Influence of Infrastructural Facilities and Staffing on Students’ Academic Performance in National Secondary Schools in Kenya

Abstract

In 2011, the Kenya government made efforts to improve access to quality secondary education by increasing the number of national schools from 17 to 114. This was done by elevating two provincial schools in each county to national schools. This study sought to establish influence of infrastructural facilities and staffing on academic performance in national examinations in young national schools in Samburu, Marsabit, and Isiolo counties, Kenya. Correlation research design was used. The study population was 5 principals, 150 teachers, 3 examinations officers, and 3 staffing officers. The sample size was composed of 5 principals, 60 teachers, 3 examinations officers, and 3 staffing officers. The study established that infrastructural facilities and staffing had a positive and statistically significant relationship with academic performance in all the schools in the three counties as follows: Infrastructural facilities (r=0.495, p-value =0.000), Staffing (r=0.372, p-value =0.05), all at alpha 0.05 level of statistical significance. Further, multiple regression analysis revealed that infrastructural facilities had a positive significant impact on performance (2.008), while staffing also had a positive significant impact on performance (0.331) both at 5% level of significance. The schools were understaffed, lacked enough infrastructural facilities, and had congested classes. The government should post more teachers in those schools and improve infrastructural facilities in those schools to address the challenges