EFFECT OF SCHOOL ASSOCIATED FACTORS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS IN THE TAMALE METROPOLIS

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of school-associated factors on the performance of junior high school pupils in the Tamale Metropolis. The study used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design along with pragmatism as the research philosophy. This study employed a multi-stage sampling process and 12 schools were selected using random sampling. The study sampled 12 headteachers, 859 final year pupils, and 36 final year teachers using simple random sampling and purposive sampling to make a total of 907 participants. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data from the focus group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that the overall pupils’ performance and teachers’ absenteeism rates were both low and the class sizes were larger across the schools sampled. Additionally, in this study the results of linear regression analysis indicated that teachers’ absenteeism rates explain 62% of the variations in students’ mean scores (F (1,10) = 16.669, R Square =.625, p< .002), implying that the teachers’ absenteeism rate is a significant negative predictor of pupils’ examination scores (β=-.791, t= -4.083, p<.002). Also, other results of linear regression in this study showed that class size explain 55% of the variations in students’ mean scores (F (1,10) = 12.631, R Square =.558, p< .005), signifying that the class size has a significantly negative effect on pupils’ examination scores (β=-.747, t= -3.554, p<.005). This study concludes that teachers’ absenteeism and class size have significantly negative effect on pupils’ examination scores. The study recommended that schools should implement strategies to reduce teachers’ absenteeism and large class sizes so as to improve academic performances of pupils. Key words: School Associated Factors, Junior High School, Performance, Pupil , Tamale Metropolitan