School effectiveness-and-improvement-contribution-of-teacher-qualification-to-student-examination-scores

Africa International Journal of Management Education and
Governance (AIJMEG) ISSN: 2518-0827 (Online Publication)
Vol. 4 (2) 1-13, May, 2019 www.oircjournals.org
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Anyang et al. (2019) www.oircjournals.org
School Effectiveness and Improvement;
Contribution of Teacher Qualification to Student
Performance. A Case of Selected Secondary
Schools in Nyanza Province, Kenya
1Dr. Anyang Nicodemus Ojuma 2Prof. Kindiki H. Jonah
2Prof. Boit M. John
1
Ph.D School of Education Moi University 2
Lecturer Dept. of Education Management and Policy, Moi
University
Corresponding Author- dranyangno@gmail.com
Type of the Paper: Research Paper.
Type of Review: Peer Reviewed.
Indexed in: worldwide web.
Google Scholar Citation: AIJMEG
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How to Cite this Paper:
Anyang, N. O, Kindiki, N. J. and Boit M. J., (2019). School Effectiveness and
Improvement: Contribution of Teacher Qualification to Student Examination
Scores. A Case Study of Selected Top Provincial Secondary Schools in Nyanza
Province. Africa International Journal of Management Education and Governance
(AIJMEG), 4 (2), 1-13

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School Effectiveness and Improvement;
Contribution of Teacher Qualification to Student
Performance. A Case of Selected Secondary
Schools in Nyanza Province, Kenya
1Dr. Anyang Nicodemus Ojuma 2Prof. Kindiki H. Jonah 2Prof. Boit M. John
1
Ph.D School of Education Moi University 2
Lecturer Dept. of Education Management and Policy, Moi
University
Abstract
School examination results the world over are
arguably the most important measure of
perceived success or failure of a candidate. It
has been pointed out by the Nyanza Provincial
Education Board that the province’s
performance in examinations and the quality
of education in general is unsatisfactory and
inadequate. The paper sought to determine the
contribution of teacher qualification to
students’ scores. The study adopted the Theory
of Organisational Climate which defines
organisational climate as the human
environment within which an organization’s employees do their work. A case study and survey design was used.
Purposive sampling was used to identify the four schools under study and form three students. Simple random
sampling was used to select the respondents of the study. Data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative
using descriptive statistics in particular percentages and means. The study found that teachers’ qualifications affect
teaching ability while knowledge of teachers’ subject was among the major teacher factors contributing to students’
academic achievements.
Background of the Study
Teacher qualification is deemed to improve student
examination scores which contributes to the concept
of school effectiveness and improvement. School
effectiveness is therefore broader than just simple raw
examination scores. Scheerens (2000) argues that it is
common sense that an effective school is roughly the
same as a good school. And on the basis of this notion,
a more precise definition of school effectiveness has
been developed in empirical research studies.
Sheerness (Ibid) defines school effectiveness as the
performance of the organisational unit called school.
The performance of the school can be expressed as an
output of the school which in turn is measured in terms
of the average achievement of the pupils at the end of
a period of formal schooling.
School effectiveness can further be viewed in terms of
the outcomes obtained by students in terms of
academic attainment, delinquency, attendance and
behaviour. This is almost always captured in each
school’s goals and objectives dictated by societal
values. The question of school effectiveness is
interesting because it is well known that schools differ
in performance. But how much do they differ? Or
more precisely how much do schools differ when they
are more or less equal in pupils’ innate abilities and
socio-economic background? In a nutshell, school
effectiveness is seen as the degree to which schools
achieve goals which are derived from the national
goals of education in comparison with other schools
that are ‘equalized’ in terms of student intake through
ARTICLE INFO
Received 20th
April, 2019
Received in Revised Form 4th
May, 2019
Accepted 7th
March, 2019
Published online 8th
May, 2019
Keywords: Effectiveness, Improvement, Teacher Qualification,
Examination Scores

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manipulation of certain conditions by the school itself
or the immediate school context.
Pennycuick D. (1998) observes that much teacher
effectiveness research appears to be inconclusive. In a
recent example from Thailand conducted by
Nitsaisook and Postlethwaite (1986) it was found that
the larger context of the school in general is important
as well as how the students perceive the task,
orientation and structuring of teachers. The study
observes that the field of teaching effectiveness is yet
to arrive at a point where it knows exactly what makes
a teacher effective, the study however found that those
teachers that are task oriented and have been trained
deal quickly with procedural and discipline problems
in the classroom and to apply certain questioning
techniques in large classes are successful.
