TEACHER RELATED FACTORS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF CHEMISTRY IN
KAJIADO NORTH OF KAJIADO COUNTY, KENYA.
THUKU JOHN MUNGAI,
E42/OL/CTY/32309/2016
A Research Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of a Post
Graduate Diploma in Education of Kenyatta University.
i
DECLARATION:
This research project report is my original work and to my knowledge has not been presented for
the award of a degree in any other university.
……………………………………………………………………………………
Date…………………………………………………………….
Thuku John Mungai
E42/OL/CTY/32309/2016.
The research project report has been submitted for examination with my approval as university
supervisor.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………..
Lecturer: Dr. Mary Chepkemoi.
School of Education.
ii
Date
DEDICATION
This research study is dedicated to my son: Graham Thuku Mungai and my beloved parents for
the assistance financial and otherwise they accorded to me in the course of my research work.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would wish to acknowledge the following people without whose contribution this work would
not have seen the light of the day. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Mary Chepkemoi, my supervisor
for her timely guidance and my friend Praise Tom for her support towards making this work
successful. May the almighty God pay you greatly.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION: ....................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION............................................................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ ix
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 1
1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background to the study ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the problem .................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Purpose of the study. ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Objectives of the study. ....................................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Research questions. ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.6 Significance of the study: .................................................................................................................... 6
1.7 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................................... 6
1.8 Limitations and delimitations of the study .......................................................................................... 7
1.8.1 Limitations of the study: .............................................................................................................. 7
1.8.2 Delimitations of the study: ........................................................................................................... 7
1.9 Assumptions of the study .................................................................................................................... 7
1.10 Theoretical framework: ..................................................................................................................... 8
1.11 Conceptual framework: ..................................................................................................................... 8
1.12 Operational Definition of Key Terms: ............................................................................................ 10
CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................................... 11
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE. .................................................................................. 11
2.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Effect of teacher’s experience on performance of chemistry:........................................................... 11
2.2 Effect of teacher’s gender on learners’ performance in chemistry ................................................... 13
2.3 Professional qualification of chemistry teachers............................................................................... 14
2.4 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 16
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................. 18
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY. ................................................................................. 18
3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 18
v
3.2 Research Design................................................................................................................................ 18
3.3 Target Population .............................................................................................................................. 19
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling procedures. ............................................................................................ 19
3.5 Research instruments ........................................................................................................................ 20
3.5.1 Questionnaire for Chemistry Teachers....................................................................................... 20
3.5.2 Chemistry students’ and Teachers’ Questionnaire. .................................................................... 21
3.5.3 Class Observation Schedule ....................................................................................................... 21
3.6 Data Collection Procedures............................................................................................................... 21
3.7 Data Analysis Techniques ................................................................................................................. 22
3.8 Ethical and logistical considerations ................................................................................................. 22
CHAPTER FOUR..................................................................................................................................... 24
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION.................................................... 24
4.0 Introduction. ...................................................................................................................................... 24
4.1 Instruments’ return rate. .................................................................................................................... 24
4.2 Demographic data. ............................................................................................................................ 24
4.2.1 Age distribution of chemistry teachers. ..................................................................................... 24
4.2.2 Professional qualification of chemistry teachers........................................................................ 25
CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 28
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. .. 28
5.1 Discussion of the findings: ................................................................................................................ 28
5.2 Conclusion of the study: ................................................................................................................... 28
5.3 Recommendation: ............................................................................................................................. 29
5.4 Suggestions for further research: ...................................................................................................... 29
REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 30
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig 1.1 Conceptual framework ………………………………………………………………16
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 National overall performance in Chemistry (2017-2020) …………………………….9
Table 1.2 Kajiado North Sub County overall performance in Chemistry (2016-2020) ……..….10
Table 3.1 Sample Size ……………………………………………………..…………………
25
Table 4.2.2.1 Highest academic qualification of chemistry teachers …………………………...29
Table 4.2.2.2 Highest professional qualification of chemistry teachers …………………….… 29
Table 4.2.2.3 Teacher gender composition of chemistry teachers ……………………………..30
viii
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate how teacher related factors such as teacher
experience, gender and professional qualification influence performance in chemistry in Kajiado
North sub county, Kajiado County of Kenya. The study employed Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s
theory of learning which suggests that learners’ motivation to undertake a task depend on
expected rewards and that negative perceived rewards lead to negative attitudes and
underachievement. The study was conducted using descriptive survey design which was used to
assess attitudes and opinions of the teachers and students about the influence of teacher related
factors on chemistry performance in the area covered by the study. The study targeted some
schools, chemistry teachers and students who were sampled using stratified random sampling
technique. The main instrument used to collect the data in the study was the use of
questionnaires and oral interviews conducted in the schools sampled. The data so obtained was
then analyzed using the SPSS mode and the frequency distribution tables showing the
percentages obtained. The study concluded that teacher related factors influence performance of
chemistry in Kajiado North sub county only to a small extent and that there could be other
factors behind the poor performance in the subject in the area covered by causing the researcher
to recommend a similar study to be conducted in the adjacent sub counties to generalize the
findings even better.
ix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter examines the background to the study, statement of the problem, research objectives
and questions. It also presents the significance of the study, scope, limitation, delimitations and
assumptions of the study. It ends by highlighting the theoretical and conceptual framework of the
study as well as the operational definition of key terms.
1.1 Background to the study
Chemistry has been identified as a very important school subject and its importance in scientific
and technological development of a nation has been widely reported within the context of
science education (Adesoji and Olantubosun, 2008). They further argued that the attainment of
scientific and technological greatness can be achieved with effective teaching of science.
According to Ndemo (2007), the Kenya Government has put a lot of emphasis on science
education within the 8.4.4 curriculum, as this is a way of opening the world of science and
technology to the pupils.
The Republic of Kenya (1988) report focused on improving education financing, quality and
relevance for the nation. Session paper no.6 on Education and Training recommended a policy of
cost sharing between government, parents and communities. According to session paper no.1 of
2005, education is an investment in human capital and a key determinant of economic growth.
The report further states that sustainable development is only possible if there is a critical mass
of skilled labor. World Bank working paper No.101(2007), further observed that secondary
education and training will be one of the key factors for increased economic growth and social
development.
Ibrahim (2005) noted that despite efforts made at national level by the Kenya Government to
encourage students to study science, there is still poor performance in chemistry. This is
evidence in KCSE Chemistry results for the last four years whereby the performance has been
low nationwide.
1
Table 1.1: National KNEC Candidates overall performance in Chemistry (2017-2020)
YEAR
OVERALL
MAXIMUM
MEAN SCORE
SCORE FOR PAPERS 1,2
AND 3.
2020
200
45.90
2019
200
41.30
2018
200
47.60
2017
200
39.60
Source: KNEC 2020 Examination Reports
Kenya as a country need well educated and highly skilled man power in science disciplines.
Chemistry as a subject which seemingly deals with the study of matter, cut across all the other
branches of science. According to Emavon (1985), Chemistry can exert a dominant if not
decisive influence on the life of individuals as well as on the development of a nation. According
to Wachanga and Mwangi (2004), Chemistry enhances students’ learning of Biology, Physics
and Agriculture on which Kenya industries and prosperity depend though most students perform
poorly in the subject.
Chemistry is taught in Kenya secondary schools from form one to form four. The subject is
normally optional at form 3 and 4 levels but in most cases it is taken by majority of the students
due to its importance in most of career courses especially the science oriented ones. A student
has to score highly in Chemistry to undertake careers such as engineering, medicine, pharmacy at
the university education level. As it has been captured above, the overall performance of
chemistry all over the nation has been very low. In Kajiado North sub-county of Kajiado County,
the performance of students in chemistry has been very wanting. The table below shows the
Kajiado North sub county overall performance in chemistry for the last five years in chemistry
national examination.
2
Table 1.2: Kajiado North sub county KNEC Candidates overall performance Chemistry mean
scores 2016-2020.
YEAR
ENTRY
A to B+
B to C+
C to D+
D to E
X
MEAN
SCORE
2020
2101
92
225
407
1274
103
2.987
2019
2687
87
237
532
1818
13
3.012
2018
3010
93
289
563
1997
68
3.542
2017
3016
81
278
603
2014
40
2.996
2016
2969
78
302
701
1856
32
3.011
Source: Kajiado North sub county education office (2020).
The table 1.2 indicates that the average mean score in Chemistry for Kajiado North sub county in
the period 2017-2020 is 3.609. This is an equivalent of a mean grade D which is far below the
required C+ to be able to pursue a career course in sciences. This implies that majority of the
students from the sub county stand disadvantaged when it comes to choice of careers that are
science based. These results show a dark future for the sub county concerning students’
performance in chemistry. It seems that there is no known research having been done in this area
in Kajiado North sub county though similar studies have been carried out in other counties
whose findings may not be directly applied in their entirety in Kajiado North sub county since
regions differ in various aspects from one another. This study attempts to investigate how teacher
related factors or characteristics such as experience, gender and job satisfaction influence the
performance of Chemistry in Kajiado North sub county.
Teaching experience is a repository of competencies and knowledge skills acquired by a
classroom teacher in the field of teaching and assessing learner performance in formative and
summative examinations. In the realm of teaching and learning Chemistry as a subject, teacher
(teaching) experience is an indicator of teacher familiarity through experiential learning of
various instructional approaches for effective teaching in a classroom domain. It further equips
the classroom teacher with skills and competences on how to engage learners and maintain
3
learner discipline during a class session inside or outside a school setting. (Arriaza and Martin
(2007)).
Several scholars have had varying opinions on the effect of teacher’s experience in teaching on
the learner’s performance in a particular subject. For instance, according to Donald Rugraff
(2004), teacher’s experience has very little effect on learners’ performance if any. He argued that
other teacher related factors such as teachers’ salary and motivation have a greater effect on the
performance. Carrie R. Ferguson held that teacher’s teaching experience has a great impact on
learners’ performance only to a certain extent actually up to the basic levels of education
(primary and secondary). Boyd et al. (2008), Harris & Saass (2007), and Papay & Kraft (2007)
held that learners who are taught by less experienced teachers perform poorly compared with
learners taught by more experienced teachers; but that teachers with teaching experience of more
than 25 years are in some circumstances found not to be as effective as less experienced teachers.
Akomolafe (1989) and Ojo (2008) found that teachers’ experience affected performance of
students in Chemistry adding that the more the teacher is qualified and experienced the better his
or her students are likely to perform. Ijaiya (2000) argued that experience improves teaching
skills while pupils learn better at the hands of teachers who have taught them continuously over a
period of years.
Thuranira (2010) says teaching experience improves learner performance and creates a bond
between the learners and the teachers thereby improving preparedness and performance. The
teacher’s gender has been argued to have an influence on the learners’ motivation, classroom
mood and in turn affect the performance in the respective subject. Just like experience, scholars
in all frontiers have had different opinions on the effect of teacher’s gender on learners’
performance. For instance, Crossman and Harris (2000) say that male teachers are slightly more
satisfied in teaching profession than female teachers. Job satisfaction translates into better
teacher preparedness and in some instances better learner grades.
Odumbe, Simatwa and Ayodo (2015) held that the teacher’s gender has no effect on
performance. The scholars held that holding all factors constant, female teachers measure up
with their male counterparts. Therefore, there is need to investigate how teacher related
4
factors(characteristics) relate with the performance of chemistry by candidates in Kajiado North
sub county of Kenya.
1.2 Statement of the problem
The importance of science especially chemistry in transforming Kenya into an industrial country
in line with vision 2030 cannot be overemphasized. The government, donors, NGOs and the
entire stakeholders with interest in education spend quite large sum of money in enhancement of
education all in pursuit for economic growth and development. However, it is clear that
performance of students in chemistry in Kajiado North sub county is very worrying. This means
that corrective measures need to be undertaken to enable the students to be in a competitive
position in choice of careers that are science oriented. Kenya, therefore, needs highly skilled
manpower trained in the discipline of science and technology in order to compete successfully in
science courses and maintain sustainability in the field. The study, therefore, seeks to investigate
how teacher related factors (characteristics) relate to the low performance of Chemistry by
candidates in Kajiado North sub county. The researcher would investigate the topic, suggest
solutions and make further recommendations for the findings to be applied in similar regions.
1.3 Purpose of the study.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect teacher related factors on performance in
chemistry within Kajiado North sub county of Kajiado county, Kenya in national examinations.
1.4 Objectives of the study.
a). To establish whether a teachers’ experience in teaching chemistry has an influence on
performance in the subject in Kajiado North sub county of Kajiado county schools.
b) To investigate whether a teacher’s gender has an influence on performance in Chemistry
within the area of study captured in the topic.
c) To investigate the professional qualification of chemistry teachers in public secondary schools
in Kajiado North sub county.
5
1.5 Research questions.
a) To what extent does a teacher’s teaching experience influence learners’ performance in
Chemistry?
b) How does teacher gender influence learners’ performance in Chemistry?
c) What are the professional qualifications of chemistry teachers in public secondary schools in
Kajiado North Sub County?
1.6 Significance of the study:
The data and the results obtained from this study will be of great assistance to all the education
stake holders in Kajiado North Sub County. The findings of this study may be beneficial to the
Ministry of Education in tackling challenges experienced during teaching and learning of
chemistry. The head teachers and the pupils stand to benefit from this study as the weaknesses in
the teaching and learning of chemistry will be exposed and proper mitigation measures
addressed. The study will also be greatly beneficial to future researchers who may be interested
in further research in this area especially in Kajiado North Sub County. Chemistry as a subject
would widen and open up more chances to students from the sub county to pursue some of the
most competitive courses in the world of science. Thus, the finding would act as a basis for
further research to ensure that students from Kajiado North Sub County compete favorably with
the rest of the candidature for vacancies at universities and tertiary colleges.
1.7 Scope of the study
The proposed study will cover the sub county of Kajiado North sub county of Kajiado county of
Kenya. The sub county is a cosmopolitan, though most of it is occupied by the Maasai
pastoralists. It borders Kajiado Central in the South East, Machakos to the North East, Nairobi,
Kiambu and Nakuru East to the North and Narok to the west.
6
1.8 Limitations and delimitations of the study
1.8.1 Limitations of the study:
The study will be confined only to 15 public secondary schools in Kajiado North sub county and
therefore its finding would not be applied to all the secondary schools in Kenya. The finding
would only be generalized to secondary schools within similar regions in terms climatic
conditions, culture and socio-economic factors. Dishonesty from some respondents can also not
be overruled by providing unreliable information affecting the generalization of the findings.
Cost implication for the requirements, resources and travelling expenses could also pose a
challenge to the researcher when undertaking the study.
1.8.2 Delimitations of the study:
The study only covers 15 public secondary schools in Kajiado North sub county with a
population of 2054 form four students. The respondents involved in the study will be drawn from
public secondary schools since they form the majority of the most established schools within the
sub county. A few private schools which are established offer varied curriculums such as IGCE
and GCE which is not in tandem with the K.I. E curriculum being offered in public secondary
schools. Despite the fact that there may be poor performance existing in other science subjects,
this study will only investigate the performance of chemistry in public secondary schools within
the sub county with respect to teacher related factors.
1.9 Assumptions of the study
The proposed study will, among other assumptions, hold that the sample population of the
schools, students and teachers would represent the entire population of all the teachers and
students taking chemistry in Kenya. It is also considered that the respondents will give accurate
and honest information and that the school administration will provide the necessary support
needed for the teaching and learning of chemistry within Kajiado North sub county.
7
1.10 Theoretical framework:
Theoretical framework is a general set of assumptions about the nature of phenomena. (Kombo
& Tromp (2006)). It attempts to clarify why things are the way they are based on theories.
Theoretical framework also helps to formulate research problem and defines the relevant data.
This study will be based on Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s theory of motivation of learning.
