Factors Influencing Student Academic Performance in Day-Secondary Schools in Kenya. A Case Study of Migori Sub county

Odumbe Awino Grace, Enose M.W. Simatwa and

Ayodo T.M.O.

Greener Journal of Educational Research, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 078-097, July 2015

Department of Educational Management and Foundations, Maseno University

Department of Educational Management and Foundations, Maseno University

Faculty of Education, Theology & Arts, Kabarak University

INTRODUCTION

Education is viewed as a critical investment, not only to the individual, but also to the society. Kenya’s National Philosophy places education at the centre stage of the country’s human and economic development strategies (Republic of Kenya, 2006). A report by the World Bank (2005) states that, education is a fundamental factor in socio- economic and political development, as it inculcates skills and knowledge in students, preparing them to take up roles in national development.  Kenya’s progress in education has come at a stiff price, with the government’s expenditure on education being equivalent to 7% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. This calls for the need to improve the overall efficiency of the system (Republic of Kenya, 2007).  Competition for secondary school education has steadily intensified with the situation being worsened, by the huge increase in primary enrolment following the introduction of Free Primary Education) in 2003. Republic of Kenya (2010), reports that in Kenya, the number of secondary schools has increased from 6,485 in 2007 to 6,566 in 2008. In response to the challenge of increased enrolment in secondary schools, the government has put a lot of emphasis on education. This is evidenced in more than ten reviews by special commissions and working parties, such as the Koech Commission of (1999). Furthermore, the government has committed itself to developing sector policies and implementation strategies, to ensure the provision of relevant and quality education, training and research to Kenyans. This is because education is one of the critical sectors that contribute to the transmission of skills and knowledge to Kenyans, (Republic of Kenya, 2010). Enrolments in secondary schools have steadily increased over the years, due to education being viewed as a tool for the realization of a wide range of important benefits. These include increased economic growth, enhanced productivity across sectors and increased individual earnings (Republic of Kenya, 2006). Records by United Nations Development Programme (2008), on Free Primary Education revealed that, the growth of secondary schools, has not matched the increased enrollments from primary schools. The total enrolment in the former stands at 1.18 million students as compared to 3.7 million children, of primary school going age, (Republic of Kenya, 2008). This concurs with the Ministry of Education, (2006) which stated that, in Kenya, less than half of the pupils who sat for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination, in the year 2005, managed to gain access to secondary education. The ratio of boys was higher than girls. This concurs with Novicki (2012) who states that, the gender gap in education remains wide, with female literacy rates well below those of males in most Sub-Saharan African countries. The gender gap has declined but girls still drop out more often than boys, due to parents’ preference to educate boys, poverty, sexual harassment, pregnancy and early marriage (World Bank, 2002).

With the reality of Free Primary education, enrolments have increased and secondary schools must expand to take up this increased enrolment.  Ministry of Education (2005) noted that, secondary education is an immediate priority, as Kenya's education stakeholders consider how to accommodate, the hundreds of thousands of new primary school students, who seek places in secondary school. Strategies are put in place by the government to provide equal opportunities for all Kenyans. The demand for education by Kenyans is a reflection of their expectations of the returns that can accrue from education. Besides continued numerical expansion of education opportunities, the Ministry of Education is keen on enhancing access and improving quality of education at all levels and training (Republic of Kenya, 2006). Thus in Kenya, the government is committed to developing her human resource by providing quality education to all her citizens in order to meet her manpower demands, eradicate illiteracy and improve standards of living. Education sector plays a critical role in production of skills and competencies. In order to participate effectively in the development of her economy, issues of access, quality, internal and external efficiencies in the education system remains (Republic of Kenya, 2010). UNESCO (2011) reports that, “ the increased demand for secondary education has led to greater cost–sharing, resulting in the establishment of day schools being a more cost effective way of providing and expanding secondary education”. This is due to the tight limits of public resources, and competition for the same resources by other sectors of the economy. The education sector, through various strategic plans, must provide strategies for optimal utilization of the resources allocated to the sector. Economic Recovery Strategy (2007) stresses that; strategies are put in place by the government, to provide equal opportunities for all Kenyans. This is to allow all citizens to productively and self reliantly participate, in employment and wealth creation by investing in education. Despite the government’s commitment to developing her human resources, certain disparities have been noted to affect the quality of education and overall performance in day-secondary schools located in Migori Sub county. As a result of the disparities noted, the rural or low potential areas have been neglected despite the fact that they comprise 70 per cent of the country and 60 per cent of Kenya's population (Republic of Kenya, 2005). These variations in performance of secondary schools has raised a lot of concern because education is the key to creating, adopting and spreading knowledge. The gains in access to education have been unevenly distributed, with the poor seldom getting their fair share. A report by United Nations International Children and Education Fund, through the Republic of Kenya (2009) noted that, there was a distinct difference  in Nyanza region, between the kind of education offered to the rich and the less privileged, with the latter being the majority of the population in the Sub county . As Ndege (2011), reports, the Sub county and Nyanza region as a whole is characterized by, high unemployment rate and a high poverty index at 63%. She further observes that, the government is keen on developing education in Nairobi, at the expense of other areas, with most national schools and main universities being located in the region. The United Nations (2001) noted that: “There is pronounced rural-urban disparity in economic development in Kenya.  This has mainly been the outcome of an underlying economic, ideological and socio-cultural orientation that perceived rural areas as peripheral to urban areas…Consequently; there was a policy bias in favor of urban areas with the result that rural areas have been left behind in many spheres of development.” p.36.  Performance has often varied depending on the location of the secondary schools. Despite schools having the same syllabus, disparities in performance have been noted every year in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. UNESCO (1981) explains that, most of the students from day-secondary schools end up disadvantaged in a society, where academic qualifications are a prerequisite for higher learning or consideration for training, in government institutions and the private sector. Enrolment has increased in Migori Sub county. The area has a total population of 28 secondary schools, comprising 25 day and 3 boarding secondary schools. The mean scores in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education of the day-secondary schools were noted to have been lower than that of the boarding secondary schools, yet the former are the majority. In the year 2010 the average mean scores of the day-secondary schools in  Migori  Sub  county  was  lower  than  that  of  the  boarding schools. This is a matter of serious concern, as the majority of secondary schools in Migori Sub county are day-secondary schools.

