Influence of Science Club Activities (SCA) On Secondary School Students’ Interest and Achievement in Physics in Vihiga County of Kenya

Abstract

The school curriculum consists of formal, informal and non-formal dimensions. Secondary schools in Kenya, however, tend to emphasize formal curricular activities. Non-formal activities (NFA) are given less emphasis. Little was known regarding the contribution of non-formal curricular of science club activities (SCA) on students’ interest and achievement in Physics. In Vihiga County of Kenya, participation in SCA is poor with only 25 per cent rate of participation of schools. Yet students’ achievement in Physics in the County has been low with mean grade of D over the years 2006 to 2014. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of SCA on secondary school students’ interest and achievement in Physics in Vihiga County. This study established scope of participation in science club activities (SCA), established students’ achievement in Physics, compared achievement and interest of participants and non-participants in SCA, and established teacher perceptions of SCA in secondary schools in Vihiga County. The study applied descriptive survey and correlational design. The target population was 1500 Form Four Physics students and 80 teachers of Physics. The sample size was 217 students and 60 Physics teachers from 114 schools. The schools were stratified and then sampled using simple random sampling technique. Instruments for data collections were Student Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), Teacher Questionnaire (TQ), Science Patron Interview Schedule, and Physics Achievement Test (PAT). Results showed that generally performance of participants of science club activities (SCA) was better than for the non-participants. Further the study revealed that SCA contributed to student learning and achievement in Physics at secondary school.