Skinner’s main argument is that learners’ motivation to undertake a task depends on expected
rewards. The negative perceived rewards lead to negative attitudes and underachievement. It is
true to agree that the learners’ high performance in chemistry in Kajiado North sub county is
influenced by desirable teacher related factors such as experience, gender and the right
professional qualifications of the teachers handling the subject.
Skinner believed that people learn in two different ways. They learn to avoid negative things and
strive for positive things. If a teacher applies their experience to teach a student who had a
problem in balancing chemical equations and the learner begins to balance equations
comfortably, then there is change in behavior and this can affirm the belief that experience
influences teaching and learning.
Learners from Kajiado North are likely to perform well in chemistry if the right learning
environment is provided by the relevant stakeholders in the region. It is worth noting that the
learners with problems in chemistry will benefit if a combination of the desirable teacher related
factors and appropriate resources are put in place.
1.11 Conceptual framework:
The conceptual framework below shows the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables. The independent variables include the teacher’s experience, gender and teacher’s
professional qualification. There are other variables that influence the performance of chemistry
in public secondary schools which include moderating variables such as school environment and
the extraneous variables such as the learners’ lifestyle, political interference as well as learners’
self-esteem and confidence.
8
Independent variables
Moderating variable
Dependent variable
School environment
Teacher’s desirable experience
Better
Performance of
students in
chemistry.
Teacher’s desirable gender
Teacher’s desirable professional
qualification.
Learner’s self esteem
Learner’s lifestyle
9
1.12 Operational Definition of Key Terms:
i) Teacher: Refers to the person employed for the purpose of guiding and directing learning
experiences of students in an academic institution.
ii) Experience. Refers to the period of time a teacher has taught chemistry.
iii) Gender: Refers to the teacher’s aspect of being male or female.
iv. Professional qualification: credentials that set a person engaging in an activity apart from
any other person.
10
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE.
2.0 Introduction
This chapter highlights similar works carried out by other researchers elsewhere on the effect of
teacher related factors (characteristics) on performance of chemistry. It consists of relevant
themes which have been derived from the research objectives. Each research question has been
thematically reviewed as follows: effect of teacher’s experience on performance of chemistry,
teacher’s gender and its effect on performance of chemistry as well as effect of teacher’s job
satisfaction on performance of chemistry. The literature below was mainly obtained from
scholarly journals, theses and dissertations written by scholars relevant to the proposed study and
the research papers presented at conferences. A list of key words or phrases was made. In this
case, factors influencing chemistry performance was used as the key phrase so as to guide the
researcher to the source of literature in the library. The references on cards were summarized for
easy organization of the literature. The literature so collected was analyzed, organized and
reported in an orderly manner as discussed below. The relevant literature the researcher intended
to collect was on how teacher related factors influence performance in a certain subject such as
chemistry.
2.1 Effect of teacher’s experience on performance of chemistry:
A number of studies have been carried out on the effect of a teacher’s experience on learners’
performance in different subject areas in different parts of the world. Tara Kini and Anne
Podolsky (2016) sought to establish whether teacher experience increases teacher effectiveness
and enhance performance among learners in their study on the effect of teacher experience on
academic performance among K-12 public schools in USA. The study observed that teaching
experience is positively associated with student achievement throughout a teacher’s career. The
study, however, examined all the subjects in a completely different atmosphere from Kajiado
North in accordance with the researchers’ objectives therefore creating the need for further study
on how teachers’ experience affect performance in chemistry among learners in Kajiado North
sub county of Kenya.
11
Akinsolu (2010) carried out a research study entitled ‘Teachers and Students’ Academic
Performance in Nigerian Secondary Schools’. This study examined a number of qualified and
experienced teachers and their relationship to students’ academic performance in public
secondary schools in a sample of Local Government Areas (LGA) of Osun state. The Senior
School Certificate Examination results from 2001 to 2005 were used to analyze students’
academic performance and reflected some concerns in the school system. Findings of this study
showed teachers’ experience was significantly related to students’ academic performance. These
findings can be used to guide planners about the need for experienced teachers to facilitate
effective teaching and learning in secondary schools in Nigeria.
It is in this perspective that this study tries to establish whether the same applies to situation in
Kenya more especially in Kajiado North Sub County.
Mugambi (2006) carried out a study on factors that influence students’ performance in KCSE
examination in South Meru district. The study noted that the experience of the teachers was
significant in influencing performance in secondary schools and the Ministry of Education
should organize workshops for teachers periodically to give them more professional experience.
It is therefore in this line that this study investigates whether experience of chemistry teachers
influence performance in the subject among learners from Kajiado North Sub County.
Ouma (2011) carried out a study on factors influencing performance of students in chemistry in
public secondary schools in Kajiado North district of Kenya. The findings of the study held that
majority of the teachers handling chemistry in the district had enough experience to teach the
students with 71.4% of the teacher respondents having Bachelor’s degrees and about 23.7% with
Masters Degrees. The study also noted that despite the high experience demonstrated by the
chemistry teachers in the district understudy, this did not translate into better performance in the
subject. The study also revealed that very few teachers of the subject attend induction workshops
and seminars organized by the Ministry of Education accounting to about 11.8% of the teachers
covered by the study. The researcher concluded that this may be a contributory factor to the poor
performance of chemistry within the district under study. Whilst this study appears to be very
similar to the proposed study in that the subject and the area under the study is actually the same,
some gaps still remain which the proposed study attempts to bridge. Some of these include the
fact that the study concentrated on the professional qualifications of the chemistry teachers in the
12
district which in my view is slightly different from teaching experience as the latter majorly
alludes to the duration of one’s teaching justifying the need for the proposed study.
