Coeducation and student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Kenya

Abstract

The study on coeducation and student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Kenya sought to determine the extent to which coeducation schools affect male and female students’ academic performance and to establish students’ and teachers’ attitude on effects of coeducation on academic performance. To achieve this, the study employed documentary search and analysis on KCSE results from 2010 to 2013 and descriptive research using structured questionnaires to gather data on students’ and teachers’ attitude on effects of coeducation on academic performance. The target population of the study comprised of form three and four students and teachers in secondary schools in Busia County. Twelve secondary schools (4 per school type) were sampled for content analysis and a sample of 240 students and 40 teachers for questionnaires. Data was analyzed using quantitative statistics and presented by tables, graphs and pie charts with the aid of SPSS. The findings of the study show that coeducation context does affect students’ academic performance compared to single-sex schools. Students in single-sex schools seem to perform better academically. Further, most of the students and teachers prefer single-sex schools to coeducation schools and the reasons for the dislike of coeducation context include, high level of indiscipline, boys’ offensive behavior towards girls, encouragement of boy-girl relationships that interfere with learning, the fear of girls to participate freely within classroom as well as teachers’ differential treatment of boys and girls in favor of girls The study recommends that the ministry of education should establish more single-sex schools and convert underperforming coeducation schools into single-sex, coeducation schools should improve on the students’ discipline and use guiding and counseling departments or motivational talks to foster teachers’ and students’ positive attitude towards coeducation. Within coeducation classrooms, teachers should encourage girl’s active participation in learning and discourage boys’ offensive behavior towards girls. Since the study was done in public schools in Busia County, there is need for it to be done in other localities in public schools and private secondary schools