CAUSES OF GENDER DISPARITIES IN ECDE TEACHING PROFESSION: A CASE OF ELDORET MUNICIPALITY UASIN GISHU COUNTY

By Prisca

A PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE AIC TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A KNEC DIPLOMA IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DE ELOPMENT EDUCATION

JUNE !"#$ DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work towards the Diploma Early Childhood Education Development and that to the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other Diploma, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Priscah !tudent "ame

. !ignature Date

S%&'r(is') *y: #r. !upervisor$s "ame . !ignature Date

DEDICATION Dedicated to my beloved family members who have supported me throughout my studies. %hank you for your support, the well wishes and the prayers. I love you all.

I am grateful to #r.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..my supervisor. &e has been patient and kind in guiding

me through the study. &e also offered me constructive criticisms, encouragement and useful suggestions. I have learnt a lot from him. #y sincere thanks go to my extended and nuclear family and my respondent teachers in ECDE institutions enormous contributions in diverse ways in making this study a success. #y profound gratitude goes to the 'IC %echnical %raining Institute, which offered me admission to make my studies up to this level a reality.

ABSTRACT %his study will investigate the gender disparities in the ECDE teaching profession in (asin )ishu County, *enya. Early Childhood Development Education +ECDE, globally and *enya in particular has been recogni-ed as a crucial programme that lays a foundation for a child$s holistic and integrated education that meets the cognitive, social, moral, spiritual, emotional, physical and developmental needs. %he purpose of this paper is will be to analy-e the gender disparity issues facing ECDE teaching profession in *enya. %eacher$s gender has been a topic of discussion for most of the past two centuries. )ender plays a decisive role in how the teacher defines their profession. #ost societies prescribe different activities and characteristics for male and females which come to be seen as natural by the people involved. )ender stereotypes are cultural constructions. )ender disparity in the pre.school teaching profession and femini-ation of the profession has been a common practice world over. In *enya, there is an emergent trend of men training as professionals in Early Childhood Development Education but they are underrepresented. %he research sample will comprise of /0 pre.school in.service teachers, students and administrators in ECDE Centres in (asin )ishu County. %he research methodology will be 1uantitative. %he sampling techni1ue to be used will be !imple 2andom !ampling. %his will enable easy management of data and drawing of general conclusion on the problem under study. %he instrument to be used will be 1uestionnaires for head teachers and ECDE teachers and a check list for each ECDE centre. %he data will be analy-ed and presented inform of tables and percentages. %his study hopes to reveal that culture is the main determinant of femini-ation of pre.school teaching profession. #en are getting interested in pre.school education but to perform administrative duties not necessarily to teach. %he study will recommend that the thinking among members of the society that ECDE teaching is for a particular gender should be demystified to remove the disparities among the two genders. TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE #+" INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the background to the study is given, a statement of the research problem is made, the ob3ectives of the study are spelt out, research 1uestions are posed4 the significance of the study captured, followed by the scope and limitations of the study. #+# BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Early Childhood Development Education being the first formal agent of sociali-ation +*ibera 5 *imokoti, 6007, calls the attention of all stakeholders to critically address the challenges related to issues of access, e1uity, 1uality and relevance of ECDE programmes. %he inclusion of men in early childhood programs has garnered considerable attention over the years. %his interest is due to three related trends8 9, the lack of men:usually fathers:in the lives of many young children, 6, the dearth of men in the early childhood field, and ;, an increased interest in father involvement in early childhood programs. <hile almost everyone agrees with the need to get men involved in the lives of young children, solutions to this dilemma are few and far between. Early childhood programs and schools, serve children and people from a variety of racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds. 's *ay !anders so accurately points out, =%hey +men, enter a -one of difference when they take early childhood classes and when they are hired to work with young children> +6006, p ?@,. %his cultural conflict can result in men experiencing a sense of difference and isolation on a daily basis. %he field of early childhood is an overwhelmingly female one +!anders, 6006,. %his belief is because in most cultures, including *enya, women have been charged with the responsibility of raising children, both in the home and in collective approaches +<ardle, 600?,. #ales bring more play, active movement, entertainment, and rough and tumble play to the way they interact with their own children and the way they interact with children in a program +Aagan, 9BB/4 Parke, 9BB/4 Camb, 6000,. Early childhood programs are used to working with mothers and not fathers +#ukuna, 600D,. Due to the need to achieve social competence, a school needs to provide an atmosphere for holistic development of the child. %he pre.school teachers are expected to continue providing warmth, tender touches, instruct children and symboli-e authority, strength and security. &owever due to femini-ation of the pre. school profession, there is a great gender imbalance leading to concerns and calls for male participation. Aemini-ation of the teachers$ workforce in ECDE was one of the most profound transformations

