INSTITUTIONAL AND STUDENT RELATED FACTORS AND DOCTORAL STUDIES COMPLETION RATES IN EDUCATION AT SELECTED PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA Samuel Kankuko Rong’uno A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Administration University of Nairobi 2016 DECLARATION This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a Degree in any other university. ………………………………………… Samuel K. Rong’uno E96/82542/2011 This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as university supervisors. …………………………………………… Prof. Winston J. Akala Department of Educational Administration and Planning University of Nairobi ……………………………………………….. Dr. Ursulla Okoth Senior Lecturer Department of Educational Administration and Planning University of Nairobi ii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my loving children Bernard Kipkosgei, Robert Kiptoo Dorothy Jebiwott as well as my dear wife Rodah Ronguno. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My sincere appreciation goes to my supervisors, Professor Winston Akala and Dr Ursulla Okoth for their tireless guidance and mentorship during my thesis writing process. Their regular inspiration and encouragement energized my effort and ambition to accomplish this task within a reasonable period of time. My appreciation extends to the lecturers in the Department of Education Administration and Planning cum the entire School of Education. Dr. Jeremiah M. Kalai and Dr. Grace Nyagah kept on encouraging me to work hard every time we meet. Their encouragement motivated my effort to complete it in good time. Similar appreciation goes to the Deputy Vice Chancellors (Academic, Research and Extension); University of Nairobi, Moi and Kenyatta Universities for granting me permission to collect data in their respective institutions. Further appreciation goes to the Deans, Heads of Departments, Lecturers, Administrators, Secretariat and the Doctoral candidates of the respective universities for according me the necessary support I needed in providing data. My thanks extend further to the County Commissioners and County Directors of Education- Nairobi and Uasin Gishu Counties for allowing me to carry out this study in their counties. I equally appreciate Dr. Joseph Kandie and the entire staff of Kisii University- Kabarnet Campus for their supportive encouragement. I am grateful to my wife Rodah and children Bernard, Robert and Dorothy. Also members of the entire wider family, relatives, friends and neighbors for their moral support throughout the entire thesis writing process. iv TABLE OF CONTENT Content Page Title Page………………………………………………………………………………i Declaration…………………………………………………………………………….ii Dedication…………………………………………………………………...………..iii Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………..……..iv Table of content……………………………………………………………….………v List of tables………………………….……………………………………………….ix List of figurers…………………………………………………………………….…..x Abbreviations and Acronyms…………………………………………..…………….xi Abstract………………………………………………………..……………………..xii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1Background to the study………………………………………………...…………1 1.2 Statement of the Problem……….………………………………..……………….7 1.3 Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………8 1.4 Research Objectives……………………..………………………………………..8 1.5 Research Questions……………………………………………………………..…9 1.6 Research Hypotheses………………………………………………………...…....9 1.7 Significance of the Study………………………………………………….……..10 1.8 Limitations of the Study………………………………………………………….10 1.9 Delimitations of the Study………………………………………………….……11 1.10 Basic Assumptions…………...…………………………………………………11 1.11 Definition of Key terms….………………………………………………….….12 1.12 Organization of the Study………………………………………………...…….13 v CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………..14 2.2 Doctoral Completion Rates………………………………………..……………14 2.3 Administrative Related Factors Doctoral Completion Rates…………….………15 2.4 Supervision Related Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates…………….……..18 2.5 Teaching/Learning Resources Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates……...…21 2.6 Study Programmes and Doctoral Completion Rates...…………………………..26 2.7 Student Related Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates………..…….………...29 2.8 Summary of the Related Literature Review………………………….…………..34 2.9 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………..36 2.10 Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………38 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………41 3.2 Research Design………………………………………………………………….41 3.3 Target Population………………………………………….……………………..41 3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Technique…………………………………………..42 3.5 Research Instruments…………………………………………………………….44 3.6 Validity of the Research Instruments………………………………...…………..45 3.7 Reliability of the Research Instruments………………………….………………46 3.8 Data Collection Procedures………………………………………………………48 3.9 Data Analysis Technique……………………………………………….