The role of student leadership in enhancing academic achievement in secondary schools: responses from a survey in nakuru county, kenya

This study aimed at investigating the role of student leadership in enhancing academic achievement in secondary schools in Kenya. Despite student leadership being a key factor that would affect several aspects of the school, its role in enhancing academic achievement has not been critically examined, especially in the context of developing countries. This study adopted a mixed method approach where both quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. The target population was secondary school head teachers and student leaders from public secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. The total sample size, which was selected using stratified and simple random sampling, was 226 respondents; comprising of 113 headteachers and 113 student leaders. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; whereas themes were developed from the qualitative data and presented as voices. The findings of this study showed that student leaders play a significant role in enhancing academic achievement in schools. These findings will be useful in helping all education stakeholders in coming up with ways of strengthening the role of student leaders in enhancing academic achievement in secondary schools; especially in the aspect of monitoring of student progress.