because women were willing to work for less pay than men because they had fewer employments opportunities. <omen were also said to be nurturing than men and were viewed as most suitable for basic education. <omen are docile, dutiful, obedient workers of male dominated administrative positions +Eohnson, 9BDB,. Fradley +9BDB, adds that =teaching of children was seen as a natural part of motherhood.> #any educators as well as the public share these beliefs. It is therefore feared in *enya that boys are likely to lack the experience of men who are caring and nurturing and will learn early in life that child caring is not for men. &owever, only male early childhood teachers who actively challenge traditional gender power structures are likely to challenge children$s traditional and limiting construction of gender. )old and 2eis +9BD6, posit that male and female teachers differ in their characters. Children value their contact with males other than female teachers. It is against this background that this study is hinged. #+! STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Education as a 2ight to every person is fundamental to the success of the government$s overall development strategy. It aims at enhancing the ability of the *enyans to preserve and utili-e the environment for production gain and sustainable livelihood, develop 1uality human resource and development, and development and protection of democratic institution and human rights +2epublic of *enya, 600@ !essional Paper "o 9,. ' fundamental relationship with both men and women to a principle in child development underpinning early childhood practice is that children need stable, nurturing to develop strong gender identities. #ore than /0G of the young children in the !ub.!aharan 'frica have non.parental care during most parts of their day. It is of serious concern that less than @G of the early childhood workforce is comprised of males. %he low wages typically paid to early childhood teachers is often cited as the reason for this under. representation +#ukuna, 600D,. &owever, this explanation only partly explains the phenomena as there are numerous low paying occupations in which both men and women are employed. Aactors that have led to gender imbalance in the ECDE programmes in *enya are not clear. %his research study endeavored to find out whether or not the gender imbalance is as a result of low salaries, gender stereotyping or other. ' research of this nature and empirical findings in *enya is yet to be done.

#+$

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

%his research is intended to find out the gender disparities in the ECDE teaching profession within Eldoret in (asin )ishu County. %his is driven by the fact that there is need to establish the causes of these disparities in order to help minimi-e them in future and give a more balanced outlook to the profession. %he study will also help to establish whether culture plays any role in the disparities4 whether wages and salaries paid make any contribution to these disparities and what other issues affect the ECDE teaching profession. %he study findings will be used to make recommendations that will be useful both to those in the area and scope of the study as well as the #inistry of education, who will find it useful in making decisions that, affect the ECDE teaching profession both now and in the future. #+, OBJECTI ES OF THE STUDY

%he overall ob3ective of this research is to identify causes of gender disparities in ECDE teaching profession. SPECIFIC OBJECTI ES: In other to achieve the overall ob3ective of the research the study will attempt the following8 9. %o investigate whether culture is a cause of gender disparity in ECDE teaching profession. 6. %o investigate whether negative perception of ECDE teaching profession causes gender disparities. ;. %o explore whether low wages contribute to gender disparities in ECDE teaching profession. ?. %o investigate whether child upbringing plays a role in gender disparities in ECDE teaching profession. #+RESEARCH QUESTIONS %his study will be guided by the following research 1uestions4 9. <hat are the commonly held perceptions regarding the gender of prospective teachers in preschool

6. <hat are the commonly held perceptions regarding the role of male and female teachers in ECDEH ;. Do low wages contribute to gender disparities in ECDE teaching professionH ?. Does child upbringing play a role in gender disparity in ECDE teaching professionH