In contrast, Lockheed & Verspoor (1991) argue for
shortening teacher training courses, and emphasise in
service courses. It is argued (Ibid) that a key
determinant of student achievement is the quality of
teaching. An effective teacher they argue should
possess at least a thorough knowledge of the subject
matter being taught, an appropriate repertoire of
pedagogical skills, and motivation.
Heyneman and Loxley (1983) who carried out a total
of 29 studies on school effectiveness in developing
and developed countries found that in low income
countries, the effect of school and teacher quality on
academic achievement in primary school is
comparatively greater than on children from well to do
backgrounds, the conclusions drawn from the findings
of these studies are that the pre-dominant influence on
student leaving is the quality of the schools and the
teachers of which the children are exposed.
Fuller (1987) after considering more than fifty
empirical studies in his reviews suggested that the
school institution exerts a greater influence on
achievement within developing countries compared to
industrialised nations after accounting for the effect of
pupil background.
Lolwana (Ibid) agrees with Hayes (2006) that teachers
and their pedagogies of all school factors make a
difference in terms of intellectual outcomes, possibly
including the improvement of students’ scores.
Lolwana (Ibid) further argues that cognitive skills do
not happen in a vacuum or through osmosis; they are
formed not only through a well formed curriculum
system but also taught by capable teachers. The study
interestingly does not clearly articulate the critical
concept Harris and Sass (2006) refer to as tracking
down individual students and their teachers over time
in order to measure teacher quality and school
effectiveness.
Methodology
The study adopted a cross sectional survey research
design. The basic idea behind survey methodology is
to measure variables and examine relationships among
variables. It involves asking the subjects questions as
they respond at a given time. The design enables the
researcher to gather information at a single point in
time (Busha et al., 1980). The respondents of this
study who were form three students and teachers of the
selected four top provincial secondary schools in
Nyanza province respond to questions which sought to
capture their views and perception about their schools.
This study adopted a mixed method approach which
Creswell (2003) observes that a researcher tends to
base knowledge claim on pragmatic grounds. It
employs strategies of inquiry that involve collecting
data either simultaneously or sequentially in order to
best understand the research problem. The data
collected was both qualitative and quantitative.
The need to combine quantitative and qualitative
approaches in the study of school and teacher
effectiveness may seem self-evident. Velzen et al.
(1985) observes that school improvement generates its
knowledge differently from effectiveness research:
Effectiveness research deals with characteristics of a
measurable nature which are mostly correlates in
statistical overviews. Improvement focuses on
processes and tries to describe them in case stories.
This justified the use of both qualitative and
quantitative approaches in this study. Furthermore,
the survey design that this study has adopted by nature
lends itself to utilising mixed methods approach.
Fowler (1993), Observes that the term survey refers to
one, or some combination of two procedures,
questionnaires and interviews. The study therefore,
used closed ended and open ended questionnaires as
well as interviews to measure all objectives except
objective two. Closed ended and open ended
questionnaires are associated to qualitative and
quantitative approaches respectively.
This study adopted a sampling procedure that is
analogous to purposive sampling. Feagin et al. (Ibid)
argue that selecting cases must be done in order to
maximise what can be learnt in the period of time
available for the study.
This study selected four high ranked or top provincial
secondary schools in Nyanza in K.C.S.E., 2008. The
schools had been grouped into three: top, medium and
bottom. Top schools were schools that were ranked

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high in K.C.S.E. 2008 i.e. scored 7.500 and above (out
of the possible twelve points) in 2008 K.C.S.E. There
are thirty four schools in this category. Medium
schools were schools ranked average i.e. schools that
scored 5.000-7.499 in 2008 K.C.S.E. Bottom schools
were schools ranked low i.e. those that scored mean
score of 4.999 and below in 2008 K.C.S.E.
