Home-School Communications and Pre-Primary School Learners’ Acquisition of Core CBC Competencies in Kisii County
Abstract
This paper presents findings from a study conducted in Kisii County, Kenya, aimed at examining the relationship between home-school communication and the acquisition of core competencies among pre-primary school learners. Acquiring these competencies in the early years is essential, as it lays a solid foundation for continued learning at higher levels of education. Despite global evidence indicating that many learners struggle to meet expected competencies at various educational levels. Limited research in the Kenyan context and particularly in Kisii County has focused on the role of parental involvement in supporting the acquisition of core competencies at the pre-primary level. Yet, effective acquisition of competencies during this stage is critical for learners’ academic success in both current and future educational levels. The study specifically sought to explore how home-school communication influences the acquisition of core competencies among learners in Pre-Primary two (PP2). Epstein’s (2005) theory of parental involvement provided the theoretical framework for the study. An ex post facto research design was adopted and implemented through a mixed methods approach. The study targeted a population of 702 public PP2 schools and along with 25,105 parents of PP2 learners. Through purposive, cluster, and stratified sampling techniques, the researcher selected a main sample referred as Set 1 comprising 248 teachers and 378 parents from whom quantitative data were sourced using questionnaires. Additionally, a sub-sample of 30 parents was drawn and organized into six focus groups of five participants each, providing qualitative data through Focus Group Discussions. The data collection instruments were pre-tested in two PP2 schools to ensure reliability and validity. Content validity and the split-half method were applied, resulting in a reliability correlation coefficient of 0.8. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using verbatim transcripts, while quantitative data were summarized and organized using descriptive statistics such as frequencies. To test the study's hypothesis, inferential statistics including Pearson Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis were employed to examine both the relationship and its strength between the independent and dependent variables. The results revealed a positive and statistically significant correlation between parental home-school communication and learners’ acquisition of core competencies (r = .639, n = 369, p < .01). Based on these findings, the study concluded that effective home-school communication significantly contributes to the development of CBC core competencies among PP2 learners. Consequently, the study recommends that key stakeholders in the education sector should create more opportunities for parental involvement in home-school communication. Furthermore, workshops should be organized to sensitize parents on how to effectively engage with school activities, thereby supporting improved acquisition of core competencies among young learners
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Copyright (c) 2025 Elijah Orangi Obunga, Teresa Bitengo Mwoma, PhD, Juliet W. Mugo, PhD
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