Teachers’ English Language Proficiency and Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from a Mixed-methods Study in Public Senior Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

English is a compulsory subject in the Kenyan school curriculum. Nevertheless, persistent low pass rates in national English examinations remain a major concern. Against this backdrop, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between teachers’ English proficiency and students’ performance in public senior schools in Matungu Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya. The objective was to generate empirical evidence to enhance instruction quality, inform policy, and improve learning outcomes. The study was anchored on Communicative Language Teaching theory and Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, and employed a mixed-methods approach and a pragmatist paradigm, utilizing a convergent parallel design. Quantitative data were collected using standardized questionnaires and analyzed using simple linear regression and Pearson’s correlation. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews and classroom observations, and analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that teachers’ English proficiency did not have a statistically significant effect on students’ performance in national English examinations (F (1,78) = 0.575, p = .450; R² = 0.07). Qualitative results corroborated the quantitative findings by highlighting the influence of broader contextual and systemic factors, such as large class sizes, heavy teacher workloads, and limited instructional resources, compounded by learner-related challenges, such as first language interference. Teacher-related issues, such as code-switching, pronunciation difficulties, and grammatical hitches, were also identified, although they did not independently determine students’ performance. The study concluded that students’ performance in English was shaped by an array of interacting factors, rather than teachers’ English proficiency alone. This demystifies the notion that teachers’ English proficiency directly translates to higher students’ performance in national English examinations. It recommends enhanced in-service teacher training, improved access to instructional resources, manageable workloads, and the establishment of clear national benchmarks to embolden and enhance teachers’ English proficiency and students’ performance in national examinations.