The schools were also selected in such a way that they
bear similar background and characteristics for
instance, date of establishment, spiritual sponsorship,
size of intake, characteristics of students’ entry mark,
students’ sex. The four schools (25percent) were
purposively selected out of the sixteen (16) provincial
schools ranked 5top (above 7,500 mean score in 2008
KCSE examination) as shown in the table Number and
below:
Gay (2006) proposed that the sample of 10-30 percent
is sufficient to be used as representative of the
population. A sample size of 18% was selected from
the form three class of 2009 for questionnaire and
another 18% for interview. The sample size of 18%
which is above mid the range was considered large
enough to be representative given the largeness of the
class and for manageability of data. For teachers a
sample size of 32% was drawn from the teaching staff
of each of the four schools under study. The teaching
staff is relatively smaller and a higher percentage of
the sample was considered representative enough and
to take care of a possible non-response rate which in
the case of the study was minimal.
Data Analysis
Data analysis was both qualitative and quantitative. In
quantitative data, the researcher used descriptive
research analysis techniques which included
frequency, percentages, means and graphs. This study
employed these statistical techniques which
Olatukunho (2004) describes as the most suitable for
analysis of descriptive research data. Descriptive
statistics were suitable for use in this study owing to
the fact that case study and survey designs generate
quantitative data that is analysed by percentages,
means, pie-charts and bar-graphs. In addition, Likert
scale rating on a five or six point rating.
Interpretations were mainly based on mean and
standard deviation
Results and Discussion
The objective of this paper was to determine the
relationships between teachers’ qualification and to
students’ examination scores. The objective was
measured by asking respondents to state whether they
perceive that teachers’ qualifications affect their
teaching ability. The objectives also looked at the role
of teachers in the learning process. This objective
further asked student respondents to rate their
teachers’ abilities and also established the highest
qualifications that teachers had.
When respondents were asked to state whether
academic qualification of teachers affects their ability
to teach effectively, it was established that majority of
the respondents agreed with the statement. Table 1
below contains a summary of findings from four
selected schools.
Students’ Responses
When respondent were asked to state whether in their
perception academic qualifications of teachers affect
their ability to teach effectively, it was established that
majority of the respondents agreed with the statement,
Table 1 below contains the summary of findings for
four schools.
Table 1: Whether Teachers' Academic Qualifications Affects their Ability to Teach the Subjects well
Whether Teachers' Academic
Qualifications Affects their
Ability to Teach the Subjects
well
Ng’iya Girls Kisumu Boys Kisumu Girls St. Mary’s Yala
Frequ
ency
% Frequ
ency
% Frequ
ency
% Frequ
ency
%
Yes 23 71.9 29 61.7 28 71.8 25 83.3
No 6 18.8 16 34.0 9 23.1 4 13.3
Don’t Know 3 9.3 2 4.3 2 5.1 1 3.3
Total 32 100 47 100 39 100 30 100
Source: survey data, 2010
From table 1 above, it is evident that 23 (71.9%) of the
respondents in Ng’iya agreed that teachers’ academic
qualifications affects their teaching ability, 6 (18.8%)
disagreed with this statement while 3 (9.3%) said that
they did not know. On the other hand, in Kisumu Boys,

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findings revealed that 29 (61.7%) of the respondents
as it was with Ng’iya Girls, agreed that teachers’
academic qualifications affects their teaching ability,
16 (34%) did not agree with teachers’ qualifications as
being the determinant to effecting teaching while 2
(4.3%) said that they don’t know.
In addition, findings from Kisumu Girls High revealed
that 28 (71.8%) of the respondents agreed that
teachers’ academic qualifications affect their teaching
ability, 9 (23.1%) did not agree with statement while 2
(5.1%) did not know. Furthermore, findings from St.
Mary’s Yala showed that 25 (83.3%) of the
respondents agreed with the statement ‘teachers’
academic qualifications affect their ability to teach
effectively’, 13.3% (4) denied the statement while 1
(3.3%) do not know about the relationship between
teacher qualification and academic achievement.
In conclusion, from the above students’ findings,
majority of the respondents from all the four selected
schools agreed that teachers’ qualifications affect their
teaching ability. According to them, the more qualified
a teacher is, the more knowledge s/he posses and
therefore, the higher the ability in teaching. In an
interview with one student who was a key informant
to the study in relation to the relationship between
teachers’ academic qualifications and teaching ability
said:
‘according to me, there is no
relationship between academic
qualifications and teaching ability
because teaching is an art whereby
some people are talented in
teaching and even if s/he is not well
qualified, students will still pass
their exams while we have those
teachers who are qualified but
cannot be able to express the
contents well before students’.
