Influence of family socio-economic background on academic performance of public mixed day secondary school students: a case of Kuresoi district Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The question of socio-economic background affecting students’ academic performance has been the subject of public discourse and academic research in the past two decades. At the centre of the debate is the understanding that socio-economic background in education is a travesty that developing countries cannot countenance. It is against this background that the need for this study was envisaged. This study sought to investigate the influence of socio-economic background on academic performance of public mixed day secondary school students. The study employed ex-post facto design. The researcher used stratified random sampling technique. The study involved 6 secondary schools. A sample of 180 form four students was selected out of an accessible population of 900 students. The research instruments used to collect data were questionnaires and document analysis. A pilot study was carried out and a split-half method was used to determine the reliability of the research instrument. Expert judgment was employed to determine the validity of the research instrument. The research was based on ecological systems theory which was advanced by Bronfenbrenner (1977) and the theory of overlapping spheres of influence proposed by Epstein (1987). The researcher carried out analytical review of relevant literature. The data collected in the field was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and null hypotheses tested at α= 0.05. The finding of this study revealed that parental educational attainment, parental occupation, family income, and parental involvement in education did not significantly influence students’ academic performance. Place of residence, learning facilities at home, and family size significantly and positively influenced students’ academic performance in Kuresoi district. It is hoped that the study will help to develop greater insights into above factors influencing the academic performance of students in public mixed day secondary schools for the purpose of improving the quality of education in Kenya. Knowledge of such factors is very important to government, parents and teachers because it will help in formulating strategies that will improve academic performance. The researcher recommends that schools should compensate for family background deficiencies by establishing quality learning facilities (equipped rural/urban libraries) in the district to compensate for lack of facilities at home. The researcher also recommends conversion of day schools in the district into boarding schools to reduce uneven distribution of learning facilities at homes of students and also boarding schools will provide maximum security to compensate for insecurity at place of residence.