Influence of institutional factors on tree cover in public primary schools in Kisumu county, Kenya

Abstract

The entire world benefits from diverse forest biological compositions and services. However, due to natural calamities and human activities, Kenya had only 7.4% forest cover against its 2010 Constitution’s minimum of 10%, and Kisumu County had 0.44% forest cover. Besides, reforestation efforts have been jeopardized by increasing land demands; therefore, tree cover has been a great complement to forest cover. Despite having substantial land, the development performance indicators for schools worldwide focused on infrastructural design compared to other land uses. Studies have been done on the influence of green spaces on curriculum and recommendations given for a study on the influence of curriculum on green spaces. Studies have also found that students' classroom learning about ESD is reinforced by the school’s formal and informal messages promoted by the school's rules, values, and actions. Thus, the study aimed at determining the influence of institutional factors on tree cover in public primary schools in Kisumu County. Specific objectives were to; determine the influence of school land-use practices on tree population; assess the influence of school curriculum on tree species and establish the relationship between school ground greening the rules and the tree abundance in public primary schools. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study with the individual public primary school as the unit of analysis. Using Mugenda & Mugenda (2003), 20% (124) of the schools were subjected to the study. Every 5th school was drawn from a list of all the public primary schools in the County using a systematic random sampling method. Pilot testing was done in 12 (10% of the sampled number); item analysis reliability and content validity were used to test the instruments used for data collection. Questionnaires were self-administered to school heads and responses were harmonized using focus group discussions with teachers and pupils. Further, representatives from the education, forestry, and administrative sectors and parents were interviewed. Observation and desk studies were also used as supplements. Qualitative data were organized into themes and categories then the pattern, trends, and relationships among them were established and presented in the text. Simple descriptive statistics, product-moment correlation and linear regression analysis were conducted to determine the relationships between institutional factors and tree cover in schools, and the were results presented in simple tables and charts. The study established that public primary schools averagely occupy 3.26Ha with approximately 23.7% unused spaces. There was a strong positive correlation between school land-use practices and tree population (r=0.843); a weak positive correlation between the three forms of the curriculum studied and tree species (curricular, r=0.125, co-curricular, r=0.393, extracurricular, r=0.18) and a modest positive correlation between school ground greening policies (r=0.43) and tree cover in public primary schools. In conclusion, institutional factors positively influenced tree cover in public primary schools. Therefore, the study recommended partial use of the unused spaces to bring up active woodlots or gardens. Teaching and learning to include outdoor lessons with tree planting and management activities; clubs to be intensified and the number of participants in extra-curricular activities be increased. Lastly, schools to emphasize environmental consciousness in their motto/mission/vision statements and have ground greening rules