Perceived Relationship between Teachers’ Acquisition of Higher Degrees and Students’ Academic Performance in Kenya

Abstract

There has been increased demand for university education by secondary school teachers in the recent past in Kenya. Universities have expanded to accommodate this increasing demand with serving teachers being given the opportunity to further their studies. Acquisition of higher education by secondary school teachers has implications on teaching and learning in secondary schools. The study set out to determine the perceived effects of teachers’ acquisition of higher degrees on teaching and learning. Specifically it investigated the perceived effect of teacher’s acquisition of higher degrees on students’ academic performance. The study was carried out in public secondary schools in Kakamega Central district of Kenya. It used descriptive survey design. Target population was 510 respondents who included serving secondary school teachers, heads of departments and principals. Stratified, purposive, random and systematic sampling techniques were used to obtain the sample for the study. A sample size of 168 respondents was used. The instruments that were employed were questionnaires and interview schedules. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The results were presented in form of frequency tables, pie charts and bar graphs. The study findings as opined by respondents revealed that there was a relationship between a teacher’s higher academic qualification and student’s academic performance. These findings could be crucial to the TSC and other policy makers in the education sector in designing proper policies that will support continuing education for teachers. The study concluded that acquisition of higher degrees by secondary school teachers had an effect on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. It was therefore recommended that professional development of serving teachers should be enhanced so that teacher effectiveness is maintained. Further studies are necessary to investigate the effect of higher degrees on teaching and learning by using observation and achievement tests.

Keywords: Higher Degree, Academic Performance, Teacher effectiveness