Student Support Strategies and Performance in the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment: Showcasing Public Primary Schools in Kakamega South Sub-County, Kenya
Adelaide Bandi, Caroline Wekullo, & Pamela Buhere
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
Adelaidebandi2@gmail.com, cwekulo@mmust.ac.ke & Pbuhere@mmust.ac.ke
Abstract; This study examined the influence of student support strategies on learners’ performance in the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) among public primary schools in Kakamega South Sub-County. In the context of Competency-Based Education (CBE) implementation and persistent rural proficiency gaps under the 100% transition policy, the research investigated the predictive role of remedial coaching, school feeding programs, guidance and counseling, bursaries, sanitary towel provision, and related initiatives on school-level mean KPSEA scores. A correlational research design was adopted, with the target population comprising head teachers, deputy head teachers, academic chairs, and guidance and counseling chairs from all 82 public primary schools in the sub-county. A sample of 279 respondents was selected through stratified, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured questionnaires (1-10 rating scale), supplemented by KPSEA mean scores from official KNEC reports. Instruments were piloted, with face and content validity confirmed through expert review and reliability established at Cronbach’s alpha = 0.814. Ethical approval was secured from the University’s Institutional Ethics Review Committee and NACOSTI, with informed consent ensuring voluntary, anonymous, and confidential participation. Key findings indicated that student support strategies explained 50.1% of the variance in KPSEA performance (R² = 0.501), with remedial coaching (β = 0.36, p = 0.013) and feeding programs (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) emerging as the strongest significant predictors. The joint F-test confirmed a significant overall effect (p < 0.05). The study recommends institutionalizing remedial coaching and school feeding to boost foundational competencies and promote equitable educational outcomes.
