Abstract:
Functional writing has been given prominence in the Secondary school Kiswahili syllabus in
Kenya. This paper reports on study that was undertaken in 2020 that investigated the influence of functional
writing skills on students‟ performance of Kiswahili in Elgeyo-Marakwet County. The need for this study was
based on the fact that functional writing is an area faced with challenges. The main objective of the study was to
examine the influence of functional writing skills on students‟ performance in Kiswahili. Theoretical framework
was based on Jane Emig‟s Process Theory of Composition writing (1971). The study employed descriptive
research design and data was collected using the questionnaire, observation and document analysis. The area of study was Elgeyo-Marakwet County. The target population included form four students and teachers of
Kiswahili in 37 out of the 122 secondary schools. From this population, stratified, purposive and simple random
sampling was used to get a sample. There were 9852 Form Four students in secondary schools in Elgeyo –
Marakwet County as at October, 2020. During the entire study 579 students in Form Four class and 35 teachers of Kiswahili participated. The study used both primary and secondary data. Lecturers in School of Education at the University of Eldoret determined the validity of the research thesis instruments. Reliability was tested using test-retest method in four secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County. Questionnaire was the main source of primary data. Data from the questionnaire was presented in frequency tables and percentages using descriptive statistics, narrative and verbatim. The research established that inappropriate style and structure, incorrect use of language, negative attitude of learners as well as poor teaching strategies of functional writing skills have a major impact on students‟ performance of Kiswahili in secondary schools. The findings will be used for reference by other researchers and it will also give guidance on how to improve in the writing of functional essays. The study recommended that teachers should emphasize on the style and structure, appropriate choice of vocabulary when teaching and evaluating learners on functional writing