However, other respondents argued that a well-trained
and qualified teacher understands and delivers the
curriculum in a better form than unqualified teacher.
From teacher’s interview schedule, where a question
of whether teachers’ qualification affects students’
achievement, it was established that answers given
were ‘No’. Instead, they said that teacher’s
commitment and attitude as well as dedication are the
one that matters in the realm of academic
achievements. Furthermore, cooperation and hard
work from students as well as individual commitment
counts in the academic achievement in national
examination.
Students’ Rating of Teachers in Various Aspects
Teachers play a very important role in ensuring that
students get good performance in their final
examinations. As a result, teachers need to be all round
in all aspects in order to enable students bear fruits in
their academic endeavours. Following this premise,
students (respondents) from the four selected schools
were asked to rate their teachers in various aspects in
the school. Likert scale was used for answering (1 =
Very Poor, 2 = Poor, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Very
Good, 6 = Excellent). Thus, this question was analyzed
by using the mean to identify the rank of each attribute.
This is as shown in the tables below.
Table 2: Rating of Teachers in Various Aspects in St. Mary’s Yala
Rating of Teachers in the following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Knowledge of their Subject 1 6 5.20 0.71 1
Commitment 1 6 5.07 0.94 2
Physical Presence in School 1 6 5.07 1.05 2
Lesson Preparation 1 6 4.63 1.00 4
Time Management 1 6 4.50 0.82 5
Variation of Teaching Techniques 1 6 4.27 1.05 6
Extra Assistance to Students 1 6 4.20 1.19 7
Interaction with Students 1 6 4.13 1.33 8
Handling Discipline Problems 1 6 4.07 1.48 9
In relation to the rating of teachers in various aspects
in St. Mary’s Yala, knowledge of their subject was
ranked first (5.20), commitment and physical presence
in school was ranked second (5.07), lesson preparation
was ranked fourth (4.63), time management was
ranked fifth (4.50), variation of teaching techniques
was ranked sixth (4.27), extra assistance to students
was ranked seventh (4.20), interaction with students
was eighth (4.13) while handling discipline Problems
was ranked least with a mean of 4.07 from the Likert
Scale.
As a result, from the above findings, it was established
that among the various aspects related to teachers in
St. Mary’s Yala, teachers’ knowledge of their subjects

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was given the first priority since the statement was
ranked the first with a mean of 5.20 which stands for
‘Very Good’ on the Likert Scale. Teachers’ having the
knowledge of their subject is very vital because it
assists them to give the quality curriculum content to
their students. Furthermore, it was established that
statements ranked 2-5 with means of 5.07-4.50
respectively were also ranked as ‘Very Good’ from the
Likert Scale. However, statements ranked from 6-9
having means of 4.27-4.07 were rated as ‘Good’ from
the Likert Scale.
In summary, it is clear that in St. Mary’s Yala,
students rated their teacher as being capable in various
aspects named above. This therefore is a positive
indicator towards achieving good academic
performance.
Table 3: Rating of Teachers in Various Aspects in Ng’iya Girls
Rating of Teachers in the following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Commitment 1 6 5.16 0.85 2
in Ng’iya Girls High, knowledge of their subject was
ranked first (5.44), commitment was ranked second
(5.16), lesson preparation was ranked third (5.13),
extra assistance to students was ranked fourth (4.88),
physical presence in school was ranked fifth (4.75),
interaction with students was ranked sixth (4.59), time
management was ranked seventh (4.4.56), variation of
teaching techniques was eighth (4.44) while handling
discipline Problems was ranked least with a mean of
4.38 from the Likert Scale.
From the above findings it is clear that respondents
rated their teachers as being ‘Very Good’ in the
knowledge of their subject, commitment, lesson
preparation, extra assistance to students, physical
presence in the school, interaction with students and
time management. This is attested by the statements
having means of 5.44-4.56 respectively which stands
for very good from the Likert Scale. On the other hand,
they rated variation of teaching techniques and
handling discipline problems as ‘Good’. This is
evidenced by the two statements having means of 4.44
and 4.38 respectively which implies to ‘Good’ from
the Likert Scale.
