Factors influencing primary school teachers participation in higher education by distance learning mode: the case of Gem District, Siaya County, Nyanza, Kenya

Abstract

Higher education has become a matter of concern to all .Both institutions and people have opted to join and venture into the field in a bid to catch up with the EF A and millennium Development Goals (MDG). Universities and colleges offer both conventional and distance learning (DL) modes. Teachers have opted to join a number of these colleges .This may partly be attributed to the trends in the global market .

Currently, according to the minister for education; the government of Kenya is in the process of upgrading teacher certificate colleges to offer diploma certificates (The Standard Newspaper 29th, April 2011). At a time when competition appears stiff on both the modes with distance learning (DL) mode even threatening to surpass the conventional system, this study purposed to investigate the factors that influence primary school teachers participation in higher education through DL with particular reference to Gem District, Siaya County in Nyanza province of Kenya.

The research, descriptive in nature, used questionnaires to reach out to its participants namely, the participating primary school teachers within the six educational zones and two divisions of the district. Data in the DEO's office was sourced; The Constituency Development Office data was however not sourced. It was believed that the few respondents who benefited would respond candidly. The data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively using the correlation methods involving Pearson product moment coefficient and One Way AN OVA as well as the measures of central tendency.

The completed results show that each of the four factors studied had a significant influence on teachers' participation in Higher Education through the Distance Learning mode and conclusions to the same made. Findings revealed that socio -economic factors had the strongest influence on teachers' participation using the DL mode of 0.752 followed by the technological factors at 0.575 The need for the government of Kenya to give a clear policy on scholarships and sponsorships for ODL in Kenya alongside proper infrastructure were among the recommendations made. Three areas were suggested for further research.