The determinants of cognitive achievements in primary schools in Kenya

Abstract

This study analyses the relationship between educational inputs and cognitive achievements in reading English and Mathematics for primary schools in Kenya with a view to identify inputs, which are most effective in raising primary education pupils' achievements. The study uses the recent SACMEQ II data, which collected information on pupils' personal, family, teachers and schools organizational characteristics in Kenya. The analysis is based on education production process and estimates the effect of pupils' personal and family socioeconomic status, and school related characteristics on cognitive achievements for grade 6 pupils in Kenya. The study findings show that factors related to pupils' personal and their families socio-economic characteristics as well as physical facilities, class size, teacher characteristics and school organization and management are key determinants of cognitive achievements in primary schools in Kenya. The findings provide support to the notion that additional resources are required to improve learning achievements in Kenya and provide a basis for policy intervention in directing budgetary resources to those educational inputs, which are likely to enhance learning achievements.