FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS IN BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION RESULTS IN THE TAMALE METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY IN NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors responsible for the abysmal performance of basic education certificate examination results (B. E.C.E.C) in Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in Northern Region of Ghana with a view of recommending on how to improve pupils' performance. Parent's complaining bitterly about massive alarmingly deteriorating failure of their wards and the inability to get placement at the Senior High Schools. It's against this background that this study seeks to investigate the factors responsible for the poor performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination results within the Tamale Metropolis which can only be discerned with focused investigations. The study seeks to analyse pupils academic performance within four holistic thematic areas such as socio-economic factors, programme related factors, pedagogy of teaching and policy environment and their effect on pupil's academic performance. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample was selected through purposeful and random sampling technique. In all, 140 respondents participated in the study through questionnaires, interviews, and participant observation across the various educational management units across the Metropolis. Data analysis was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS 16.0 proramme. The study established a significant relationship between socio-economic variables, programme related variables and pedagogy of teaching as well as policy having a negatively affect on pupil's academic performance. The conclusions drawn from the study reveals poor parental upbringing, lack of enthusiasm to learn on the part of pupil, poor supervision from head teachers and District office, poor school infrastructure, lack of teaching and learning materials, large class size and lack of motivation and in-service training among other variables negatively affects pupils performance, In view of the findings, the study recommended regular workshops and seminars and other professional training and academic development programmes to enhance head teachers as well as teacher's professional qualifications for sustained influence on pupil's performance and to keep them abreast. Why there exists gender difference in pupil's academic performance