The Influence of Teachers’ In-service Training on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students with Learning Difficulties in Kakamega North Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

The academic performance of students with learning difficulties remains a persistent challenge in Kenyan secondary schools, including Kakamega North Sub-County. Although the government promotes inclusive education, many teachers lack sufficient, specialized in-service training (INT) to effectively identify and support these learners. Current professional development tends to cover general teaching methods, neglecting the specific instructional and assessment techniques that students with diverse needs require. The result is continued poor academic outcomes for students with LDs, exacerbated by factors like limited teacher capacity and insufficient individualized attention. This research was therefore conducted to examine how teachers’ in-service training influences the academic performance of secondary school students with learning difficulties in Kakamega North Sub-County, Kenya. The study was guided by Herzberg’s Two Factor theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design and targeted secondary school teachers in Kakamega North Sub-County. A sample of 103 teachers of English and Mathematics was selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression with the aid of SPSS version 27. The correlation results showed a statistically significant positive relationship between teachers’ in-service training and students’ academic performance (r = 0.315, p = 0.001), indicating that higher teacher participation in professional development is associated with better learner outcomes. Regression analysis further revealed that in-service training significantly predicted students’ academic performance (β = 0.456, p < 0.001), accounting for 20.8% of the variance in performance (R² = 0.208). Teachers who attended regular professional development programs reported improved instructional strategies, better classroom management and enhanced ability to support learners with special needs. The study concludes that well-structured and continuous in-service training enhances teachers’ competence and leads to improved learning outcomes among students with learning difficulties. It recommends that the Ministry of Education and school administrators strengthen specialized in-service programs tailored to the instructional needs of teachers handling diverse learners.