Co-Curricular Activities: Are they Determinants of Holistic Education of Students in Secondary Schools in Kiambu and Samburu Counties, Kenya?

This study examined the contribution of co-curricular activities a as determinants of holistic education of students in secondary schools in Kiambu and Samburu Counties, Kenya. An explanatory mixed methods research approach that involves both quantitative and qualitative was adopted for the study. The study utilized a sample of 624 participants. The research instruments employed during the first quantitative strand of the study were questionnaires for principals, students and senior teachers. The qualitative data in the second phase were collected using observation checklist and an interview guide for principals, senior teachers, members of Board of Management (BoM) as well as Quality Assurance and Standards Officers. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while the qualitative data were analysed with the assistance of Atlas.ti Software. The major finding was that majority of respondents in Samburu County compared to their counterparts in Kiambu County considered co-curricular activities as one of the determinants of holistic education. The results, based on regression analysis and corroborated by qualitative data from interviews and observations, led to the conclusion that, the use of a combination of diverse co-curricular engagements was one of the determinants of holistic education. It was, thus, recommended that School Management Boards should   incorporate a well-balanced combination of diverse co-curriculum activities in the formal curriculum in order to achieve holistic education