Evaluation of factors influencing the performance of Kenyan Secondary School Students in English Grammar: A Case of Nyamaiya Division, Nyamira County, Kenya.

Abstract

This study assessed the factors influencing the performance of secondary school students in English Grammar in Nyamaiya Division, Nyamira County. The study employed 31 public Secondary schools of which seventeen are day and fourteen are boarding schools. Sex was not a factor in the study. There were 150 respondents (31 head teachers, 31 deputies, 30 students and 58 teachers of English). Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting the sample for the study. Five point likert type scale questionnaires were used to obtain data for the study. 150 questionnaires were administered to 150 respondents which covered the following areas: influence of mother tongue, problem areas in English grammar, academic and professional qualifications and experience of these teachers. The objectives were: to investigate the attitude secondary school students have towards English grammar, to find out how mother tongue impacts on learning English grammar in secondary schools, to establish the areas in English grammar that are problematic to students in secondary schools and to find out the academic and professional qualifications of teachers teaching English grammar to students in secondary schools. Teacher’s responses on attitude indicated that most of the students did not like English grammar. Regarding influence of mother tongue on performance in English grammar, the study showed that most of the students were influenced by mother tongue while others were not. On problem areas in English majority of the students experienced problems in the use of phrasal verbs and the use of auxiliaries. Other problems experienced are the use of punctuation marks, poor handwriting of the students and lack of practice in English. Majority of these teachers had degrees and some had KCSE certificates and very few had a master’s degree. Most of the sampled schools had not taught the subject for more than five years and some had taught the subject for more than 20 years. The data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and the chi – square test using the SPSS package. Recommendations based on the findings were made to guide policy makers to find appropriate ways to improve on performance in English grammar.

Key words: evaluation, English Grammar, Nyamaiya Division, Nyamira County