Parental influence on students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County. The objective of the study was to establish the parental influence on students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County. Related literature was reviewed that provided an overview of computer studies in secondary schools and findings from previous researches on factors which determine students’ choice of computer studies in public and private secondary schools in regard to the research objective. The study used mixed method research design. The study embraced purposive sampling and simple random sampling techniques to select the sample size of the computer studies students and parents. Data was collected through questionnaires and focus group discussion schedule. Data analysis was done by use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The audio recorded responses from the focus group discussion were organized into themes and integrated with rest of the data for purposes of triangulation. Data was presented in percentages, frequency distribution tables and verbatim quotations. The study established that parental factors influenced students’ choice of computer studies in both public and private secondary schools though with some variations; and that most of the students in both public and private secondary schools were guided by their parents on their choice of computer studies. The study recommended that parents need to make follow up in order to establish whether their children choose subjects in line with the courses they have been aspiring to pursue. This was due to the finding that in private secondary schools the directors determine the school curriculum. In view of this paper, computer studies should be made compulsory for all the students in the Kenyan education system.