Influence of Teacher-preparedness on Pupils’ Performance at Kenya Certificate of Primaryexamination English Subject in Public Primary Schools, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated Influence of Teacher-preparedness on learner performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE) English subject in public primary schools in Kenya. The purpose was to investigate the influence of teacher-preparedness on learner performance in English subject. To achieve this teacher-preparedness was deconstructed into four key variables namely academic qualification, teaching experience, availability and use of professional documents, and availability and use of teaching and learning resources/school infrastructure) and their influence on performance of KCPE in English subject in schools in Kenya. The study was guided by descriptive survey research design. Atotal of 84 public primary schools from Machakos County were sampled. A total of 448 questionnaires were distributed to both teachers and pupils.168 teachers who teach English subject in candidate classes and 280 pupils of class seven participated. The return rate for teachers and pupils was 134 and 243 respectively giving an average of 84.1%.Data was collected using questionnaires for teachers and learners, and observation schedule. Data from questionnaires and observation schedule was analyzed. Research hypotheses tested using regression analysis and t test showed that teacher qualification, teaching experience, availability and use of learning resources/school infrastructure and availability and use of professional documents significantly influenced KCPE performance in English subject in Kenya. Study findings show that there exist significant relationships between: academic qualification and pupils’ performance, availability and use of professional documents and pupils’ performance, availability and use of school resources/infrastructure andpupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examinations in English subject in Kenya. Study also did find a general but significant general relationship to exist between teaching experience and pupils’ performance for reason that pupils’ performance increased significantly with increase inteachers’ teaching experience from 3 years upwards to 23 years after which pupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examinationin English subject in Kenya showed a significant decrease with further increase inteachers’ teaching experience. This implies that keeping teachers with a teaching experience of over 23 years in classroom is not productive; that the Government needs to weigh in on quality of teacher qualifications in Kenyan schools; and that Government and other stakeholders in Education sector should endeavor to provide requisite learning resources/infrastructure in order to enhance pupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams in English subject in public primary schools in Kenya. The study concluded that there is need to systematically address variables found to be causing pupil candidates to perform poorly at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examinations in English subject in Kenya particularly in public primary schools to stem out the deteriorating performance of English subject at this critical level of Education whereat basics of English language are engrained in young minds as a tool for cross-border communication. Study concluded that strategies need to be formulated for reversal of the downward trend in the learner performance of KCPE in English subject in schools in Kenya. The study recommended that there is need to step up teacher-preparedness strategies in order to reverse this downward trend of poor performance in English subject. It also recommended for need to strengthen Directorate in charge of teacher supervisionin Ministry of Education charged with monitoringand evaluation of teacher-preparedness at all teaching levels in Kenya’s learning institutions.