Psychosocial Factors Influencing School Dropout Among Boys In Selected Primary Schools In Illodokilani Zone, Kajiado County, Kenya.

Abstract

The study purposed to determine the psychosocial factors that influence boys ‘dropout rates with the intent of reducing and eventually alleviating high dropout among primary school boys in Illodokilani Zone of Kajiado County. The objectives of the study were: to determine the school dropout rates among boys in selected primary schools within Illodokilani Zone of Kajiado County; to determine the psychosocial factors that influence dropout among boys in the selected primary schools; and to analyse the relationship between the psychosocial factors and the dropout rates among boys in the selected schools. The study employed descriptive and inferential research design and collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The data collection instruments were interviews, focus group discussion, and questionnaires. The study’s target population was four public day primary schools in Illodokilani Zone of Kajiado County and the sample size was 140. The collected data was analysed by use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and was presented in the form of tables and figures. Some findings of the study were that: there were high dropout rates of boys in Illodokilani zone of Kajiado County with 113 boys between class four to eight having dropped out of school between 2015-2017 in four primary schools; key psychosocial factors influencing dropout were animal husbandry, insufficient basic needs, peer pressure, and loss of interest in formal education; and that there did not exist a relationship between dropout rates, and either wealth or parenting style; however, a significant relationship between parental literacy and dropout rates exist. The study recommended that teachers be empowered and awareness on education be strengthened among parents to mitigate the dropout problem, and that animal husbandry be included as training program as one of the incentives for reducing dropout among boys.