Policy makers and educators face the twin challenge of reducing expenditure on education, while expanding educational opportunities for Kenyan children. Despite the need to expand the existing secondary school opportunities, by establishing day schools, the quality of education must be maintained in these schools. World Bank (2012) reports that, most measures to improve quality have serious implications on cost. Kenya is faced with the issue of increased enrolment levels, how to take care of this, and still be able to provide quality in the educational system. She must find a justification for using the country's 40% of recurrent expenditure, on education. The increase in expenditure on education is aimed at increasing enrollment, and enhancing access to education. Educational systems should attempt to achieve maximum internal efficiency, through the management, allocation and use of resources available, to increase the quantity and quality of education. As UNESCO (2011) observes, when retention is facilitated and achievement boosted, the efficiency of educational investment is achieved. In Kenya, the demand for access to higher quality and more efficient secondary education, is growing fast. This has followed the introduction of free secondary education in 2008 (Republic of Kenya, 2010). According to World Bank (2002a), efficiency refers to, the ability to produce the desired results with minimum efforts, or producing the finest product at the lowest cost. Since the turn of the century, recurrent expenditure on education has accounted for about 35 percent of the overall, annual, government recurrent budget. Tuition fees were waived in 2008 but the effects of this will take some time to be seen. Nevertheless, there has been a significant absolute increase in the number of secondary school students in recent years (Republic of Kenya, 2007).

For nearly all African nations in the years to come, especially after the introduction of Universal Free Primary Education, the biggest challenge with respect to secondary education is expansion. There is need to satisfy the ever increasing demand for admission to schools, with the limited secondary school places. With the implementation of Free Primary Education in January 2003 in Kenya, enrolments increased from 5.9 million in 2002 to 7.6 million in 2006. Further, the transition rate from primary to secondary level, recorded an upward trend from 60% in 2007 to 66.9% in 2009, due to the waiving of tuition fees by the government. Nyanza region has recorded one of the highest Net Enrolment Rates of 97.8 percent, while the national average is 83.2 percent (Republic of Kenya, 2010). The objectives of the World Bank to support secondary education projects includes, expansion of secondary education and improvement of quality and efficiency in these schools. This is due to secondary education being recognized as the crucial link, between primary education, tertiary education and the labor market.  Furthermore, human resource development offers opportunities for narrowing inequalities, and improving the general wellbeing of individuals (Economic Recovery Strategy, 2007). Education equips citizens with understanding and knowledge that enables them to make informed choices, about their lives and those facing the Kenyan society. There is need to ensure education is of quality standard, and its contents should be relevant to the needs of the economy and society (Republic of Kenya, 2007). Table 1 shows the mean scores in Kenya Certificate of Secondary education for day-secondary schools in the Migori Sub county, 2009 indicating the poor performance in the Sub county which motivated this study. Migori Sub county Education Office   has a total of 28 secondary schools with 25 being day and 3 boarding schools. Out of the 28 secondary schools, 7 of them scored mean scores below 4.0, 5 schools below 5.0 and 9 below 6.0. In the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education 2010 examination results out of 28 schools, only eight schools obtained a mean score of above 6.0, while 20 scored below 5.0. The overall performance in day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county  in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education was below average, 6.0 (C). There was need to establish the factors that influence performance in day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county, Kenya. Majority (25/28) of the schools within Migori Sub county were day-secondary schools which performed poorly, unlike the boarding schools that performed above average. Since the former were the majority of schools in the Sub County, there was need to establish the factors influencing the academic performance of students in these schools.

Table 1: Mean Scores for Secondary Schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations in Migori Sub county , 2009

* Boarding Secondary Schools

Source: S.C.E.Os Office, 2010

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions relating to Migori Sub-County were:

i)    What is the influence of student related factors on performance of students in day-secondary schools in  Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations?

ii)   To what extent do teacher related factors influence performance of students in day-secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations?

iii)  What is the influence of location of school on the performance of students in day- secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations?

SYNTHESIS OF LITERATURE ON FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS

According to Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1985), students are considered as inputs in the educational sector, and the output expected is student achievement. It is worth noting that, the performance of day-secondary schools may be affected by, the entry behavior of students, their prospects in life, and the opportunities offered by the immediate surroundings of the school. This can either encourage the students to hard work and achievement, or demotivate them. This is consistent with the findings of a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund in 38 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, which reported that, many adolescents drop out of school, if they are admitted in low performing schools (World Bank, 2012). The present study  sought  to  determine  the  influence  of  student-related  factors  on performance. As population increases, there has been a rise in the number of poor households, which are unable to meet the demand of cost- sharing in education. Although many children would like to attend school, and their parents would like to send them to school, most low and middle income groups are not able to do so. As Deolalikar (1999) observed, secondary school fees constitutes a very high proportion of household income. The implementation of cost-sharing programmes has culminated, in the decline of school enrolment figures. The fees charged in secondary schools has risen greatly, encouraging high levels of absenteeism (Republic of Kenya, 2005).  Absenteeism of students leads to a lack of continuity in learning, negatively affecting the overall performance and mean grade of the schools in national examinations.  Gender disparity in school enrolment has been noted, whereby, most parents prefer to educate boys to girls. World Bank, (2002a), states that, in the developing countries, girls as contrast to boys, are vastly neglected on the rights of education.  In this regard, some girls could go back home for fees and stay there forever. World Bank (2012), concurs with this view stating that, the problem of gender bias on education is common, especially in developing countries. Further, according to the United Nations girls make up 46 percent of primary enrolment, which then takes a huge drop to 16 percent in secondary school enrolment. As a result, girls comprise the bulk of those locked out of school by financial and cultural constraints (World Bank, 2002a).  Republic of Kenya (2008) states that the government has brought reforms to solve the problem of student absenteeism in secondary schools, due to lack of school fees. This has been done through the disbursement of bursary to needy students in secondary schools, through their respective constituencies. Secondary school bursaries target vulnerable groups such as orphans, girls and children from poor families in slum areas and pockets of poverty in high potential areas and ASAL Sub county s. Studies carried by the UNESCO  and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, noted that, pupil absenteeism is chronic in Kenya’s public education system. This may be contributing to academic shortfalls in national examinations (World Bank, 2002a).  The study attempted to establish the influence of absenteeism on student academic performance in day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county.

