Influence of Teaching and Learning Resources on Quality Education in Public Primary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of teaching and learning resources on quality education in public primary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target population comprised 403 head teachers, 2,015 Standard Eight teachers and 756 Standard Eight pupils in rural public primary schools (N = 3,174). A sample of 343 respondents was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan formula and selected through purposive and simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to teachers who taught Standard Eight, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with Standard Eight pupils, and document analysis of school records provided by head teachers. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS version 26.0 using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings: The findings revealed that teachers disagreed that teaching and learning resources were adequate (overall mean = 2.31), with digital learning resources (mean = 1.66) and classrooms and laboratories (mean = 1.92) rated lowest. Pupils’ accounts and school records corroborated these shortages. Teaching and learning resources had a strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with quality education (r = .858, p < .05) and explained 73.7% of its variation (R² = .737; β = 45.526, p < .05). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study provides empirical support for the education production function in rural Kenyan primary schools. For policy, it recommends targeted and equitable resource allocation, especially for digital resources, classrooms, textbooks, sanitation facilities and staffing. For practice, it recommends that teachers move beyond sole reliance on textbooks and incorporate a variety of instructional materials such as visual aids, manipulatives, locally available resources and digital content to address diverse learning styles and improve learning outcomes.