Influence of selected background factors on students levels of self-esteem and academic achievement in public secondary schools in Kericho County, Kenya

Secondary school students’ background factors are important in the students’ life and may determine the academic outcomes and the levels of self-esteem. The students’ family SES, family type and home location are varied and may influence the academic achievement and levels of self-esteem. In Kenya, academic achievement is a key factor in determining the future career of the students and their success is measured by the level of academic achievement. It is therefore important to establish the influence of students’ background factors on their self-esteem and academic achievement. This study sought to establish the influence of students’ selected background factors (home location and socio-economic status and family type), on their self-esteem and academic achievement in public secondary schools and the implication on Guidance and Counselling in Kericho County. A correlational research design was used to determine whether the students’ selected background factors influenced their self-esteem and academic achievement. The target population of the study was 9048 form four students enrolled in public secondary schools in the Kericho County from which a representative sample of 384 students was obtained. Out of the 200 class teachers 17 were selected to participate in the study. The teachers were purposively sampled to include all the class teachers of the classes participating in the study. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the study units to ensure all strata (single sex and mixed schools) in the population were represented. A sample of 384 students was obtained using a proportionate sampling technique which ensured that the distribution of respondents was proportionate. The research instruments were validated with the help of supervisors and experts from the Faculty of Education and Community Studies. The instruments were then piloted in two secondary schools which were not part of the study units. The reliability was established using the Cronbach’s alpha technique and a reliability coefficient of 0.74 which was considered acceptable was obtained. The interview schedule was validated with the help of Egerton University supervisors. A structured questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect information on the students’ background factors. A self-esteem inventory was used to collect data on self-esteem of the students. The academic achievement was based on the scores obtained by students in KCSE Mock Examinations. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The significant level was set at α =0.05. The data was analyzed using the latest version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. The findings of this study indicate that there was no statistically significant relationship between students’ levels of self-esteem and the selected background factors. The study also established that the greatest predictor of academic achievement was Socio Economic Status. The study further established that there was no significant relationship between students’ gender and their academic achievement. The study concludes that the family SES is important in determining the students’ academic achievement. The results of this study may provide information to policy makers, teachers and parents about the importance of the background factors in shaping the secondary school students’ self-esteem and academic achievement. Further these findings may be used to determine the Guidance and Counselling strategies required to ensure background factors do not negatively influence the students’ self-esteem and academic achievement.