| dc.description.abstract | This Research study sought to establish factors that contribute to poor performance of secondary school students in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. The study was carried out in public and private secondary schools within Limuru Division of Kiambu District. Ex-post facto research design was used to carry out the research.
The specific objectives of the study were, to: Investigate the adequacy of both physical facilities and teaching resources available in secondary schools and the extent to which they are used; establish the extent to which teachers' qualification affects student performance in KCSE; determine the parent's socio-economic status as measured by the level of education and how it affects their children's performance in KCSE; and, determine the effect of drug abuse and indiscipline on students performance in KCSE.
Literature was reviewed on teacher qualification and performance, availability of physical facilities, teaching and learning resources, family socio-economic background and academic performance and drug abuse and indiscipline. The main research instrument for the study was a self-administered questionnaire. There were two sets of questionnaires: one for the headteachers and another for the students. Both students and headteachers questionnaires were pre-tested before the actual research. A pilot study involving one school, one head teacher and twenty students was under taken to pre-test the research instruments. After the fieldwork, the data was organised according to the population studied and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software used to analyse it using descriptive methods. The number of percentages of those favouring the responses In comparison to secondary data determined the significance of any response.
The major research findings were as follows: Important physical facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries and school furniture were available in most schools in Limuru division; School workshops and play fields were lacking in most of the schools in this division; there was a shortage of vital teaching and learning resources such as library books, laboratory chemicals, laboratory equipment, students textbooks, wall maps and charts audiovisual teaching aids, duplicators, food and school bus; there was a high number of diploma teachers and this contributed significantly to students poor performance; most parents were in the average income group and they struggled to meet their children's academic needs, however, school fees payment was a problem; and, there were no major cases of indiscipline or drug abuse in schools in Limuru Division.
Several issues wrap up the findings of the study: both public and private schools had the requisite physical facilities; there was a shortage of teaching and learning resources in both private and public schools; majority of the headteachers in both public and private schools were bachelor of education degree holders; most of the parents in the division were in the average income group; and, there were no major cases on indiscipline or drug abuse in the schools in Limuru division. From the findings of this study, it is recommended that Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) should issue schools with subsidies, students should be awarded bursaries from the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) and from MoEST, Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
should post more teachers to the schools, teachers and students should be committed to their work and MoEST to reconsider the way students are assessed and evaluated. | en |
