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Gender and Education: Evaluating Gender Mainstreaming Practices in Curriculum Implementation in Kenya, Gender Study

KENYA, 2022
Human Development (HD)
Dr. Moses Ngware
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Identification

IDNO
DDI-KEN-APHRC-GENDERANDEDUCATION-2022-V10
Title
Gender and Education: Evaluating Gender Mainstreaming Practices in Curriculum Implementation in Kenya, Gender Study
Subtitle
Gender Study
Country
Name Country code
KENYA KEN
Abstract
Abstract
Over the years, Kenya has made progress in promoting gender access, equality, and equity in education through policy and legislative reforms that target empowerment for effective participation and contribution to national development. The overall outcome of this is increased representation of women in various institutions. However, evidence indicates that women continue to face systemic barriers and challenges that inhibit fair access, equality, and equity in education. Some of these challenges emanate from shortcomings in the education system; such as the curriculum, teacher training, and ineffective pedagogical approaches that consequently exacerbate the systemic barriers and challenges faced by women and girls. There is a dearth of empirical evidence on gender mainstreaming practices being implemented in classrooms in Kenya as part of efforts to promote gender access, equality, and equity in education. Therefore to address the research gap, this exploratory study seeks to examine three issues: 1) how gender mainstreaming practices are implemented in the teacher training programs; 2) how gender mainstreaming is practiced in primary and secondary classrooms in Kenya (pedagogy, instruction, and interactions), and 3) to explore how the basic education curriculum implementation promotes gender equity. We will utilize a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design to explore the effect of observed gender mainstreaming practices in classrooms, teacher-training programs, and in the basic education curriculum as well as the relationships between the aspects. Data for the study will consist of both qualitative (focus group discussion, key informant interviews) and quantitative (institutional questionnaire, assessments, classroom observations). The data will be collected at the school level (250), as well as among education managers at both county and national education offices. The data analysis is expected to generate evidence on the impact of gender mainstreaming practices on learners' outcomes in Math, English, and Sciences as well as a deep understanding of the nature of the gender mainstreaming practices. The study will provide implications and recommendations for effective gender mainstreaming policies and practice responses.

Version

Version Date
2023-11-22
Version Notes
N/A

Coverage

Geographic Coverage
National coverage covering 10 counties (Busia, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir, Nairobi, and West Pokot)
Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis for the institutional questionnaire was the schools
The unit of analysis for the student questionnaires was the students
The unit of analysis for the classroom observation rubric was the class
The unit of analysis for the teacher training college tutor knowledge skills and attitude survey was the tutor
The unit of analysis for the teacher trainee knowledge skills and attitude survey was the teacher trainee
Universe
10 counties in Kenya comprised of 9 counties with the highest rates of child poverty and Nairobi county because it has high concentration of informal urban settlements.

Producers and sponsors

Authoring entity/Primary investigators
Agency Name Affiliation
Dr. Moses Ngware African Population and Health Research Center
Producers
Name Affiliation Role
Dr. Brenda Wawire African Population and Health Research Center Co-investigator
Nelson Gichuhi African Population and Health Research Center Co-investigator
Catherine Asego African Population and Health Research Center Co-investigator
Zipporrah Kawira Ministry of Education Co-investigator
Francis Kiroro African Population and Health Research Center Co-investigator
Funding Agency/Sponsor
Name Abbreviation Role
Center for Global Development CGD Funder
Other Identifications/Acknowledgments
Name Affiliation Role
Mambe Shem African Population and Health Research Center Data Documentation Officer
Bonface Butichi Ingumba African Population and Health Research Center Data Governance Officer

Sampling

Sampling Procedure
Sampling Procedures and Participants
Primary data was collected from students in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools (mixed gender day schools) (primary grade 6, and secondary form 2), in-service teachers, headteachers and principals, pre-service teachers, teacher training tutors/lecturers, county/national education curriculum support officers, and quality assurance officers, and officials at the Ministry of Education and the Teacher Service Commission. We targeted 250 schools (125 primary and 125 secondary) spread in 10 counties in Kenya with the highest rates of child poverty - above 60% (KNBS, 2018). The counties include (Busia, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir, Nairobi, and West Pokot). We chose these counties because children, girls in particular girls in these areas, encounter some form of marginalization, due to child poverty levels. Additionally, vulnerable boys and girls have diminished chances of access to inclusive education because they belong to schools that serve poor households in a low-resource context. Hence may require targeted actions in mainstreaming gender issues in education.

Our overall sampling strategy took into consideration school performance in the most recent national examinations - the Kenya Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE) for primary schools and Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education (KCSE) for secondary schools. In particular, we grouped schools into three categories based on their performance - low, medium, and high performing. In each of the 10 counties, primary, and secondary schools were listed according to the league tables (best performing to worst performer). Thereafter, we created quintiles with schools falling in the lower two (40%) quintiles constituting low performing schools; those in the 3rd quintile forming the middle performing schools; while those in the upper two quintiles (top 40%) forming the best performing category. A similar procedure was followed to identify day secondary schools - day secondary schools admit the majority of students and are located in almost all parts of the country/county). After our sample size was identified, they were proportionately distributed in the three groupings taking the number of schools in a county into consideration.

