RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELECTED DETERMIANTS OF CAREER ASPIRATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Analysis of academic performance reports for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in Nairobi County has been slanted towards the poor grades. This poses a threat to the educational sector, which is an imperative pillar in the realization of productive labor force. Determinants of career aspiration are presumed to have influenced students’ academic performance. This study investigated the relationship between selected determinants of career aspiration and academic performance of public schools’ students in Nairobi County. Specifically, the study investigated the relationship between levels of career aspiration and academic performance, school type and academic performance, academic motivation and academic performance and academic self-efficacy and academic performance. The study adopted a correlation research design. The sample size consisted of 397 respondents drawn from 26477 form four students who were registered candidates for 2017 examination. The research instruments included questionnaire and document analysis. A sample size of 40 students (10% of the actual sample) was used for the pilot study. Purposive sampling was used to select Nairobi County and form four students while proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 12 schools from the 84 public secondary schools in Nairobi County. Random sampling technique was employed to select the 397 students from the selected schools. The Self-determination and the Social Cognitive theories formed the theoretical framework in this study. Reliability was tested by computing Cronbach alpha coefficient (α).The Academic Motivation Scale was adapted to measure academic motivation of the students. Academic Self-efficacy Scale was adopted to quantify the students’ academic self-efficacy. Student’s academic performance was measured by use of the standardized KCSE national examination results of 2017. Collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics in line with the study objectives. The null hypotheses were tested using Chi-Squire (χ2) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) tests. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) aided the data analysis. The findings indicated some evidence of a significant relationship between academic performance and career aspiration, school type, academic motivation and academic self-efficacy. All the tests were carried out at.05 level of significance. On testing the null hypothesis that there was no significant relationship between the students’ level of career aspiration and academic performance, Pearson chi-square of 0.019 was attained. Regarding the relationship between school type and academic performance, Pearson chi-square of .000 was achieved. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) of .000 was acquired in the test of the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. Additionally, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient of .002 was also reached in the test of the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance of the students. Since the probability the tests were less than α-value (0.05) all the null hypotheses were rejected at 95% level of confidence denoting that the students’ academic performance was influenced by career aspiration, type of school the students attended, academic motivation and academic self-efficacy. The study concluded that career aspiration and its selected determinants influenced students’ academic performance in 2017 KCSE exams. A major implication and recommendation of the study was that all stakeholders in education should validate and foster the development of career aspirations, academic motivation and academic self-efficacy among the students. All schools’ climates should be made conducive for students’ utilization of their full academic potentials. Further research should also consider other determinants of career aspiration such as quality and quantity of career guidance available to students, schools’ resources and facilities, parental and teachers’ characteristics, teaching pedagogy, students’ personality and their relationship with academic performance of the students.