#+.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Education as a process that starts with the care and education of young children and continuing through lifelong learning is central to individual empowerment, the elimination of poverty at household and community level, and broader social and economic development. Early Childhood Development Education +ECDE, programmes play a crucial role in laying the foundation for further education and character formation. %hey provide children with a fairer and better start in life. %his research is thus intended to find the reasons for gender disparities in the ECDE teaching profession. %he study findings will be beneficial to schools8 parents, leaders and education administrators and government in investigating and mobili-ing resources to assist in the ECDE teaching profession, by ensuring that the gender disparities is minimi-ed in the future. %he study will also form a basis for future research in which the scholars can use this research findings to advance and improve the understanding on the topic of study. #+/ LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Certain limitations will be encountered at the course of conducting this study. Ine of the greatest challenges that the researcher will encounter in this study relates to access to and collection of hard data due to extreme data gaps situations in the town. %his will compel the researcher to limit the study to only a few of the ECDE centres. 'nother limitation of this study relates to time, funds and logistics constraints, which will limit the intensity of the spread or area of coverage of the study. ECDE centres are spread throughout the length and breadth of Eldoret but the research will only cover a certain percentage of them. %he researcher will also be faced with some respondents who fail to complete 1uestionnaire give to them and this limits the number of respondents who were involved in the study despite the researcher$s efforts and approaches to explain the potential benefits of the study to them.

#+0 D'1i2i3a3i45s 46 37' s3%)y %he study will only visit about five sampled pre.schools although there are many pres.schools in (asin )ishu County due to lack of time and finances.

CHAPTER ! !+" LITERATURE RE IEW !+# INTRODUCTION Citerature 2eview means the work that a researcher consults in order to understand and investigate the research problem. It is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. It is a critical look at the existing research that is significant to the work that the researcher will be carrying. It involves examining documents such as books, maga-ines, 3ournals and dissertations that have a bearing on the study being concluded +*ombo and %romp, 600/,. !+# ECDE GLOBAL BACKGROUND %he (nited !tates and its government have long been concerned with the welfare of its youngest citi-ens. In 9B0B, the first <hite &ouse Conference on Children was called to address government planning relative to the protection of the nation$s children +Feck, 9BB/,. 'lthough =nurseries> for young children were in operation as early as the 9D@0s, the initiative to educate young children took shape in the first half of the 9Dth century with pioneers like #aria #ontessori advocating the importance of the early years for later development +!podek, !aracho,5 Davis, 9BD7,. %he early 60th century also saw the rise of behaviorism. Eohn <atson +9B9B,, a prominent behaviorist, argued that not only was an individual$s future behavior predictable from his or her previous experiences, but that human behavior could be molded and changed by the surrounding environment. Fy the 9B/0s, few developmental psychologists maintained strict adherence to behaviorism. &owever, <atson added fuel to an ongoing debate about the relative contributions that genetic heritage +nature, and environmental experiences +nurture, make to an individual$s behavior and traits. !+! Ear1y C7i1)744) E)%ca3i45 i5 K'5ya 'lthough in *enya and 'frica, institutionali-ed pre.school education is relatively a new phenomenon in general Early Childhood Education +ECDE, itself was not a new phenomenon in our society. In the *enyan traditional societies, children in ECD receive ade1uate care, stimulation and sociali-ation from parents and other community members. Intellectual needs were also met through stories, riddles and games 3ust to mention but a few. Institutionali-ation of preschool education is a byproduct of coloni-ation +*enya Institute of

Education, 9BB6,. 's a colony many changes happened in the social, cultural and economic set up of communities that affected the way children were sociali-ed giving birth to institutionali-ed pre.school education. %he forces that influenced the commencement and development of ECDE in *enya to its current status trace its roots in the colonial period. Early Childhood Development Education +ECDE, programmes play a crucial role in laying the foundation for further education and character formation. %hey provide children with a fairer and better start in life. 'ccording to the *enya Institute of Education +*IE, 600B Early Childhood Care, Development and Education +ECCDE, seek to develop the whole child. Pre.school plays a central role in establishing 1uality development of an individual +#waura, 600B,. Education as a process that starts with the care and education of young children and continuing through lifelong learning is central to individual empowerment, the elimination of poverty at household and community level, and broader social and economic development. 'll young children must be nurtured in safe and caring environments that allow them to become healthy, alert, and secure and be able to learn +2epublic of *enya, 600@a,. Early Childhood Development Education interventions are significant in the social and economic development of a country. 's argued in *enya$s !essional Paper no. @, given the biological, intellectual and psychosocial significance of early childhood on children and the potential economic and social benefits at family, community and national levels, 1uality early childhood interventions are a mark of hope to health development of the country$s citi-ens +2epublic of *enya, 600/b,. 'rguably, in the wake of Education for 'll +EA', +("E!CI, 9BB0, and later declarations i.e. #illennium Development )oals +#D)! 6000,, *enya$s Jision 60;0 notwithstanding +)I*, 600;, children from low. income households who access ECDE services will be more likely to enroll in primary school at the right age and they will be less likely to drop out of school or repeat grades. %here is also a high probability that these children will have improved school performance and cognitive abilities than those who do not attend ECDE. %wenty percent of *enya$s population belongs to this age +0.@, of childhood development +2epublic of *enya +600/a,. In a continuing longitudinal study on the benefits of pre.school programmes, !chweinhert, Farnes and <eikart, 9BB; as 1uoted by #waura, +600B,, concluded that ECCD development can significantly reduce educational and social wastage.

