Investigation of factors that influence syllabus coverage in secondary school mathematics in Kenya

Abstract

Mathematics plays a vital role in individual, national and global development. However, over the years mathematics has been one of the most poorly performed subjects in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE). In an attempt to improve performance, great effort has been put into completion of the syllabus. This study was done in Kakamega South district, involving a total of 85 secondary schools. The main objective was to determine the percentage of the syllabus covered, and correlate it with student performance. 16 out of 85 schools were purposively selected and used in the study. The head teacher, the head of mathematics department, and two randomly selected mathematics teachers from each of the 16 schools took part in the study. In total there were 64 respondents. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, and data collected using three questionnaires. Correlation between syllabus coverage and student performance using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was 0.8343. Furthermore, a One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was determined and confirmed that syllabus coverage has a significant effect on student performance in mathematics at KCSE level. Also, a number of factors were identified as being responsible for early, late or noncoverage of the coverage.