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The study investigated the home-based factors that influences students’ academic performance
in public secondary schools in Thika Sub- County in Kiambu County. The objectives of the
study were to establish; parents’ level of education, social economic status, parent’s
professional qualification and home chores. The study used the descriptive survey design and
sampling techniques to select the schools and simple random sampling to select teachers and
students who were involved in the study. A total of 22 public secondary schools were used for
the study. The researcher used two questionnaires for teachers and students.
The study randomly selected the teachers and students from the 22 public day schools.
Questionnaires and interview schedules were used for data collection. Reliability analysis was
done through test-retest method. Pearson’s product moment’s correlation was used to test
reliability. Validity was ensured through discussion with the experts including supervisors and
colleagues. Primary data were collected and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative
techniques and presented in tables and graphs. Secondary data were obtained from journals and
schools data base. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social
Sciences). Descriptive statistics and thematic statistics were used. This assisted in determining
the level of influence the independent variables have on the dependent variable. The study
findings indicated that educated parents assist their students in doing their school work. Parents’
socio-economic status influences the students’ academic performance. Professional parents
participate better in academic performance and understand the importance of academics better.
Teachers perceived that parents contribute to students’ participation in home chores. More time
is spent on home chores than on school work. The government through the Ministry of
Education should sensitize parents about the home-based factors affecting students’ academic
performance. The head teacher should hold meetings with parents that address the influence of
parents’ education on their students’ academic performance. The government through the
Ministry of Education and Constituency development Fund should enhance issuance of
bursaries and other necessary financial needs. Therefore, the government through the Ministry
of Education should sensitize parents on the importance of parents’ professionalism on
students’ academic performance. Students’ participation in home chores was another factor that
influenced students’ academic performance. The parents should therefore create a conducive
environment at home to enable the students’ study privately. The parents should balance
between the home chores and students’ academic work and allocate adequate time equally for
both. The study concluded that the home-based factors; parents’ level of education,
socioeconomic status of parents, parents’ professional qualifications and home chores
influenced the student’s academic performance. There should be research on the other home
base factors affecting students’ academic performance in public day secondary schools since
this study only focused on four factors. |
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