| dc.description.abstract | Gender disparity in various spheres of life is common and has been affecting the social economic and political development over the years. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors affecting boys' academic performance in Kieni West District. The objectives of the study were; to investigate how poverty affects boys' academic performance in Kieni West District; to establish how the male guardians' levels of education contribute to boys academic performance in Kieni West District; to find out whether teachers' gender affects academic performance of boys in Kieni West District and to find out how the amount of time that boys spend in studying affects their academic performance in Kieni West District. The study used a descriptive research design. Its respondents were the teachers and pupils of public primary schools in Kieni West District.
The researcher used stratified random sampling to select 24 schools and systematic random sampling to select 68 teachers and 369 students. Questionnaires were used as the data collection instrument for teachers and pupils. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data after which the results were presented using tables. The findings of the study showed that poverty, male guardian's level of education, teachers' gender and the amount of time boys spent studying affect boys' academic performance. Poverty makes boys wear tattered cloths hence suffer from cold, lack the basic needs which leads to poor health, lack learning materials and even going without lunch. All these go against good academic performance.
The education level of male guardians also affects boys' academic performance. This is because educated male guardians are more interested in boys' education, act as role models, can assist with the home work, they are a source of inspiration to the boys. All these promote good academic performance among boys, if they lack, it may lead to poor performance. The gender of the teacher affects boys' academic performance. It is easier for a boy child to associate with a male than a female teacher.
They find them more approachable and understanding. This means that they can approach them when they have academic problems and they would help them boost their academic performance. Lastly, the 'amount of time that boys spend in studies after school affects their academic performance to a great extent. Spending time in non academic activities lowers boys' academic performance and spending more time in studies boosts boys' academic performance.
Its recommended that parents and especially the male guardians should be informed of their impact on boys' academic performance during parents' meetings and that there should be social forums which would involve even the people who have studied in the primary schools and succeeded in life. These would be a source of inspiration to the boys. The researcher suggested that further research on boys' academic performance should be conducted in other regions.
These results are important because' they enlighten education stakeholders like teachers and parents on factors affecting boys' academic performance and hence lay the foundation for seeking for solutions to the same. It is also hoped that the study would add to the existing knowledge and stimulate further research on different aspects that affect the performance of boys. The government's and ministry of education might find the results of the study valuable as it gave them an important insight into the dynamics of improving academic performance in primary schools for boys. | en_US |
