Presented by Alune Davies (Kenyan Medical Research Institute) at the Public Engagement Workshop, 2-5 Dec. 2008, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa, http://scienceincommunity.wordpress.com/

1. Alun Davies

2. Where are we based?

3. Why should KEMRI CGMR-Coast
engage with schools?
Large research institute - scientists from Kenya and
worldwide – opportunity to address beneficence in research
and contribute to school science
Communication strategy drafted in 2005
Schools engagement identified but not yet implemented
Previous studies have worked with schools – but for study
recruitment purposes - no structured schools programme
Community members suggest that schools and communities
would welcome a school engagement programme
“What is KEMRI doing to advise our schoolchildren on what subjects to
choose to become scientists?” (Roka chief, annual debriefing workshop,
25th October 2007)

4. Project Objective
Develop and pilot, through a PAR process, elements
of a schools engagement programme aimed at
improving mutual understanding between
researchers and the local community.
 Develop and pilot one or more interventions
 Assess the impact of the piloted intervention(s)
 Describe the process, facilitating factors and challenges
 Build partnerships with relevant stakeholders at local, district
and national levels

5. Project Overview

6. Possible School Interventions
For sustainability and buy-in, interventions to be
decided upon in participatory planning meeting with
teachers but could include:
Integrating with / strengthening existing structures eg
science congress
Establishing a resource centre
Centre tours, competitions, school based student journal
clubs / ethics committee role plays, debating/drama
competitions, talks from scientists
Semester break attachment

7. Pilot evaluation
Mixed methods to measure any impact on students’
knowledge and attitudes about health research and
science
Quantitative – pre and post intervention survey
Qualitative – pre and post intervention FGDs with
teachers and students, interviews with stakeholders,
scientists
Participatory evaluation – teachers and students to give
input to the evaluation process

8. Survey design continued
School 1
70
pre
School 3
70
pre
School 2
70
pre
School 1
70
post
School 3
70
post
School 2
70
post
Survey
Survey

9. Selection of three pilot schools
Consensus with DEO using
the following criteria:
Attempt to be representative
of schools in the district wrt:
gender mix
performance in national
exams
school size
distance from the unit
Day and boarding schools
Provincial and District

10. Selected Schools
Shariani SS Kilifi Township SS Bahari Girls SS
School type District – Mixed Provincial - Boys Provincial – Girls
Students 210 540 406
Day/Boarding Day Boarding Boarding
Streams 2 4 3
Science Teachers 3 14 (sci and maths) 5
Laboratories 2 2 1

11. Performance in 2006 KCSE
(total of 34 schools)
Shariani SS
Position / Grade index
Kilifi Township SS
Position / Grade index
Bahari Girls SS
Position / Grade index
Overall 17th
/ 4.6000 7th
/ 5.8049 6th
/ 5.8462
Biology 23rd
/ 3.4736 7th
/ 6.0333 8th
/ 6.0273
Physics 19th
/ 3.8182 11th
/ 4.7073 4th
/ 6.2414
Chemistry 18th
/ 3.1333 6th
/ 5.2564 7th
/ 4.6231

12. The potential of school
engagement
“During the district tetanus campaign, clinicians from the
district hospital came to immunize women of reproductive
age. Rumors emerged that the vaccines contained chemicals
that make our women infertile. Many women refused to be
immunized. We educated our students of the importance of
the tetanus vaccine. When the clinicians returned to our
school all targeted students received the immunization
willingly.” Head teacher Shariani secondary
“What will the project require of the students? What impact
will it have on the students’ academic performance?” Bahari
Girls head mistress.

13. Barriers to understanding
science/research
In school factors – (Fuller & Heyneman 1989)
Length of instructional programme
Pupil feeding programmes
School library activity
Years of teacher training
Textbooks and instructional materials

14. Bahari Girls Laboratory

15. Shariani Laboratories

16. Barriers to understanding
science/research
Student factors – (Jegede, Aikenhead, Ogunniyi, Le Grange)
Science students world view is different to western science
world view
Assisting students to cross cultural borders through
Collateral learning – integration of indigenous science
STS – Science-Technology-Society Education
“Any western science curriculum in a non-western classroom environment
which does not take particular consideration of the traditional
worldview of the learner risks destroying the framework through which
concepts are likely to be interpreted.”
(Jegede, INT. J. SCI. EDUC., 1997, VOL. 19, NO. 1, 1-20)

17. Acknowledgements
KEMRI-CRMR-Coast - Community liaison group
Dorcas Kamuya, Sassy Molyneux, Vicki Marsh
Sam Kinyanjui, Greg Fegan, Norbert Peshu
The Wellcome Trust
Thank you

18. Survey design
School 1
70
pre
70
post
School 3
70
pre
70
post
School 2
70
pre
70
post
•Since small pilot intended to set up links and test acceptability of
involvement – justified in not using control groups
•Initial simultaneous sample of pre and post test groups to
give each individual an equal statistical opportunity ob being
selected for either pre or post survey group