Child -Friendly Project Design Practices and Implementation of Peace Education Programs in Early Years Education Centers in Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

The effective implementation of Peace Education Programs (PEPs) is crucial for building a culture of non-violence in Early Years Education (EYE) centers, particularly in regions prone to social tension, such as Migori County, Kenya. This study examined the influence of Child-Friendly Project Design Practices—specifically, Child-Friendly Learning Environments, Peace Information, Participation, Peace Teaching, and Modeling of Peaceful Behaviors—on the implementation of PEPs in EYE centers across Migori County. The research was guided by the need to understand how adopting a child-centered approach in project design can enhance the fidelity and effectiveness of peace education delivery. Adopting Explanatory sequential mixed method design, the study targeted a population of 710 respondents (Head Teachers and Teachers) involved in PEP implementation across the eight sub-counties of Migori County. A sample size of 242 was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table, and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The research instrument demonstrated high reliability, achieving a Cronbach's alpha of over 0.70. Data analysis employed both descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and simple and multiple linear regression). Six null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between each of the five Child-Friendly Project Design Practices and the implementation of PEPs. Specifically, Learning Environments, Peace Information, Participation, Peace Teaching, and Modeling each had a statistically significant influence (all p<0.05). The combined effect of all five practices on implementation was found to be substantial and highly statistically significant (R2=0.652, p<0.05), collectively accounting for approximately 65.2% of the variance in program implementation success. The study concluded that the full adoption and integration of Child-Friendly Project Design Practices significantly enhance the quality and success of Peace Education Program implementation. The findings are expected to inform policy formulation by the Ministry of Education and guide educators in Migori County and similar decentralized education systems toward implementing evidence-based, child-sensitive methods for promoting peace and non-violence.