues rose in the questionnaire concerning the area of study.

41
The teacher also reported that for the pre unit children, Kiswahili is the only language the

children learn in school. The teacher who holds a diploma indicated that only some of the

more highly educated parents come to check the progress of the children. When the

parents come the teacher speaks to them in Kiswahili. Only a few of the parents and

pupils can communicate fluently in English. This affects the development of the English

language. According to the teacher, the parent’s/guardian’s level of education influences

the child’s performance positively. The second teacher is a nursery school teacher, and

teaches in Kiswahili. She holds a diploma. She pointed out that it’s the more highly

educated parents, who will come to school to check the child’s performance. Again, when

the parents come to the teacher, speaks to them in Kiswahili because only a few of them

can communicate fluently in English.

4.6 The Relationship between the Social Economic Status of the Parents and the

Children’s Performance in English Language

The study shows that majority of the parents earn below Kshs20,000/=. Only a few earn

over that amount. This was crucial to determine how much disposable income they have

and if they are able to dedicate any to developing their children education. The results

present a situation where poverty thrives and could be a pointer to the poor performance

in English language at Ongata Rongai. According to the teacher, the household that the

child comes from often influences the child’s performance in English. To make sure that

the household influences the child’s performance positively, the teacher advises the

parents to limit the use of mother tongue at home. The teachers confirmed that the

household that the child comes from often influences the child’s performance in English.

42
4.7 Pupils Performance in English Language in the year 2014

In order to correlate the findings to the performance of the pupils, the study collected the

performance of the twenty pupils in English language for five exams in 2014 as shown on

Appendix IV and figure 4.12

ENGLISH PERFORMANCE - YEAR 2014

80.00% 75.30%
71.90% 69.80% 68.90%
70.00% 62.40%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
FIRST TERM MID FIRST TERM END SECOND TERM SECOND TERM THIRD TERM
EXAM EXAM MID EXAM END XAM MID EXAM

Figure 4.12: Performance in English Language

Figure 4.12 shows that the performance of English language is just above average and

seems to be deteriorating towards the end of the year. This is a clear indication as to the

factors highlighted and reported by the respondents. The factors that influence are where

the children live, their parent’s income levels and family structure. The socio-economic

status did not come out strongly as a major factor.

The head teacher also confirmed the findings and indicated that dealing with the factors

identified can improve the performance of English language in the schools at Ongata

Rongai in Kajiado County.

43
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the summary of research findings, discussion of key findings,

conclusions made from the study and the recommendations for policy and practice. The

chapter also presents suggestions for further research.

5.2 Summary

The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of family background on

pre-school children’s performance in English language in Ongata Rongai zone, Kajiado

North district, Kajiado County. This study was guided by the following research

questions formulated to aid in gathering the information regarding the research topic.

1. What is the influence of the family structure on the performance of children in

English language?

2. How does where the children live affect their performance in English language?

3. What is the influence of parent’s level of education on the children’s performance

in English language?

4. What is the relationship between the social economic status of the parents and the

children’s performance in English language?

Twenty three questionnaires were distributed as follows; one to the Head Teacher, two to

the Pre-School teachers and twenty to parents. All the questionnaires distributed were

collected representing 100% response rate. Overall there was total response from the

respondents, providing a great platform for final research findings. The findings showed

44
that 65% of the Parents were female while 35% were male. The single Head teacher was

male, while the two pre-school teachers were both female. The majority of the parents

were married. This is a good pointer to the reliance one would place on the findings of

the study.

5.3 Conclusions

This section presents a discussion of the findings and compares and contrasts the findings

with other scholarly studies done on the same topic.

5.3.1 The Influence of the Family Structure on the Performance of Children in

English Language in Ongata Rongai.

The incidences of poor performance in English can be due to family structure where more

mothers seem to be the ones concerned with the children’s education. There were also

more girls than boys in the study. Mothers have a major impact on the family and would

be interested to contribute to the improvement of the children’s performance in English.

The mother could be available because they are not working far from home and were

reached within the shortest time possible. The study also found that majority of parents

was in marriage hence indicating that they were in organized family units. These results

were also collaborated by the teachers and the head teacher.

5.3.2 The Effect of where Children Live on their Performance in English Language

Where the children live has been identified as a major influence in performance of the

English language. Because most of the parents live in the outskirts of the Ongata Rongai

Township, this trickles down to poor performance. Although they do not face many

45
challenges children who live inside the town face such as transport, air pollution and

noise, they still are affected and record poor results. The teachers and head teacher also

felt strongly that where children live impacts greatly on how they grasp the English

language and this in turn affects their performance not only in English but in other

subjects.

5.3.3 The Influence of Parent’s Level of Education on the Children’s Performance in

English Language

In terms of the respondents’ levels of education, the study found that 10% of the parents

had never been to school, 45% had Primary education, and 35% secondary levels of

education. The results imply that majority of the respondents had at least a primary level

of education. The educational background points to the fact at least they easily

understood the issues rose in the questionnaire concerning the area of study. The teacher

also reported that for the pre unit children, Kiswahili is the only language the children

learn in school. Only a few of the parents and pupils can communicate fluently in

English. This affects the development of the English language. According to the teacher,

the guardian’s level of education influences the child’s performance positively. Again,

when the parents come to the teacher, she speaks to them in Kiswahili because only a few

of them can communicate fluently in English.

