Class Attendance Frequency and Timely Program Completion in Public TVET Institutions: The Moderating Role of Institutional Structural Factors in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya

Background/Purpose: Delayed program completion under Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) frameworks remains a major challenge within Kenya's vocational training sector, threatening public investments and skilled workforce supply. This study examined the influence of class attendance frequency on program completion within the standard duration and evaluated whether institutional structural factors moderate this relationship among trainees in public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.
Methodology: Rooted in a post-positivist philosophy, the study adopted a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design alongside concurrent document analysis. The target population comprised 1,770 trainees across three public TVET institutions (Kitale National Polytechnic, Kiminini Technical and Vocational College, and Endebess Technical Training Institute). A sample of 326 trainees was selected using stratified random sampling. Primary data were gathered via structured 5-point Likert-scale questionnaires, while institutional documents were systematically reviewed using a standardized checklist. Data analysis was executed via descriptive statistics and Hierarchical Binary Logistic Regression analysis to test direct and interaction pathways.
Findings: Descriptive analysis showed that while class attendance frequency was generally high, 25.5% of trainees still faced delayed program completion. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that class attendance frequency alone was not a statistically significant direct predictor of timely completion after controlling for trainee baseline characteristics (β = -0.158$, p = 0.654). However, institutional structural factors exerted a significant positive direct effect β = 0.842, p = 0.028) and a highly significant positive moderating interaction effect on the relationship (β = 1.241$, p = 0.017). This establishes a structural threshold effect, demonstrating that regular attendance only yields timely graduation when supported by functional institutional systems. Differential effects were observed across program tiers, with certificate levels and sub-county colleges displaying higher vulnerability to administrative lags.
Conclusion/Policy Implications: The study concludes that improving trainee attendance is a necessary but insufficient condition for timely program completion unless it is matched by robust institutional capacity. TVET administrators and policymakers should prioritize systemic structural interventions. These include enhancing CBET infrastructure, streamlining external competency assessment scheduling, reducing administrative bottlenecks, and optimizing resource coordination to ensure student engagement effectively translates into timely program completion.

Class Attendance Frequency, Institutional Structural Factors

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