Relationship Between Students-Student Academic Interactions and Academic Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

In achieving the set academic goals, student interacts with different group of people including their teachers, fellow students and parents with an aim of obtaining support to improve their academic realization. Through the interactions, students identify mentors who can help them achieve their academic goals and students who perform better than their peers may become role models for the rest of students in terms of academic aspirations. One of such interactions is student-student academic interactions.  Academic achievement is globally paralleled as an indicator of intellectual ability of a learner in a given educational system. It is important in the determination of a students’ future prospects. Educationists and other stakeholders have consistently used students’ academic achievement results as basis of advancement and employment opportunities. The student-student academic interaction correspondingly shape the learning environment of students. The purpose of this study was to examine student-student academic interaction and academic achievement relationships in public secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. Correlational research design and both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used in the study. The population of the study comprised 23,309 form three students from 294 public secondary schools in Nakuru County. A total of 29 public secondary schools and 378 form three students were selected using stratified random sampling. The total sample size for this study was therefore 407 respondents. The study used closed-ended questionnaires to collect data from students on student-student academic interactions. Data for academic achievement was obtained from school examinations results record. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The study established that there was a statistically significant relationship between student-student academic interaction and academic achievement in public secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. It was concluded that student-student academic interactions are related to their academic achievement. The study recommended the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to develop a curriculum or teaching methods that seeks to improve students’ academic interaction for better academic achievement.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-16-06

Publication date:June 30th 2020