Class Size and Quality Academic Achievement Among Girls in Mathematics in Secondary Education in Kisumu County

Abstract

Female students tend to take fewer mathematical courses at higher education level due to low performance in mathematics at secondary school level. A number of studies both qualitative and quantitative have attempted to find out causes of low achievement in mathematics among females, Researchers have majorly focused on school environment, biological factors and attitude. There was therefore need to conduct a study to establish the influence of class size on academic achievement among girls at form four level in public secondary schools in Kisumu County. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of class size on academic achievement among girls in mathematics at form four level. Correlation research design was applied to examine the degree of influence that exists between class size and academic achievement in mathematics. The study was conducted in Kisumu County of Kenya. The target population of the study consisted of 142 public secondary schools which presented female candidates for KCSE examinations between 2010 and 2014, 142 Principals, 142 Heads of mathematics department and 390 mathematics teachers who taught the girls under study. Stratified random sampling technique was applied whereby schools were categorized as girls’ secondary schools and mixed secondary schools. Purposive sampling was done to select all the 18 girls’ secondary schools in Kisumu County while random sampling was applied to select 38 out of 124 mixed secondary schools in Kisumu County. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. Instruments of data collection were validated by the researcher’s supervisors and reliability of the instruments was established through test retest method by carrying out a pilot study in 5 schools which were not part of the study sample. Quantitative data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics in form of frequency counts, percentages, means, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and regression analysis. Qualitative data from interview schedule was analyzed by using thematic analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was applied to assist in analyzing data. The findings of the study concluded that there exists a positive relationship between class size and academic performance in mathematics. The study recommended a class size of 40 to enable teachers cater for individual interests of all learners.