Influence of teaching experience on pupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in English subject in Kenya

Abstract

Teaching experience is a repository of competencies and knowledge skills acquired by a classroom teacher in the field of teaching and assessing learner performance in formative and summative examinations. In the realm of teaching and learning English language and English composition as a subject, teacher (teaching) experience is an indicator of teacher familiarity through experiential learning of various instructional approaches for effective contentment delivery in a classroom domain. It further equips the classroom teacher with skills and competences on how to engage learners and maintain learner discipline during a class session inside or outside a school setting. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of teacher (teaching) experience on pupils’ performance in KCPE examination in English subject in Kenya. The study used descriptive research design and purposive sampling as its method for research. The unit of analysis included teachers from public primary schools in Machakos County. The respondents were Primary school teachers who teach English subject in KCPE examination classes. The sample size was 132 teachers with teaching experience of between I year and 31 years. Data collection was done through questionnaires. The study found gradual increase in candidates’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in English subject in Kenya from a Mean score of 45.8 % corresponding to teacher teaching experience of 4 years to a maximum Mean score of 53.2 % corresponding to 15 – 19 years of teacher teaching experience. The study also found that there was gradual decrease in candidates’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in English subject in Kenya to 51.8 % corresponding to teacher teaching experience of 20 years and above. Candidates taught by teachers with teaching experience of 20 years achieved a Mean score of 53.1 %. Study concluded that teacher teaching experience significantly influences pupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in English subject in Kenya. This influence is moderated by other factors such as age and work environment. Recommendations of study purposed to enhance pupils’ performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in English subject are: (1) Promote high performing experienced teachers to higher responsibilities in order to boost their morale for the purpose of enhancing their classroom performance; (2) Develop teacher teaching experience through teacher exchange programmes and skills development trainings during school vacation; (3) Sustain morale of experienced teachers who are high performers by improving their terms of service like remuneration and timely promotion of deserving teachers; (4) Institutionalize mentoring programmes in schools to hasten transfer of experiential knowledge skills from more experienced teachers to less experienced teachers; and (5) Improve teacher-administration work relations, school resources and related physical infrastructure.