AN EVALUATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF PUPILS’ PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS SATISFACTION ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN EASTERN ZONE OF NAKURU MUNICIPALITY, KENYA

Abstract

It has frequently been observed that the quality of learning, as measured by learning outcomes. Other than the presence of inadequate resource supplies in the schools, most of the pupils in these schools have come from families that socio-economically disempowered. This study investigated the influence of physiological needs on academic performance in public primary schools of the Eastern Zone ofNakuru Municipality. The link between poverty and low academic achievement has been well established. For instance, it has been observed that children from low-income families are more at increased risk of leaving school without graduating (Murnane, 2007) However, in spite of the overwhelming effects of poverty on children’s education and development, numerous examples of pupils who have excelled from low-income loci also exist (Luthar, et al. 2000). This set of contradicting evidence begs interrogating whether the satiation of physiological needs plays any role in the academic performance. The study used survey research design to establish the influence of adequate nutrition, adequate water, adequate sleep, and family well-being on academic performance of class 8 pupils in the area of study. Objectives of the study were; to determine the influence of adequate food provision on academic performance of pupils in the eastern Zone of Nakuru County, to determine the influence of adequate supply of clean water on academic performance of pupils in Eastern zone of Nakuru County, to determine the influence of adequate sleep on the academic performance of pupils in Eastern zone of Nakuru County and to determine the influence of family well-being on academic performance of pupils in Eastern zone of NakuruCounty.The study conceptualized physiological needs influencing academic performance of pupils through the intervening variables of motivation to achieve and the state of the pupil’s health. The independent variables included enough food and clean water while the dependent variable was mean grade in examinations.The study target population was 800. 370 respondents were chosen for the study through systematic random sampling. Response rate to the questionnaire administered stood at 72%. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data and one way ANOVA was used to analyze the influence of the independent on the dependent variables. Provision of adequate nutrition, provision of adequate water and the feeling that one’s needs were met at the family level signed influence on academic performance. In order to ascertain content validity, the questionnaire was designed and handed to the supervisors and to experts in the area of school guidance and counseling to review the items, and by also carrying out a pilot study.To ensure consistency, the present data was subjected to reliability tests using the split- half test. This involved scoring two halves (odd items versus even items) of the instruments for each person and then calculating a correlation coefficient for the two sets of scores. The study concluded that though Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs gave valuable insight on the role that meeting physiological needs played on academic performance it was not completely adequate in explaining why some pupils who were physiologically deprived still ended up performing well in examinations. The outcome of this study could be instrumental in instructing intervention measures by the Ministry of Education in implementing learning programmes in deprived schools. Based on the findings and conclusions, the study recommended that Creative effort should be made to boost nutritional uptake of pupils within learning institutions in low-income areas to improve on academic performance.