………..50 3.10 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………...……..51 CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSI, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION 4.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………...……….52 4.2 Instrument Return Rate………………………………………………..…………52 vi 4.3 Respondents Background Information……………………………....………….53 4.3.1 Lecturers’ Gender Distribution……………………………………….……….54 4.3.2 Students’ Background Information………………………………………...…..56 4.4 Objectives of The Study……………………………………………………….59 4.4.1 Institutional Administrative Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates…………59 4.4.2 Supervision Related Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates………………....77 4.4.3 Teaching/Learning Resources and Doctoral Completion Rates...……….……90 4.4.4 Programme Related Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates………………..100 4.4.5 Student Related Factors and Doctoral Completion Rates………………….....106 4.5 Doctoral Enrolment and Completion Rates……………..…………………...…118 4.6 Summary of the Chapter……….………………………………………………128 4.7 Results for Testing of Null Hypotheses on the Variable…………………131 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………..……136 5.2 Summary of the Study………………………………………………………….136 5.3 Summary of the Research Findings……………………………………………138 5.3.1Institutional Administrative Related Factors……………………138 5.3.2 Supervision Related Factors ……….…139 5.3.3 Teaching/Learning Related Factors………………………………..……..140 5.3.4 Programme Related Factors…………………..140 5.3.5 Student Related Factors………………………………………..141 5.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...141 5.5 Recommendations……………………………………………………….……..142 5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies………………………………………………...143 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………..…...…145 vii APPENDICES Appendix I Letter of introduction…………………………………………………..154 Appendix 2 A questionnaire for Heads of Departments and Lecturers……….……155 Appendix 3 A questionnaire for Doctoral Candidates…………………………...…158 Appendix 4 Interview Schedule for Heads of Departments………………….….....163 Appendix 5 Interview Schedule for Doctoral Candidates………………….………164 Appendix 6 NACOSTI Research Permit………………………………………...…165 Appendix 7 NACOSTI Research Authorization Letter…………………………….166 Appendix 8 Data Collection Permission Letter (Moi University)…………….……167 Appendix 9 Data Collection Permission Letter (University of Nairobi)…………..168 Appendix 10 Data Collection Permission Letter (Kenyatta University)…….…….170 Appendix 11 Ministr of Education Permission Letter (U/G)…………………….…171 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Number of Lecturers and Sample Size of the Study………………..……42 Table 3.2 Students Enrolment and Sample Size for the Study………………............43 Table 3.3Testing Of Reliability of the Research Instrume………………………….48 Table 4.1Gender Distribution of Lecturers……………….……………..…………..54 Table 4.2 Level of Professional Development of the Lecturers…………………….55 Table 4.3 Position Held by Respondents…………………….………………………55 Table 4.4 Age Bracket of Students……………………………..……………............56 Table 4.5 Students’ Dispersion across Departments…………………………………57 Table 4.6 Mode of Study Programme……………………………………..…………58 Table4.7Administrative Factors and Doctoral Completion(Lecturers…………,,.…60 Table 4.8Administrative Factors an Doctoral Completion(Students)………..………61 Table 4.9 Test Results for First Null Hypothesis(No1)…………………………...…63 Table 4.10 Supervision Related Factors and Doctoral Completion (Lecturers)……..78 Table 4.11Supervision Related Factors and Doctoral Completion (Students)…..….79 Table 4.12 Test Resultsfor Second Hypothesis(N02)……………………..………..80 Table 4.13 Staff Establishment per Institution………………………………...........82 Table 4.14 Student Enrolment (Overal)…………………………….…………….…83 Table 4.15 Teaching/Learning Resources and Doctoral Completion (Lecturers)…..89 Table 4.16Teaching/Learning Resources and Doctoral Completion (Students)……91 Table 4.17 Test Result for Null Hypothesis N03…………………………………….93 Table 4.18 Study programme and Doctoral Completion (Lecturers)……………..100 Table 4.19 Study programme and Doctoral Completion (Students)………………100 Table 4.20 Test Results for Null Hypothesis No4………………………..….……..103 Table 4.21 Student Related Factors and Doctoral Completion (Lecturers) ….........107 Table 4.22 Student Related Factors and Doctoral Completion (Students)…..…….108 Table 4.23 Test Results for Null Hypothesis N05………………………………….111 Table 4.24 Doctoral Students’ Enrolment (2001-2015)………………………….119 Table 4.25 Doctoral Studies Completion Statist........................................................120 Table 4.26 Doctoral Studies Completion Rates…………………………………...121 Table 4.27 Doctoral Studies CompletionTrends………...........................................130 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework