An Examination of the relationship between induction of newly recruited teachers and students’ academic achievement in public primary schools in Nyandarua South Sub-County

Date
2021
Authors
Ndwiga, Eston Murithi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Students’ academic achievement is the primary goal of learning institutions in Kenya, especially at basic level (Primary and Secondary schools). Effort by the government, parents and other stakeholders are aimed at ensuring students get best academic results among other achievements. Academic achievement by students is the basis for placing Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) graduates to various classes of secondary schools in the country. Those who attain highest marks in this KCPE are placed in national schools. Owing to the need for students to get high academic achievement, Ministry of Education, Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), and school boards of management have always, implicitly and explicitly, worked on various programmes to induct newly employed teachers in an effort to improve students’ academic achievements among other reasons. The government could be wasting limited resources on an activity that is not productive. This study aimed at investigating whether a relationship between induction of newly recruited teachers and students’ academic achievement exist. Findings of this study will inform Ministry of Education, TSC and school boards of management on whether to intensify induction programs or consider other measures to improve students’ academic achievement. This academic work was founded on Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura. It employed quantitative research design and used closed-ended questionnaires and document analysis to collect data from newly recruited teachers (those recruited between 2015 and 2019). Secondary data collection was by analysing records with details of students’ KCPE academic achievement from Sub-County education office. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23. Analysis of data was by determination of descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation coefficients and significant values, T-test and Regression analysis. T-test was used to compare mean scores for various schools where teachers were inducted and where teachers were not inducted. The study did not find significant relationship between induction of newly employed teachers and students, academic achievement. Further, KCPE mean scores for students taught by teachers who had been inducted were not significantly different from those of students taught by teachers who had not been inducted. Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) should review current ways of inducting teachers with a view to improving it. TSC should prepare a comprehensive induction program to be applied uniformly to all teachers in the country. Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education should provide enough resources in form of tied grants to all schools and its agents to create capacity to carry out comprehensive teacher induction across the country.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master’s in Education Management at Strathmore University
Keywords
Induction, Public primary schools, Newly-recruited teachers, Nyandarua South Sub-County, Students’ academic achievement
Citation