5.3.4 The Relationship between the Social Economic Status of the Parents and the

Children’s Performance in English Language

The study shows that majority of the parents earn low incomes. The results present a

situation where poverty thrives and could be a pointer to the poor performance in English

46
language in Ongata Rongai. According to the teacher, the household that the child comes

from often influences the child’s performance in English. To make sure that the

household influences the child’s performance positively, the teacher advises the parents

to limit the use of mother tongue at home. The teachers confirmed that the household that

the child comes from often influences the child’s performance in English and that there

should be efforts from other quarters to help mitigate and provide a conducive

environment to ensure that the performance in English language is not affected.

5.3.5 The Results of Pupils Performance in English Language

The performance of the pupils in English language from the study shows that there is an

above average performance for the year 2014. This is below expectation as per

benchmarks from other schools in the same level of education.

5.4 Recommendations

As the study results show, the poor performance of English language can be attributed to

the four variables. The strongest of all was where the child live where the study

discovered that the performance of the pupils has been affected by their neighborhoods.

While the researcher may not recommend that such families shift, the parents need to

engage more efforts to improve on the English language performance. The family

structure also affects the performance by not providing a conducive environment. This

was confirmed by both parents and teachers in the study. The next strong factor was

parent’s level of education where the study concludes that parents with higher education

generally tend to be keener on their children’s performance. The socio-economic status

also plays a part by interfering with how children matters are addressed by the parents.

47
Children might require additional help to perform better but the parents may not be in a

position to provide. The teachers’ and head teacher’s inputs should also be incorporate in

efforts to improve English performance.

5.4.1 Recommendations for Further Study

Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are drawn for future

research;

1. The effect of parent’s non-involvement in the learning of English Language in

public schools in Kenya.

2. Home based factors influencing performance in English Language in public

primary schools in Kenya.

48
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children from disadvantaged backgrounds Encyclopedia of Language and

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Ortiz R.W & Ordonez-Jasis, R (205) Leyendojuntos (reading together): New directions

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Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society, The development of higher psychological

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Early Child Development and Care, 176, 357-378

52
 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: PARENTS QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Gender Male ______ Female _______________

2. What is your marital status?

a) Single

b) Married

c) Other (Specify) _______________________________

3. What is your relationship with the child?

Father

Mother

Guardian

4. When was this child born? Day _______ Month ___________ Year__________

5. How many brothers and/or sisters does this child have?

i) Brothers _______________

ii) Sisters _________________

6. What is the birth order of this child? _______________

7. Where do you stay? (Name the place)___________________________

8. Is it in town or the outskirts?

a) Town

b) Out-skirts

53
9. How far is it from town?

a) Near

b) Far

c) Very Far

10. What is your first language? _____________________________________

11. What language is commonly used where you stay?

a) First language

b) Kiswahili

c) English

12. What language do you use when you are speaking with your children at home?

a) First language

b) Kiswahili

c) English

13. Which language would you prefer that your child learns and speaks best?

a) First language

b) Kiswahili

c) English

14. How many members of your family that are not your children do you live with?

(Write the number in the box)

Are the members you stay with younger or older than this child?

Younger Older

54
15. Is the size of the household a factor in preschool children’s performance? (Involve

the parent to bring out the family structure as a factor in preschool children’s

performance in English language) Yes No

If Yes how (Explain) _________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

16. In your opinion, is the pre-school children’s family background a factor that is

influencing the performance of the child in English language? Yes No

If yes what is the influence? __________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

17. What is the highest level of education you have attended?

a) Never been to school

b) Primary

c) Secondary

d) Tertiary

18. What is your main source of income?

a) Trading

b) Salaried employment

c) Casual employment

d) Farming

55
 e) Any other (Specify)____________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

19. What is your average monthly income? _______________________

20. Do you use your income to improve your child’s performance in school?

Yes No

21. If Yes in (11) how do you use your income to support your child’s performance in

English Language? (Explain) _____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

22. Do you think the parent’s monthly income affects the child’s performance in

English Language? Yes No

If Yes how? __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

23. What is your feeling about the language that should be used to teach your child in

school? (Comment)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

24. What would you say is the level of your child in English language?

a) Good

b) Average

c) Poor

56
25. Is there a relationship between where the preschool child lives and their

performance in English language? (Ask the parent to explain the relationship

between where the child lives and their performance in English language)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