The performance of day-secondary schools is determined, by the performance of the individual students in the schools. Parental income is a major contributing factor to retention of students in schools, as it influences their regular attendance. Asikhia (2010) observes that, the higher the level of households income, the higher the probability of school retention of students. This allows for effective syllabus coverage, thus enhancing school performance. This concurs with Republic of Kenya (2006) which states that, the high cost of schooling accounts for 30%, of those unable to access education, at secondary level. He further observes that, most parents of students in day-secondary schools, especially in the rural areas, are peasants whose land produce does not pay constantly and regularly. Increased demand for secondary education due to Freee Primary Education has increased the current transition from primary level to secondary level. UNESCO (2000) agrees that, there has been tremendous increase in both the number of secondary schools and in student enrollment. This is in response to the rapidly increasing number of primary school graduates, seeking entry to the secondary level.  There’s need to provide targeted support for poor parents and development of more day schools, especially in high population density areas. Rumberger (2009) states that in large poor families, some siblings may be forced to drop out of school completely to complement the family income for the most basic needs. A study by Okumu (2008) in Uganda, on socio-economic determinants of school dropout established that, family size, contributed to 37.6% drop out of pupils from primary schools. The present study, intended to establish the influence of low family income, and number of siblings, on student performance in day-secondary schools. Economic disparities have been found to be closely related to regional disparities, in the sense that, some schools are far from each other and attendance more difficult. According to Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1985), quality indicators of education refer to the completion and transition rates. Quality also determines efficiency and effectiveness at any level of education. Since education is crucial in enhancing the quality of individual life and that of the country, there is need to emphasize policies that accelerate access, enrolment, completion and quality of education in day-secondary schools of Kenya. Republic of Kenya, (2005) reports that, in Kenya, the lack of schools, great distances traveled by students, overcrowding and shortcomings in the training of teachers, has put the countryside at a real disadvantage, in comparison to the urban areas. The government is committed to the provision of quality education, in accordance with the Kenyan law and the international conventions, such as the Education for All Goal. She is developing strategies for moving the country towards the attainment of this goal (World Bank, 2012). The challenge therefore, is to address educational issues to improve quality of secondary education to all Kenyans. The current study intended to establish the influence of distance travelled by students to school, on student academic performance in day- secondary schools in Migori Sub county, Kenya.

Teachers play an imperative role in the quality of education offered in schools. They are indispensable elements in the teaching and learning process, and in most developing countries, constitute the main agents of transmission of knowledge (Republic of Kenya, 2008). The teacher resource is one of the most important inputs, into the education system. Therefore, efficient management and utilization of teachers is critical, to the quality of learning outcomes, in terms of student performance (Republic of Kenya, 2005). It further states that, the government through the Ministry of Education has the responsibility, of providing and coordinating education, and training in the country.

This is due to the teacher resource being a vital input into the education process, because they are responsible for delivery of the curriculum. Furthermore, trained teachers have mastery of subject content and appropriate teaching methods, that enhance learning and performance, (Republic of Kenya, 2006). Schools that have large numbers of qualified teachers have higher mean scores in national exams than the ones with less qualified teachers. A research carried out in Chile and India found that, student achievement drastically improved, particularly in mathematics and science, if a teacher was trained. Grissay and Mahlick, (2000) concurs that, for performance to be improved in day-secondary schools, in-service courses in management and pedagogical support for teachers are necessary. This has led to high number of trained graduates heading secondary schools through a recent policy of the Ministry of Education, preferring to promote graduates to the positions of school leadership for high academic performance and utilization of resources (Republic of Kenya, 2010).  However, Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1985) argue that students do almost as well when studying under untrained teachers as they do when studying under trained graduates from university. This contrasting view is supported by Asikha (2010) who noted that, teacher’s qualification and students’ environment do not influence their poor performance. He stresses further that, teachers’ methods of teaching influence poor academic performance. Deolalikar, (1999) on the other hand indicated that, students’ performance, is correlated with the length of experience and qualification of the teacher. A study by Ngala (1997),  in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya, found that, professional training, enables teachers to impart knowledge more efficiently, than their untrained counterparts. He also noted that, a trained teacher can effectively supplement the deficiencies of the school system, where educational resources are limited. His findings revealed that, the most significant predictor of high pupil academic achievement is teacher motivation. Fleshman (2005) concurs that, teachers are key to improving learning in schools. Therefore, it is important to implement a rigorous system of pre and in-service teacher development, as it helps to strengthen teacher quality. In support of this view, the Republic of Kenya (2006) reports that, the government through the Ministry of Education, has the responsibility of providing and coordinating, education and training in the country. The current study, sought to establish the influence of teacher qualification on the performance of day-secondary schools of Migori Sub county.

Rapid growth of the primary sector due to Free Primary Education has resulted in growth of total enrolment in secondary schools. One of the targets outlined in Sessional Paper No. 1 (2005), is achievement of a transition rate of 70 percent, from primary to secondary school level. This has resulted in the need for more teachers in secondary schools. Secondary school teacher distribution in Kenya, has not been equitable both in subjects, and also between regions. This is in agreement with Cowell and Holsinger (2000) who stated that, among the myriad problems plaguing education in Africa, is the low quality of schooling, with overly large class sizes. They further observe that, the average number of students per teacher, is higher than in any other world region except South Asia, thus low achievement. Rural areas have a deficit of trained teachers because, the ones posted there, leave at the least opportunity to go to areas near urban centres (Malenya, 2008). As a consequence, difficult and remote areas continue to suffer teacher shortages. Fleshman (2005) notes that, in cases where there were few teachers, the lower forms, 1and 2, are ignored, as more attention is paid to the examination classes. This negatively affects the overall performance of schools because it lays a poor foundation for the students. To solve the problem of uneven teacher distribution, the government has developed a new teacher recruitment policy, based on the need for teachers and guided by the availability of resources (Republic of Kenya, 2005).This strategy is aimed at ensuring efficiency and effectiveness, in the supply of teachers to schools. Strategic Plan, (2006), reveals that, the current policy of recruiting teachers where vacancies exist is aimed at redressing the uneven distribution of teachers. Although several researchers differ on the effect of teacher-pupil ratio on performance, a study by Grissay and Mahlick (2000) in Asia, found positive correlation between low pupil-teacher  ratio and student  performance in national examinations. Kipkoech (2004) agrees by noting that, high pupil-teacher ratio discourages student–teacher interaction than low pupil-teacher ratio. This encourages individualized instruction, which improves teacher effectiveness, hence performance. The Kenyan government is currently reviewing staffing norms, in order to ensure equitable distribution of teachers as their shortages, hinder delivery of quality education (Republic of Kenya, 2010). With education consuming approximately 7% of the Gross Domestic Product there is need to utilize the teacher resource optimally, as two-thirds of the budgetary allocation for education is consumed by teachers’ salaries (Republic of Kenya, 2006). The current study attempted to establish the influence of teacher-pupil ratio on performance, in day- secondary schools of Migori Sub county . Several reasons have been given for poor performance, in national examinations between schools. Some have attributed to indiscipline and lack of facilities in some schools, while the others feel that the fault really lies with the examinations, and the way they are set (Ministry of Education, 2005b). Further it states that, in Kenya, the education system has been observed to have a wide curriculum, and the four years allocated for the coverage is considered inadequate. Curriculum reforms have been undertaken at all levels of the education sector to rationalize and make the syllabus more flexible. This will reduce curriculum overload, improving its relevance and incorporating emerging issues.  The Ministry of Education recognizes the need for regular reviews of the curriculum. This has resulted in the Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training sub- sector undertaking modularizations of the syllabus, to make it flexible and reduce  curriculum  overload (Republic of Kenya, 2007). With early completion of the syllabus, the teachers are able to prepare the candidates effectively, thus improving the overall examination performance of the school. World Bank (2012) also notes that, the curriculum should be adopted to reflect the real needs, conditions and aspirations of the society. The study sought to determine the influence of syllabus completion on student academic performance in day-secondary schools of Migori Sub county.

