Learner characteristics and educational attainment among secondary school students in Kenya

Abstract

This study examined the effects of student characteristics being gender, age, prior attainment, family size and parental involvement on educational attainment among secondary school students. The study was conducted in Busia County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey design. We hypothesized that gender, family size, age, prior attainment and parental involvement had no statistically significant effects on academic attainment among secondary school students. A sample of 755 high school students and 344 teachers was used. Self administered questionnaires and document analysis schedules were used for data collection. Using multilevel linear modeling of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination of 2016, the study demonstrated that students gender, family size, age, prior attainment and parental involvement accounted for 43.13% of the variation in educational attainment among secondary school students.