Effect of Student Welfare on Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the effect of student welfare on student academic achievement in Kakamega County, Kenya. The research employed the production function theory. The study was conducted using a survey research design. This study took place in Kakamega County, which has thirteen sub-counties. The study focused on 423 secondary schools, which included 2 national schools, 2 national special schools, 28 extra county schools, 45 county schools, and 346 sub county schools. The target population included 423 Principals, 5514 teachers, and 182,893 learners, for a total of 188,830 respondents in Kakamega County secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to choose special and national schools. The Yamane formula was used to determine a sample of 440 respondents. The study gathered data through interviews and questionnaires. A pilot study was conducted in Bungoma County to test the instruments' validity and reliability. Cronbach's alpha was employed as a statistical tool to assess reliability. The study analyzed data using a Regression analysis. The results indicated that most of the institutions have resources that included classrooms, laboratories, libraries and others however they were not adequate. The results further revealed that most of the schools have adequate number of teachers while a sizeable were still struggling with fewer teachers. On the study’s hypothesis, H₀1 that state that there is no statistically significant effect of student welfare on student academic achievements in Kakamega County, Kenya was rejected at p=0.000. The study found that most respondents in Kakamega County, Kenya have adequate institutional resources such as classrooms, laboratories, and libraries. However, the principals disagreed, stating that these facilities are not sufficient. The study found that when institutional resources are absent, the average student academic achievement score improves by 6.93%. The analysis also revealed a statistically significant relationship between institutional resources and academic achievement, rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no significant effect. The findings suggest that enhancing institutional resources significantly boosts academic achievement among students in the region. The study thus recommends that the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to enhance funding for school infrastructure, learning materials, and teacher training to improve student achievement. That schools should invest in nutritional support, mental health services, financial assistance, and co-curricular activities to create a supportive learning environment. This can be achieved through clear policies and robust school guidance and counselling programmes.