In summary, like in St. Mary’s Yala, respondents from
Ng’iya Girls also rated their teachers in overall as
being good in all aspects mentioned in the table above
which is a good motivation towards achieving
academic excellence in the school resulting to positive
value adding to the final results.
Table 4: Rating of Teachers in Various Aspects in Kisumu Girls
Rating of Teachers in the following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Dev. Rank
Commitment 1 6 5.46 0.60 1

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in Kisumu Girls High, teacher’s commitment was
ranked first (5.46), knowledge of their subject was
ranked second (5.44), extra assistance to students was
ranked third (5.23), lesson preparation was ranked
fourth (5.03), physical presence in school was ranked
fifth (4.97), time management was ranked sixth (4.92),
handling discipline Problems was ranked seventh
(4.85), variation of teaching techniques was eighth
(4.64) while interaction with students was ranked least
with a mean of 4.59 from the Likert Scale.
As a result, findings from table 4 above clearly suggest
that respondents from Kisumu Girls High school rated
their teachers in various aspects in the school as ‘Very
Good’. This is attested by the statements being ranked
1-9 having means of 5.46-4.59 respectively which
stands for ‘Very Good’ from the Likert Scale. In
summary, the overall rating of teachers in Kisumu
Girls High school was ‘Very Good’
Table 5: Rating of Teachers in Various Aspects in Kisumu boys
Rating of teachers in following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Dev. Rank
Commitment 1 6 4.81 1.01 4
in Kisumu Boys High, knowledge of their subject was
ranked first (5.28), physical presence in school was
ranked second (4.89), handling discipline Problems
was ranked third (4.85), commitment was ranked
fourth (4.81), variation of teaching techniques was
ranked fifth (4.72), lesson preparation was ranked
sixth (4.66), extra assistance to students was ranked
seventh (4.64), interaction with students was eighth
(4.47) while time management was ranked least with
a mean of 4.17 from the Likert Scale.
From the above findings in table 5, it is clear that
respondents rated their teachers as being ‘Very Good’
in the knowledge of their subject, physical presence in
the school, handling disciplinary problems,
commitment, variation of teaching techniques, lesson
preparation and extra assistance to students. This is
attested by the statements having means of 5.28-4.64
respectively which stands for very good from the
Likert Scale. On the other hand, they rated interaction
with students and time management as ‘Good’. This is
evidenced by the two statements having means of 4.47
and 4.17 respectively which implies to ‘Good’ from
the Likert Scale.
In general, in relation to the rating of teachers in
various aspects by students, it was established that all
respondents rated their teachers as being good.
However, some aspects were given more priorities

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than the other in different schools. For instance, it was
established that in St. Mary’s Yala, Ng’iya Girls and
Kisumu Boys High School, respondents rated their
teachers as being ‘Very Good’ in the knowledge of
their subject while in Kisumu girls, respondents rated
their teacher as ‘Very Good’ in terms of commitment.
As a result, teachers’ knowledge of their subject was
given priority because students’ understanding of a
particular subject largely depends on how a teacher
delivers the contents of that particular subject. Teacher
training and in-service courses helps to upgrade
teachers’ knowledge of their subjects. According to
Lockheed & Verspoor (1991), an effective teacher
should possess at least a thorough knowledge of the
subject matter being taught, an appropriate repertoire
of pedagogical skills, and motivation.
Furthermore, teachers being committed to their work
especially that of teaching motivates students to work
hard due to the perceived attitudes born from their
teachers. As a result, it enables students to improve
their academic performance. Variation of teaching
styles on the other hand, brings diversity and breaks
monotony in class. This therefore makes learning very
interesting which in turn increases the understanding
power of students towards the subject thus, becoming
motivated to work hard. It should also be noted that
preparation of lesson plans is advantageous to both
students and teachers because learning will take a
certain systematic course which will ensure that no
syllabus or content is left out. Effective student-
teacher interactions with students feeling able to
approach their teachers for assistance, creates an
enabling environment which makes them satisfy their
learning needs anytime. Consequently, not all students
are fast learners; therefore, teachers’ assistance to
weak students is very crucial as it enables students to
improve in their performance. According Vulliamy
(1987) found that in Papua New Guinea, quality of
teaching, style of school administration, extra
assistance to weak students by teachers and levels of
staff morale were factors which the study identified as
critical in determining students’ examination results.