Virtually, every social and economic indicator shows the extreme inequalities that exist between rural and urban areas in Kenya (Republic of Kenya, 2006). Performance has also often been found to vary depending on the locale of the secondary schools, either rural or urban. Despite these two categories of schools doing the same examinations and following the same syllabus, disparities in performance have continued to be noted every year. Appendix E shows the performance of secondary schools in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education  examinations of 2009, in Migori Sub county . Several reasons have been given to account for these variations of performance of day-secondary schools. Some authors like Malenya (2008), attributes it to teacher’s method of teaching, while Griffins (1996) attributes it to lack of facilities and discipline in the schools. Most developing countries are at the early stages of analyzing their situations and developing programmes that address such problems. Students who perform poorly in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations end up disadvantaged in a society where, it is not just a matter of acquisition of Education, which counts if one is to get employment, but rather, the attainment of quality education (Republic of Kenya, 2007). The variations in performance of secondary schools have raised concern because of the large degree of wastage. A solution therefore, needs to be found. The Kenya National Development Plan for the period 1997-2001 acknowledges that, Kenya faces serious problems in the education front, primarily relating to the decline in the quality of education. Co-ordinated and comprehensive educational systems for the rural areas, should provide for the young people in school and out of school, an opportunity to compete on equal terms with their urban counterparts. United Nations (2001) observed that, children from rural areas are intellectually and educationally inferior, to their urban counterparts. In their study, they frequently showed that urban children perform better on standardized tests of attainment than rural children. It further attributed this to be due to lack of challenge and intellectual stimulation in rural environments. These findings could not be supported and applied to day-secondary schools in Kenya, without qualification as regards performance, since every region is unique.  However, Mensh (1997) disagrees with the idea of location affecting quality of education. He observes that, when either academic or post school performance is used to measure school quality, it is necessary to control for the effect of non-school factors. These include innate ability, family background and early childhood education.

The Kenyan government is determining ways of improving performance in day- secondary schools. Adelube, (2004) observed that, there should be equity in the provision of quality of education offered in schools, because of the great importance that education has, on the national development of the country. This will allow Kenyan students, to equally participate in economic development in the country. Thus, the vicious cycle of rural poverty may be alleviated. The demands of students in day-secondary schools in rural areas, allows them little opportunity to effectively complete the syllabus (UNESCO, 2000). With early completion of the syllabus, the teachers are able to prepare the candidates effectively, thus improving the overall examination performance of students in the day-secondary schools. Curriculum reforms have been undertaken at all levels of the education sector to make the syllabus more flexible, favoring neither the rural nor urban child. World Bank (2005) observed that, teachers in rural areas are demotivated, as they are forced to teach in remote and inaccessible areas, where parents are too poor to motivate them. This is unlike the urban day-secondary schools, where teachers are rewarded for their efforts by parents, through cash remunerations or promotions of individual teachers.

Novicki, (2012) noted that students from rural areas are disadvantaged in performance over their urban counterparts, because books for use in schools, rarely include materials reflecting the rural environment. Examinations have been used as a cognitive measure of internal efficiency, knowledge and skills acquired in school, yet they do not take into account the environment. This puts the child in the rural area at a disadvantage over his urban counterpart. In the immediate future, if the curriculum using the environment of the child in the rural area is to be followed, examinations must take account of it. As Deininger (2003) confirms, education is not considered as a priority in rural areas. This is because the type of education provided for some children, does not fulfill their needs or aspirations. The failure by the educationists to make the school curriculum more relevant, to the rural children, has led to their marginalization. This is because, the curricula are largely, urban biased. Content analysis of books, has also been observed to reveal biases, in favor of urban children. This is despite the fact that, the qualifying examinations at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education , are the same for both. The high cost of schooling accounts for 30% of those unable to access education at secondary level (Ministry of Education, 2005a). This is because most parents of students in rural day-secondary schools are peasants, whose land products do not pay constantly, and regularly. UNESCO (2000) confirms that, in urban areas, school attendance is often three times greater, than in rural area. This is due to the economic ability of the parents. Students in rural day-secondary schools, also have difficulty in buying necessary material that assists learning.  In  addition,  absence  from  school, negatively affects the performance of students in these schools.  This affects the performance of day-secondary schools in the rural areas (Daily Nation, 2002, April 22nd). The study aimed at determining, the influence of selected factors, on performance of students in day-secondary schools of Migori Sub county , in national examinations.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The study was based on the conceptual framework (Figure 1).

A conceptual framework was used to help focus on the variables in the study.  A school with high academic mean score is considered more efficient than one with low examinations scores (Fuller, 2011). Thus student’s academic performance is a function of independent variables such as student-related factors, teacher-related factors and influence of school location. The intervening variables were, student entry behavior, pupil-teacher ratio, low family income, student absenteeism, long distance travelled by students to school. The intervening variables are used to explain relationships between observed variables such as, independent and dependent variables in empirical research (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003). Dependent variables are the students’ academic performance.  Students related factors such as absenteeism leads to low performance because learners fail to cope with the work. The location of the school either rural or urban influences performance as the environment can either encourage the learner to hard work or demotivate them, thus lowering performance World Bank, (2012).Teacher qualification experience motivation and attitude have significant impact on academic performance of pupil. All the variables had influence of academic performance of students in day-secondary schools, in Migori Sub county , Kenya.  The internal efficiency of education concerns the relationship between the independent and intervening variables and how it influences the dependent variable. The dependent variable of education systems is measured by examinations scores. From the conceptual framework, the study was aimed at determining the effect of selected variables namely, teacher-related factors, location of school and student related factors on school performance.

