School based factors influencing student’s academic performance at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Teso South District

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to school based factors influencing student’s academic performance at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Teso South District. The study’s objectives were to examine the effect of human resources on students’ academic performance, to assess the influence of financial resources on students' academic performance, to establish the influence of physical resources on students’ academic performance and to determine how learning techniques affect the students' academic performance in secondary schools. The study employed the use of descriptive survey research design. The researcher targeted all the 12 secondary schools in Teso South District. The target population was 12 head teachers, 24 form 3 and 4 class prefects and 12 directors of studies. The study adopted purposive sampling techniques to sample its respondents. The sample size comprised 12 head teachers, 24 form 3 and 4 class prefects and 12 directors of studies. Observation schedule and questionnaires for head teachers, class teachers and director of studies were used for data collection. Reliability was ensured by using testing and re-testing methods and validity was tested through pilot study. The data was analysed using SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). The research utilised descriptive analysis and data was presented in form of frequency tables. The study may be useful to the stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and policy makers to establish areas that have knowledge and skill gap. It will help the policy makers in human resource planning, allocation and disbursement of funds to public primary schools in the country. The major findings of the study may assist in providing data and information for proper planning and decision at the Ministry of Education, leadership, CDF administration and NGOs. Researchers will apply the recommendations of this study in adding new knowledge in the area of study area. The major findings showed that human resource is not well handles since from the findings most of the head teachers and director of studies do not employ well trained school workers and their numbers are not enough to handle all the students. Finance resource is not well established since the study indicates that most of the head teachers find their schools having financial problems. The conclusion is that physical resources is not well developed in most of the secondary schools since the study revealed that an overwhelming number of head teachers and class prefects disagreed that there schools have well developed physical resources. Learning techniques is practiced since majority of the head teachers and class prefects agreed that teachers employ use of teaching and learning aids in their teaching. This shows that learning techniques is taken seriously in majority of the schools but the performance of the students is still affected. The researcher has recommended that the head teachers should attend seminars and workshops that teach the importance of a well-managed human resource, physical resource, financial resource and learning techniques. This is because the study depicted majority of the schools are facing a challenge in schools.