| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination in selected secondary schools in Nairobi and Central Provinces. The research was intended to find out whether good academic performance could be attributed to specific factors that are present in the schools performing relatively better. The major factor considered in this study 'was the role played by headteachers parents, teachers and students in determining KCSE performance.
The literature review was divided into four subheadings: effect of school-related factors on academic performance, effect of non-school factors on academic performance, effect of student-related factors on performance and effect of motivational factors on performance. From the literature review, a conceptual framework was designed. The conceptual framework showed variables (inputs) and their expected directional effect on each other and on the output (performance).
The study used ex post facto research design. Three sets of questionnaires were designed by the researcher and validated by three lecturers in the Department of Educational Administration and Planning of the University of Nairobi. The instruments' reliability was found to be 0.89 for the headteachers' questionnaire, 0.84 for the teachers' questionnaire and 0.93 for the students' questionnaire. Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting the study sample. The sample consisted of 32 headteachers, 575 teachers and 773 students. The questionnaire return rate was 93.35 percent, 63.48 percent and 89.13percent for headteachers, teachers and students respectively.
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The data obtained was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and the chi-square statistical test which was accompanied by a contingency coefficient. Each computed chi-square statistical value was compared with the appropriate table (critical chi-square value) to determine its significance. The 0.05 level of confidence was used as the standard for rejecting or accepting the null hypothesis. If the calculated chi-square value was found to be higher than chi-square critical, then this showed that there was a significant relationship between the variables.
The study revealed that there was a significant relationship between the condition of school facilities, as perceived by headteachers, and students' performance in KCSE. The study also revealed that students' Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination(KCPE) entry marks, headteachers' frequency of holding staff meetings, students' socioeconomic background, teachers' academic qualification, teachers' workload, involvement of teachers in administrative decision-making, method used to solve teachers' problems, headteachers' frequency of holding meetings with parents, frequency of headteachers' meetings with form four students, teachers' attendance of in-service training and promptness of school fees payment were significant in determining KCSE performance. The factors that were not found to be statistically significant in determining KCSE performance were teaching of extra hours and reinforcement by parents on their children.
Based on the findings, it was recommended that there is need for headteachers to hold frequent staff meetings in which problems and progress of the school could be discussed. It was also recommended that there is need to encourage bursary schemes
to cater for students who come from low socio-economic background. Finally, it was recommended that there is need for headteachers to involve parents in school activities and need to consider conversion of day schools into boarding schools | en |