RESEARCH  METHODOLOGY

Descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The study population consisted of 25 Principals, 251 teachers and 1750 students.  The sampled population consisted of 22 Principals, 84 teachers and 210 students were selected through proportion sampling technique, to guarantee that variable categories with small proportions of cases in the population were adequately represented in the sample. The data was collected by use of Principals’, teachers’ and students’ questionnaire and an interview schedule for Principals. The instruments were  validated  by  experts  in Educational administration. Reliability of the instruments was established through a pilot study to remove ambiguities in the instruments. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was coded and analyzed in emergent themes.

RESULTS

The demographic characteristics of the Principals, teachers, students and school data were as  shown in  Tables 2, 3 and 4.

Table 2: Data of Principals and Location as reported by Principals (n=21)

Table 2 shows the demographic characteristics of the principals interviewed for the study, indicating academic/professional qualifications, headship experience in the present school and location of their schools. Table 2 shows that majority 18 (85.7%) of the Principals, were graduate trained B.ED Arts and B.Ed Science teachers, followed by 2 (9.5%) P.G.D.E graduates and only 1(4.8%) of them being S1 trained (Diploma). This implies that the qualification of the head teacher is significant, as enduring problems of day to day operations and control of the school, falls directly on them. Grissay and Mahlick (2000) observes that, for performance to be improved in day-secondary schools, in-service courses in management and pedagogical support for Principals are necessary. From the interviews conducted, majority 10(47.6%) of the head teachers had headship experience of 6-10 years, followed by 7(19.1%) with less than 5 years and 4(33.3%), above 11 years. This implies that most of the Principals have been in their current stations for less than 10 years. There has been a recent policy of the Ministry of Education, preferring to promote graduates to positions of school leadership. There is a well developed capacity building programme, covering all levels of the education system, to be able to ensure effective leadership and utilization of resources (Republic of Kenya, 2010).

Table 3: Data of Teachers and Location as indicated by Teachers (n=84)

Table 3 indicates the academic/professional qualifications of teachers, used to collect information during the study. Majority of the teachers 66 (78.6%) were trained Bachelor of Education, Arts and Science teachers. This was followed by 8 (9.5%) who were P.G.D.E. graduates, followed by 6 (7.1%) diploma teachers and 4 (4.8%), being untrained teachers. The high percentage of trained teachers shows the government’s commitment to ensure that the standards of education are not compromised, in day-secondary schools. This is because teachers contribute significantly, to the kind of performance achieved in schools, in terms of student and school mean scores. A significant positive correlation between performance and teacher qualification, is reported by Kathuri (1986) in his study in Kenya. In the study, Kathuri found that, in schools where less than 90% of the staff are qualified teachers, the performance index was 5.5, and where more than 90% were qualified, the performance index was 6.0. Thus the study indicated that, the higher the percentage of qualified teachers, the higher the performance in examinations. 

Table 4: Data of Students and Location as indicated by the Students (n=210)

Table 4 indicates the gender, ages and school location of students. The Table shows that, majority 134 (63.8%) of the respondents, were male students while female students were 76(36.2%). This implies that, girls´ retention in secondary school is lower than that of their male counterparts. This is in agreement with the findings by Oloo (2003) in her study, on gender disparity in mixed day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county, Kenya. She noted that, girl’s retention in secondary school was lower than that of their male counterparts, and this negatively influenced the former’s performance. Most students 120 (57.14) were aged 18 years and above. This is followed by the age bracket of 15-17 years, 74 (35.24%), and between 13-14 years were only 16 (7.62%). This implies that most students joined primary school at older years. This late enrolment may be due to the students being used to provide labor at home in taking care of their younger siblings, or due to inadequacy of funds for fee payment (Fuller, 2011). The event of Free Primary Education may have resulted in the late enrolment, as adult people were keen to learn. In this case, it is expected that with a favorable learning environment, they should perform better. Majority of the student respondents 160 (76.2%) were from the rural day secondary schools and 50(23.8%) were from the urban schools. This is as a result of rural day secondary schools being the majority in Migori Sub county, 16 (76.2%) while the urban are 5 (23.8%).  Appendix E indicates the mean scores in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations, 2010, of the secondary schools in Migori Sub county. The results from the table imply that, the performance of   secondary schools located in Migori Sub county, is generally below average. The schools that managed to get a mean score above 6 (C) were 8 schools out of 28, with three of them being boarding secondary schools. The mean average score for the Sub county was 5.1099 by 2010 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination results. Four out of 25 day secondary schools had an average mean score of 6.0 (c) in the 2010 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. This study sought to determine the factors influencing performance in these day-secondary schools, as they are the majority in the Sub county. This will ensure maximum utilization of available resources.

Research Question 1

The research question responded to was: What is the influence of student-related factors on the performance of students in day-secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations? The responses to the question by the Principals, teachers and students are as shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Ratings of Principals, Teachers and Students on influence of Student-Related factors on Academic Performance in Day-Secondary Schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education 2009 – 2010

Interpretation of mean ratings: 1.00 - 1.44 = Very Low; 1.45 - 2.44 = Low; 2.45 - 3.44 = Moderate; 3.45 - 4.44 = High; 4.45 - 5.0 = Very High.

Table 5 shows the mean ratings on the influence of student’s related factors on performance.                                                                                                                                     

Absenteeism of student’s affects performance negatively, had mean rating, of 4.57 and 4.16 from head teachers and students respectively, while teachers rated it at 3.86.   Asked further how often they missed school, the students gave various responses as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Absenteeism of Students

Data shows that 61% of the students rarely miss school while 26% say, they never miss school at all. Seven percent of the students said they miss school often with, 6% saying they miss quite often. The day-secondary school attendance rates of students that were on the higher side, may be attributed to the literacy campaigns by the government and proximity to urban centers within the Sub county  (World, 2012).  It appeared that most students appreciated the value of going to school, and thus gave themselves to it. Some students gave the reason for missing as, long distances between school and home. Low family income lowers performance, had mean ratings of 4.43 by head teachers, 4.29 by teachers and 4.10 by students. Low entry behavior lowers performance had high rating of, 4.14 by head teachers, 4.0 by teachers and 4.07 by students. According to the respondents, performance of students was negatively influenced by the low entry behavior of students, below 249 marks at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education on admission. Long distance from students’ home to school lowers performance was rated by head teachers at 3.57, by teachers at 3.43 and by students at 3.40. The respondents agreed that long distances travelled by students to school, had a negative effect on their performance and overall school mean score. Questionnaire findings indicated that, majority 149 (71%) of students hailed between 0 to 5 kilometers from the school. They find it easier to reach school, in comparison to 61 (29%), who hailed from 6 kilometers and above. Given that all the schools dealt with were day schools, this percentage was big. Distances above 5 kilometers do not augur well for concentration and strength, due to exhaustion from traveling long distances. Poor means of transport to school lowers performance, had mean ratings of 3.43, 3.0 and 3.62 from head teachers, teachers and students respectively.  This shows that means of transport used to school influenced performance of students, as majority of the students 149 (71%) hailed from distances of 0-5km. When the students were asked in the questionnaire what means they use to come to schools, the students’ responses were as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4.2: Bar graph showing Transport used by Students to School as reported by Students (n=210)

