ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine one rural Kenyan community’s attempts to improve the educational attainment for primary school girls in the region. Data were gathered through field notes; school artifacts; and interviews with teachers, community members, and grade eight girls. The asset-building theory of change (social, human, physical, and economic) was used to analyze the barriers to education, solutions to those barriers, and results from those solutions. Although some research studies of school improvements in Kenya exist, this research addresses a critical gap in understanding how even small improvements in a school can positively impact educational progress for girls in a rural community. While the improvements at this school are still ongoing, the initial results from this pilot study demonstrate the importance of addressing basic needs for girls that can further prepare them for a better future within their own cultural context. Three main findings emerged from the qualitative data: 1) addressing school infrastructure, 2) sanitary supplies with mentoring, and 3) family and community support for the school.

摘要

这项定性研究的目的是考察肯尼亚一个农村社区为提高该地区小学女生的教育水平所作的努力。通过实地记录收集数据；学校文物；以及对老师，社区成员和八年级女孩的采访。变革的资产建设理论（社会，人类，物质和经济）被用于分析教育障碍，这些障碍的解决方案以及这些解决方案的结果。尽管存在一些关于肯尼亚学校改善的研究，但这项研究解决了一个关键的空白，即了解学校的微小改善如何对农村社区女童的教育进步产生积极影响。虽然这所学校的改善工作仍在进行中，这项初步研究的初步结果表明，满足女孩的基本需求至关重要，这可以进一步使女孩为在自己的文化背景下拥有更美好的未来做好准备。从定性数据中得出了三个主要发现：1）处理学校的基础设施； 2）带有指导的卫生用品； 3）家庭和社区对学校的支持。