Perceptions and trends in academic performance of secondary school students with a public and private primary schools background: a case of Alliance national secondary schools, Kenya.

Abstract

An impact of the affirmative action in the admission of KCPE Examination candidates from public primary schools to national secondary schools was more of them being admitted to these schools but with lower KCPE examination mean scores than those from private primary schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to find out whether the students’ primary school background (public or private) had a significant influence on the students’ academic performance and their perception of the secondary school environment. The objectives of the study were to find out whether there was statistically significant differences in the KCPE Examination mean scores in the core subjects between public and private primary school graduates as well as in their progressive secondary school examination mean scores. The study’s theoretical framework was hinged on Social Learning Theory. The study was ex-post facto in design and purposively selected Alliance National Secondary Schools. Further, purposive and census sampling was used to select the entire cohort of form three students that sat for their KCPE examination in 2014. Document analysis was used as the main method of collecting data but was supported by a Learners’ and Teachers’ Questionnaire. Data analysis using t test revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in KCPE Examination mean scores between public and private primary school graduates in the core subjects (Mathematics t(705) = -3.826, p = .000, English t(705) = -5.695, p = .000 Kiswahili t (705) = -3718, p = .000 ).There was also a statistically significant difference in the teachers’ perception of the academic performance of public and private primary school graduates (t(17)=2.772, p= .013). Students too had a significant difference in their perception of the secondary and primary school learning environment (t (335) =7.550, p=.000). One – way ANOVA test results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the progressive secondary school English examination mean scores between public and private primary school graduates (F1, 689) =14.06, p=0.00). Further linear regression analysis revealed that KCPE Examination means scores in the core subjects had a significant effect on the progressive secondary examinations mean scores in the respective subjects (English t=4.543, p=.000, Kiswahili t=25.226, p=.000 and Mathematics t=7.052, p=.000) among public primary school graduates and also among private primary school ones English (t=5.234, p=.000) Kiswahili, (t=5.586, p=.000) and Mathematics (t=6.305, p=.000). The study concluded that private primary school graduates in Alliance national secondary schools continued to outperform their public primary school counterparts in the secondary school examinations in the core subjects. Further, the more favourable perception of the public primary school graduates’ academic performance by their teachers was not based on their actual academic performance. The study recommends replication of the study in other national schools and in the students overall academic performance in all subjects.