Early Childhood Development Education +ECDE, globally and *enya in particular has been recogni-ed as a crucial programme that lays a foundation for a child$s holistic and integrated education that meets the cognitive, social, moral, spiritual, emotional, physical and developmental needs. %he purpose of this paper is to analy-e the current issues facing ECDE in *enya. Currently, ECDE is under the care of parents, community, non.governmental organi-ations +")I,, religious organi-ations and other private providers +#IE!%, 600@,. %his paper is based on the premise as stipulated in the (nited "ations Educational !cientific and Cultural Irgani-ation +("E!CI, declaration on Education for 'll +EA', by 609@. Early Childhood Development Education being the first formal agent of sociali-ation +*ibera 5 *imokoti, 6007, calls the attention of all stakeholders to critically address the challenges related to issues of access, e1uity, 1uality and relevance of ECDE programmes. &owever, the private sector seems to have monopoli-ed most of the ECDE centers compared to the government. %hus, the public education sector opportunities for ECDE are lacking, yet available data shows that at later formal education i.e. primary schools, public education cater for well over B0G of *enya$s school going age. ECDE '"D )E"DE2 %eacher$s gender has been a topic of discussion for most of the past two centuries. )ender pays a decisive role in how the teacher defines their profession. #ost societies prescribe different activities and characteristics for male and females which come to be seen as natural by the people involved. )ender stereotypes are cultural constructions. Debora Cameroon +9BBD, states that gender is not merely a biological divide but is a social construct. It is culturally created by the engagement in communication of those involved. %his means that male teachers in ECDE are perceived to be women because culturally child care is the domain of women. <omen are expected to do lower cadre 3obs as a social construct. #en in ECDE are therefore taking the women$s position. Early childhood programs and schools, serve children and people from a variety of racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds. 's *ay !anders so accurately points out, =%hey +men, enter a -one of difference when they take early childhood classes and when they are hired to work with young children> +6006, p ?@,. %his cultural conflict can result in men experiencing a sense of difference and isolation on a daily basis. %he field of early childhood is

an overwhelmingly female one +!anders, 6006,. &ow does this create a female culture, beyond the obviousH !ome indications are8 #any people in and out of the early childhood field deeply believe that women are naturally predisposed to caring for young children, and men are not +"eugebauer, 9BBB4 !anders, 60064 Cunningham and Dorsey, 600?,. %his belief is because in most cultures, including *enya, women have been charged with the responsibility of raising children, both in the home and in collective approaches +<ardle, 600?,. #ales bring more play, active movement, entertainment, and rough and tumble play to the way they interact with their own children and the way they interact with children in a program +Aagan, 9BB/4 Parke, 9BB/4 Camb, 6000,. <hile some female teachers are also very active and physical, many are not +Aagan, 9BB/,. I believe this male approach challenges the way many early childhood programs operate8 1uiet, sedentary activities that create a minimum of mess +<ardle, 600?,. Early childhood programs are used to working with mothers and not fathers +#ukuna, 600D,. <hat adds to this reality is that there are far more single.female headed households than male. headed households for a variety of legal and cultural reasons. Aurther, as already suggested, the significant male in the child$s life may not be the biological father. 'll of these factors make it much easier for program staff to work closely with the child$s mother and simply ignore the father or other significant men in the child$s life. <omen are more comfortable working with women. 'lso some indication that there is a certain level of tension between men and women exists in early childhood programs due partly to the number of single mothers in our field who resent the lack of support from their own children$s fathers +#ukuna,600D,. !anders +6006, suggest that all male early childhood teachers have to defend their choice of a profession to family, friends, and female teachers in their own profession. Clearly, some women teachers have more trouble relating to fathers than to mothers and to male colleagues rather than female colleagues +"eugebaurer, 9BBB4 #ukuna, 600D,. Due to the need to achieve social competence, a school needs to provide an atmosphere for holistic development of the child. %he pre.school teachers are expected to continue providing warmth, tender touches, instruct children and symboli-e authority, strength and security. &owever due to femini-ation of the pre. school profession, there is a great gender imbalance leading to concerns and calls for male participation. Aemini-ation of the teachers$ workforce in ECDE was one of the most profound transformations because women were willing to work for

