Effect of Institutional Resources on Student Academic Achievement in Kakamega County, Kenya

The school environment has a substantial impact on the quality of education. A well-resourced, supportive, and positive environment can result in enhanced student outcomes, both academically and personally. This study sought to investigate the effect of institutional resources on student academic achievement Kakamega County, Kenya. The research employed the production function theory. The study was conducted using a descriptive correlational research design. This study took place in Kakamega County, which has thirteen sub-counties. The study focused on 423 secondary schools, which included 2 national schools, 2 national special schools, 28 extra county schools, 45 county schools, and 346 sub county schools. The target population included 423 Principals, 5514 teachers, and 182,893 learners, for a total of 188,830 respondents in Kakamega County secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to choose special and national schools. The Yamane formula was used to determine a sample of 440 respondents. The study gathered data through interviews and questionnaires. A pilot study was conducted in Bungoma County to test the instruments' validity and reliability. Cronbach's alpha was employed as a statistical tool to assess reliability. The study analyzed quantitative data using Regression analysis. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. The results indicated that most of the institutions have resources that included classrooms, laboratories, libraries and others however they were not adequate. The results further revealed that most of the schools have adequate number of teachers while a sizeable were still struggling with fewer teachers. On the study’s hypothesis, H01 that states that there is no statistically significant effect of institutional resources on student academic achievement in Kakamega County, Kenya was rejected at p=0.003. The study concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between institutional resources and student academic achievement in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study thus recommends that the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to enhance funding for school infrastructure, learning materials, and teacher training to improve student achievement. Implement strategies to boost student achievement and optimize teacher-student ratios like recruiting more teachers and teacher interns to fill the gaps.