2.2 Effect of teacher’s gender on learners’ performance in chemistry
The study by Timothy Winkelmann (2009) on The Impact of Teacher Gender on Elementary
Students’ Academic Performance carried out in Columbia among the third and fifth grade
students revealed that students of male teachers did not show significant academic growth
regardless of student gender. The study observed that female students taught by female teachers
showed marginally significant growth in reading when compared to male students of female
teachers. Findings of this study also revealed that teacher gender did not make a statistically
significant difference in student academic growth in mathematics for either gender. It is worth
noting that the study only covered lower levels of education and limited its findings to
mathematics and reading skills. The ongoing study attempts to investigate the relationship
between teacher genders on performance in chemistry in Kajiado North sub county of Kenya.
Dee (2006) researched the link between teacher gender and student achievement. Dee used the
data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS), which organized student
achievement data and teacher gender. The data included 24599 eighth grade students of a
German elementary school. Findings of the study showed that students learn best when they are
taught by teachers of the same gender. In the study, female students with a female teacher raised
the achievement by 4%. It is in this perspective that this study tries to determine whether the
same applies to the situation in Kenya more especially in Kajiado North Sub County.
Ouma (2011) in his study aimed at investigating factors that influence performance of chemistry
in public secondary schools of the former Kajiado district observed that teacher related factors
such as professional experience affect performance of the subject in the area under study. He
however did not observe any effect of teacher gender on the performance of the subject. He, in
his recommendation, recommended for further research on the subject encouraging future
scholars to study this subject possibly in the same area. It is on this note that the current study
tries to establish if teacher gender as a teacher related factor affects performance of chemistry in
Kajiado North sub county of Kajiado county of Kenya.
13
Heather, Ozkan and Serkan (2012) in their study on the effect of teacher gender on student
achievement in primary school in mathematics observed that the effect is a mixed one assuming
that the teacher’s background in mathematics is held constant. Some findings from the study held
that female students fare worse on their math test scores if they were taught by a female teacher
without a strong background in mathematics. However, when the teacher’s background in
mathematics is held constant, varied effect was noted. In some of the findings of the study, the
teacher’s gender was found to have a positive, no effect or even a negative one. It is on the
backdrop of this study that the proposed study attempts to bridge the gaps therein. For instance,
the study focused on mathematics subject and hence its findings may not take in their entirety in
the proposed study as the latter attempts to study performance in chemistry. Also, whilst the
study majorly covered female students in primary schools, the proposed study covers both male
and female students in secondary schools. The study was also carried out in a completely
different geographical and cultural context from the one the proposed study intends to cover. All
these gaps among others necessitate further study in the subject justifying the proposed study.
2.3 Professional qualification of chemistry teachers
Akinsolu (2010) carried out a research study entitled Teachers and Students’ Academic
Performance in public secondary schools in Nigeria. This study examined the number of
qualified teachers and their relationship to students’ academic performance in public secondary
schools in a sample of Local Government Areas (LGA) of Osun state. The Senior School
Certificate Examination results from 2000/2001 to 2004/2005 were used to analyze students’
academic performance and reflected some concerns in the school system.
Findings of this study showed teachers’ professional qualification was significantly related to
students’ academic performance. These findings can be used to guide planners about the need for
qualified teachers to facilitate effective teaching and learning in secondary schools in Nigeria. It
is in this perspective that study tries to determine whether the same applies to the situation in
Kenya more especially in Kajiado North Sub County.
Ongubiyi (2004) in his study “New challenges in the methodologies of teaching in Nigeria”
stated that problems facing science teaching today is how current the teaching professional is as
at present. He observed that majority of the teachers had been employed in the past decades and
14
they have been doing the same the same thing, the same way all along. They have no knowledge
of the current ideas and innovations that have taken place in the field in the past recent. He
emphasized on the importance of the teachers attending training workshop in their areas of
specialties. This study confirms that the teacher qualification and development is an important
factor in determining student academic achievement. But having been done in a different country
there is need to find out whether the same influences performance of chemistry in public and
private secondary schools in Kajiado North sub county of Kenya.
Grangeat and Gray (2007) investigated factors influencing teachers’ professional competence
development. This study aimed to increase understanding and knowledge concerning teachers’
competence enhancement. The results of the study highlighted the effects of the organization of
the collective work situations: spurring exchanges amongst teachers and school partners appears
to be a main factor for improving teachers’ conceptions about teaching. Some ideas are outlined
for constructing new continuing professional development programs and studying their effects.
Sifuna (1989) in his study on Certificate of Primary Education Examination revealed that teacher
expertise, facility condition and instructional materials affect Kenyan primary school quality.
This indication was by student performance in the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE). He
further stated that higher scores are only attainable whenever there are more professionally
qualified teachers. This study mainly concentrated on primary school level. The study at hand
tries to find out whether teachers’ expertise influences performance of chemistry in secondary
schools within Kajiado North Sub County.
Mugambi (2006) carried out a study on factors that influence students’ performance in the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in South Meru district. Based on her enumerated
findings, she noted that academic qualification of teachers was significant in influencing
performance in secondary schools and that the Ministry of Education (MoE) should organize inservice courses for teachers periodically to give them more professional experience.It is therefore
in this lime light that this study investigates whether professional qualifications of chemistry
teachers in public secondary schools influences performance of learners within Kajiado North
sub county.
