An assessment of the impact of Christian education programs on students in high school in Yatta District

Abstract

The research focused on the impact of Christian Education Programs in high schools ofYatta District on students' spiritual, academic and social life. The C.E. programs focused on include; the Christian Unions (C.u.), the Young Christian Students movements (YC.S), the Sunday services and other Christian programs organized in schools for the students. The study sought to establish how the students and the teachers in 15 schools ofYatta District perceived the impact of the C.E. programs on the students' spiritual, social and academic development. The researcher also sought to find out the factors that influence the impact of the C.E. programs in the schools on the students. The study population included student leaders in the C.U and YC.S of the 15 schools and teachers who were class teachers and patrons of the C.U./Y.C.S. The researcher administered two sets of questionnaires; one for the students and another for the teachers, to collect quantitative data using a survey design. A total of 60 students and 60 teachers participated. The researcher hypothesized that the C.E. programs in schools have a positive impact on the students' spiritual, social and academic development. The researcher also hypothesized that the impact of the C.E. programs on students is influenced by the active participation of teachers especially the patrons, the support given by the school administration and the relationship with and support given by the sponsoring Christian church or denomination.