Social support and achievement of academic objectives among early childhood development Centres in Uganda, a case study of Entebbe municipality.

Abstract

The study was about the role of social support in the achievement of academic objectives in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers in Entebbe Municipality. The study was guided by the following objectives; to examine the effect of family support on the achievement of academic objectives of ECD centres in Entebbe municipality, to determine the effect of teacher support on the achievement of academic objectives of ECD centres in Entebbe municipality and to establish the effect of community support on the achievement of academic objectives of ECD centres in Entebbe municipality. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design to collect quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously from multiple participants. A sample of 92 from a population of 120 was used for the study in accordance with Yamane formula. The study collected both primary data (via questionnaires and interviews) and secondary data (from documents and literature). Data collection tools included a questionnaire and an interview guide. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, which were presented in tables. Qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions was analyzed thematically and narratively. Findings for objective one indicated that, family support has a statistically significant effect on academic objectives, and its inclusion in the model is meaningful. However, the relatively small sum of squares for regression (0.239 out of a total of 19.790) further emphasizes that while family support matters, its practical influence is minimal, and other influential variables should be explored to more fully understand what drives academic outcomes in ECD centres. Findings for objective two indicated that the regression sum of squares is 0.016 with 1 degree of freedom, and the mean square is also 0.016. The model yields an F-statistic of 10.066 and a significance value (p-value) of 0.002, which indicates that the model is statistically significant at the 0.01 level. Findings for objective three indicated that correlation coefficient is r = 0.379, which indicates a moderate positive relationship between the two variables. The p-value of 0.000 confirms that this correlation is statistically significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). For objective one, the study recommends that parents and guardians should be self-driven in engaging home based learning for their children and for objective two, the school administration should ensure that teaches and caregivers provide emotional and personalized support to the learners. For objective three, local council leaders should spearhead mobilization campaigns to encourage community members to support ECD centres through volunteer work, safety patrols and facility upkeep.