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