Synergistic Effects of Learner Support Systems on the Success of Reintegration Project for Adolescent Mothers in the Lower Eastern Region of Kenya

Abstract

Teenage motherhood has been found to frequently be a hindrance to young women’s education, attributed to social stigma and inadequate institutional support systems, as they struggle to get reintegrated into the school system. This paper examines the synergistic effect of learner support systems on the performance of the reintegration project for adolescent mothers in secondary schools in Kenya. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional research design anchored on the systems theory and ecological systems theory. The target population consisted of 21,524 individuals, including 18,079 teenage mothers, 1,370 teachers, and 2,055 student leaders from 685 girls and mixed-day and boarding secondary schools, as well as 20 education officers from the lower Eastern region of Kenya. A sample size of 384 respondents was further obtained. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and structured interview schedules and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.  Results showed that learner support systems significantly influenced the performance of the reintegration project (R² = 0.621). There was a strong positive correlation between the combined influence of learner support systems and the performance of the reintegration project for adolescent mothers (r = 0.788, p = 0.01).  The findings underscore the need for integrated learner support frameworks combining institutional, community, and policy interventions.