Influence of Perceptions of Parents on Learners’ Participation in Physical Education in Private Primary Schools, Nairobi City County

Abstract

have a unique position in the determination and facilitation of the engagement of their children in different physical activities. The comprehension of the influence that parents have in supporting the participation of their children in PE is important as it is based on their income level and parental education, among other factors. The study aimed to investigate the influence of the perception of parents on the participation of learners in physical education Nairobi City County private primary schools with a focus on grade 6 learners. The rationale of this study focused on learner participation in physical education based on socioeconomic status, social perceptions, perceptions of health knowledge, and physical modeling and analysis of how each of these aspects affects learner engagement in PE. Through a descriptive research design, data for the study was collected using both an open ended and a close ended questionnaire. The survey was conducted among a data representative sample of 30 private primary schools in the Dagoretti and Westlands sub-counties with the inclusion of 153 parents and 294 learners as participants. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a logistics regression analytical approach. The socioeconomic status of parents, social perceptions, perceptions of health knowledge, and physical modeling were all identified as factors having direct influence on the level of learner engagement in PE. Based on these findings, the study recommends that School administrators should create programmes to engage parents in physical education and physical activity and the Ministry of Education should create a policy framework that facilitates increased awareness and community involvement in physical education in schools across the country.