Out of the 250 schools sampled for the study, 125 schools were sampled for classroom observations, that is, 62 primary and 63 secondary schools. At the primary school level, 21 observations in mathematics, 21 in science, and 20 in English were done. An equal distribution of 21 observations for mathematics, English, and science were done for secondary schools. We observed a total of 147 teachers. A further random selection was employed to distribute the science classroom observations at the secondary school level, translating to 7 observations each for physics, chemistry, and biology. An illustration of the classroom observation distribution is provided below. The grade to be observed in a subject was randomly selected, such that we had only one subject observed per school. In the case of secondary school where there are several science subjects, we focused on physics, biology, and chemistry. The subject observeded in a particular school was randomly selected. Once a subject was observeded in a selected school, it was not observeded in a subsequently selected school until all the other subjects in question were observed. It is worth noting that in Kenya, traditionally, girls perform better in English while boys perform better in Math). KNEC assessment data was collected from the school head teacher/principal for each of the observed grades. All head teachers and principals of selected schools responded to an institutional questionnaire. The questionnaire collected information on the school background, facilities, enrollment, schooling charges, staffing, and governance. Twenty (20) students from all selected schools and from the targeted grade (except in PP2) completed a student questionnaire that gathers information on individual student's background, homework engagement, school background, and subject choices

We conducted qualitative interviews that shed light on how the teacher-training curriculum responded to gender mainstreaming policies, gender-inclusive teaching practices inside the classroom, and strategies implemented by the Government and private sector to mainstream and promote gender issues in the curriculum. The KIIs targeted a total of 40 in-service teachers - 4 teachers in each county - categorized by type of school (public, private, day, boarding, primary, secondary, single/mixed gender; 6 pre-service tutors from 4 teacher training colleges (TTCs) and 2 Universities; 10 curriculum support officers and 10 quality assurance officers from each county; 2 officials from the Ministry of Education (Directorate for basic education and gender officer); and 1 official from the Teacher Service Commission (in-charge of teacher training). In addition, we conducted 6 FGDs with pre-service teachers from 4 TTCs. 10 FGDs were conducted with students - one in each county; five in primary schools (3 with girls and 2 with boys), and five in secondary schools (3 with boys and 2 with girls). Each FGD was held with 6 participants. The KII guides and FGD guides were pilot tested and revised accordingly to ensure the reliability and clarity of the tools. The KII and FGD guides were sent to the selected respondents before the interviews for familiarity purposes and adequate preparation for the actual interviews. The KIIs lasted a duration of up to 1 hour whereas the FGDs up to 2 hours.
Deviations from the Sample Design
N/A
Response Rate
The response rate of schools targeted for the study across ten counties was 100%

The response rate of learners targeted for the study across ten counties was 93%
Weighting
The sampling weights for school level (school weights) were computed based on the total number of schools, the school type and performance quintile at the county level against the number of schools sampled, numbers by school type, and performance quintiles. The student level weights were computed through a product of school weights and sampled students against total grade specific enrolment (i.e. Grade 6 for Primary, and Form 2 for Secondary school levels)

Data Collection

Dates of Data Collection (YYYY/MM/DD)
Start date
2022-07-19
Mode of data collection
Face-to-face [f2f]
Supervision
Each of the 10 study sites had a field supervisor in charge of logistics, ensuring quality checks, and reporting back to the research team at APHRC. Furthermore, 5 of the project research team members at APHRC were in charge of the overall data collection in 2 counties each. They provided technical support and overall oversight of data collection and backstopping while in the field. The team leads also held weekly briefing sessions with the APHRC research team to share the progress of data collection and any challenges from the field

To ensure high-quality data collection, the research team conducted random spot checks weekly from the second week of data collection. During the spot checks, the research team visited the schools where the data collection activities had been concluded. They re-administered the institutional questionnaires to the respondent who was interviewed by the researchers. They also re-adminstered the student questionnaire to at least three students who were interviewed and feedback relayed to the data collection team during the check-in meetings.

The data analyst run the data daily to check on completeness, correctness and consistency on 100% of the collected data. A discrepancy report were then generated to enable resolution of any inconsistencies or errors in the data with the responsible interviewer.
Type of Research Instrument
Institutional questionnaire: targeting School heads/administrators in each of the school sampled and collected data on school background information, school facilities, enrolment for the current school year, school charges, staffing, and governance.

Student questionnaires: targeting Grade 6 and Form 2 students in each of the sampled school and collected data on Student background information, social-economic status, homework, and homework support, choice of subjects, school environment, absenteeism, and extra tuition.

