Adoption and Efficacy of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) among Learners in Selected Private Primary Schools in Embu West Sub County, Kenya

Faith Muthoni Gichovi, PsyD. Clinical Psychology; Ruthie C. Rono, Ph.D., and Dana M. Basnight-Brown, Ph.D., United States International University-Africa)

Abstract

Intelligence is an important component of a person’s life. From the Spearman’s two factor theory; g and s, g is universal and innate whereas s enables individuals to perform specific tasks. Cognitive tests are the commonest measure of intelligence. Globally, Wechsler Intelligence Scales are the most widely used intelligence tests. South Africa, unlike Kenya, is one country in Africa, which has embraced standardized intelligence testing. In Kenya, children’s academic achievement, which in the layman’s language shows the level of intelligence, is measured using formative evaluation; that is, teacher-made-tests, and summative evaluation; which is done through the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination. This was a descriptive study whose main objective was to assess the learners’ full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Purposive sampling technique was used to select 2 out of 6 private mixed day and boarding schools in Embu West Sub County, Embu County. A sample of 83; 43 boys and 40 girls in Standard 6 and aged between 10 years 10 months and 13 years 6 months (M = 11.10, SD = 1.10), was selected using the single-stage cluster sampling method. It took the form of individual administration of WISC-V. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. The sample obtained an average composite score, M = 92.98, SD = 10.51. This was within the range of scores given in the standardization norms whose mean is 100 with a standard deviation of 15. This study will contribute to crosscultural intelligence testing research using standardized tests from the West.

Keywords: FSIQ, intelligence, primary index scales, WISC-V