INFLUENCE OF HUNDRED PERCENT TRANSITION POLICY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT OF LEARNERS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BUTULA SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Studies conducted globally have demonstrated that there are specific variables that are essential for the provision of high-quality education. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the impact of the one hundred percent (100%) Transition Policy on the psychological adjustment of students in public secondary institutions in Butula Sub-County, Kenya.The study objectives were to: establish the influence of 100 percent transition policy on learners’ self-esteem.; determine extent to which influence of 100 percent transition policy has influenced learner’s anxiety and establish how influence of 100 percent transition policy has influenced learner’s resilience. The study which was guided by Resilience Theory by Norman Garmezy adopted descriptive survey research design. The target population of 3235 comprised of 1 Sub County Director of Education, 28 public secondary school principals, and 3206 students. Stratified, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample size of 311 participants. The data collection instruments consisted of an interview schedule, questionnaires, and an observation guide. A pilot study was conducted in two schools within the study area to guarantee the instrument's reliability and validity. Test retest methodology was applied by the researcher to evaluate the instruments' reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics were implemented to analyse quantitative data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Themes and patterns that corresponded to the research questions were organized, and qualitative data obtained from personal interviews and open-ended queries were analysed qualitatively through content analysis. Based on the results of descriptive analysis of quantitative data, self-esteem as a component of psychological adjustment yielded 60% of students who were in agreed that they had much to be proud of as students. Similarly, approximately 59% of the students strongly agreed with the idea that they had much self-respect for themselves and also other students. Opinions related to anxiety was yet another construct under psychological-adjustment had over 57% of the selected students holding the opinion that it was not typical of them to put off doing school work simply because it stressed them. Additionally, descriptive analysis related to resilience revealed that over 51 of the students felt confident and secure in their position at school. With regard to implementation of 100%. transition policy, over 53% of the students indicated that high admission rate affected their sense of belongingness; alongside 48% who admitted that the schools had provided the specific strategies in response to the social needs of each gender in the face of increasing student population. From the results of simple linear regression analysis, it was revealed that the regression coefficient for the regression coefficient for the relationship between student population and learners’ anxiety was β = .139. Conversely, negative relationship was exhibited for the relationship between implementation of 100% transition policy and self-esteem β” = -.694, Similarly, negative relationship was exhibited between implementation of 100% transition policy learner’s resilience, β = -.898. However, none of the regression exhibited the statistical significance at 5% level leading to failure to reject the null hypotheses. The results of this study could be valuable to education stakeholders in several areas. Educational planners might utilize it as a reference to distribute funding for the expansion of school infrastructure in public schools. The study's findings can be utilized by education policy makers to tackle issues of educational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study recommends that schools to provide adequate guiding and counselling for the students to mitigate the adverse effects of psychological adjustment such as anxiety, and the need for secondary school management to put in place mechanisms of ensuring improved resilience of the learners