EFFECTS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY EXAMINATIONS.

OUNDO, GLADYS ALOMBE

A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Mast.ers in Education (Measurement and Evaluation) to the Department of Psychology, University of l\Jairobi.

November, 2010 ABSTRACT

The intent of this study was to examine the strength of the relationship between English language proficiency and performance in Biology examinations and tests in secondary school students who do not have English as their first language. The study purposed to determine if students in urban socond ary schools had higher English language proficiency compared to their rural counterparts.

The research was done by use of questionnaires administered to a sample of teachers of English arid Biology in secondary schools and forms three students in the larger Kakamega district. In addition, the students were given Biology and English tests which were marked and scores recorded. The level of the academic performance in the English and Biology tests was measured using the scores obtained in the two tests. The level of English language proficiency was measured by how well the students communicated in writing when answering questions in the English and Biology tests. The results from the study were coded and

analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS)>

The analysis revealed a significant positive co-relation between English larigu age proficiency and academic performance in Biology examinations and tests. There was no significant co-relation between performance in English and Biology and school location (rural or urban).

The findings from this study can be used by policy makers in the Ministry of Education to offer recommendations to school administrators and professional organizations about ways to improve the teaching of English language in secondary schools to improve academic performance in other subjects especially biology. The ministry of Education could use findings from these study to restructure its policies on the teaching of English language to develop the academic language proficiency needed to improve on the academic performance in Biology-exams.

vi THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF THE KENYA CERTIFICATE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION SCORES IN DETERMINING ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF GIRLS: A CASE STUDY OF NATIONAL PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

BY NANJAKULULU J.W OW ANAMBIRIFUMA

A Study Project Report Submitted To the University Of Nairobi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Education Degree (M. Ed) in Measurement and Evaluation

2010 ( } i ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to examine the validity of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination scores in predicting academic successes for girl's students in secondary schools in Kenya using Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) as a criterion measure. Success in secondary schools was measured by the level of examinee achievement in the Kenya using Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The predictor variables are KCPE scores in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics and overall performance in KCPE, the criterion variable was KCSE. Success in secondary school is measured by the level of examinee achievement in KCSE.

The process involves a case study on the public National Secondary Schools in Kenya, which best represents the Kenya Society as intake in those institutions is done on quota system. They are the most prestigious schools as they admit the top performing primary schools candidates across the nation. The facilities in those schools are comparable. Six girls' public national schools in Kenya were used in the sample. The 2006 KCSE data for 809 examinees in the sample were used in the analysis. The KCSE records for examinees in the same were matched with corresponding 2002 KCPE records. The nature of relationship between KCPE and KCPE was determined by use of stepwise regression analysis.

A moderate linear relationship between KCPE and KCSE was found. The predictive validity did not significantly vary from one school to other. Only mathematics showed a significant influence on the KCPE-KCSE predictive relationship. The relationship indicated that KCPE is a moderately valid predictor of success of girls in secondary school.

xiii THE INIPACT OF HIGH-STAKES TESTING IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Florah K. Shivonje

A Research Report Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters in Education: Measurement and Evaluation University of Nairobi

November 2010 ( ABSTRACT

High stakes testing involves attaching consequences (stakes) to test scores .This in education implies that the teacher and students will automatically be held accountable of their performance. Globally high stakes testing is the operational system because most states have resorted to standards which are only achievable with monitoring of education operations. The danger however could be the effects it might have on teaching and learning. This researcher set out to establish the context, form or nature of high stakes testing, what educators and even the student think about it. The research further determined the implications it has on teaching and the Kenya education process. In a nutshell, this study was to determine how high stakes testing affects what the teachers teach and how they teach. This research design was quantitative and qualitative, targeting teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the Kakamega district and also expost facto to establish the cause and effect of high-stakes testing to the entire system in Kenya. Secondary data included literature on high stakes testing from researches by the American Research Association (2002) and other relevant studies in the area of testing. The results were such that the teachers indicated that tests were used for accountability purposes causing them to teach to the test in the later classes. However, most teachers agreed that high-stakes tests were necessary to maintain standards. The students argued that the test is the best measure of performance for mobility purposes. There is need to review the global trends as well as nature of assessment in Kenya so that tests are not used as a mechanism in a single defined assessment and a consequence for pass and failure, it is time to tailor exams to contribute to performance towards socio-economic equitable and performance related conditions.

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