Njihia, MukiraeMurage, MichaelMiriti, Gerald Julius2017-04-062017-04-062016http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/15522A Research Project Submitted to the School of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for Award of the Degree Master of Education (Planning) of Kenyatta UniversityThe Kenyan education system is evaluation oriented. Excellent acquisition of numeracy and literacy skills are the majors indicators of quality education. The purpose of this study was to assess the teacher based factors affecting the student's performance in mathematics in the public secondary schools in Maara sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish how the teacher job satisfaction affects the students performance in mathematics in the public secondary schools, to find out how the teacher motivation affects the student performance in mathematics in the public secondary schools, to establish the effects of teacher training and experience on the performance in mathematics in the public secondary schools and to establish the strategies that can be employed to improve on the performance in mathematics in the public secondary schools in Maara sub-county. The target population for this study was all the 1140 form three students, 128 mathematics teachers and 49 headteachers in the 49 secondary schools in Maara sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County. A sample of 12 schools was proportionately sampled to participate in the study. From the sampled schools, the head teacher was purposively sampled, 10 students from form 3 were randomly sampled, to participate in the study. The study instruments were questionnaires and interview schedule. Piloting was done in two schools. This study employed descriptive and inferential' statistics to analyze the data obtained. For descriptive statistics, this specifically included percentages and frequency counts, while for inferential statistics was used to find the effects. The data obtained was presented through tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study established that the mathematics teachers in Tharaka Nithi County were satisfied with their jobs, and this had a positive influence on the student's performance in mathematics, as was revealed by the corelational analysis. This implies that the increase in the variables of teacher job satisfaction, led to a direct increase in performance in mathematics. The mathematics teachers in secondary schools in Tharaka Nithi County were well motivated by the school management. Motivation was found to have a significant positive relationship with the student's performance. This means that with the increase in motivation, there was a significant positive increase in student's 'Performance in mathematics. The teachers training and experience was also found to have a considerable significance in determining the student's performance. This implies that with the increase in the variables related to teacher training, there was a positive significant increase in student's performance in mathematics. Based on the study findings, the researcher recommends that: The ministry of education should fund the schools in order to provide more incentives to the mathematics teachers, in order to make them more satisfied in their jobs. The headteachers should consider team building for the workers and motivation for the workers and the students, as a means of improving the performance. The government should review the current teacher training curriculum and include in it the emerging trends and issues in the field of education. The government through the ministry of education should increase the funding in the secondary schools, so as to enable them buy enough teaching and learning materials, and revision materials, so as to improve on the academic performance,enThesis