less pay than men because they had fewer employments opportunities. <omen were also said to be nurturing than men and were viewed as most suitable for basic education. <omen are docile, dutiful, obedient workers of male dominated administrative positions +Eohnson, 9BDB,. Fradley +9BDB, adds that =teaching of children was seen as a natural part of motherhood.> #any educators as well as the public share these beliefs. It is therefore feared in *enya that boys are likely to lack the experience of men who are caring and nurturing and will learn early in life that child caring is not for men. %oday, there is an upsurge of men training in diploma and degree programs in *enya as ECDE professional. #ost of them have been interested in ECDE as administrators but not as caregivers of children. %he socio. cultural orientations, political and economic structures entrench gender roles +#ac "aughton and "ewman, 6009,. Community is uneasy and suspicious about men who choose to work with young children in preference to entering higher status and better paid occupations. !ociety refers to them as men who have not got their gender right +Kelland and )rieshaber, 9BBD,. 's such they are unlikely to be agents of gender reform. Arom this perspective, the presence of more men in ECDE would do very little to change existing dominant gender views. 'nother school of thought assumes that a higher male participation rate will benefit the early childhood profession, first by enhancing its status and the status of these within the profession +Cyons et. al, 600;,, and secondly by improving workplace dynamics and staff relationships +Eensen, 9BBD,. &owever, this nation is critici-ed because when men enter female dominated professions they 1uickly rise to more highly paid administrative positions +#urray, 9BB/,. Aurther male teachers$ presence in ECDE programs could help to compensate for the absence or marginality of men in many children$s home lives as a conse1uence of singleLparent family structures or long working hours +Eensen, 9BB/,. %he male teachers induct boys into masculinity +#ac"aughton and "ewman, 6009,. #oreover, there are essential gender differences between boys and girls. 'ccordingly, male early childhood teachers are more able than their female counterparts to identify with and respond effectively to boys because they share an essential masculinity and an understanding of boys$ perspectives and experience +Eensen 9BB/,. %he current gender imbalance in ECDE programmes in *enya is therefore to the detriment of boys.

Children will benefit from the participation of men in early childhood education if the men involved can counter children sex.stereotypes views about *enya. &owever, only male early childhood teachers who actively challenge traditional gender power structures are likely to challenge children$s traditional and limiting construction of gender. )old and 2eis +9BD6, posit that male and female teachers differ in their characters. Children value their contact with males other than female teachers. 2esearcher !arah Aar1uhar, of Child forum 2esearch www.childforum.com outlined to the conference some of the arguments as to why we need more men in the workforce teaching and caring for children in these formative years. Airst, she argues, society has moved on and men are now more actively engaged in caring for their children with an increasing number taking over as the main caregiver as their partners choose to work fulltime. %he absence of men in early childhood centers also means young children may be missing out on any substantial contact with male role models. Aor children in single parent families, that could mean they have virtually no contact with men at all. !arah Aar1uhar also argues that while the early childhood sector, like other sectors of society, stresses non.sexist behaviors, attitudes and choices of play, the composition of the workforce is failing to Mpractice what it teaches. Aar1uhar also blames the preponderance of women in the early childhood sector for holding back pay rates for so long, although the recent move to pay e1uity with the primary education sector has now pushed those rates up. Down at the kindergarten, men involved in early childhood teaching strongly believe in the role both men and women play in educating the underfivesM+Aar1uhar, 6007,. CHAPTER THREE $+" $+# RESEARCH METHODOLOGY I53r4)%c3i45

%he chapter outlines the research approach adopted for the study, the sample frame and how sample si-e was determined, sampling techni1ue4 tools used for data collection, data analysis as well as data sources. %his section finally described how field data was made suitable for presentation and analysis and the tools used for data presentation and also describe the study area. . It therefore gives an explanation and 3ustification of the various methods used in conducting the research study.

