| dc.description.abstract | The quest to ensure that students achieve decent learning outcomes and acquire values and skills that help them play a positive role in their societies is an issue on the policy agenda of Government of Kenya. To realize this quest depends on quality education provision. Quality is at the heart of education which influences what students learn, how well they learn and what benefits they draw from their education. The purpose of the study was to explore selected predictors of quality education in public secondary schools in Kisii County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: examine the relationship between educational facilities and quality education; determine relationship between co- curricular activities (CCA) and quality education; explore relationship between students' participation rate as a measure and quality education and establish relationship between safety measures contribution and quality education in public secondary schools. This study employed the Production Function Theory and adopted sequential explanatory design that was employed within mixed methods approach. Units of analysis were 334 public secondary schools within 9 Sub-Counties in Kisii County. The study population constituted of 334 principals. 334 and 9 education officers. The sample size constituted of 181 principals and 181 senior teachers selected through stratified random sampling technique (Krescie & Morgan table. 1970) and 9 education officers selected by saturated sampling technique. Instruments for data collection were two questionnaires. Interview schedule and document analysis guide. Reliability was ensured by doing piloting in 34 schools and split-half method using Spearman Brown formula. Pre-testing the instruments was meant to validate and estimate their reliability in collecting the anticipated data. The reliability index for the instrument that is questionnaire was 0.826. Validity of the questionnaire was ensured by expert judgment. Quantitative data for the study was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed using themes and sub-themes that emerged from the study. On the concern about educational facilities: library had the highest Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (PMCC) of (r = .832, p=.001). This was followed by a correlation of .800 for laboratory. This shows that they had a positive association in the model of educational facilities. Further; there were also positive correlations of .730 .716 and715 for administration offices, water and classroom respectively. On the concern about CCA. all the correlation coefficients associated with quality education was all fairly low but had statistical significance. There was a significant correlation of .711 between school publication and debate; this was followed by a correlation of .676 between social events and school publications all at P-value, 0.0 I. However there was a negative association between the correlation of debate and clubs, a correlation of -.223 at a P-value, 0.05. On the concern about students' participation rate, all the correlation coefficients associated with the students' participation rates were all fairly low but had statistical significance. The parameter dropout had the highest PMCC of (.654, Jr.00 I) and repetition was at .370. The variable with least PMCC was retention [r=.310. p=.00 I. On the concern about students’ safety measures the parameter physical infrastructure, had the highest PMCC (.888, p=.001) and security was at .854. The variable with least PMCC was conflict resolution at .484, p=.001]. Whereas fire extinguishers, compound parent involvement alarm systems, first Aid Kit(s), had PMCC of .849.. 763.. 726 .. 624. and .659 respectively at sig. level=.002. It was concluded that the major predictor of quality education was educational facilities with the highest contribution, followed by students' participation rate, students' safety measures and lastly co-curricular activities. The study might help in decision making to the ministry of education and all other stakeholders in implementing policies that ensure quality education. The researcher recommends that the Ministry of Education (MoE) and schools revisits their policies related to provision of quality education and work towards their implementation. It is also imperative to conduct a study on contribution on the selected predictors in private secondary schools in Kisii County. Kenya. This would broaden the understanding of the contribution of each parameter variables in question on quality education provision. | en_US |