Abstract
The study investigated the effects of teacher professional qualifications (measured by teacher educational level and experience) on student science achievement gains in both low and high performing public secondary schools in Kenya. The study utilized highest education level of teachers in general and also in Chemistry as well as experience of teaching chemistry in general and also at an examination grade. Two level Hierarchical linear modelling was used with a Value added approach to analyze data from 2000 grade 12 students and 200 teachers from 60 public secondary schools in two Counties in Kenya. The study found out that teachers with advanced degrees in Chemistry positively and significantly predicted student achievement gains than those with advanced degrees in any subject major. With respect to experience, years of teaching at any grade level did not significantly predict student chemistry achievement while higher grade 12 experience positively and significantly predicted student chemistry gains. Conversely, novice teachers with few years of teaching but with higher grade 12 years of teaching coupled with teacher professional development positively influenced student achievement gains. Article visualizations:
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