Factors influencing primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education: a case of Limuru district, Kiambu county

Abstract

This study focuses on the factors influencing primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education in Limuru District, Kiambu county. Three objectives guided this study. The first objective focused on the availability of school based programme and how it may influence primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education. The second objective investigated how availability of technology influences primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education. The third objective examined the influence of professional development on primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education. In order to study these objectives, a conceptual framework was used to enhance the understanding of the interplay of the factors that may influence primary school teachers' choice to pursue higher education. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was adopted as the research design. A sample size of 127 teachers was used as respondents out of a target population of 577 teachers. A questionnaire was employed as the research instrument .and pre-testing was conducted to determine its accuracy, clarity and suitability. Content validity was used to examine whether the instrument answered the research questions as intended. Instrument reliability was assessed using the results of piloting through testretest technique. Data collected was coded and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data collected was analyzed, interpreted and presented in form of tables. The study found out that most of the respondents prefer school based' programme to further their education. Most of the respondents also prefer online education and indicated that higher education would improve their teaching skills.