Two-Factor Factorial Design Application in Analyzing Differential Performance Between Single-Sex Schools and Mixed Schools in Compulsory Subjects at KCSE:Case study in Homa Bay County, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the recent unabated proliferation of mixed schools, no effort has been directed towards finding out whether they are just as good as or even better than single - sex schools. This is in spite of the conventional wisdom which has in the past informed conversion of mixed schools into single - sex schools. (I am yet to come across a case in our country where two oppositely gendered single - sex schools have merged to form a mixed school). This state of affairs begs for attention and it is what motivated the researcher to carry out research in this area. The study applied two-factor factorial design in analyzing differential performance in compulsory subjects between mixed schools and single-sex schools. School type represented one factor while the other factor was represented by subjects. The objectives of the study were to determine whether there is significant effect due to; school type, subject and interaction between school type and subject. School type, subject and interaction between school type and subject were from the analysis of variance, found to have significant effects at ???? = 5%. The significant interaction effect made it necessary to carry out multiple comparisons. Scheff’e’s method revealed statistically significant differences in mean performance in mathematics between single-sex schools and mixed schools. The mean performances in English and Kiswahili for single-sex schools were not, at 5% level of significance, different from those of mixed school using the same (Scheffes) method. The two- factor factorial design model y_ijk=µ+????_i+ß_j+ (????ß)_ij+?_ijk was found to be ideal in describing the observed data concerning the performance in compulsory subjects in KCSE.

Keywords: ANOVA, Two-Factorial Design