From Figure 4.2, most students, 147 (70%) went to school on foot, while 17 (9%) ride bicycles to school with the remaining 46 (22%), taking vehicles to school. The proximity of learning place to the homes of the learners, is an important factor that enhances attendance in day schools. Asked further whether they liked their school, 179 (85%) of the students responded in the affirmative with the other 3 (14.8%) saying no. This revealed an overwhelming liking for the schools, by the students. Those who did not like their schools were asked to state reasons. Lack of teachers was given by 21 (10%) of the students, as the leading factor that made students not like their schools. Lack of books was cited by 6 (3%), as well as lack of laboratory 4 (2%) and deteriorating standards in academic performance 6 (3%). When asked to say why they chose the schools where they were learning, the students gave their reasons. Majority 105 (50%) of the students stated that, the fees was affordable in the schools. Sixty five of them (31%) chose the schools, because they were easily accessible. Thirty-six of them (17%) said that, good performance of the schools in national exams, attracted them while 31(15%) chose the schools due to parental influence. Eleven (5%) of the students, indicated that the discipline in the school attracted them to join while, 23 (11%) accepted the invitation by the schools, due to their entry level behavior. A total of 17 (8%) chose the schools, because of their good reputation while, one student chose the school because of sports and another due to religious affiliation.

High number of siblings negatively affects performance, was given ratings of 3.14 by head teachers, 2.29 by the teachers and 3.13 by the students. The responses by the head teachers and students implied that students who have high number of siblings, may have their performance negatively influenced.

Figure 4.3: Bar graph showing Number of Siblings for Students across Gender

From the Figure, a total of 76 (36%) of the students interviewed had over 5 siblings. The majority of students (81.9%) had between 3-4 siblings, while 21 (10%) of the students had siblings beyond 5.  This provides a strain in the financial ability of the family, reflected more in the provision of secondary education.  The school attendance of the students at secondary level impacted on the families in terms of economic strain, resulting in absenteeism that lowered the performance of the students, and hence mean score.  Low parental level of education negatively influences performance had low mean ratings of 2.86 by head teachers, 3.0 by teachers and 2.68 by students.

Research Question Two:

The research question responded to was:  What is the influence of teacher-related factors on the performance of students in day secondary schools of Migori Sub county in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations? The responses to this question by the head teachers, teachers and students are as shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Ratings of Principals, Teachers and Students on Influence of Teacher-related factors on Academic Performance in Day-Secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, 2009 - 2010

Interpretation of mean ratings: 1.00 - 1.44 = Very Low; 1.45 - 2.44 = Low; 2.45 - 3.44 = Moderate; 3.45 - 4.44 = High; 4.45 - 5.0 = Very High.

Early syllabus completion improves performance was rated by the head teachers, teachers and students at 4.71, 4.29 and 4.9 respectively. High teacher qualification enhances performance was rated at 4.57 by head teachers, 4.0 by teachers and 4.68 from students. High teacher motivation improves performance was rated at 4.43 by head teachers, 4.71 by teachers and 4.35 by students in the study. Positive teacher attitude enhances performance was rated highly by Principals, teachers and students at 4.29, 4.71 and 4.18 respectively.  The effect of teacher discipline on performance was rated by head- teachers at 4.29, teachers 4.29 and students 4.15. Low teacher-pupil ratio enhances performance had mean ratings of 4.14 by head teachers, 4.57 by teachers and 4.10 by students.  Giving of extra work enhances performance, was rated by students at 4.0, by head teachers, 4.14 by teachers, while students rated it at 3.88. High teacher experience improves performance, was rated at 3.86 by head teachers, 4.14 by teachers and 3.82 by students. In the view of the respondents, school performance is influenced more by the effective use of the existing school facilities, and teacher qualifications, rather than the experience of the concerned teachers.  Teacher gender influences performance, was rated at 1.71, 1.86 and 1.67 from head teachers, teachers and students.

Research Question 3

The research question responded to was: What is the influence of school location on the performance of students in day secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations? The responses to this question by the head teachers, teachers and students are as shown in Table 7

Table 7: Ratings  of Principals, Teachers and Students on influence of School Location on Academic Performance in Day-Secondary Schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, 2009 – 2010

Interpretation of mean ratings: 1.00 - 1.44 = Very Low; 1.45 - 2.44 = Low; 2.45 - 3.44 = Moderate; 3.45 - 4.44 = High; 4.45 - 5.0 = Very High.

Urban poor environment lowers performance was rated at 4.29 by principals, 3.57 by teachers and 4.4 by students while rural poor environment lowers performance was rated at 3.57, 4.14 and 4.16 by head teachers, teachers and students respectively.  Urban affluent environment enhances performance was rated at 3.76, 3.71 and 3.57 by principals, teachers and students respectively. Similarly, rural affluent environment improves performance was rated at 3.43 by principals, 3.86 by teachers and 3.37 by students. These responses indicate that, location of schools  in poor areas, have influence on performance of students in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations in day-secondary schools.

