A COMPARISON OF ACADEMIC OUTPUTS AND SOCIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES BETWEEN HOME AND CONVENTIONALLY SCHOOLED LEARNERS UNDER THE ACCELERATED CHRISTIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN KENYA

Abstract

Education plays a pivotal role in fostering national unity, addressing social issues, and driving economic development. The Sustainable Development Goals number four, underscore the significance of quality education, with specific emphasis on ensuring access to primary and secondary education for all. In this regard, the study compared conventional schooling and home schooling in Kenya, where homeschooling provides education at home under the tutelage and direction of the parent while conventional schooling does the same but in a classroom environment under the tutelage of a professional teacher. This is because, Kenya has embraced the goal of universal access to basic education, particularly through a policy of 100 percent transition from primary to secondary school. However, this policy, while laudable, raises concerns regarding the exclusive focus on conventional schooling, with severe repercussions for noncompliance. The purpose of this study was to compare the academic learning outputs and social learning outcomes between home-schooled and conventionally schooled learners enrolled in the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) programme. The study adopted a causal-comparative research design. Data were collected in Nairobi County from ACEK centers and conventional ACE schools. A total of 63 conventionally schooled and 37 home-schooled learners in grade 9 were sampled using a two-stage cluster random sampling method that involved sampling the two categories of schools in the first stage and the individual learners in the second. All parents of sampled learners constituted the parental study group. The research employed independent samples t-tests to compare academic learning outputs and Mann-Whitney U tests for social learning outcomes, focusing on self-control, persistence, and social competence. The study revealed no statistically significant difference in mathematics learning outputs between home-schooled and conventionally schooled learners (t (98) = -0.638, p = .525). Similarly, social studies learning outputs showed marginal differences but were not statistically significant (t (98) = -0.239, p = .812). However, there was a significant difference in English learning outputs between the two groups (t (98) = - 2.395, p = .019). Additionally, no significant differences was observed in social learning outcomes, between the home-schooled and conventionally schooled learners. The findings indicate that home-schooled learners can achieve learning output in Maths that are comparable to their conventionally schooled counterparts. Homeschooling exhibited a slight advantage in enhancing skills in English language. Social studies learning outcomes were similar in both settings, highlighting the effectiveness of homeschooling in delivering this subject. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in social learning outcomes, emphasizing the equal potential of learners in both settings. This study contributes valuable insights into the homeschooling landscape in Kenya that homeschooling can yield comparable academic outputs and social learning outcomes. Policymakers should consider accommodating diverse learning approaches in this country. In view of the foregoing, there is need for further research to explore the broader implications of these findings in the Kenyan educational system.