15
Ouma (2011) in his study on factors influencing performance in chemistry in Kajiado North Sub
County observed that 92.8% of the respondent teachers sampled across all the public schools in
the area under study were professionally qualified teachers. This, however, according to the
researcher did not translate into better performance among learners in chemistry in the area under
study. Whilst this study only covered twelve out of the then population of about 150 chemistry
teachers in the district, it is the view of the proposed study that the sample size is not adequately
representative of the population and that the findings drawn from the study may not be
generalized to explain the whole idea of teachers’ professional qualification as a factor
influencing performance of chemistry in Kajiado North sub county hence need for further
research. It is on the backdrop of this fact that the proposed study comes in to address the gap.
2.4 Summary
Based on the literature review in this study, the researcher concluded that varied teacher related
factors are likely to influence performance of students in chemistry in in public and private
schools within Kajiado North sub county. The literature cited the need for well experienced
teachers to render an effective instruction for learning gains to be realized especially in
chemistry. The literature further revealed that there is need for effective utilization of teachers ‘
professional qualification in the process of teaching and learning of chemistry for better results to
be realized On the issue of gender, the researcher observed that teacher gender has very small
effect if any on the effectiveness of a teacher’s instruction ability in chemistry. However, the
following gaps were identified from the above literature review which the proposed study
attempts to address:
First, a number of studies discussed above have been conducted out of context in relation to the
proposed study. Secondly, the researcher also established that there is only one empirical
research known to have been undertaken to study the above factors and their relationship to
academic achievement in chemistry with particular reference to Kajiado North sub county of
Kenya. Therefore, to fill in the gaps, the researcher intends to collect sufficient data on teacher
related factors and their relationship with performance of chemistry in Kajiado North Sub
County These teacher related factors include:
16
I) Effect of teacher experience on performance of chemistry.
II) Effect of teacher gender on performance of chemistry.
III) Effect of teacher professional qualification on performance in chemistry.
17
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY.
3.1 Introduction
This chapter focuses on methodology details appropriate in carrying out this research study.
These are discussed under the following sub-topics- research design, target population, sample
size and sampling procedures, research instruments, data collection procedures, data analysis
techniques and ethical and logistical considerations.
3.2 Research Design
This study will be conducted using descriptive survey design to investigate how teacher related
factors influence performance of students in chemistry in Kajiado North sub County of Kajiado
County. This design is used to assess attitudes and opinions about events, individuals or
procedures (Gay, 1992). In this regard, it would enable the researcher to obtain opinions about
the influence of teacher related factors on the academic performance of students in chemistry in
Kajiado North Sub County. Kerlinger (1973) recommended survey design as the best method to
be used for collecting systematic factual data for decision making and efficient method for
descriptive information regarding characteristics of population and the current practice and
conditions. The researcher found the descriptive design also known as statistical research design
most appropriate for this study as he does not intend to manipulate any variable under study
rather
he seeks to analyse the existing situation as it pertains the influence teacher related
factors have on the performance of students in chemistry in Kajiado North sub County. In
addition, this research study being a quantitative one where the researcher intends to collect the
data from members of a population in his quest to determine the effect teacher related factors
influence performance in chemistry in Kajiado North Sub County, justifies the choice of the
research design.
18
3.3 Target Population
Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) defines target population as that population to which the
researcher wants to generalize the result of the study. It is the universe of interest, the total
number of subject or environment of interest to the researcher (Kathuri & Pals, 1993) .The target
population in this research study will be public secondary schools in Kajiado North Sub County,
chemistry teachers and form four students. According to the information obtained from the sub
county education office, there are a total of 23 public secondary schools with a population of
8700 students and 42 chemistry teachers. Additional information from the education office
indicated that there were 2950 form four students in the year 2021. Chemistry teachers were
targeted as they were the major agents of curriculum implementation in their respective schools.
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling procedures.
A sample is a smaller group obtained from the accessible population from which data is collected
.Sampling is the process of selecting a number of individuals for a study in such a way that the
individual selected represent the larger group from which they are selected. (Mugenda and
Mugenda, 2003). The survey will focus on ten of the twenty three public secondary schools in
the sub county. This represents 43.5% of the total number of public secondary schools in the sub
county. According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), 20-50% sample size of the target
population is sufficient for descriptive survey. Public secondary schools are to be considered due
to their similarities with respect due to their similarities with respect to 8-4-4 curriculum system.
They follow a similar syllabus developed by KIE and students sit for a common examination,
KCSE at the end of form four. This may not the same to all the private secondary schools as
some have varied curriculum.
Stratified random sampling will be used to select the school type that is, boys, girls and mixed
(co-educational) schools. This will involve dividing the population into a number of groups or
strata, where members of a group share a particular characteristic or characteristics (Robson,
2002). The technique is to be chosen because it guarantees desired representations hence
increasing the efficiency of the population estimate (Gay, 1992).Schools are to be classified into
mixed, boys and girls. Selection of sampled schools will be done using random sampling
19
procedures. Simple random sampling will involve giving a number to every subject or member
of the population, placing the number in a container and then picking any number at random
(Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003).
Form four students both boys and girls will be randomly selected from sampled schools in order
to give each student an equal chance to participate in the study. Students from mixed schools will
be selected using stratified random techniques. Each school will yield approximately 45
respondents. Twenty three chemistry teachers will be purposively sampled from the participating
schools. In schools with only one chemistry teacher teaching form four class, the teacher will be
automatically selected.
