Browsing by Author "Munyaka, Lucy Wanjiru"

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    Influence of Teachers’ Age, Gender, and Personality on Students’ Academic Achievement in Kiswahili: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Murang’a and Kiambu Counties
    (EdinBurg, 2024-11) Munyaka, Lucy Wanjiru; Bunyi, Grace; Itolondo, Wilfrida
    Purpose: Teachers have a vital influence on students’ academic achievement. The steady decline in academic performance of secondary school students has generated a lot of interest among stakeholders in the education sector in Kenya. Despite efforts by teachers to improve their skills and technical expertise the performance of students in KCSE examinations and Kiswahili in particular has not been encouraging. In the year 2020, Murang’a and Kiambu posted the least mean scores of 4.3 and 4.4 respectively in comparison to neighboring counties Nyeri and Kirinyaga which had mean scores of 4.62 and 4.64 respectively. The purpose of this paper was to establish the nexus between Kiswahili teacher characteristics and students’ academic achievement in Kiswahili at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination (KCSE) results in Kiambu and Murang,a counties. The objective of this paper was to establish the influence of teachers’ age, gender, and personality characteristics on students’ academic achievement in KCSE examination results. Methodology: A descriptive survey research design was utilised. The target population was 29,134 comprising 512 principals, 1,172 teachers, and 27,450 students across 512 secondary schools in Murang’a and Kiambu counties. A sample size of 103 schools through proportionate and 299 Kiswahili teachers, and 395 students was obtained through Yamane sampling formula. Purposive sampling criteria were used to obtain 103 principals across the 103 sampled schools. Data was collected using a questionnaire for principals, students, and teachers. Results: It was established that teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge, professional skills and academic achievement, and teachers’ characteristics positively influenced student academic achievement in Kiswahili at KCSE, (M = 4.0, SD = 1.1), (M = 3.9, SD = 0.8) and (M = 3.8, SD = 1.1) respectively. ANOVA test showed teachers characteristics in terms of gender was the only aspect which statistically, significantly differed with teachers’ response and the response from principals and students, p =. 000. These findings emphasized the complexity of teachers’ factors affecting students’ academic achievement. Conclusion: There is a nexus between teacher characteristics and students’ academic achievements as perceived by principals, teachers, and students. This is related to recommendations that every practicing teacher should enroll in a teacher performance development program initiated by TSC to enhance and update teacher pedagogical content knowledge in teaching for an impressive students’ academic achievement.
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    Kiswahili Teacher Characteristics and Students’ Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools in Murang’a and Kiambu Counties, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-09) Munyaka, Lucy Wanjiru
    Teachers contribute a pivotal role in shaping students’ academic outcomes, particularly through effective curriculum implementation. In Kenya, concerns persist about the declining performance in Kiswahili among secondary school students, despite the efforts made to improve teacher professional development. This issue was evidenced in Kiswahili results in 2020 KCSE, in Murang’a and Kiambu counties, which recorded lower mean scores i.e. 4.3 and 4.4 respectively, than Nyeri (4.62) and Kirinyaga (4.64). This study examined the influence of Kiswahili teacher characteristics on students’ academic achievement in Kiswahili in secondary schools in Murang’a and Kiambu counties. The focus was on three dimensions: (1) teacher demographics (age, gender, personality), (2) academic and professional qualifications and teaching experience, and (3) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979), which gives a holistic lens for examining the multiple environmental layers that influence a learner’s development and academic outcomes was used. The study employed a descriptive survey design and focused on a population of 29,134 individuals, comprising 512 principals, 1,172 Kiswahili teachers, and 27,450 Form Four students. A stratified proportionate sample of 103 schools yielded 299 Kiswahili teachers and 395 students, while 103 principals were purposively selected. Data was collected through structured questionnaires, and instrument reliability was confirmed via the split-half technique, achieving Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.90. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential tests (ANOVA, independent samples t-tests) were employed in analysis. Results indicated that teachers’ PCK, professional skills, and academic qualifications significantly influenced student achievement in Kiswahili, with mean scores of 4.0 (SD = 1.1), 3.9 (SD = 0.8), and 3.8 (SD = 1.1), respectively. ANOVA further revealed statistically significant differences in perceptions of gender’s influence across principals, teachers, and students (p = .000). The study concludes that teacher characteristics are critical in improving Kiswahili performance. It recommends that the Teachers Service Commission should enhance teacher development programs with emphasis on strengthening PCK. Further research is suggested to explore the influence of gender, personality traits, and instructional methods, across different types of secondary schools including rural and urban setting.