Determinants of Performance in Kenya Certificate of Examination (K.C.E) in Rural Self-help (Harambee) Secondary Schools:A Case of Nyandarua District

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the determinants of performance in Kenya Certificate of Education (K.C.E.) in rural self-help secondary schools. The layout is such that we begin by a consideration of the methodology applied and the rationale behind it before attempting a descriptive analysis of data followed by hypotheses testing through multi-variate analysis. Due consideration has been given to studies that have looked at school achievement. To this end, we have argued that these studies have failed to look at the home-school and achievement continium in explaining school achievement and have looked at them as discrete entities. Based on this argument, this study attempts to explain KCE performance on the basis of home, pupil and school continium. We have considered several variables on the basis of home background, student background, school backgrund and examination achievement. The gist of the argument is that the home background is instrumental in determining the quality of school which in turn influences school avhievement. Further analysis of data reveals that family socio-economic variables to be dependent on geographical locales. This in turn determines the quality of schools and ultimately school achievement.