Influence of Teacher Factors on Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary School Education. A Case Study of Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Quality of education is assessed on the basis of learners' achievement. Performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination is therefore a good indicator of the quality of education offered in schools. This is because it is a standardized instrument and therefore a reliable measure. In the years 2011 to 2014 Kakamega County posted mean scores of 5.439, 5.228, 5.363 and 5.654 respectively. These mean scores translate to an average of C-for the years 2011-2013 and C for 2014 which is below the acceptable minimum quality grade of C+ that enables candidates pursue competitive courses such as medicine, pharmacy, engineering, architecture, teaching, law and others in tertiary institutions and at university level. The key factors based on studies that influence students' academic performance in secondary education are: Principals, teachers, students, school factors and government policies. The teacher is the number two factor that influences students' academic performance. Teachers are facilitators of the learning process. Teachers are unique, in that they are architects, managers and engineers of pedagogy. This is why teaching/learning process is central to any education system. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the influence of teacher factors on students' academic performance in Kenya using Kakamega County as the site for the study. This study adopted ex-post-facto and correlational research designs. The study population consisted of 324 principals, 324 deputy principals, 9,000 form IV students and 1 County Education Quality Assurance and Standards Officer. The study established that teacher factors influenced students' academic performance by 59.4%. The other 41.6% was due to other factors which were not subject of this study. Teachers' Bachelor of Education degree qualification, Form IV qualification and Female teacher gender were statistically significant predictors of students' academic performance. Whereas teachers' Bachelor of Education degree qualification and female teacher gender enhanced students' academic performance, teachers with only Form IV qualifications reduced students' academic performance. Teachers' Master of Education degree qualification, teachers' Diploma in Education qualification, teachers' experience, teacher age, male teachers gender and teacher workload were not statistically significant factors in the prediction of students' academic performance.

Teachers’ Knowledge Indices as Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Kwara State, Nigeria

“…It is unwanted when effort by the teacher is not strong enough to bring about expected success. Though the study of secondary school students in Kenya by Waseka, Simatwa and Okwach (2016) showed the expected result that teachers with the Bachelor of Education qualification significantly influenced their students' performance, it also revealed the unexpected outcome with the discovery that teachers with the Master of Education or Diploma qualifications did not significantly influence the performance of their students. There is a contradiction when holding a higher degree like Master of Education does not contribute significantly to the prediction of students' performance.…”

Gender Differences in Motivation and Teacher Performance in Core Functions in Kenyan Secondary Schools

“…Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between the gender of principals and the effectiveness in the management of discipline and personnel in the schools environment. In a study by Waseka, Simatwa and Okwach (2016) to assess the influence of teacher factors on the performance of learners in secondary schools in Kakamega, the study found out that gender difference between male and female teachers was statistically significant determinants of students' academic performance. The study revealed that female teachers had the capacity to perform in core functions than male teachers since majority of students preferred being taught by female teachers.…”

Factors Contributing to Low Academic Achievement of Public Primary School Children: An Untold Story

“…For example, academic achievement was measured by students' excellence in the academic discipline and cocurricular activities -confidence, communication skills, punctuality, arts, culture, and the like (Mimrot, 2016). More often than not, academic achievement was measured using tests and examinations conducted for each subject at the end of each semester (Simatwa, 2016& Mwesiga, 2017. In addition, standardized tests are examinations and are scored in a predetermined standardized manner in this venture (Attakumah, 2020;Grissom, Kalogrides & Loeb, 2014).…”