The Contribution of Teachers’ Qualifications on Achievement in Mathematics in Kenya

Performance in mathematics in comparison to other subjects has remained a challenge to many pupils at primary and secondary schools alike. This study was intended to determine the extent to which teachers’ qualifications influence achievement in mathematics by class 8 pupils in public primary school in Vihiga sub-county, Western Kenya. The study was conducted through causal –comparative research design. All mathematics teachers of class 8 and all their pupils formed the target population. The study employed multistage sampling techniques. A total of 30 mathematics teachers from 30 sampled schools out of 153 public primary schools in Vihiga as well as class 8 pupils in the 30 sampled schools constituted the sample. Data was collected from the selected mathematics teachers through a questionnaire generated by researcher and administered in person. The data on achievement was translated to frequency counts and the chi square statistic used to establish the association between teachers’ qualifications and pupils’ achievement in mathematics at significance level of 0.05. It was established that at significance level of 0.05, there was significant relationship between teachers’ academic and professional qualification with achievement in mathematics. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that more qualified teachers of mathematics be deployed in upper primary in order to improve examination results