| dc.description.abstract | The first locally organized external Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree
programme in Kenya was started in 1986 in the Faculty of External Studies
(FES) of the University of Nairobi. Five components of students’ support
services were incorporated in to the programme so as to enhance the
teaching- learning process. These were: continuous assessment tests, face-toface tutorials, provision of study materials to the learners, guidance and
counselling services and library facilities in the Regional Study Centres.
However, students’ performance in the first semester exams was dismal in
some subjects which seemed to suggest that the support services had not
achieved their intended objectives. This study was, therefore carried out to
determine the way the first graduates of the BEd programme perceived the
effectiveness of the support services and whether these perceptions were
influenced by marital status and the subjects the students had studied in the
BEd course. Using a mailed questionnaire, data were collected from 170
graduates who were selected from a total population of 200 graduates
through simple and systematic random sampling techniques. Data were
analysed through, frequency counts, percentages, t-test and ANOVA. The key
findings revealed that marital status and the subjects studied were not
significant determinants of graduates’ perception of the effectiveness of the
support services. However, on the whole, face-to-face tutorials were rated
more favourably by married graduates and those who had studied either mathematics or combinations in which one of the subjects was mathematics
Similarly, library facilities were rated more favourably by linguistic
graduates compared to their non-linguistic counterparts. However,
humanities graduates rated learning materials less favourably compared to
their non-humanities counterparts. These findings may give insight to the
FES and other distance teaching institutions with a similar support system
into those aspects of students’ support services to improve on in order for
students to achieve the desired learning outcomes, irrespective of their
marital status and subjects they have registered for. | en |
