Teacher Characteristics and Academic Performance of Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish teachers' perceptions on the influence of selected teacher factors on academic performance of learners in public primary schools in Keiyo South Sub-County. The objectives of the study were to establish the influence of teacher educational qualification and personality on pupils' academic performance in public primary schools in Keiyo South Sub-County. The study was conducted in public primary schools in Keiyo South Sub County, Kenya. A descriptive research design was used for the study. The target respondents for the study involved head teachers and teachers. Respondents for the study involved 86 head teachers and 278 teachers from the three divisions. The head teachers and teachers were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique based on the education division that they came from. The instruments for data collection involved questionnaires and interview schedules. The research instruments were tested for validity and reliability. Study results showed that 76.8% of teachers perceived that teacher academic qualifications influenced academic performance of pupils'. Teacher personality was found to have significant influence pupils' academic performance. Most (83.0%) of respondents perceived that teachers with positive attitude would result to learners performing excellent in their studies in school. The study recommends that teachers should increase their educational level and participate more in-service training and workshops and teachers need to change their personality towards pupils in schools. The study findings may be useful to the government in policy formulation. Schools may also benefit from the study findings on the ways of improving pupils' academic performance.