Influence of Parental Socioeconomic Status on Student Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya

Jane Mwendwa Kiome, Dr. Tarsilla Kibara, Prof. Peter Kihara

Abstract


A family plays an important role in an individual’s growth, development, beliefs, and values. There are no two families that are the same due to unique household characteristics therein that influences a child’s emotional, psychological, and academic achievements. Extensive research was conducted in different contexts across the world to study the relationship between household characteristics and academic performance in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi County- Kenya. However, contextual gaps still exist. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parental socioeconomic status (SES) on child’s academic performance. The study tested null hypotheses that the parental socioeconomic is not associated to academic performance. The target population in this study was 2,862 parents/guardians of class 7 pupils in public primary schools in Starehe Sub-County of Nairobi County. A representative sample of 351 parents/guardians participated in the study.  Data on parental socioeconomic status was collected using a questionnaire instrument, while data on individual pupils' academic performance was collected via document analysis based on recently completed school exams. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in the analysis and results presented in tables, figures, and continuous narration form. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data collected from open ended questions. The results showed that parents social economic status had a negative and insignificant effect on academic performance of the pupils (? =-0.011, P>0.05). The study concluded that in most cases, higher parents’ economic and occupational status has an inverse relationship with pupil’s academic performance in public primary schools. Based on these findings, the study recommended that interventions should focus more on enhancing pupils’ learning environments and providing targeted academic support rather than relying solely on parental socioeconomic capacity. Additionally, schools and policymakers should prioritize equitable access to learning resources and strengthen teacher-pupil engagement to offset disparities that arise from household characteristics.

Key Words: Academic performance, Household socioeconomic status


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