FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN BARINGO CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY, BARINGO COUNTY

Abstract

According to Kenya's 2030 Vision plan, the nation would have a middle-income status supported by five important economic sectors: agriculture, information and communications technology (ICT), manufacturing and industry, education, and finance (Nelly, 2007). This would enhance the education offered to students at technical institutes, helping Kenya reach its 2030 goal of being an industrialized country. This study's goal is to learn more about the variables that affect students' academic performance in technical education programs in the Baringo Central Constituency in Baringo County. The objectives of the of the study are to find out the effect of poor academic performance in tertiary institution in Baringo central constituency in Baringo county, to establish the effect of availability of teaching personnel, on students’ academic performance in tertiary institution in Baringo central constituency, to determine the influence of learning facilities and resources, on students’ academic performance in tertiary institution in Baringo central constituency, to assess the influence of teaching Pedagogy on students’ academic performance in tertiary institution in Baringo central constituency, to identify how availability of finances influence students’ academic performance in tertiary institution in Baringo central constituency and to suggest possible solutions to these problems. The study used quantitative method and the target population of the study was students in tertiary institutions, the teachers in tertiary institutions and the principals in tertiary institutions and a sample of 5 institutions was picked. This sample was picked using random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect data and 42 respondents were able to fill in their responses in the questionnaires. Data analysis was done using prepared data coding schemes and data matrix, descriptive statistics computed the information obtained from the study and data presented using tables. The findings of the study indicated that the learning resources are inadequate in the institutions, the learning facilities needs to be improved and good maintenance, the institutions majorly relies on the school fees paid in by students as a major source of finance and that there are delays in fees payments. The students also have limited access to financial support through bursary provided. The teachers are inadequate in the tertiary institutions, the syllabus coverage is not done completely thus being a disadvantage to students, the absenteeism of the students from learning affects their performance and that in general the students need motivation so as to develop a positive attitude to their studies. Future researchers will benefit from the study's results because they will broaden the body of knowledge, improve the way technical institutions offer education, and aid in the achievement of the 2030 Vision. To increase students' academic achievement, technical schools should have skilled and experienced instructors, adequate and sufficient classroom space, and a variety of Instructional strategies