The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing pupils’
performance in KCPE national examination in public and private primary schools
in Nakuru-North Sub-County, Kenya. The objectives were to determine whether
provision and adequacy of teaching and learning materials, physical facilities,
teacher qualification and experience and early completion of syllabus influences
KCPE performance in public and private primary schools. The study was based
on Cognitive Theories of Motivation coined by Nona Tollefson (2000).
Descriptive survey research design was used in this study because it enables the
researcher to obtain information that describes existing phenomena by asking
individuals about their perceptions, attitudes, behaviour and values. Simple
random sampling was used to select 30percent of the schools thus fourteen private
schools and twelve public schools participated in the study. Schools were
purposively selected in the three educational zones, two best performing and two
poor performers of each of the school category. Thus, the total sample for the
study comprised of 26 head teachers, 130 teachers, 260 pupils and one
educational officer. The data was collected through use of questionnaires,
interview schedule and an observation checklist to examine the condition of
learning resources and physical facilities in the sampled schools. The test-retest
technique was used to test the consistence of the instrument. All head teachers’
questionnaires were returned 100 percent, 124 teachers questionnaire 95.4 percent
and 245 questionnaires were returned from pupils, representing response rate 94.2
percent. Therefore 395 questionnaires were returned a 95.0 percent response rate.
Collected data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively.
The study findings revealed that half of the head teachers in public schools
indicated that teaching and learning reference books and ICT equipment were not
available at all in their schools. The head teachers, 75 percent, in public primary
schools indicated that classrooms and other physical facilities in their schools
were available but in adequate with an exception of dining halls that are not
available. However, in private primary schools, head teachers indicated that there
was availability and adequacy of physical facilities in their schools with an
exception of enough play-grounds. Majority of teachers in public primary schools
had attained higher academic qualification than most teachers in private primary
school. Majority of the respondents indicated that they set syllabus completion
deadlines for their teachers, though 1.6 percent of pubic primary school head
teachers indicate that they do not set deadlines for syllabus completion. The study
recommended that the government should provide clear policy guidelines on how
school communities could provide physical facilities that offer proper hygiene to
ensure that schools are child friendly. Further the a study should be done on the
institutional factors that influence teacher motivation on pupils’ academic
performance