Family Size and Parental Education on Students’ Academic Performance in Selected Secondary Schools in Mombasa District

ABSTRACT This study set out to establish the relationship between family size and parental education factors on students’ academic performance in selected public day schools in Mombasa District. The study tested two research hypotheses that; i) family size and ii) parental education factors significantly influence students’ performance in Mombasa district. The study employed both cross sectional and correlational survey designs, with a sample of 72 students selected following Mugenda & Mugenda (1999)’s suggestions, using simple random, stratified random and purposive sampling. One set of questionnaire directed to form four students was used to collect data. Data analysis was done using SPSS’s simple frequency tables, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s Linear Correlation Coefficient and Linear Regression Analysis. The findings indicated that on average students rated their family sizes as moderate (mean index ~ 3), parents’ attention, parents’ presence and occupation, family nutrition and economic status AS medium while parents’ attention as low (mean index ~ 2). Parents offer inadequate coaching and mentorship (mean index ~ 2) and parents’ encouragement and follow-up was low (mean index ~ 2). Fathers’ education level was medium while mothers’ level was low. The findings indicated that students’ performance was average in terms of participation, attendance, scores and improvement (mean index~3), and poor in terms of doing corrections and revision (mean index~2). Pearson’s Linear Correlation Coefficient and Regression results found that; i) family size factors significantly influence students’ performance in Mombasa District ii) parental vi education factors significantly enhance students’ performance, with parents’ coaching and mentorship being the most important factors. The researcher concluded that; i) while Parents’ attention significantly improves students’ performance, family size, parents’ presence and occupation, Nutrition and family economic status positively correlate with students’ performance, although the correlations are not significant; ii) Parental education factors significantly influence students’ performance altogether, however while coaching significantly improves students’ performance, Parents’ encouragement and followup do not. Mother’s education contributes more than for father’s. The researcher recommended that; i) Parents’ attention to students’ education, at home, should be increased to improve’ performance, all parents need to plan for their children irrespective of the number, increase on number of hours they stay with them at home, ensure they are fed well and adequately (e.g. breakfast, lunch and supper), parents should send their children to educated relatives and friends (e.g. in holidays) to make them admire the goodness of education and strive to achieve the same; ii) Parents, schools, NGOs and the government should assist in educating the girl child as mothers contribute more to students performance, parents should always get time to coach their children at home and give them encouragement to study well.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION A

DECLARATION B ii

APPROVAL SHEET iii

DEDICATION III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT V

ABSTRACT VI

TABLE OF CONTENTS viii

LIST OF TABLES xii

LIST OF FIGURES xiii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiv

CHAPTER ONE

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction 1

Background Information 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Purpose of the Study 4

Research objectives 4

Research Questions 5

Hypotheses 5

Scope of the Study 5

Significance of the Study 6

Operational Definitions of key Terms 7

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction 9

Theoretical Review 9

Conceptual Framework 11

Related studies 12

Family Size and students’ performance 12

Parental Attention and students’ performance 14

Family economic status (FES) and students’ performance 16

Nutrition and students’ performance 17

Parental Education and students’ performance 19

Career Coaching , Mentorship and students’ performance 20

Parental Encouragement and Follow up on students’ performance. 21

Academic Performance 22

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction 26

Research Design 26

Research Population 26

Sample Size and Sampling Procedure 27

Research Instrument 28

Validity and Reliability of the Instrument 28

Data Gathering Procedures 29

Data Analysis 29

Ethical Consideration 30

Limitations and Deliminations of the Study 30

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CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Introduction 31

Profile of respondents 31

Measuring the independent variables 32

Family size 32

Measuring the dependent variable 34

The relationship between family size and students’ performance in

Mombasa District secondary schools 36

The relationship between parental education and students’

performance in Mombasa District secondary schools 39

CHAPTER FIVE

FINDINGS, CONLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Introduction 43

Findings 43

Conclusions 45

Family size factors and student performance in Mombasa District 45

Parental education factors and student performance in Mombasa

District 47

Recommendations 49

REFERENCES 53

APPENDICES 57

APPENDIX I 57

TRANSMITTAL LETTERS 57

APPENDIX II 58