Table 3.1
Sample
size
Schools
23
Chemistry
23
teachers
Students
445
3.5 Research instruments
The research instruments to be used in the study will be questionnaires for the teachers and the
students sampled. Class observation schedule will be employed as well. Questionnaire is a
technique of data collection in which the respondents completes it at their convenience. The
questionnaires will target 445 students which represents 15.1% of the target population. A total
of 23 teachers to be included in the study.
3.5.1 Questionnaire for Chemistry Teachers.
The purpose of the questionnaire will be to establish the influence a teacher’s experience has on
the performance of students in chemistry from the teacher’s perspective. The questionnaire also
20
aims at investigating the professional qualification of the chemistry teachers in the sub county
and how it influences performance in the subject in the area under the study.
3.5.2 Chemistry students’ and Teachers’ Questionnaire.
The purpose of the questionnaire will be to find out whether and how a teacher’s gender
influences performance in chemistry in Kajiado North Sub County from the students’
perspective. The students’ views will enable the researcher to find out the influence if any a
teacher’s gender has on performance in chemistry. The students’ questionnaires will also prompt
them to share their views on how a teacher’s experience influences academic performance
especially in chemistry. The teachers’ questionnaires will attempt to seek answers on how
teachers’ professional qualification influences performance in chemistry in the area under study.
3.5.3 Class Observation Schedule
The purpose of this instrument will be to find out the classroom mood and understanding of the
concept being taught in relation to the teacher related factors captured on the research questions.
This will enable the researcher to answer the research questions in the study as proper and
effective content delivery impacts positively on the performance in the subject in the area under
the study.
3.6 Data Collection Procedures
The offices the researcher will seek the permission from will the sub county Ministry of
Education offices and the respective school heads. The researcher will set aside two weeks to
visit about two schools among the sampled ones per week within the same locality to save on
transport costs. The researcher will then administer the questionnaires to the sampled students
and the subject teachers. The researcher will then conduct oral interviews to a few of the
participants. The data collected will form a basis for the research report.
21
3.7 Data Analysis Techniques
At the end of data collection, data analysis will be carried out to show how each variable
contributed to performance in chemistry in Kajiado North Sub County. The data from the study
will be analyzed quantitatively using percentages, means, and frequency distribution with the aid
of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). Since data will be descriptive, invariants such
as means, frequencies and percentages will be used to describe the findings of the data. For
instance, on the variable teacher experience and its impact on performance in chemistry, the age
distribution of the chemistry teachers in the area covered by the study coupled with the length of
service each teacher has in teaching chemistry will be obtained from the questionnaires
administered. The data will then be analyzed quantitatively by determining the mode of the age
of the chemistry teachers and the length of service. This will then help to answer the research
question on the influence of teacher experience on chemistry performance.
The same process will be followed on the influence of teacher professional qualification by
asking the respondent teachers to state their highest academic and professional qualification on
the administered questionnaires. The mode and the mean of the data obtained will help to answer
the research question on the influence of teacher experience on performance in chemistry.
The research study will also seek to obtain data on the teacher gender from the teachers who will
participate in the research study by means of filling the questionnaires and participating in the
oral interviews.
The data henceforth collected will as well be analyzed quantitatively by calculating the mode
from the frequency distribution obtained coupled by the percentage of each gender among the
chemistry teachers in the area under the study. Their performance alongside their gender will
help draw
a conclusion on the influence of teacher gender on performance of chemistry in
Kajiado North Sub County.
3.8 Ethical and logistical considerations
The ethical and logistical considerations in the proposed study are discussed under: Privacy,
Confidentiality, Voluntariness and Methods of data collection. Under privacy, the respondents
will be assured of the researcher’s commitment to treat the responses they give with privacy as
22
this has a direct correlation to the integrity of the researcher and the research itself. The
respondents will be encouraged, for instance, in the case of questionnaires, fill them privately.
On the issue of confidentiality, the researcher will ensure that the data so obtained from the
respondents is treated with confidentiality and not shared with third parties even after the study.
On voluntariness, the researcher will not coerce or in any way force a respondent to participate in
the study. The study will only involve the willing respondents. Under the data collection
methods, the researcher intends to employ questionnaires and oral interviews as captured under
the data collection methods section of this proposal.
The choice of the methods is informed by the fact that these methods are less disruptive and
relatively cheaper compared to other alternative methods. The questionnaires will be filled at the
respondent of the research.
23
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION
4.0 Introduction.
This chapter represents the results of analysis of the data collected from five public secondary
schools in Kajiado North Sub County. This chapter is divided into five sections. The instruments
return rate is presented in section 4.1, section 4.2 gives a summary of the respondents’ findings
on demographic data, while sections 4.3 to 4.5 presents findings on teacher experience, teacher
gender and teacher professional qualification and their impact on performance of chemistry.
4.1 Instruments’ return rate.
The respondents included 14 chemistry teachers and 45 chemistry students. The questionnaires
were administered to chemistry teachers and students, of the administered questionnaires, 12
chemistry teachers’ responses (86%) and 32 responses from the students (71%) were received.
The researcher considered the responses adequate for analysis.
4.2 Demographic data.
The demographic data considered in this study for the respondents included age distribution of
chemistry teachers, teacher gender qualification and the professional qualification of the
chemistry teachers.
4.2.1 Age distribution of chemistry teachers.
Chemistry teachers in public secondary schools were asked to indicate their age bracket in one of
the items in the questionnaire.