DISCUSSION

The high percentage of trained teachers shows the government’s commitment to ensure that the standards of education are not compromised, in day-secondary schools. This is because teachers contribute significantly, to the kind of performance achieved in schools, in terms of student and school mean scores. A significant positive correlation between performance and teacher qualification, is reported by Kathuri (1986) in his study in Kenya. In the study, Kathuri found that, in schools where less than 90% of the staff are qualified teachers, the performance index was 5.5, and where more than 90% were qualified, the performance index was 6.0. Thus the study indicated that, the higher the percentage of qualified teachers, the higher the performance in examinations.   Absenteeism of students leads to wastage of learning time that would have been effectively used in coverage of the syllabus, to improve academic performance. Absenteeism is mainly as a result of low income levels of the parents. This irregular attendance makes it difficult to complete the syllabus on time, thus negatively affecting student academic performance. Ministry of Education (2007) reports that, the problem of absenteeism, has led to government reforms being carried out. These will ensure increased disbursement to needy students in secondary schools, through their respective constituencies (Ministry of Education, 2003). When students were asked in the questionnaire about secondary school attendance of their siblings, 172 of them indicated, between 1 and 2 of their siblings attended secondary schools. World Bank (2012), states that, the school attendance of siblings at secondary level impacted on families in terms of economic strain, in trying to raise the necessary school fees. Family income affects the school attendance of students, as it determines the payment of fees regularly. It further affects the ability to access the necessary materials that assist in the learning process. The main response given by the head teachers on the factors that affected mean scores of their schools was, high poverty index in the catchment areas of the school, resulting in poor payment of fees. Low levels of family income, are closely related to dropout and absenteeism of students, due to the high poverty level. Most Kenyan families cannot afford the fee charged in most of these schools. The Strategic Plan for the Ministry of Education 2006-2011 indicates that, the cost of education in secondary schools accounts for 30% of the total youths out of school. A study by Gogo (2006), conducted in Rachuonyo Sub county further concurs that, 57.69% of the parents could not be able to pay school fees due to their low income. This view is also supported by Graham (1998), who observes that, student dropout rates for financial reasons are much higher for children of poor families.    Gender disparity was also noted as parents preferred to educate boys to girls.  In this regard, some girls could go back home for fees and stay there forever According to UNESCO/UNICEF report (1993), approximately 36 million girls were out of school in the Sub-Saharan region. By 1990, girls made up 45% of secondary school students in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Diverse answers were given by teachers, on the factors affecting performance in their schools. The leading being, low entry behavior of students given by 40 (47.5%) of the teachers. They further said, day schools whether rural or urban admitted poor students. The fact that the teachers blamed the quality of the students they teach on the entry level of the students meant that, the teachers had negative attitude towards the students from day one. This assertion agrees with the findings of a study by Misoy (2011) in Nandi Sub county which found that, “teachers have a negative attitude toward day students and regarded them as academically low.” She further noted that,” the parents of these students are not concerned about their children’s future.”  The solution here was to create the right learning atmosphere in the day secondary schools by improving their performance in the national examinations. This will enable them to attract students with high marks, in the Kenya Certificate of primary Education. The day-secondary schools should therefore aim at ensuring that, they only admit the meritorious students who score over 250 marks. This will enable them to avoid lowering the quality of performance of the schools, in the national examinations. Krystyna (1990) reported that, long distances may lead to lateness, absenteeism from school, poor concentration in class or becoming passive participants in the classroom. This could lead to low performance in examinations. The proximity of learning place to the homes of the learners is an important factor that, enhances attendance in day secondary schools, and hence means score.

Is worth noting that the factors that contribute to the students’ attraction to a school goes a long way to determine the motivation level within the learner (Asikha, 2010). In turn, this gives a reflection on the school performance.  Nocicki (2012) stated that high number of siblings causes  pressure  on  the  available  family  income, which must be distributed amongst a larger number of siblings in terms of fees, and other learning requirements in school.  Aremo (2000) stresses that, academic failure is not only frustrating to the students and parents, its effects are equally grave on the society, in terms of manpower, in all spheres of the economy and politics. According to the respondents, early syllabus completion has a positive influence on performance. However, constant absenteeism of students makes syllabus completion difficult. There is need for extra time to be created by both the teachers and students, for extra work and after school assignments (Oloo, 2003).  Further, the syllabus at secondary school level is quite wide, and in order to improve efficiency and performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations, there is need to reform the curriculum.  World Bank (1980) reports that, there is dire need for broad based and integrated curricula as opposed to the present narrow-focused, academic and examination oriented curricula in Africa. Interview with the head teachers showed that, 35% of teachers in the schools were not able to complete their syllabus in time. They attributed this phenomenon to various reasons such as, constant absenteeism of student from school, inadequate text books, syllabus was too expensive and some learners were slow thus dragging syllabus coverage. They also noted that, poor time management by teachers and students, delayed syllabus coverage, thus need to create some extra time to cover the syllabus. Malenya (2003) states that the benefits of syllabus completion cannot be under estimated as it significantly contribute to the good performance of students in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.

According to the respondents assertion, the qualification of teachers has a positive influence on the performance of students, thus affecting the school mean scores.  The teacher qualification and training, contributes positively to the kind of output that is obtained in the learning process. This is consistent with reports by Karani et al (1995), who reported that, the teacher resource is one of the most important inputs into the education system, and their efficient management and utilization is critical, to the quality of learning outcomes. Therefore, teacher qualification, experience and amount of education and knowledge, are positively related to performance in national examinations. The respondents noted that, teacher motivation has a positive influence on the performance of day secondary schools, in national examinations. They further observed that, when teachers are motivated, they are able to perform better, than when they are frustrated or ill motivated. A highly motivated teacher will be able to go the extra mile in ensuring effective syllabus coverage. He will also give extra work to the weaker students, and this will certainly ensure improved school performance, thus high school mean scores.   According to the perceptions of thePrincipals, teachers and students, extra work given to students, can positively influence their performance. It enables students to effectively complete the syllabus thus giving room for revision. The effect of extra work in form of assignments given cannot be underestimated, as it ensures quick syllabus coverage allowing enough time for revision to ensure high school mean scores in the examinations (Cowell & Holsinger, 2000). Homework and after school assignments contributes to good performance of students in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education  performance examinations, thus affecting the school mean score.

High teacher experience improves performance, was rated at 3.86 by head teachers, 4.14 by teachers and 3.82 by students. In the view of the respondents, school performance is influenced more by the effective use of the existing school facilities, and teacher qualifications, rather than the experience of the concerned teachers.  The respondents felt that the gender of the teacher does not have a significant influence, on school performance, but rather the dedication and discipline of the teachers concerned, in their work.  The ratings on effect of teacher related factors on performance, shows that, the teacher resource is a vital input into the education process. They are also responsible, for the delivery of the curriculum. Chepkemoi (2011) observes that, teachers are critical in determining the performance of day-secondary schools.  The head teachers interviewed, were asked to suggest ways in which the academic performance of day-secondary schools, could be improved. They gave their opinions. One of the head-teacher’s stated that, there was urgent need to improve laboratory facilities and libraries. There was also need to create some extra time, to attend to the needs of students. Some of them indicated that, a new tropical timetable was necessary in the schools that experienced high temperatures, in the afternoon hours. They also suggested that entry marks be raised to improve the quality of students admitted to day- secondary schools. They further suggested allocation of funds, to needy students. Other suggestions included; syllabus coverage in time, efficient administration, building adequate classrooms, improving discipline and making day-secondary schools, single sex schools. There was also a suggestion to award good performance and, the introduction of school feeding programme during lunch breaks. There was also need to retain students in school, during the weekends. Further suggestions from head teachers included, government subsidy increased in fees to run the schools, and strengthening of the bursary scheme. This will enable needy students to be retained in the schools, for effective learning. One head-teacher mentioned the need to teach good study habits, while another said, there was need to admit only the meritorious students. 

