Undirected Academic Talent to Blame for Adolescent Radicalization and Student Unrest in Secondary Schools in Kenya
Journal Title: Africa International Journal of Management Education and Governance - Year 2017, Vol 2, Issue 1
Abstract
Academic performance is a function of many interrelated variables including inherent study efforts, modes of teaching, school environment and family related factors. Academically talented students are often expected to perform and maintain high academic performance. However, sometimes their performance is unexpectedly variable. To compound this scenario, data lacks of many Kenyan schools whether students’ attitudes towards their teachers affect their academic performance. This study therefore investigated the effects of attitudes of academically talented secondary school students toward their teachers and how this impact on their academic performance in Keiyo District. The study specifically assessed, academic performance of the academically talented students, their attitudes towards teachers and how the attitudes toward teachers affected their academic performance. The three variables were discriminated further on the basis of gender, types of school, age and class. The main factors affecting talented students academic performance were also determined. The entire study was propounded on the basis of learning theory postulated by Bandura (1977), which asserts the importance of learned behaviour in humans as well as using Festinger’s theory (1957) of cognitive dissonance, which postulate the innate relationships between cognitions, behaviour and attitudes. This study was conducted using ex post facto design. Data were collected from a sample of 300 students in Form 3 and 4 using structured questionnaires, using stratified and purposive random sampling techniques. Data collected were coded in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v. 13.5) and analysed by descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, bivariate correlations and parametric tests (ANOVA and factor analysis). Results indicated that most of the academically talented students had positive attitudes towards their teachers, which significantly (P < 0.05) influenced their academic performance. Discrimination of the attitudes of the respondents among attributes indicated that gender, age and types of school had a significant (P < 0.05) influence on the students’ attitudes towards their teachers, which ultimately influenced their overall academic performance. However, class did not significantly (P > 0.05) influence students’ attitudes towards their teachers. Students attitudes towards teachers were found to be a function of 14 variables intimately linked to students relationships with their teachers. These factors were broadly categorized into students-teacher relationships, students’ academic inputs, and workload for students.This study has aptly demonstrated that academic performance is related to students’ attitudes towards their teachers. In view of high investment cost by many schools to improve academic performance, and taking cognisance of the role that students attitudes play, it is recommend that schools should dedicate part of their investments on inculcating and fostering positive students attitudes through routine and regular legislation of guidance and counselling to encourage students to develop positive attitudes towards their teachers. More research is however, required to determine the best teaching methods that will encourage students to develop positive attitudes towards their teachers that would definitely encourage improved academic performance.
Authors and Affiliations
Prisca Kiptoo Tarus, William K. Kurumei
Keywords
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