Factors influencing students’ KCSE performance in geography in public secondary schools in Migori district, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that influence Students’ KCSE Geography Performance, in public Secondary schools, in Migori district, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish ways in which use of teaching/ learning resources influence students’ KCSE Geography performance, establish how students’ attitude towards geography influences their KCSE performance in geography, determine ways in which teaching methodology influence students’ KCSE performance in geography, and determine how teachers’ teaching experience influence students’ KCSE performance in geography. The study targeted all the 40 secondary schools in Migori district, 40 head teachers, 80 geography teachers and 2400 Students. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The design was appropriate for the study because the researcher was studying events and circumstances, which had already occurred, and as they exist in schools. The study sample size (n) was 30 percent of 40 public secondary schools within Migori district which was 12 schools. The researcher therefore selected 12 Secondary Schools using random sampling procedure. The entire 12 head teachers of the sampled schools participated in the study. The study analysis used both qualitative and quantitative approach where data was extracted from the questionnaire, coded and entered in the computer for analysis. The SPSS was used statistical purpose. The findings and conclusions presented recommended that more female teachers to take up a geography teaching combination because this influences the students decisions especially the female students who want to take up geography as a subject but they have no inspiration from the teachers hence these could affect students’ performance and attitude in the subject. The study recommends that learning resources should be adequate and readily available for both the students and teachers for study, understanding and research reference for geography. The teaching methodology should be well diverse to cater for the needs of the students. Reading before class improves on the students’ attitude towards the subject and it is a way of utilizing the learning resources such as books provided by the school hence influencing students’ KCSE geography performance. The study recommends that teaching and learning resources influences performance schools should provide the best resources and teaching methodologies in influencing the students’ and teachers attitude towards the subject hence a general improvement in performance of geography.