%he methodology in any study is very important as it links theory with practice. It guides the researcher in collecting evidence in the real world. #bwambo +600@, argues that a proper research design shows that the researcher not only understands the true problem but also knows the right course of action towards a valid solution. $+! R's'arc7 D'si85

%he area of study will be Eldoret %own in (asin )ishu County, *enya. %he population to be studied will comprise of ECDE teachers and students and Centre administrators. %his will form the population that will be interviewed and served with 1uestionnaires. %his study will adopt a 1uantitative approach. Kin +9BB?, argues that the choice of a research strategy should be determined by the nature of the particular research 1uestion posed. %he 1uestionnaires will be used to collect data and interviews will be done where possible. In addition to primary data, secondary data sources will also be utili-ed in the study. %his information will be collected from both published and unpublished materials including books, 3ournals, reports, papers, and articles. %hese will form part of the literature review. $+$ Tar8'3 P4&%1a3i45

%he unit of analysis in this study will be ECDE centres in Eldoret, (asin )ishu County. %he researcher will utili-e different sources of information in determining the population for this study. Fasically, Centre administrators, ECDE teachers and ECDE students in ECDE Centres will be used as the population for the study. Ta*1' $+# Tar8'3 P4&%1a3i45 S3ra3a Centre 'dministrators ECDE %eachers ECDE !tudents %otals !ource8 'uthor +609;, $+, Sa2&1' S'1'c3i45 a5) Sa2&1' Si9' Tar8'3 &4&%1a3i45 90 B0 600 ;00

%he researcher will use stratified and then random sampling method to divide the population into different strata. 'ccording to *othari +9BBB,, an optimum sample is one that fulfils the re1uirements of efficiency, representativeness, reliability and flexibility. %he sample si-e selected is considered large enough to use powerful statistic and to generali-e results to the population +Eohn Creswell, 6006,. Examples of the key informants will be the ECDE teachers, Centre administrators and students. !ampling is the random selection of a smaller amount from a particular population and using it to represent the whole population. %he sample will be selected in such a way to ensure that certain population will be represented in the study. %his method will enable the researcher to capture all the intended informants from the ma3or regardless of their si-e. ;0G of the target population will be used to get the sample si-e of 960 respondents from all the strata. %his will be done in order to obtain sufficient and reliable data. 'ccording to #ugenda and #ugenda +9BBB,, when dealing with heterogeneous, that is the population with different characteristics, the sample si-e should be at least ;0G of the total population so as to capture variability in the population. Ta*1' $+! Sa2&1' Si9' a5) Sa2&1' D'si85 S3ra3a Centre 'dministrators ECDE %eachers ECDE !tudents T43a1 Tar8'3 P4&%1a3i45 90 B0 600 $"" Sa2&1i58 Pr4c')%r' ;0G of 90 ;0G of B0 ;0G of 600 Sa2&1i58 SI:E ; 67 /0 ;"

$+-

Da3a C411'c3i45 I5s3r%2'53s

In carrying out research, investigators use methods that provide accuracy, generali-ation, and with administrative convenience +<arwick and Cininger, 9B7@,. %he process of data collection in each method is explained below4 $+-+# I53'r(i'<s !emi.structured interviews will come in handy in obtaining information. %he researcher will

prepare a checklist of key areas that she wishes to learn about. %he interview structure will be made flexible to allow the follow up of points of interest and ask new 1uestions that arose as the discussion continues. $+-+! Q%'s3i455air's Nuestionnaires with a series of 1uestions will also be used. %hese will be served to the selected or sampled out respondents. %he 1uestionnaires will either be classified in terms of 1uestions used that are closed or opened ended 1uestions. %he researcher will prefer using open ended 1uestionnaires since it yields more information because of its greater depth of response and it stimulates a person to think more about the topic of interest. Considering the possible low responses to the 1uestionnaire survey +Jeal 9BBD,, efforts will be made during the 1uestionnaire design process in order to attract more responses. !uch efforts will include keeping the statements simple and easy to understand4 controlling the number of statements to a minimum but sufficient level. #oreover, a cover letter will be enclosed to encourage participations. %he letter will highlight the guarantee of participants$ anonymity, the freedom to withdraw at any time, the rationale of the study and the potential benefits they might get from the outcomes of the present study. $+. Pi143 T's3i58 46 37' I5s3r%2'53 's suggested by Ippenheim +9BB6, and Oikmund +9BB?, who argued the significance of pre.test in a 1uestionnaire survey, a pilot survey will be conducted using a group of convenient samples. %his is aimed at detecting problems in the 1uestionnaire design and see if the 1uestionnaire has an easy.to.follow layout, clear instruction, understandable statements, easy to answering, comfortable time to complete the 1uestionnaire and generally to give the respondents a chance to propose several constructive suggestions for further improvement. %he proposed 1uestionnaire items will be submitted to colleagues, supervisors, and a limited number of teachers and students for reviews and comments. %he initial assessment will be done where the researcher will review and summari-e the existing data, information and knowledge about computer pro3ects. %his will reveal gaps in existing knowledge suggest what extra information will be needed and stimulate new ideas. It will also produce useful background information to complement the researcher$s later findings. Aollowing the suggested modifications and improvements, a specific number of items will be selected and included in the 1uestionnaire survey.

