Parental Provision of Learning Materials and Grade Seven Learners’ Reading Performance in Junior Schools in Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

Author: Martha Akumu Bondoh, Rose Atoni, Madeleine Sophie Barat Achieng

Date: 2026

Abstract: Grade Seven learners in Rarieda Sub-County continue to record low proficiency in English reading, yet the contribution of the home, and particularly of parents’ provision of learning materials, has received little empirical attention in Kenyan junior schools. This study examined the influence of parental provision of learning materials on Grade Seven learners’ reading performance in junior schools in Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Epstein’s framework of parental engagement and adopted a convergent mixed-methods design, combining a cross-sectional survey with a grounded theory approach. From a target population of 6,150, a sample of 21 junior schools, 347 learners, 347 parents and 21 teachers of English was drawn through stratified, simple random and purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires, an interview guide and a document analysis guide. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Parental provision of learning materials was moderate (learners’ composite M = 3.34; parents’ composite M = 3.41 on a five-point scale), and 65.44% of learners were either below or approaching expectation in general reading performance. The regression model showed that the level of parental provision of learning materials explained 61.1% of the variance in reading performance (R = .782, R² = .611, adjusted R² = .606), and the one-way ANOVA confirmed a statistically significant influence, F(4, 319) = 125.39, p < .001, η² = .611. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected. Teachers attributed inconsistent provision mainly to household financial constraints. The study concludes that parental provision of learning materials is a significant determinant of Grade Seven reading performance and recommends parent sensitization, low-cost book-sharing schemes and stronger school libraries.

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