The assertion of the respondents was that, schools located in urban and rural poor environments, has their performance negatively affected by their location. Further observations from the research reveals that, day-secondary schools within urban and rural poor locations, were not adequately equipped. They also have unequal facilities and opportunities, as opposed to the schools located in urban and rural affluent areas. Students in the latter category of schools, can access a wide range of reading materials unlike their former counterparts. This exposes students of schools in rural and urban affluent areas, to diverse ideas, capable of influencing performance in examinations. The pupil-text book ratios were noted to be high, especially in the rural poor areas and urban slums. The head teachers interviewed gave the following views.  They identified poor facilities, and indiscipline as being, causes of the disparity in performance, between day-secondary schools located in poor urban and rural areas, and those in affluent urban and rural areas. This was due to the students from the former schools, having fewer role models to emulate. Furthermore, their parents are unable to access funds needed for fees regularly, resulting in irregular attendance in schools. This negatively influences their performance. As Araujo, Francisco and Norbert (2004) observe, disparities in education reduce the scope of disadvantaged groups, to take advantage of opportunities for improving their welfare. The high poverty index in the catchments areas of the schools, and the high number of siblings of students contending for family resources, meant that there was poor fees payment, and increased absenteeism in the schools. The implication was that, the basic essentials like balanced diet, enthusiasm to learn, and the motivation to achieve is reduced.

Similarly, rural affluent environment improves performance was rated at 3.43 by head teachers, 3.86 by teachers and 3.37 by students. These responses indicate that, location of schools in poor areas, have influence on performance of students in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations in day-secondary schools. This implies a positive influence on school performance, in affluent areas as they have, fairly adequate physical resources, used in the learning process. The negative performance in schools located in poor areas may be as a result of constant absenteeism by students due to fees, inadequate numbers of teachers, lack of immediate role models, inadequate physical facilities and learning resources and other external challenges due to their locations.  The data obtained in the study shows that, fewer teachers of schools located in rural poor and urban poor locations have extra time for their students, unlike those in rural affluent and urban affluent areas. This negatively influences performance in the former schools, in the national examinations.  From the mean scores of the day-secondary schools located in poor and affluent areas in Migori Sub county, variations were noted in their performance. Those located in the affluent locations, have higher mean scores, than those located in the poor regions. These disparities in the performance of the two categories of schools, do not give the students of the poor performing schools a chance to compete effectively, in the job market alongside their counterparts (Fuller, 2012). When the opinion of teachers was sought in the questionnaire, on whether location had a significant influence on the performance of day-secondary schools located in Migori Sub county, they responded in the affirmative.  Sixty of the teachers said, schools located in rural and urban affluent areas perform better than those in the rural and urban poor areas. Twenty-four of them said that, they were equal since the curriculum was the same, and teachers’ qualifications similar.  The teachers who noted a significant difference in the performance of the two categories of schools, attributed it to, the schools located in rural and urban affluent areas being well endowed in terms of equipment, and  having role models readily available. Thus, they could easily feel the inspiration to learn some more.  Approximately 50 of the teachers sampled asserted, that the students in urban and rural affluent school locations, were better informed about the available career options. As a result, they studied in a more focused manner, than their counterparts in the urban and rural poor school locations.

Teachers further identified other factors, which contribute to poor performance, in day- secondary schools located in the rural and urban affluent and poor areas.  The two categories of schools have, poor exposure to science facilities, congestion in the curriculum, inadequate facilities,  constant absenteeism due to lack of fees, poor coverage of the syllabus, poor community support and understaffing. During the head teacher interview, the responses on factors affecting performance were dropout, intra- students’ relationships, water shortage, drug influence and low entry behavior of the students.  Among the students sampled, majority in urban and rural poor schools compared to those in rural and urban affluent schools, said they lacked capacity in terms of teachers. They also mentioned inadequate facilities, in form of learning and teaching resources. Ministry of Education (2007) reported that, for performance in day-secondary schools to be improved, there must be adequate facilities, as inadequate infrastructure results in many schools being overcrowded, making both teaching and learning difficult. It further observed that, this lowers the quality of education hence student and school performance, in national examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

Students related factors that influence academic performance of students in day- secondary schools in Migori Sub county are low family income, weak entry behavior and absenteeism of students. These factors negatively affected academic performance of students.

Teacher-related factors that influence performance of  students in day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county , were good syllabus coverage, high teacher qualification, high teacher motivation,  positive  teacher  attitude, low teacher pupil ratio and giving of extra work enhances academic performance. These factors improved academic performance of students.

The study revealed that, urban and rural poor environment impact negatively on school performance of day-secondary schools while urban and rural affluent environments enhanced performance of the day-secondary schools in Migori Sub county.

RECOMMENDATIONS

With regard to the influence of student related factors:

i)     The government should strengthen the bursary scheme to benefit the needy students.

ii)    The Principals in day-secondary schools should put in place lunch programmes. 

iii)   The Ministry of Education should reconsider revising the entry behavior of students admitted to the day- secondary schools, to 250 marks and above at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.

With regard to the influence of teacher related factors:

i)    Time should be created for students over the weekends, for   remedial work as part of efforts, to improve performance.

ii)   The ministry should maintain the policy of posting teachers to areas where there is need, to reduce pupil-teacher ratio for effective teaching.

iii)  Priority needs to be given to strengthening of guidance and counseling in all schools.

With regard to the influence of school location:

i)    The right environment conducive for learning needs to be created by principals, so that impedimentaion of learning in the schools is effectively addressed.

ii)   The Ministry of Education should consider the need to further subsidize tuition fees in day-secondary schools, so that the students do not absent themselves from school, going home for fees. Currently the government remits over kshs. 28 billion annually to all public secondary schools to the benefit of some 2.2 million students while individual schools raise an additional Kshs. 116.6 billion in fees paid by parents  (Oduor, 2015).

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