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August 16, 2025Open Access

School-Based Variables’ Influence on Performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Sub-County Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Key Points

Inadequate school infrastructure negatively influences KCSE performance in Kakamega Central Sub-County, affecting student outcomes.
Nearly 40% of schools lacked essential facilities like libraries and laboratories, hampering student learning experiences.
Descriptive research design assessed the impact of school facilities on performance using data from 565 individuals across multiple schools.
Findings underscore the need for community involvement in resource-sharing to enhance educational resources in underfunded schools.

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the potential influence that school infrastructure has on KCSE performance in Kakamega Central Sub-County, in Kakamega County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to establish the influence of libraries, science and computer laboratories on KCSE performance in Kakamega Central Sub-County category of schools. The education production function theory, which links school variables such as infrastructure to student achievement, guided the study. The study employed the descriptive research design and was conducted in Kakamega County in Kenya. The target population was 25 school principals, 300 teachers and 2319 students. Purposive sampling was used to sample the principals, while simple random sampling was used to sample the teachers and students. The sample size included 11 school principals, 90 teachers and 464 students, totalling 565 individuals. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and observation checklists. Data triangulation and expert judgment were used to guarantee the content validity of research instruments. Piloting was done in 2 schools with poor performance in KCSE in the last 5 years to refine the questionnaires used in the study. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Data was presented in pie charts, bar graphs and frequency distribution tables. Qualitative data was put into similar themes and presented through narration and verbatim. The study revealed that schools in the region experienced constraints with physical facilities. Some schools did not have libraries, science and computer laboratories, among other facilities. Others encountered inadequate stocking of the laboratories and library facilities, which limited students' options for reference materials, lab equipment and reagents. The study concluded that the inadequate and, in some cases, lack of physical infrastructure negatively influenced KCSE performance in the sub-county. The study recommends that the schools in the region should engage in a resource-sharing network between schools that have facilities and those that lack them, and set up a donation drive, inviting the community and other non-governmental organisations to donate these resources to supplement the government funding that they receive

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