Classroom observation rubric: targeting PP2, grade 6 and Form 2 teachers and tutors in teacher training colleges (TTCs) and collected data on Gender and inclusion equitable practices in the classroom: language use, lesson planning, teaching, and learning materials, asking questions, group work, demonstration or practical lessons, feedback to students, classroom set up and environment.

TTC tutor knowledge skills and attitude survey: a self administered questionnaire targeting Tutors in Diploma Teacher training colleges and collected data on level of knowledge of gender mainstreaming practices by tutors

Teacher trainee knowledge skills and attitude survey: a self administered questionnaire targeting Pre-service teacher trainees in TTCs and collected data on level of knowledge of gender mainstreaming practices by teacher trainees

Qualitative guides (Key Informant Interviews): targeting In-service teachers Curriculum Support Officers Quality Assurance Officers Pre-service tutors (TTCs and Universities) Ministry of Education - Director of teacher education, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and collected data on In-depth understanding of gender mainstreaming practices, policy implementation (successes, challenges, and opportunities)

Qualitative guides (Focus Group Discussions): targeting Pre-service teachers (TTCs and Universities), students in primary school, students in secondary school and collected data on In-depth understanding of gender mainstreaming practices, policy implementation (successes, challenges, and opportunities)

KCPE/KCSE mean scores for Mathematics, English and Science Subjects for years 2017-2021 (Secondary data sourced): targeting Student's performance and used to collect data on Mean scores per school per year and per target subject




The questionnaires will be provided as external sources.

Data Processing

Cleaning Operations
Data quality monitoring processes and checks were implemented throughout the data collection process, during the time of developing the data collection tools (through built-in quality control in the tablet-based platform), during training of fieldworkers using mock interviews and inter rater reliability tests (IRR), in real time during data collection (routine monitoring by the research team and periodic cross-checks against the protocols), and during the data cleaning process. During fieldwork, data quality was enhanced through regular spot checks and sit-ins by supervisors to verify the authenticity of data collected. Data were then reviewed and certified by the field coordinator before they were transferred to the server.

The quantitative data were collected using SurveyCTO, a survey platform for electronic data collection that has in-built skips and quality checks. Using this software increased efficiency and reduced the time needed for cleaning the data. In addition, the platform supported offline data capturing for regions with slow or no internet connectivity and data transmission when the internet became available. Fieldwork was conducted by trained fieldworkers using digital tablets with the questionnaire loaded in SurveyCTO. Data was uploaded from the tablets onto a secure African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) server after each day of data collection. Data were synchronized automatically to a server when the tablet was in a location with network coverage. The uploaded data were then checked for quality daily by a data manager and a team dedicated to coordinate field procedures and at the APHRC head office in Nairobi.
Other Processing
N/A

Data Appraisal

Estimates of Sampling Error
N/A

Data access

Contact
Name Email URI
African Population and Health Research Center datarequests@aphrc.org/info@aphrc.org aphrc.org
Conditions
APHRC data access condition

All non-APHRC staff seeking to use data generated at the Center must obtain written approval to use the data from the Director of Research.
This form is developed to assess applications for data use and facilitate responsible sharing of data with external partners/collaborators/researchers. By entering into this agreement, the undersigned agrees to use these data only for the purpose for which they were obtained and to abide by the conditions outlined below:

1.Data Ownership:
The data remain the property of APHRC; any unauthorized reproduction and sharing of the data is strictly prohibited. The user will, therefore, not release nor permit others to use or release the data to any other person without the written authorization from the Center.

2.Purpose:
The provided data must be used for the purpose specified in the Data Request Form; any other use not specified in the form must receive additional or separate authorization.

3.Respondent Identifiers:
The Center is committed to protecting the identity of the respondents who provide information in its research. All analytical data sets (both qualitative and quantitative) released by the Data Unit MUST are stripped of respondent identifiers to protect the identity of the respondents. By accepting to use APHRC data, the user is pledging that he/she will not, under any circumstance, regenerate the identifiers or permit others to use the data to learn the identity of any individual, household or community included in any data set.

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The user will not use nor permit others to use the data to report any information in the data sets that could identify, directly or by inference, individuals or households.

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The user will promptly notify the Head of the Statistics and Survey Unit any errors discovered in the data as soon as the errors are discovered.

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"This research uses livelihoods data collected under the longitudinal Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS) since 2006. The NUHDSS is carried out by the African Population and Health Research Center in two slums settlements (Korogocho and Viwandani) in Nairobi City."Additionally all funders, the study communities that provided the data, and staff who collected and analyzed or processed the data should be acknowledged.

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- the Identification of the Primary Investigator
- the title of the survey (including country, acronym and year of implementation)
- the survey reference number
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Metadata production

Document ID
DDI-KEN-APHRC-GENDERANDEDUCATION-2022-V10
Producers
Name Abbreviation Role
African Population and Health Research Center APHRC DDI Documentation
Date of Production
2023-11-22
Document version
Version 1.0 (November 2023)