Socio Economic Status of Students at Higher Education Level in Kenya: A Case of Moi University

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Socio-Economic Status of Students at Higher Education Level in Kenya: A Case of Moi University. The study was carried out in the 1995/96 academic year and focused on selected faculties and schools in regard to Socio Economic Status of Students in University enrolment at undergraduate level. The population studied was drawn from all faculties/schools at Moi university Main campus, Chepkoilel Campus, Faculty of Health Sciences and Maseno University College. Proportionate random sampling technique was employed in identifying the respondents to this study. The questionnaire and document analysis guide were the key instruments used in this study. The construction of the questionnaire items was based on the information gathered during the literature review. The literature helped to identify the items that could lead to determining the Socio-Economic Status of Moi University Students. The test-retest method was used in determining the reliability of the questionnaire which yielded a coefficient of r=0.74. For secondary data, the study used Document Analysis Guide which was used to collect data from the university authorities and the Ministry of Education Statistics Division and number of candidates who sat for Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education in the years 1990-93. The return rate of the questionnaires was 70%. This was calculated from the number of questionnaires administered (822). This return rate was therefore considered sufficient to provide the required information. Data from the questionnaire and the Document Analysis Guide were analysed using descriptive statistics. Although the measurement of socio-economic groups in low developing countries is a challenge, the researcher used parent’s occupation, education and monthly income to gauge the socio-economic groupings. Results of father’s educational background showed that male students were drawn from fathers who had lower educational level than their female counterparts. Results of mothers’ educational background indicated that male students have a higher number of mothers without formal schooling, unlike their female counterparts and female students have a better representation in mothers’ education particularly at higher levels of education. Generally, this data showed that parents of female students have better education than male students’ parents. Data on students’ mothers’ occupations showed that most of the student’s mothers are peasant farmers. However, male students showed a higher representation here than their female counterparts. Female students have more numbers of mothers who are school teachers, small scale businesswomen and civil servants unlike their male counterparts. Mothers’ educational background shows that 85.91% and 56.38% of the male and female students respectively come from the low socio-economic group while the rest form the middle and upper socio-economic groups. This shows that almost 50% of the students are drawn from peasant background. The available information from this study, therefore, indicates that most male students are drawn from a lower socio-economic group while female students are drawn from middle socio-economic groups.