Determinants of Academic Performance of Chemistry in Public Secondary Schools in Chesumei Sub-County: A Justification of the Teaching Methods

Chemistry is an important science subject. It determines the overall mean grade of the students and entry into various courses in universities and tertiary colleges. Good grades in Chemistry is considered important in determining the career progress of students seeking to pursue courses in medicine, pharmacology, engineering and dentistry. This study aimed at investigating the contribution of teaching methods to learners' academic performance in chemistry in public secondary schools in Chesumei Sub-County, Nandi County, in Kenya. The research adopted an explanatory sequential design in the study. Questionnaires were administered to chemistry teachers and students to collect data. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with randomly selected teachers and students, allowing for in-depth exploration of their experiences, perspectives, and insights into the relationship between teacher-related factors and academic performance. The results showed that teaching methods had a significant positive influence on student academic performance in chemistry (β=0.141, p=0.001). The study concluded that teaching methods enhanced the learners' academic performance in chemistry in government secondary schools in the Sub-county of Chesumei. The study recommended the adoption of mixed teaching methods in schools to achieve high academic performance in Chemistry. This study was beneficial to policymakers by guiding policy formulation on teacher development.