57
APPENDIX B: DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS - PUPULS PROGRESS REPORTS

IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

FIRST TERM SECOND TERM THIRD TERM

NAMES MID END MID END MID
EXAM EXAM EXAM XAM EXAM OVERALL
AMINA 76 66 80 85 88 79.0%
BENSON 84 70 60 80 56 70.0%
ESTHER 78 86 80 60 60 72.8%
PRAIZY 60 70 72 60 54 63.2%
YUSRA 92 86 56 65 40 67.8%
FELISTER 50 50 68 60 32 52.0%
ZULEKA 98 82 84 85 76 85.0%
DENNIS 88 66 88 90 70 80.4%
ANNE 92 86 84 75 88 85.0%
JUDY 78 66 60 70 52 65.2%
AINE 92 90 96 80 60 83.6%
SARAH 60 90 84 80 88 80.4%
MICHEAL 94 94 94 100 90 94.4%
STANLEY 96 50 92 60 20 63.6%
PEACE 60 90 96 80 92 83.6%
JUNIOR 10 10 92 40 88 48.0%
GRACE 10 98 92 92 60 70.4%
SAMANTHA 60 96 88 96 88 85.6%
VICTORIA 80 40 10 20 40 38.0%
ZIPPORAH 80 10 30 0 6 25.2%
AVERAGE 71.90% 69.80% 75.30% 68.90% 62.40% 69.7%

58
APPENDIX C: TEACHERS QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire is for educational research purposes. Any information given will be

treated with a lot of confidentiality. Please tick where appropriate.

1. Class

Nursery

Pre-unit

One

2. Level of education

Form Four

Certificate

Diploma

Degree

3. Language of instruction

First language

Kiswahili

English

4. In what language do the children respond?

First language

Kiswahili

English

59
5. Do parents come to check the progress of their children?

Yes

No

Sometimes

Never

6. There are two categories of parents, high level education parents and low level

education parents. Who of the parents come to school to check the progress of

their children

High Level education parents

Low level education parents

None

7. If YES in five above, in what language do you communicate with them?

First language

Kiswahili

English

8. What is the main medium of communication for the children in the whole school?

First language

Kiswahili

English

9. If not English in five above, in what language do they communicate in mostly?

First language

Kiswahili

English

60
10. How often do they speak English?

Rarely

Sometimes

Always

11. How many children in your class are able to communicate fluently in English?

A few

Many

All

12. Who of the children would you say perform better in English, children who come

from the town or those who live in the outskirts

Those from town

Those from outskirts

None

13. What reason would you give for your answer to (12) above? (Explain)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

14. Do you think the home background influences children’s performance in English?

Yes No If Yes how? _________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

61
15. How does the parent/ guardians level of education influence the children’s

performance in English?

Positively Negatively

16. Is there a relationship between preschool children’s residential area and their

performance in English language?

Yes No If Yes how? ______________________________

__________________________________________________________

17. Children come from different family structures. Who of these children perform

better in English language?

Single parent children

Small family children

Large family children

18. How often is the pre-school children’s performance in English Language

influenced by the household?

Rarely Often

19. What role do you play in ensuring that home background does not have a great

influence on the pre-school children’s performance in English Language? Explain

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

20. Is the area of residence a factor in the preschool children’s performance in

English Language? Yes No

62
If yes what are the effects on the performance of preschool children?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

63
APPENDIX D: HEAD TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE

Kindly follow the instruction guide through the questionnaire. Please respond to each of

the questions by ticking and writing the appropriate response. Your response will be

highly confidential.

1. For how long have you been the head teacher in this school?

Less than five years

Five years

Over five years

2. Is a family’s attitude towards academic attainment a factor in pre-school

children’s academic performance in your school?

Yes No If yes __________________

__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

3. What is the attitude of the parents towards pre-school education? (Explain)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. What support do the parents give towards the improvement of the performance of

the pre-school child in English Language? (Explain)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

64
5. Do the parents visit the school to check on the performance of their children?

Yes No If yes, how often do they visit?

Very often

Often

Rare

6. There are two types of parents in your school- the high level education parents

and the low level education parents. Who of these parents would you say visit the

school more often to check on the children’s academic performance?

High level education parents

Low level education parents

7. In your opinion, is the pre-school children’s family background a factor that is

influencing the performance of the child in English language?

Yes No

If yes what is the influence? __________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

8. Where do the children in your school live? Explain ___________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

9. Is there a relationship between where the pre-school child lives and their

performance in English language? Yes No

65
Explain your answer ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

10. Does the parent/guardian level of education influence pre-school children’s

performance in English Language?

Yes No

11. Does the size of the family influence the pre-school children’s performance in

English Language?

Yes No

12. In your opinion, who of the children perform better in English language?

Single Family Children

Extended Family Children

Give reasons for your answer _______________________________

____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________.

13. How do parents support their pre-school children in their performance in English

Language? (Explain) ______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.

14. What learning materials do the parents buy for their children to help them in their

performance in English Language? (State) ____________ ____________

______________ ____________________ _______________

66
15. What is the main language of communication for the children in your school?

English Kiswahili First language

16. What is the language of instruction in your school?

English Kiswahili First language

17. Is there any rule as to what language should be spoken in the school?

Yes No If Yes what is the rule?

(Explain)____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

18. According to you, what is the opinion of the parents on the language of

instruction used in the school? ____________________________________

___________________________________________________________

19. What language would they prefer their children to be taught in?

English Kiswahili First language

20. What role do you play to ensure that home background does not have a great

influence on the pre-school children’s performance in English Language in your

school? (Explain)

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

-THANK YOU-

67