Peer Tutoring Strategy and Its Influence on Learners’ Achievement in Mathematics in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya
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Date
2025-10
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Report on achievement in Mathematics at the Secondary school level in Kenya indicates that achievement has been below the expected standard. The results of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) for the period 2017 to 2022 revealed that the national average score in Mathematics has been below 40 percent. Research evidence indicates that teaching strategies used by Mathematics teachers do not give room for learners to develop intuition, critical thinking, and creative ability. There is evidence that the use of learner-centered methods, such as peer tutoring strategy as a teaching strategy could lead to better achievement in Mathematics. The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of peer tutoring strategy and its influence on learners' achievement in Mathematics in secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were : (a) establish different types of peer tutoring used in teaching and learning Mathematics; (b) determine the extent to which Mathematics teachers use peer tutoring in teaching and learning; (c) establish the difference in Mathematics achievement between learners who learned using peer tutoring and those who learned without using peer tutoring; (d) establish the difference in Mathematics achievement when using peer tutoring by gender among secondary school students. The study was guided by the Social Constructivist theory developed by Levy Vygotsky in 1978. The study adopted convergent parallel mixed method with quasi-experimental research design. The target population was 14 public secondary schools, 34 heads of departments, 67 Mathematics teachers, and 1062 Form II students. A stratified random sampling was used to form a sample of four (4) public secondary schools, 160 Form II students was selected to form a sample using simple random sampling, 20 Mathematics teachers was selected to form a sample using a purposive sampling technique, 10 heads of departments was selected to form a sample using conveniently sampling. Data was collected using teachers' questionnaires, learners' questionnaires, in-depth interview schedules for heads of departments, Mathematics achievement tests, and classroom observation schedule. A pilot study was conducted in two (2) public secondary schools. A reliability coefficients of 0.78 and 0.886 for pretest and post-test respectively was obtained. The instruments were validated using content validity, criterion validity, construct validity, as well as face validity. Quantitative data from Mathematics achievement tests and questionnaires was analyzed using the independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test and interpreted using statistical package of social sciences (SPSS version. 27). Qualitative data from the interview schedule and observation schedule was analyzed into themes and interpreted based on research objectives. The finding indicated that peer tutoring was effective strategy across age, academic levels, grade levels, ability levels and skills levels. Therefore, peer tutoring strategy demonstrated greater effectiveness and contributed to heightened Mathematics achievement compared to traditional teaching methods. The study revealed a statistically remarkable disparity in achievement in Mathematics between the experimental group and the control group (p=0.00<0.05 at 2-tailed level of significance). The study also found no remarkable disparity in Mathematics achievement between male and female respondents. Peer tutoring strategy could be used to close the gender gap in Form II learners' achievement in Mathematics. The study recommends that peer tutoring should have incorporated in Mathematics curriculum.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Masters of Education (Mathematics Education) in the Department of Education, Communication and Technology, School of Education and Life Long Learning, Kenyatta University, October 2025.
Supervisor
1. Florence Kiragu Nyamu, Ogw
2. Aineah Wang'anya Wambasi