ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCES: IMPLICATIONS FOR GENDER PARITY IN KENYAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

This paper sought to investigate the factors that contribute to gender disparity in science subjects' performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations in Kenya. The study was conducted in Kakamega East Sub-County, Kenya. Kenya has domesticated international legal instruments on equal and quality education for both boys and girls. However, data obtained from the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) on KCSE results depicts that boys perform better than girls in science subjects. Based on this context, the study examined factors that contribute to gender disparity in academic performance in sciences. The study further assessed the assumptions underlying gender parity as well as the negative influence of gender parity on students in Kenyan secondary schools. The study identified three research objectives that guided data collection and data analysis. The paper examined the impact of learners' attitudes towards science subjects. Parental influence was also analyzed. The study further examined the role played by culture. The study targeted target boys boarding secondary schools and girls boarding secondary schools. The entire study population was 2200, out of which 400 students, 30 teachers, and10 headteachers were sampled. The total sample size was 440. This conformed to a confidence interval of 0.05, the confidence level of 95 percent, which is a Z-score of 1.96standard deviation of 0.5. The reliability was estimated through the use of Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0. Data was collected through questionnaires and interview schedules. Frequency analysis and findings revealed that the socio-economic status of the family, pupils' attitudes, and culture contributed to gender disparity in science performance. Regression analysis revealed that attitudes, socio-economic status and culture influence gender parity by 6.2 percent. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should provide proper career guidelines, which would motivate both boys and girls to pursue science subjects