The study examined the internal consistency, factor structure, and predictive validity of the academic identity measure (AIM), a pioneer measure of academic identity status. Data were collected from 390 students (average age 16.65; SD=1.31) in 10 secondary schools in Embu County, Kenya. The factor structure of the AIM corresponded to that reported in previous studies among high school and college students. Furthermore, significant correlation and predictive equation was found between AIM subscales and academic achievement. The AIM yielded data with sufficient psychometric properties among secondary school students. In addition, the findings add support to crossnational generalizability of the factor structure of the AIM.

There is substantial literature on the relationship between ability streaming and academic performance among students. This literature however is scanty on the relationship between ability streaming and academic inferiority feelings. The main aim of this study was therefore to investigate the relationship between ability streaming and academic inferiority feelings among students who do not perform well. Alfred Adler’s theory of individual psychology forms the theoretical framework of the study. The study adopted a mixed methods sequential explanatory research design. It was carried out in Kisii County, Kenya. The target population was all the Form Three students in public schools in Kenya (593711 students). Proportionate stratified sampling was used to select the top, average and low-ranking schools in the county. It was further used to stratify schools into boys’ boarding, girls’ boarding, mixed day and boarding and mixed day schools. Simple random sampling was used in the selection of the 400 respondents from 20 schools to form the sample. The research instruments were questionnaires and an interview schedule for the students administered by the researcher. Personal and academic self-concept inventory (PASCI) was used to collect data on academic inferiority feelings and Stephanie Soto Gordon’s questionnaire was used to collect data on ability streaming from students. A pilot study was used to validate and ensure reliability of the research instruments. Both descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were used to analyze data with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results were presented using frequency tables. The results showed that there was a relationship between ability streaming and academic inferiority feelings with most of the respondents having moderate feelings of academic inferiority i.e. 83%. Sex differences were found in ability streaming in regard to academic inferiority feelings. Boys experienced a slightly higher level of academic inferiority feelings with a mean of 67.11as compared to girls who had a mean 65.08. A major recommendation of the study among others was that the ministry of education should try to do away with ability streaming in schools which makes the students feel academically inferior.

IntroductionMany countries across the world value academic performance of the learners and count it as one of the significant indicators of evaluating the quality of education being offered at different levels of education in a country. A study by Oluminde, Olusola and Taofeek (2015) underscored the importance of academic performance among the secondary school students. They assert that the performance of a learner at this level determines the post-secondary institution the learner will join and even the course to pursue in that institution. Most learners who fail at secondary school level may miss opportunities for pursuing various courses which are offered in institutions of higher learning. As Benjamin (2013) points out, failure of learners at secondary school has many far-reaching effects. First, it becomes a source of frustration to the learners. The parents and guardians who commit much of their resources towards education of their children also get frustrated and to some point become desperate when such children fail in academics. Secondly, most sectors of the economy experience inadequacy of skilled manpower consequently causing the overall development of a country to lag behind.In Kenya, sessional paper no. 1 of 2005 (UNESCO, 2011) states that academic performance is integral part of quality education. This has seen the government of Kenya through the ministry of education and Kenya National Examinations Council employ various mechanisms to ensure integrity and honesty in national examinations such as Kenya certificate of primary education and Kenya certificate of secondary education. These efforts ensure that all candidates post a performance which actually reflects their academic ability. In addition, Kenya universities and colleges central placement service has been using KCSE performance scores as the basis of placing learners in various courses in post-secondary institutions. This is an indication that academic performance in Kenya is a very significant factor which will affect both the learners' academic journey as well as the future career of the learner. The much emphasis on academic performance of the learners has prompted researchers to do studies focusing on various factors which relate to academic performance.

Academic performance is one of the important aspects of a student’s life and therefore it is important to understand the factors that hinder or promote it. Various researches on factors affecting performance have been done, however there is little local research on how family structure affects academic performance. This study examined students’ academic performance vis-à-vis single and two parent family structures. It also investigated if there were any gender differences in academic performance as determined by parental marital status. The target population was form three students in day secondary schools of Dagoretti Sub District, Nairobi County, Kenya. The sample of the study consisted of 196 students drawn from five day secondary schools. The study used descriptive survey and ex post facto methodology. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the schools and classes for the study respectively. Questionnaires and class achievement records were used to collect data. The data was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-test and Chi-square test at significance level of 0.05. The study found no relationship between parental marital status and students’ academic performance as majority of students, regardless of family structure, performed equally poorly with a mean grade of less than ‘C’. The results showed that there was no difference in the academic performance of students from single and two parent families (P=0.776). Additionally, the results indicated that there was no significant difference in the academic performance of male and female students from single and two parent families (P=0.348) and altogether these outcomes established that there was no bearing between parental marital status and students’ academic performance (P=0.873). On the basis of this finding, it was recommended that parents and schools/teachers should provide necessary conduciveness to all learners to deal with the challenges they face at home and school, in order to obtain desired academic performance.

The intention of the study was to establish the relationship between home and school factors and reading fluency in Kiswahili and English languages among standard three pupils in Kiuu sub location, Kiambu County, Kenya. To achieve this, the study investigated family factors such as family size, number of children attending school, languages spoken at home, parental support such as helping with homework and the frequency of reading story books for children. The study also sought to establish school factors that support reading fluency such as languages of instruction teachers used as well as the number of Kiswahili and English text books children possessed. Bronfennbrener (1979) ecological systems theory was used to ground the study. The study sample consisted of four purposefully selected primary schools two of which were public and the other two privately owned. Data regarding the school and home factors were collected through a paper based questionnaire while the data relating to pupils' Kiswahili and English reading fluency was collected through one-minute reading passages one in Kiswahili and the other in English. The results revealed that majority of the children lived with both parents and had between 1 and 3 siblings in school and the languages spoken at home, school and among the peers were mother tongue, Kiswahili and English. For majority of the children homework was overseen by the mother while many of them could not recall the last time a parent read to them a story book. With regard to accessing books for reading, the findings revealed that children in private schools had more access to English and Kiswahili books than their counterparts in public schools. With regard to reading fluency, the study established that the maximum number of English words read per minute were 171 while the least were 0 with a mode of 69. The maximum number of Kiswahili words read was 118 with a minimum of 0 and a mode of 61. Children in Private schools displayed better fluent reading than their counterparts in public schools and girls were more fluent readers than boys. The study recommended that the literary environments be improved both at home and in the schools and that the language policy be further interrogated given that the language children are exposed to at home is different from the language of instruction at school and also different from the language used among peers. Another recommendation of this study was that curriculum developers engage in material development both in Kiswahili and the various local languages in tandem with policy requirements. The study further recommended that methods of improving reading acquisition and fluency be sought.