Teachers’ Findings
Highest Academic Qualification of the Respondent
When respondents were asked to state their highest
academic qualifications, it was established that
majority of them have bachelor’s degree in education.
This information for four provincial schools is
summarized in table 6 below.
Table 6: Teacher’s Highest Academic Qualification
Teachers’ Academic
Qualifications
Ng’iya Girls Kisumu Boys Kisumu Girls St. Mary’s Yala
Freque
ncy
% Frequ
ency
% Frequ
ency
% Freque
ncy
%
Dip.Ed 3 27.3 3/11 27.3 0 00 0 00
B.Ed 6 54.5 6/11 54.5 12/14 85.7 7/11 63.6
M.Ed 1 9.1 2/11 18.2 2/14 14.3 3/11 27.3
M.Sc 1 9.1 0 00 0 00 0 00
PGDE 0 00 0 00 0 00 1/11 9.1
Total 11 100 11 100 14 100 11 100
From the table 6 above, the findings from Ng’iya Girls
indicate that 6 (54.5% ) of the respondents had
bachelors’ degree in education (B.Ed), 3 (27.3%) have
diploma in education (Dip.Ed), 9.1% (1) hold master’s
in education (M.Ed) and a further 1( 9.1%) hold
masters in science.
In Kisumu Boys High, it was established that 6
(54.5%) the respondents have bachelors’ degree in
education (B.Ed), 3 (27.3%) have diploma in
education (Dip.Ed) while 2 (18.2%) of the respondents
had master’s in education (M.Ed).
In Kisumu Girls High, it was established that 12
(85.7%) the respondents have bachelors’ degree in
education (B.Ed), while 2 (14.3%) of the respondents
had master’s in education (M.Ed). it should be noted
that there were no diploma respondents in Kisumu
Girls High School.
Finally, findings from St. Mary’s Yala regarding
academic qualification of teachers show that 7
(63.6%) of the respondents as it is from other schools
under study, had bachelors’ degree in education
(B.Ed). on the other hand, 3 (27.3%) of the
respondents had master’s in education (M.Ed)
In general, it is suggested that majority of the e

9 | P a g e
respondents are bachelor’s degree holders in
education. Teachers having graduated with degrees in
education have the ability of teaching effectively since
they have undergone a higher professional training.
However, having a master’s degree in education or
science may be regarded as an added advantage to
competencies and skills acquired during first degree
teacher training
The Role of Teachers in Learning Process as perceived
by Teachers themselves
Teachers have a magnificent role to play in the
teaching and learning process. As a result, teacher-
respondents were asked to give the role of teachers in
teaching and learning process in their respective
schools. A five point Likert scale was used for
answering (1 = Very High, 2 = High, 3 = Moderate, 4
= Low, 5 = Very Low). Minimum i,e lowest point in
the scale but assigned ‘very high’. Thus, this question
was analyzed by using the mean to identify the rank of
each attribute. This is as shown in the tables below.
Table 7: The Role of Teachers in Learning Process Kisumu boys
The role of teachers Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Participatory 1 5 1.73 0.79 1
Sharing Academic Leadership 1 5 2.55 1.04 3
Representative of their View 1 5 2.64 0.67 2
In relation to the role of teachers in learning/teaching
process in Kisumu Boys High, participatory role was
ranked the first (1.73), sharing academic leadership
was second (2.55) while representative of their view
was least ranked with a mean of 2.64 from the Likert
scale.
As a result, from table 7 above, it was established that
teachers participatory role in learning process was
ranked first with a mean of 1.73 which implies to
‘High’ from the Likert Scale. However, other roles
(sharing academic leadership and representative of
their views) were ranked third and fourth having
means of 2.55 and 2.64 respectively which stands for
‘Moderate’ from the Likert Scale. Thus, being
participative is the major role of teachers in
learning/teaching process.
Table 8: The Role of Teachers in Learning Process Kisumu Girls
process in Kisumu Girls High, participatory role was
ranked the first (1.79), sharing academic leadership
was second (2.50) while representative of their view
was least ranked with a mean of 2.57 from the Likert
scale.
As a result, from table 8 above, it was established that
teachers participatory role in learning process was
given first priority with a mean of 1.79 which implies
to ‘High’ from the Likert Scale. On the other hand,
sharing academic leadership and being representative
of their views were ranked second and third having
means of 2.50 and 2.57 respectively which stands for
‘Moderate’ from the Likert Scale. Thus, as it was with
the findings from Kisumu Boys, participation is the
major role played by teachers in learning and teaching
process.
Table 9: The Role of Teachers in Learning Process in Ng’iya Girls

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process in Ng’iya Girls High, participatory role was
ranked the first (1.91), representative of their view was
second (2.27) while sharing academic leadership was
least ranked with a mean of 2.36 from the Likert scale.
As a result, from Table 9 above, findings from Ng’iya
Girls High School suggest that teachers participation
in learning and teaching process was ranked first with
a mean of 1.91 which stands for ‘High’ from the Likert
Scale. In addition, being representative of their views
and sharing academic leadership were ranked second
and third having means of 2.27 and 2.36 respectively
which stands for ‘High’ from the Likert Scale.
Table 10: The Role of Teachers in Learning Process in St. Mary’s Yala
process in St. Mary’s Yala, participatory role was
ranked the first (1.91), representative of their view was
second (2.73) while sharing academic leadership was
least ranked with a mean of 2.82 from the Likert scale.
A close scrutiny of the above findings from St. Mary’s
Yala suggest that teachers participating in learning and
teaching process was ranked first with a mean of 1.91
which stands for ‘High’ from the Likert Scale.
However, being representative of their views and
sharing academic leadership were ranked second and
third having means of 2.73 and 2.82 respectively
which stands for ‘Moderate’ from the Likert Scale. As
a result, the main role of teachers in learning/teaching
process in St. Mary’s Yala is teacher participation.
In general, findings from the above four schools
suggests that the main role of teachers in
teaching/learning is participatory. This is where a
teacher tries to understand students’ problems by
engaging them into discussion in matters of his/her
subject. Teachers’ participation in learning/teaching
process makes the session lively and interesting thus
promoting good understanding between students and
teachers an aspect which is required by students in
order to obtain better academic performances.
Furthermore, contrary to the findings from Kisumu
Boys, Kisumu Girls High and St. Mary’s Yala, where
participatory role was ranked as high, all the three
roles played by teachers in learning and teaching
process (as mentioned in table 10 above) in Ng’iya
Girls were rated as high.
Rating Teachers in Various Aspects by themselves
As it was with students’ questionnaire, respondent
teachers were also asked to rate teachers in various
aspects in the school. Likert scale was used for
answering (1 = Very Poor, 2 = Poor, 3 = Fair, 4 =
Good, 5 = Very Good, 6 = Excellent). Thus, this
question was analyzed by using the mean to identify
the rank of each attribute. This is as shown in the tables
below.
Table 11: Rating Teachers in the following aspects in Kisumu boys
Rating Teachers in the following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Commitment 1 6 4.45 1.29 2

10 | P a g e
in Kisumu Boys High School, knowledge of their
subject was ranked first (5.36), interaction with
students, commitment and physical presence in school
were ranked second (4.45), extra assistance to students
and handling discipline Problems were ranked fifth
(4.27), time management was ranked seventh (4.00),
lesson preparation was eighth (3.82) while variation of
teaching techniques was ranked least with a mean of
3.73 from the Likert Scale.
that among the various aspects related to teachers in
Kisumu Boys High, teachers’ knowledge of their
subjects was given the first priority since the statement
was ranked the first with a mean of 5.36 which stands
for ‘Very Good’ on the Likert Scale. Furthermore, it
was established that statements ranked 2-9 with means
of 4.45-3.73 respectively were ranked as ‘Good’ from
the Likert Scale. As a result, respondents rated
teachers as being good in all the nine aspects named in
table 11 above.
Table 12: Rating Teachers in the following aspects in Kisumu Girls
Rating Teachers in the following
aspects
Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Commitment 1 6 5.07 0.73 5
Source: Survey Data, 2010
in Kisumu Girls High, knowledge of their subject was
ranked first (5.50), extra assistance to students was
ranked second (5.36), physical presence in school was
ranked third (5.29), interaction with students was
ranked fourth (5.14), teacher’s commitment was
ranked fifth (5.07), handling discipline Problems was
ranked sixth (4.79), lesson preparation and time
management were ranked seventh (4.64) while
variation of teaching techniques was ranked least with
a mean of 4.43 from the Likert Scale.
A close scrutiny of the findings suggests among the
various aspects, teacher’s knowledge of their subject
as very good, as it is indicated from the likert scale.
Other aspects rated as a very good include; physical
presence in school, commitment, extra assistance to
students and lesson preparation. However, interaction
with students, handling discipline problems, time
management and variation of teaching techniques by
teachers were all rated as ‘Good statements from the
Likert Scale.
Table 13: Rating Teachers in the following aspects in Ng’iya Girls
Rating Teachers in the following aspects Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Rank
Commitment 1 6 4.82 0.60 3
Source: Survey Data, 2010

12 | P a g e
according to the respondents from Ng’iya Girls,
knowledge of their subject was ranked first (5.27),
physical presence in school was ranked second (4.91),
commitment was ranked third (4.82), extra assistance
to students was ranked fourth (4.64), lesson
preparation was ranked fifth (4.55), interaction with
students was ranked sixth (4.36), handling discipline
Problems was ranked seventh (4.27), time
management and variation of teaching techniques
were ranked the least with means of 4.18 from the
Likert Scale.
that among the various aspects suggests among the
various aspects, teachers’ knowledge of their subject
was given the first priority by the respondents since
the statement was ranked the first with a mean of 5.09
which stands ‘very Good’ on the linkert scale.
Furthermore, it was established that teachers’
commitment and physical presence in school were also
rated as ‘Very good’ from linkert scale. However,
interaction with students, handling discipline
Problems, time management, handling discipline
problems, variation of teaching techniques by teachers
were all rated as ‘Good’ from the Likert Scale.
In general, teachers’ responses from the above four
schools indicates that all respondents considered
teachers’ knowledge of their subject as being very
crucial in the academic performance of students thus,
being ranked the first with a rating of very good from
the Likert scale. According to the respondents,
teachers’ knowledge of their subject promotes
confidence, understanding and trust between students
and teachers thus, motivating them to work hard as a
team for a common goal. Moreover, it was established
that the average rating of teachers in various aspects
from all the four provincial selected schools was good.
Teachers’ commitment, extra assistance to students,
physical presence in school, lesson preparation, time
management, interaction with students among other
aspects are all geared towards achieving one common
goal; academic achievement/excellence for the
students. For instance, by a teacher interacting with
students either formally or informally, he/she will be
able to identify particular problems or weaknesses that
students have thus, providing extra assistance.
Moreover, by a teacher being able to prepare lesson
plans for his/her subject implies that there will be
proper time management since every activity will be
programmed. This will help to avoid wasting valuable
time required for learning and teaching process.
In summary, from both teachers’ and students’
responses it was established that both sets of
respondents rated teachers in terms of various aspects
in school as being good. As a result, the study
established that results from both students and teachers
who were selected for the study were almost.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Teachers’ knowledge of their subject was established
as the most important factor towards better students’
performance which is as a result of teachers’
qualification. However, teacher’s experience also adds
value to the students’ abilities and chances of posting
high grades in that as a teacher accumulates more
experience, his pedagogical skills and knowledge of
his subject improve hence enabling him to effectively
impart knowledge.
The study recommends that the school management
increases the frequency of in-service courses offered
to their teachers. This may enable teachers to increase
skills, knowledge and experiences relevant and vital
for better academic achievement by students.
References
Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative,
Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches. Lincoln: Sage Publications
Feagin, J., Orum, A. & Sjoberg, G. (Eds.). (1991). A
Case for Case Study. Chapel Hill, N.C:
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Fuller, B. (1987). What School Factors Raise
Achievement in the Third World? Review of
Educational Research.
Gay, L. R., Muls, G. & Aiavasian, P. (2006).
Educational Research Competencies for
Analysis and Application. (8th
Ed.). Pentice
Hall
Harris, D. & Sass, T. R. (2006). Value – Added
Models and the Measurement of Teacher
Quality. Florida State University.
Heyneman and Loxley (1983). The Effect of Primary
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Lockheed M. E. & Verspoor A. (1991). Improving
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Lolwana, P. (2007). Bridging the Inequalities of
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Olatokunbo, S. K. (2004). Methods of Education
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Related to Methods and Research
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Pennycuik, D. B. (1998): Moderation of Continuous
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