Influence of Curriculum Reforms on Students’ Academic Performance in International Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate influence of curriculum reforms on students’ academic performance in international schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya. It was guided by one research question: To what extent have curriculum reforms in international schools influenced students’ academic performance in Nairobi City County? The study was anchored on Educational Production Function Theory. Mixed Methods approach was used. Convergent design of mixed methods approach was applied. In the quantitative aspect, cross-sectional survey was used whereas under the qualitative aspect, phenomenology design was used. The study targeted 50 international schools, 50 Principals, 50 executive heads, 690 teachers and 8,850 students. Stratified and simple random sampling were used to select 10 schools, systematic sampling to select 383 students, criterion purposive to include 10 principals and 10 executive heads, and simple random sampling to select 87 teachers. The study employed questionnaires for teachers, interviews for principals, and executive heads, focus group discussions for students, document analysis guide, and observation guide to gather data. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.83. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was subjected to thematic content analysis. Ethical considerations were observed. The study found that curriculum reforms influence students’ academic performance in international schools through improved teaching approaches, assessment strategies, and learner engagement. It concluded that successful curriculum implementation requires adequate teacher preparation, resources, and stakeholder support. The study recommends continuous teacher training, effective curriculum monitoring, and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that curriculum reforms enhance students’ academic outcomes in Nairobi City County.