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a1i)i3y 46 37' I5s3r%2'53

Jalidity refers to the degree to which a test actually measures the variable it claims to measure. Jalidity is the accuracy and meaningfulness of inferences, which are based on the research results. Jalidity is the degree to which results obtained from the analysis of the data actually represent the phenomenon under study +#ugenda and #ugenda, 9BBB,' test is valid if it measures what it claims to measure +*oul, 9BD/,. Consistent with the existing research the reliability coefficient will be measured when all the items are included in a single 1uestionnaire and necessary comparison will be made, another important aspect of 1uestionnaire development is validity assessment +Churchill 9B7B, )erbing and 'nderson 9BDD,, the 1uestion is whether this 1uestionnaire will measure what it purports to measure. %his will be the basis for testing the 1uestionnaire validity. $+0 R'1ia*i1i3y 46 37' I5s3r%2'53s ' data collection instrument must be reliable. %hat means it must have the ability of constituently yielding the same result when repeated measurements are taken on individuals under the same condition +Areeman 9B/@8//,. 2eliability is a measure of the degree to which a research instrument yields consistent results or data after repeated trials +#ugenda and #ugenda, 9BBB,. 2eliability of a test is the accuracy of the scores that are free of errors. %he researcher will undertake to ensure that the research instruments are reliable. $+; Da3a C411'c3i45 Pr4c')%r' %he researcher will obtain a list of ECDE Centres from the #inistry of Education from the District Education Iffice +Eldoret East and Eldoret <est District,. %his will make easy the identification and facilitate simple random sampling procedures. Nuestionnaires will then be administered +to informants, during the official working hours. Informants will be interviewed so as to obtain their feelings about the ECDE teaching profession. Interviews will be scheduled with the Centre administrators to get an in depth understanding of the issue of gender disparities in ECDE teaching profession. Confidentiality will be assured to the respondents. $+#" Da3a A5a1ysis T'c75i=%' Data analysis refers to examining what has been collected in a survey and making deductions and inferences +*ombo and %romp, 600/,. It will not be feasible to carry out a 1uantitative analysis of all the responses in the study because in.depth interview method will be used where

specific framing of the 1uestion will vary from interview to interview. Foth 1uantitative and 1ualitative +descriptive, methods of data analysis will be used. Nuantitative analysis will be used in the interpretation and analysis of data represented in graphs, pie.charts and tables. Coding will be used to assign the collected data with numerical values where the response rate of each respondent$s category will be determined. %he respective response rates in each category will be added together to present the total response rates. Coding will ensure efficient analysis since it reduces the gathered data into small number of classes which will contain the most important information. !P!! Jersion 9/ +!P!! Inc. 6009, will be used as the ma3or software package for statistical analysis. #icrosoft Iffice Excel +#icrosoft Inc. 600;, will be used to reorgani-e the output from !P!! and to produce tables and figures. %his will contribute towards coming up with information, which will be presented through the use of charts and graphs for proper tabulation and 1ualitative analysis. %he use of percentages will also make it easier for the researcher to interpret and analy-e data for better understanding. Pie charts, graphs and tables will be used to represent data. $+## E37ica1 C45si)'ra3i45s "ecessary ethical concerns will be catered for by ensuring that the relevant authorities are informed and permission to carry out the research is obtained. Consideration will be give to the fact that the research has limitations due to intrusion in the privacy and concerns of informants involved. 'ssurance will be given on the fact that the information given will not be used for other purposes other than for the research.