PSYCHO-SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS AMONG TRAINEES IN TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES IN KENYA

Abstract

The under-representation of women in sports is a significant issue, with lower levels of participation evident in various studies. Despite this, there is limited research specifically addressing the psycho-social factors influencing female participation in sports among teacher trainees in Kenya. The main objective was to investigate the psycho-social determinants of female participation in sports among trainees in teacher training colleges in Kenya. The specific objectives were to: determine the types of sports participated in, investigate intrinsic factors that motivates female trainees to participate in the various sports, assess the social support available for female trainees to participate in sports, and assess the challenges female trainees face when participating in sports in teacher training colleges in Kenya. The study was based on the Socio-ecological Theory. The study targeted one (1) private and nineteen (19) public Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya. These colleges were organized into regions: the Rift Valley, Nyanza, Coast, Eastern, Western, Central and Nairobi. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted to conduct the research. The study target population was 672 female participants, whereas the sample size was 279, calculated using the sample determination table by Adam (2020). Structured questionnaires were administered to the respondents with the assistance of trained research assistants. In data analysis, SPSS version 25 was used to compute descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression. Analysis of collected data indicate that respondents engaged in various sports: Volleyball 81(28.0%), Netball 63(21.8%), Handball 43(14.9%), Soccer 40(13.8%), Hockey 32(11.1%) and Goalball 6(2.1%). Respondents completely agreed that they were intrinsically motivated to participate in sport (mean=5.1; standard deviation=1.15). Equally, (49.5%) of the respondents agreed that there was meaningful support from their families and peers (mean=3.9; S.D. =1.22). Key findings reveal that a number (57.8%) of female trainees faced significant challenges with inadequate training facilities, while 50.9% struggled with limited opportunities to compete in tournaments. Additionally, 69.9% encountered financial constraints. The study established that intrinsic motivation (S.D. =1.64) and social support from family and peers (S.D. =1.15) were statistically associated with female participation in sports (P=0.001). Multivariate linear regression revealed that intrinsic motivation was a strong predictor of female participation in sports, explaining 63.9% of the variance (R² = 0.639, p < 0.001). The most influential factors were enjoyment in discovering new strategies and alignment with principles, followed by integration into life and personal development. The study concluded that despite a high level of interest and motivation to participate, structural and systemic barriers impede female trainees’ full engagement in sports, such as gender stereotypes and societal attitudes (mean=3.3; S.D. =1.15) on female participation in sports. It is further concluded that strong social support systems, especially from family and peers (56.0%), are essential for sustaining female participation in sports, both recreationally and professionally. It is recommended that colleges should educate trainees on the benefits of diverse sports, including Table Tennis, to broaden their interest. This study recommended that institutions should implement programs that address motivational factors, such as workshops or seminars, which indicate the personal benefits of sports participation.