Perceptions of instructional resource access and use under the West Kenya Sugar Company scholarship programme in Kakamega North Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Corporate scholarship schemes are primarily conceived as a way of lowering the financial obstacles that learners may face, but they can also be seen to shape the context of teaching and learning. These claims need to be separated from the availability of a resource, access to that resource, use of that resource for instruction, and support of learners' well-being. This study was on teachers' and sponsored students' perceptions of the influence of the West Kenya Sugar Company Limited (WEKSCOL) corporate scholarship programme on the access and use of instructional resources in two secondary schools in Kakamega North Sub-county in Kenya.  It was guided by the Education Production Function (EPF) that treats education like a production process where  adequate resources and a conducive learning environment, will likely lead to student academic achievement. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted. The study utilised a census of 48 teachers, 60 sponsored students, and two school administrators. 42 teachers, 60 students, and both administrators provided usable responses. The data sources were teacher questionnaires, student questionnaires, an administrator interview guide, an observation checklist, and a document analysis guide. The collected data for the questionnaires were interpreted and analysed in terms of frequency, percentages, and arithmetic average; documentary evidence was used to qualify programmes. Despite being marketed as a service for learners rather than a learning resource, Results for Boarding support received the most positive ratings, with teacher Mean 3.301 and learner Mean 3.741. The overall mean of teachers and students for instructional-resource access, excluding boarding, was 2.535 and 2.930, respectively. The means of the teachers (2.304) and students (3.425) had the greatest discrepancy on library resources, and the means of teachers (3.013) and students (2.268) had the greatest discrepancy on laboratory equipment. Teachers' and students' overall means for resource-supported instructional practices were 2.783 and 3.184, respectively. The results revealed that there was both selective and mixed perceived influence; students tended to have more positive experiences than teachers. The study recommended that programme monitoring should differentiate the support to learner fees and boarding from the investment of school resources and that it should examine the quality of resources, their condition, access, and actual use of resources, based on verifiable records.