Determinants and predictive model of student retention in Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools in Kenya

Résumé

Student retention remains a critical challenge in faith-based secondary schools despite the integration of academic and spiritual formation programs. This study examined the determinants and predictive model of student retention in Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools in Kenya. Specifically, it assessed the influence of school administration, religious commitment, motivational strategies, and financial assistance on students’ intention to remain in school and developed a predictive model of retention. A descriptive and correlational research design was adopted. Data were collected from 335 students using structured questionnaires. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed to determine relationships and predictive power of the independent variables. Findings from the correlation analysis revealed that all predictors had positive and statistically significant relationships with students’ intention to remain in school: school administration (r = 0.630, p < 0.01), religious commitment (r = 0.460, p < 0.01), motivational strategies (r = 0.390, p < 0.01), and financial assistance (r = 0.243, p < 0.01). Regression results indicated that school administration and religious commitment were the strongest predictors of student retention, jointly explaining 42.2% of the variance in intention to remain (R² = 0.422, Adjusted R² = 0.419). The final predictive model showed that improvements in school administration and religious commitment significantly increase students’ intention to remain in school. The study concludes that institutional leadership and spiritual environment are the most influential determinants of student retention in SDA secondary schools in Kenya. It recommends strengthening participatory school governance, improving student-centered administrative practices, and enhancing structured spiritual engagement programs to improve retention outcomes.