The table below represents data on distribution of the respondents by age:
24
Table 4.2.1
Age (yrs.)
Frequency
Percentage
Less than 30 yrs.
4
28.6
31-40
6
42.9
41-50
4
28.6
Total
14
100.0
The findings in table 4.2.1 show that, 42.9% of the chemistry teachers were of age 31 to 40
years, 28.6% were of age 41 to 50 years and the rest 28.6% were less than 30 years of age.
4.2.2 Professional qualification of chemistry teachers.
The study also sought to determine the professional qualification of chemistry teachers. This was
based on highest academic and highest professional qualification of chemistry teachers.
4.2.2.1 Highest academic qualification of chemistry teachers.
The chemistry teachers were asked to indicate their highest level of academic qualification .The
responses obtained are indicated in table 4.2.2.1 below.
Table 4.2.2.1 highest academic qualification of chemistry teachers:
Level of education
Frequency
Percentage
Master’s in Education
1
7.1
Bachelor in Education
10
71.4
Diploma in Education
1
7.1
25
Form four KCSE certificate
2
14.4
Total
14
100
The respondents were asked state their highest level of qualification attained. The results are
given in table 4.2.2.1 above show that 71.4% of the respondents had Bachelor in Education,
14.3% were form four graduates and both the Masters in Education and Diploma in Education
qualifications had 7.1% each.
4.2.2.2 Highest professional qualification of chemistry teachers:
The respondents were asked to indicate their highest level of professional qualification. The data
obtained from the respondents was then tabulated as below:
Table 4.2.2.2. Highest professional qualification attained by chemistry teachers:
Highest
professional Frequency
Percentage
qualification
Masters in Education
1
7.1
Bachelor of Education
10
71.4
Diploma in Education
1
14.3
Total
12
92.8
The results given in table 4.2.2.2 show that 71.4% of the respondents had Bachelor of Education,
7.1% had Masters in Education while 14.3% had Diploma in Education qualifications. The total
percentage of professional qualified teachers was 92.8%.
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4.2.2.3 Teacher gender composition:
The research study also sought to determine the gender composition of the chemistry teachers in
the area under the study. The table 4.2.2.3 below summarizes the data obtained:
Table 4.2.2.3 Teacher gender composition of the chemistry teachers:
Teacher gender
Frequency
Percentage
Male teachers
10
71
Female teachers
4
29
Total
14
100
The results showed that there were more male chemistry teachers (71%) than their female
counterparts (29%).
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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS.
5.1 Discussion of the findings:
As highlighted in the background of the study, the government of Kenya has focused on
improvement of education for the relevance of the nation. Further, it was noted that secondary
education and training is one of the key factors for increased economic growth. Emavon (1985)
observed that chemistry can exert a dominant if not a decisive influence on the life of individuals
as well as on the development of a nation.
From this study, majority of chemistry teachers had taught the subject for not less than five
years, though this does not translate into better performance in Kajiado North Sub County. It was
noted that though majority of the teachers had the required experience in teaching the subject,
they do the same things the same way all along hence the results continue being the same.
In this study, it was also observed that most of the chemistry teachers are professionally qualified
and yet this does not help in bettering the performance in the subject. From some of the
interviews conducted in the study, few teachers (31.5%) believed that teacher experience and
professional qualification had a significant influence on performance of chemistry in the sub
county.
It was also observed that there were almost more than twice the number of male chemistry
teachers as there were female in the sub county. In another interview conducted in this study
about 81.7% of the teacher and students respondents believed that teacher gender has a
significant influence on performance of chemistry in the sub county.
5.2 Conclusion of the study:
From the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the factors that influence performance of
chemistry though to only a fair extent include teacher experience and teacher professional
qualification. The researcher also concluded that teacher gender has almost no influence on the
performance of chemistry in the sub county. After considering these facts, the researcher
28
concluded that there may be other factors which have a major influence on performance of
chemistry in Kajiado North Sub County.
5.3 Recommendation:
From the research findings and conclusions made, the following recommendations were made:
a. Majority of the chemistry teachers have what can be considered as sufficient teaching
experience but there was need for most of them to attend workshops and in service training to
enhance their effectiveness.
b. The findings also indicated that most of the chemistry teachers have the necessary professional
qualification, some even exceeding the minimum requirements. However, there was need for the
teachers to pursue teacher professional development courses to enhance their professional
development.
c. More female chemistry teachers should be deployed in the sub county to encourage the girl in
the area that chemistry is doable.
5.4 Suggestions for further research:
This study limited itself to teacher related factors on performance of chemistry in Kajiado North
Sub County. It is therefore suggested that similar study should be carried out in the adjacent sub
counties of the county and the results may be compared for generalization purposes.
29
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as Determinants of Achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry in Oyo State,
Nigeria.
Akinsolu A.O (2010), Teachers and Students’ Academic Performance in Nigerian Secondary
Schools: Implications for Planning, Florida Journal of Educational Administration and
Policy.
Cousins, A. (2007) Gender Inclusivity in Secondary Chemistry: A study of male and female
participation in secondary School Chemistry.
Danili, E & Reid, N (2004). Gender Inclusivity in Secondary Chemistry, Based on Two
Cognitive Factors. Research in Science and Technological Education, Vol. 29, 711-730.
Villegas- Reimmers E. (2003). Teachers Professional Development .An International Review of
Literature.
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