Mbithi Annabel Wanza2026-03-062026-03-062025-10Mbithi, A. W. (2026). Selected determinants of individual demand for education and student participation in public day secondary schools, Mwala Sub-County, Kenya [Master’s thesis, Chuka University]. Chuka University Institutional Repository.https://repository.chuka.ac.ke/handle/123456789/22500A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Education in Educational Management Degree of Chuka University Supervisors: Dr. Peter Kimanthi Mbaka, Dr. Kenkelvin Kimathi MbakaStudent participation in classroom and co-curricular activities is crucial for improving educational outcomes. This participation is influenced by individual demand for education, which includes parental income, the direct and indirect costs of schooling, and students' employment expectations. While these factors are acknowledged as important, empirical evidence regarding how individual demand for education influences student involvement, especially in rural areas like Mwala Sub-County, Machakos County, is limited. This thesis evaluated the determinants of individual demand for education and student participation in classroom and co-curricular activities within public day secondary schools in Mwala Sub-County. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design and was anchored under Human Capital and Expectancy-Value theories. The target population comprised 1,879 Form Three students, 117 class teachers, and 39 school principals from 39 public day secondary schools. The data was collected from a sample of 320 students, 36 class teachers, and 12 school principals from 12 randomly selected schools. Data were collected through structured questionnaires for students and class teachers and interview guides for principals. A pilot was done to establish the feasibility of the study. Validity was ensured through consultation with the experts of the Department of Education. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha, and the included values (ranging from 0.768 to 0.979) were obtained, surpassing the threshold of 0.7. Hence, the instruments were reliable for data collection. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and ordered logistic regression using SPSS version 30. Interview data were thematically analyzed. The findings revealed that 75% of students took notes, 74.4% participated in sports, and only 38.4% participated in academic competitions, suggesting the need for greater encouragement in academic-focused activities. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between parents' disposable income and student participation in classroom and co-curricular activities (r = 0.215, p = 0.000 for students; r = 0.531, p = 0.001 for class teachers). The ordered logistic regression further confirmed that lower disposable income limits student participation (β = 0.339, p = 0.008 for students; β = 2.702, p = 0.002 for class teachers). The cost of education was also a major issue, with 34.4% of students missing school due to unaffordable fees. Similarly, the cost of education was found to limit participation, with significant correlations (r = 0.415, p = 0.000 for students; r = 0.790, p = 0.000 for class teachers) and ordered logistic regression results (β = 0.357, p = 0.003 for students; β = 5.950, p = 0.000 for class teachers). Employment expectations strongly motivated participation, with students having higher career aspirations showing more participation. Employment expectations showed a strong positive correlation with participation (r = 0.689, p = 0.000 for students; r = 0.842, p = 0.000 for class teachers), with significant coefficients (β = 1.614, p = 0.000 for students; β = 8.112, p = 0.000 for class teachers), highlighting career aspirations as a key factor motivating par. These findings emphasize that career expectations are the most critical factor influencing student participation. The study concluded that parental disposable income, the cost of education, and students' career expectations significantly influence their participation in both classroom and co-curricular activities. The research recommends that parents, class teachers, principals, and policymakers from the Ministry of Education take targeted actions to enhance student participation in both academic and co-curricular activities.enStudent participationCo-curricular activitiesCost of educationPublic day secondary schoolsMwala Sub-CountyKenyaClassroom engagementThesis