Factors influencing performance in KCSE science subjects: a case of selected secondary schools in Eldoret municipality

Abstract

Students‟ performance in sciences has been a perennial global problem. Within Eldoret Municipality, the perpetual poor performance in KCSE science subjects has been a cause for a lot of concern to the stakeholders of secondary school education. This study sought to investigate the factors that influence performance in KCSE- science subjects. The investigation was based on a theoretical foundation based on the systems theory which was formulated by Bertalanffy (1968) and proposed by Katz and Kahn (1966) as one suitable to be applied to organisations. Stratified random sampling was used to draw a sample of 14 head teachers, 49 teachers and 289 form three students. Stratification was based on the schools‟ performance in KCSE science subjects for the period 2001-2005 to obtain 7 schools in the low performing schools and 7 schools from the high performing schools. The data was collected with the aid of three questionnaires administered to the head teachers, teachers and students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse and summarise the data. T-test was used to test for significant differences between means of low performing and high performing schools. Correlation was used to show relationships between performance and the research variables. The findings of this study are not revolutionary but point to the need for coordinated efforts to solve the problem of poor performance in sciences as it is multi-faceted. The key factors identified as predictors of performance in KCSE science were school factors of availability of laboratories, teacher factors of the involvement of learners in investigation of ideas, home factors of social-economic status, student factors of their input in reading science textbooks and their perception of the usefulness of sciences in everyday life. The study has practical implications for learners, teachers, school administrators, parents and educational officials. The ministry of education should initiate training programs or enhance ongoing ones for head teachers and science teachers based on the findings. Key factors identified as causes of the difference in performance between low and high performing schools were: entry behaviour, resources, motivation, and whether the school was day or boarding or, mixed or single sex. Thus, all education providers should strive to adequately equip schools, motivate teachers and build more boarding schools