A comparative study of factors that influence academic achievement of students in boarding and day secondary schools of Kericho district, Kenya

Abstract

Performance in national examinations in Kenya has been emphasized so much such that it has overshadowed the knowledge acquired. Parents and pupils go to great heights to ensure good performance as this is viewed as the key to higher levels of education and subsequently prestigious careers Performance is a product of several factors both within and outside the school. Literature reviewed indicates that tire home environment plays a major role in performance. This includes socio-economic status of the family, educational standards of the parents and the area of residence. The factors within the school that affect performance include teacher characteristics, leadership style, use of teaching / learning resources, physical facilities and also student characteristics the school program also comes into play. This project work aimed at comparing the factors that affect academic achievement in both boarding and day schools of Kericho district. This is because quit often when the results of national examinations are released, the boarding are found to top the lists. The main instrument used in data collection was questionnaires. Data collected has been analyzed using descriptive statistics and percentages. KC SE mean scores for the last three years for the schools that participated in the study Compared.