The christian religious education teachers' attitudes toward the five-stage lesson plan framework in Kenya: A gender-based analysis.

New approaches have emerged in teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE). Five-stage lesson plan framework (FSLP) is one of the innovative approaches applicable in all learning areas. Even though the framework is learner-oriented, understanding teachers' attitudes towards the framework are essential. Developing a positive attitude among the stakeholders remains crucial in implementing any teaching approach. Therefore, this study assessed gender differences in the attitude toward the five-stage lesson plan framework among CRE teachers in Meru County, Kenya. A multi-stage sampling technique randomly selected 143 and 83 female and male CRE teachers. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, quantitative data were collected in a cross-sectional survey. Chi-square and t-test statistics were applied to test the statistical significance of the dummy and mean value of continuous variables using sex-disaggregated data. The study revealed that teachers' attitudes towards the FSLP framework did not significantly differ between male and female teachers. The study employed multiple linear regression modeling to assess the determinants of the attitudes towards the five-stage lesson plan framework for male, female, and pooled teachers. Similar determinants influenced teachers' attitudes towards the FSLP framework: academic qualification, teaching experience, utilization, and awareness. Researchers established that educational qualification was a negative and significant determinant of attitudes towards the FSLP framework among the participants. Teaching experience, awareness, and utilization of the FSLP framework among CRE teachers were positive and significant determinants of the attitudes towards the FSLP framework. The study findings implied development of policies inclined to the attitudes supporting the proper implementation of newly emerged teaching strategies among the stakeholders. The supplement schemes should be restructured and shaped to meet teachers' specific needs and preferences regarding the utilization of educational innovations to enable CRE teachers to select and practice the FSLP framework.

Determinants of awareness and implementation of five-stage lesson plan framework among Christian Religious Education teachers in Meru County, Kenya.

Approaches, methods, and techniques of teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Kenya have changed over time. Improved teaching strategies such as a five-stage lesson plan framework enhance students' performance. Despite the novelty of the framework, there is limited information on its spread and utilization among CRE teachers in Kenya. Therefore, this study assessed the determinants of awareness and implementation of the novel five-stage lesson plan framework in Meru County, Kenya. The study sampled 226 CRE teachers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study employed an Ordered Probit Model to assess the determinants of the number of five-stage lesson plan stages awareness and implemented by the CRE teachers. The Ordered Probit analysis revealed that gender, academic qualification, working experience, and challenges were crucial determinants of awareness and implementation of the five-stage lesson plan framework. The findings implied that policymakers and relevant stakeholders in education should consider pre-service and in-service training, workshops, and seminars in upscaling or promoting the awareness and implementation of the five-stage lesson plan framework. Educational policies targeting improved teaching methods should enhance recognition and operation of the five-stage lesson plan framework.

Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya: do socioeconomic, institutional, and biophysical factors matter?

Rigorous efforts should be channeled to the current low adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) in sub-Saharan African countries to improve food production. What determines the adoption level and intensity of CSAPs among smallholder farmers in Kenya? While considering their joint adoption, smallholder farmers' CSAPs adoption determinants were assessed based on a sample size of 300 smallholder farmers in Western Kenya. The CSAPs considered were animal manure, soil water conservation, agroforestry, crop diversification, and crop-livestock integration. A multivariate and ordered probit models were used to assess the determinants of joint adoption of CSAPs in Western Kenya. Both complements and substitutes between CSAPs were established. The multivariate probit analysis revealed that household head's gender, education, age, family size, contact with extension agents, access to weather information, arable land, livestock owned, perceived climate change, infertile soil, and persistent soil erosion influenced CSAPs adoption. The ordered probit model revealed that gender, arable land, livestock owned, soil fertility, and constant soil erosion were crucial determinants of CSAPs adoption. The findings implied that policymakers and relevant stakeholders should consider farmer, institutional, and biophysical factors in upscaling or promoting the adoption of CSAPs.

Working capital management impacts on small-scale coffee wet mills' financial performance in eastern Kenya.

The manufacturing sector is critical in the realization of the economic pillar of the Kenyan Vision 2030. Over the last decade, the sector has experienced declining growth, mainly attributed to the agro-processing industry's poor financial performance. The Kenyan government has initiated stringent financial reforms across agro-based sectors, including coffee processing firms, to improve performance and increase farmers' returns. However, limited studies have investigated the impacts of working capital management (WCM) on small-scale coffee wet mills' financial performance. We assessed the effect of working capital management on financial performance in small-scale coffee wet mills. We collected the data from 41 small-scale coffee wet mills in Embu County, Eastern Kenya. We adopted a multivariate regression analysis approach on panel data (2014-2018) to analyze working capital management's impact on small-scale coffee wet mills' financial performance. Our findings showed that the current ratio and average payment period negatively affected the return on small-scale coffee wet mills' assets. Thus, the wet mill processors could lower their payables period and current ratio to improve return on assets. The study revealed that the firm's Size and age also had a positive and negative effect, respectively, on return on assets of small-scale coffee wet mills. Both average payment period and current ratio had a positive effect on return to farmers. We conclude that working capital management, that is, average payment period and current ratio, negatively influences ROA while positively influencing farmers. Therefore, the management of the coffee wet mills should increase the current ratio and lengthen the average payment period to enhance return payable to farmers.