Navigating Environmental Challenges: Assessing the Impact of Ecological Factors on KCSE Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Samburu County

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the environmental factors influencing students' performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in public secondary schools in Samburu County, focusing on the unique challenges faced by students in nomadic pastoralist areas. Despite progress in Kenya’s secondary education sector, academic performance in Samburu County has remained consistently low, with an average KCSE score of 4.4 (D+) between 2001 and 2010. The study explores the various factors that contribute to this poor performance. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, gathering data from Form 4 school leavers and high school principals through structured questionnaires. The data was analysed using mean, frequencies, and p-values to determine the significance of each factor. The study identified drought, insecurity and culture as the most significant environmental factors influencing performance. The study concludes that droughts variable was the main significant environmental factors that affect academic performance in the study area. Cultural practices such as moranhood and insecurity situations were found to be marginally significant. The study recommends that diversification of pastoral livelihoods could be a solution. This means introducing pastoralists to crop farming, entrepreneurship, and also utilising natural resources like eco-tourism, cultures, and other environmental resources.