FREQUENCY OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES IN WESTERN KENYA

Abstract

Teacher training colleges in Kenya's Western Region have consistently performed well in national sports competitions. However, a significant proportion of trainees fail the qualifying examinations. Whether the frequency of sports participation contributes to this pattern remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between the frequency of participation in sports-related co-curricular activities and the academic performance of teacher trainees in Western Kenya. A cross-sectional research design was employed. Of the total sample size of 343 trainees, 124 were drawn from Kibabii, 104 from Eregi, and 115 from Ugenya. The respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire. Content validity was established through a review by two subject-matter experts in physical education and educational measurement. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.73, exceeding the recommended threshold of 0.70. Participation in sporting activities was categorized as 'five times a week or more', 'three to five times a week', and 'twice a week or less.’ Academic performance was classified as Distinction, Credit, or Pass. A chi-square test of independence was applied at a significance level of p < .05. No statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of sports participation and academic performance among participants, χ²(4, N = 298) = 0.46, p = .977; among non-participants, χ²(4, N = 45) = 1.24, p = .872; or in the full sample, χ²(4, N = 343) = 0.24, p = .993. The null hypothesis was therefore retained. The distributions of Distinction, Credit, and Pass were nearly identical across all three frequency levels. The findings suggest that the frequency of sports participation is not significantly associated with academic performance among teacher trainees. Teacher training institutions should focus on co-curricular frameworks that prioritize the quality and intensity of engagement over the number of sessions per week.