INFLUENCE OF HOME ENVIRONMENT ON STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

This study sought to determine the influence of home environment on students' participation in public day secondary schools in Makueni County. The study employed concurrent research design of mixed methods methodology. Target population was 250 principals, 380 Form 4 class teachers, 250 PA chair persons and 108 area chiefs. The sample size included 50 principals, 76 class teachers, 50 PA chairpersons and 20 chiefs, making a total of 196 research participants. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis and presented using frequency tables and graphs. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented using narratives. Descriptive statistics used were mainly mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics used were both correlation and regression analyses. Pearsons's correlation coefficient was used to determine association /correlation between home environment and student's participation in public day secondary schools in Makueni County. Bivariate regression analysis was used to show the influence of home environment on students' participation in public day secondary schools in Makueni County. The study established that home environment positively and significantly influenced students' participation in public day secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. Thus, the study concluded that home environment was a significant family-based determinant of students' participation in public day secondary schools in Makueni County. The study recommends that parents/guardians of students in public day secondary schools should strive to create favourable home environment where their children can learn without disruptions for instance, avoiding alcohol, drugs and substance abuse, solving conflicts in an amicable way and maintain family stability.