Influence Of School Infrastructural Environment On Performance In Kenya Certificate Of Secondary Education In Kibauni Division Of Machakos Count, Kenya

Abstract

Secondary Education provides a vital link between basic education and the world of work, on one-hand and further training on the other. It is an important sub-sector of education in the preparation of human capital for development and provision of life opportunities. For this reason, Kenya has invested heavily in secondary education as evidenced by the introduction of Free Secondary Education (FSE) in 2008. Despite this, effectiveness of curriculum implementation factor that is infrastructural facilities has not been established well in some parts. Further, it is not clear how infrastructural facilities have influenced students’ academic achievement since the inception of subsidized FSE from the year 2008 to 2010. The main objective of the study was to establish the influence of school infrastructural environment on student’s academic performance of Kenya certificate of secondary education, in Kibauni division, Mwala sub-County. The specific objective was to determine the extent to which the physical classroom environment affects student’s academic performance in KCSE in Kibauni division, to establish how the school library influences student’s academic performance in KCSE in Kibauni division, to determine how the provision of science laboratory affects academic performance in Kenya certificate of secondary education, to find out how adequacy of boarding infrastructure influences students academic performance in KCSE in Kibauni division. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population of the study was 9 secondary school Principals, 27 teachers and 43 form fours students. The researcher used three sets of questionnaires, one for the principal, for the teachers and another one for form 4 students. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis was done using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. This established whether classroom environment of the schools affects performance in KCSE which is objective one. To establish whether School library, laboratory facilities and boarding infrastructure (objectives 2, 3, and 4) had any influence on students’ performance in KCSE, Pearson correlation was used. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (`SPSS) aided the analysis of the data collected and the results were presented in frequency tables, pie charts, bar graphs and percentages to make meaningful conclusions. The study findings were that schools do not have adequate physical facilities. Such physical facilities include classrooms, laboratories, library and dormitories which negatively affect their academic performance. The study findings conclude that schools should be sensitized to acquire physical facilities that are important for the success of schools in academic performance. Among the ways of lobbying money may include sensitizing parents to pay school fees on time, holding harambees, writing proposals to well wishers and governmental programs that deals with educational development e.g. CDF funds, LATIFF among other ways. Parents should also be sensitized to engage in programs that are geared towards improving the schools physical facilities in order to improve the learning environment for academic excellence of their students. This can be done through participating in school income generating activities.