TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ................................................................................................................. ii
APPROVAL ...................................................................................................................... iii
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv
AKNOWLEDGEMENT ..................................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. I
1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... I
1.1 Background to the study ............................................................................................ I
1.2 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................... !
1.3 Scope of the study ..................................................................................................... 2
1.4 General objective ....................................................................................................... 2
1.4.1 Specific objectives .................................................................................................. 2
1.4.2 Research questions ................................................................................................. 2
1.5 Signi llccmce of the study ........................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TW0 ............................................................................................................. 4
LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................ 4
2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Teaching I Learning resources ................................................................................... 4
2.2 Teaching relationships and academic performance ................................................... 6
2.3 Teacher-Pupil ratio .................................................................................................... 7
2.4 Choice of school attended ....................................................................................... ! 0
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................... 13
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 13
3. I Introduction ............................................................................................................. 13
3.2 Research Design ...................................................................................................... 13
VI
3.3 The environment ...................................................................................................... 13
3.4 The subjects ............................................................................................................. l3
3.5 The research instruments ......................................................................................... l3
3.6 Data collection procedures ...................................................................................... 14
3. 7 Statistical treatment of data ..................................................................................... 14
3.8 Constraints and ethical considerations .................................................................... 15
CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................... 16
DATA ANALYSIS. PRESENTATION AND INTERPRATAT!ON .......................... 16
4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 16
4.2. Teachers bio-data ................................................................................................... 17
4.2.1 Age of Respondents .............................................................................................. 17
4.2. 2 Respondents' work experience ....................................................................... l7
4.3. Pupils bio-data ........................................................................................................ l8
4.3 .I Distribution by gender .......................................................................................... 18
4.3.2 Age of respondents ............................................................................................... 18
4.4 Teachers analysis ..................................................................................................... l9
Percentage % ................................................................................................................. 19
4.4.2 Summary of response on the factors that influence academic performance ........ 20
Respondents ................................................................................................................... 20
4.4.3 Summary measuring the effects of teacher- pupil ratio on academic performance
...................................................................................................................................... 20
Frequency ...................................................................................................................... 21
4.4.4 Factors influencing performance .......................................................................... 22
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................... 24
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 24
5.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 24
5.1 Summary ................................................................................................................. 24
5.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 25
5.3 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 27
5.4 Areas of further research ......................................................................................... 27
ABSTRACT For a number of years. Primary Schools in Tigania East district have been performing poorly in !he Kenya Certificate of Primmy Education examinalions despite the inlroduction o(Free Primwy Education. Both the schools and individual pupils have not yet accrued to the full benefits of FPE. This study investigated the causes of poor performance among pupils in selected schools within Tigania East district, Kenya. Specifically, the study determined the pro,(ile of teachers ('Respondents') age, gender and level o(qual!fication. This sludy employed casual- comparative design that seeks to discover possible causes and efj"ects of behavior pattern or personal characteristics. Questionnaires and interview guides were used in the collection o.f data. Data was then presented in percenlages and Ji'equency distribution tables. The finding fi'om the study rerealed the following: Thot pupils need to be encouraged to work harder on their own supplement '"hat they are taught by teachers. In addition, teaching/learning resources need to be made adequate and the school needs general improvement to be conducive to better learning.