Teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between parental support and learner characteristics, and internal efficiency of public secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Education plays a critical role in promoting economic, social, cultural and political development of individuals, communities, nations and humanity. The Government of Kenya has, consequently, been allocating substantial resources to the education sector. The Government has been paying tuition fees in all public secondary schools since 2008. Despite these efforts by the Government, there is notable wastage in secondary school education sector. Wastage affects internal efficiency of schools. Factors affecting internal efficiency are Government policy, socio-economic status of parents, cultural factors, school related factors, home related factors, parental support and learner characteristics. This study focused on relationship between parental support and learner characteristics on internal efficiency as perceived by teachers. In particular, the study sought to establish the teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between parental support and learner characteristics on internal efficiency in public secondary schools in Bungoma County. The scope of parental support was parents’ attitudes towards education of their children and their involvement in school affairs. Learners’ characteristics under the study were discipline, learners’ academic performance and gender. Internal efficiency indicators in this study were dropout, repetition, progression and completion. A descriptive survey design was used. The sampling units were public secondary schools in the County. There were 130 public secondary schools in the County. The population was 130 head teachers and 1140 teachers. Stratified random sampling was used to sample schools while purposive sampling was used to sample head teachers and class teachers in the sampled schools. A sample of 97 head teachers and 388 class teachers were drawn from the population. A questionnaire was used to gather data from head teachers and class teachers. Students’ record schedule was used to gather data from admission registers, attendance registers, disciplinary records and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations print outs. The questionnaire and students’ record schedule were validated by constructing relevant items based on objectives and reviewed by four lecturers in the Faculty of Education and Community Studies, Egerton University. The lecturers’ comments were incorporated in the final questionnaire and schedule to enhance validity. A reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was calculated and found to be 0.83 Cronbach alpha. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics used were frequencies and percentages. Inferential statistics used was Chi-square. The major findings of the study were that public schools in Bungoma County were experiencing internal inefficiency due to lack of school fees, pregnancy and disciplinary issues which are attributable to parental support and learner characteristics. The study also established that parental role in guidance and counseling of learners, paying school fees and getting involved in class conferences are critical in enhancing internal efficiency of public secondary schools. The major conclusion is that substantive number of learners is not completing secondary school education, an indication that schools are not efficient. The study recommends that schools should establish guidance and counseling units staffed with professionals and parents should be encouraged to actively participate in school affairs in order to enhance school efficiency.