INFLUENCE OF TEACHER AND STUDENT RELATED DETERMINANTS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KISII COUNTY
Mellen Nyambeki Nyaberi - Department of Educational Management Policy & Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Ephantus Kaugi - Department of Educational Management Policy & Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Biology performance in our public secondary schools has not been good in the year 2015-2019. This therefore gave the need to conduct a research study on various factors that might be influencing biology performance in public secondary schools. The study was guided by the following objectives: first, to establish the extent to which teachers’ qualifications influence academic performance in students in biology in public secondary schools; secondly, to determine the extent to which methods of teaching influence academic performance in biology in public secondary schools; thirdly to find out the effect of students’ entry behaviour on their performance in biology in public secondary schools and finally, to determine the effect of students’ perception on academic performance in biology in secondary schools in Kisii County, Kenya. The study was guided by Education productivity theory by WalSberg, (2008) which posits that there are different characteristics of individual learners in the classroom influenced by teachers’ ways of teaching leading to educational outputs. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study was 10,232 form three (3) students, 306 school principals, 637 class teachers, 813 biology subject teachers, and 306 head of departments. Stratified and random sampling was used to select key informants starting from the principal, deputy principal, the class teachers, heads of Departments, subject teachers and students. Questionnaires and document analysis guides were employed in data collection. The research instruments were piloted in one school but the results were not included to give credibility to methodology. The validity of research instruments was established before data collection by research expert judgment in the School of Education of the Kenyatta University. Suggestions and clarifications by the experts were used to improve content validity of the instruments. Reliability was established using the split half procedure. The reliability coefficient established was 0.85 which was satisfactory. Data from the closed ended items was quantitatively analysed using SSP statistical package while data from open ended items was analysed thematically Descriptive statistics including mode, mean and standard deviations were used to analyse data. The results were presented by use tables, graphs and pie-charts. From the study it was established that: A majority of the respondents indicated that teachers qualified with degree enhanced academic performance in the students in biology; Audio-visual, academic visit, lecture method, discussion and question and answer methods were the most preferred methods of the teaching and learning of biology while the least preferred methods of teaching and learning of biology by the students were symposiums and virtual chat rooms. Also, perceptions of the learners and teachers had a very positive effect on the academic performance in students in biology. The study concluded that Qualification of teachers with degree is preferable to teachers with other qualification; learner centred teaching methods which enhances engagement among learners promote academic performance; there is a significant positive relationship between the entry behaviour of students and academic performance in biology; a positive perception towards the biology subject enhances academic performance.