Reciprocal effects between learning outcomes, and perceived self-efficacy: A case of adolescents living in informal settlements of Nairobi.

• In Event: Highlighted Session: The Power of Protest to Improve Inclusive Education

Proposal

Abstract

Introduction
Self-efficacy represents one's belief in their competence and ability to achieve success in a given task (Bandura & Wessels, 1994). It is one of the seven core competencies within Kenya's competency-based curriculum, an essential component of the education reform designed to create “engaged, empowered, and ethical citizens” (KICD, 2017). Solhaug (2006) underscored the pivotal role of self-efficacy in shaping learning outcomes and fostering agency - the capacity of individuals to voice their perspectives and champion change through collective actions. Learning outcome can be defined as what a learner should know, understand, or show after a learning period (Adam, 2006). Bandura (1997), linked higher self-efficacy to improved academic achievement and Schunk & Zimmerman (2008) found that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between goal setting and academic achievement.
Throughout history, protests have served as potent tools for advocating rights, pursuing social justice, and driving transformative change. Central to the concept of protest is agency. Bandura (1997) posits that the concepts of self-efficacy and agency are closely connected and Bandura (2001) found that self-efficacy and agency are positively correlated. Thus, by evaluating the relationship between learning outcomes and self-efficacy, with the implicit acknowledgment of their relationship to agency, our current research aligns with the sub-theme "Histories of Protest: What part does memory and education play in keeping alive a sense of agency and possibility for future activist work?"
ALOT-Change
Advancing Learning Outcomes for Transformational Change (ALOT-Change) was a three-year after-school support program aimed at improving learning outcomes, life skills mentorship, and leadership training. The program specifically targeted households with adolescents in class 6 (aged between 12 to 19) as of 2016, living within low-income slums of Nairobi city, specifically, the areas of Korogocho and Viwandani informal settlements. The program’s objectives included evaluating differential effects on learning outcomes, examining the impact of mentoring and leadership training, and establishing the influence of parental sensitization on education support. The project was implemented by APHRC in collaboration with Miss Koch Kenya and U-Tena Youth Organization in Korogocho and Viwandani (Abuya et al., 2018)
Objectives
The objectives of this paper are 1) To examine the reciprocal effects between learning outcomes and self-efficacy in the low income urban informal settlements. 2) Test whether the relationship between self-efficacy and learning outcomes differs between the two treatment groups: Korogocho residents without leadership training and Viwandani residents with leadership training.
Methodology
This paper uses data from the ALOT-Change program. The program employed a quasi-experimental framework where Korogocho residents were designated as treatment group 1, exposed to no leadership training, while Viwandani residents were designated as treatment group 2, exposed to leadership training. Leadership training entailed three noteworthy activities: facilitated sessions focusing on theoretical leadership concepts, quarterly motivational talks by accomplished professionals, and annual exposure visits to institutions, all aimed at empowering young people for transformational leadership in their communities. The allocation of an informal settlement to a treatment group, was determined through a randomized coin toss, and the intervention targeted 824 learners comprising both boys and girls. This paper uses data from 463 participants who had data for all the waves. The study consisted of three waves: baseline (T1, 2016), midline (T2, 2017), and end line (T3, 2018).
Analytical strategy
The data from the three waves was merged using the unique identification variable, ensuring that the respondents' data remained consistent across all three waves. Learning outcome, was inferred from standardized literacy and numeracy scores, and perceived self-efficacy, a latent variable gauged a 12-item scale adapted from the Children's Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) for the three time periods (T1, 2016), (T2, 2017), and (T3,2018). Cronbach’s Alpha was used to measure the internal consistency of the perceived self-efficacy scale before the latent variables was calculated using using ordinal logistic regression. Reciprocal effects refer to the mutual influence and feedback between learning outcomes and self-efficacy. In this paper we shall use structural equation modeling (SEM) was deemed suitable to assess objective 1 due to its ability to capture complex relationships among variables. Structural path invariance (SPI) shall be used to assess objective 2 as it helps determine if the underlying structure of the relationship remains invariant despite potential variations in the groups' characteristics and/or conditions.
Results and policy implications
Initial findings reveal a positive trend— there was a gradual improvement in learning outcomes across the three waves, at 5% statistical significance. The perceived self-efficacy scale exhibited an acceptable internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.73, affirming its reliability.
Interestingly, despite a decline in overall self-confidence at the end line (T3) relative to the baseline (T1) —observed in both treatment groups— the study's preliminary results hint towards a significant reciprocal relationship between learning outcome and self-efficacy among children in informal settlements. This paper will add valuable insights to the growing evidence of reciprocal effects between learning outcomes and self-efficacy among marginalized learners. It focuses on low-income urban informal settlements, aligning with Kenya's competency-based. The findings will add to the evidence on educational interventions' potential to enhance agency and community empowerment, with implications for effective strategies and policies in marginalized contexts.

Authors

• Kennedy Marigi Kamau, African Population & Health Research Centre

• Fridah Gatwiri Kiambati, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Moses Ngware, African Population And Health Research Center