Causes of poor academic performance of students in the junior high schools in Ghana the case of Builsa South District

Abstract

The study investigated the causes of poor academic performance of students in the junior high schools in the Builsa South District. The specific objectives of the study were to find out the role school environmental factors play in students’ poor academic performance, ascertain the home conditions responsible for the poor academic performance of students, identify teacher factors that contribute to the poor academic performance of students and to identify students characteristics responsible for the poor academic outcome of students in the Junior High Schools in the Builsa South District. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Questionnaire was used for the study. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed for the study. The study revealed that the environmental factors contributing to students’ poor academic performance are teachers’ absence from classes, lack of proper supervision of students by school management, and inadequate material resources for teaching and learning. For the home, the factors are engaging students in economic activities (trading, farming etc.), poor economic background of students’ parents, and single parenthood/divorced. The teacher related factors are poor/inappropriate teaching methodologies, teacher lateness to school on regular basis, and teacher inability to complete scheme of work (syllabus). Finally, the students’ characteristics are poor revision management by students, truancy, and lack of self-motivation. It is recommended that regular sensitization meetings and community non-formal education classes should be organized within communities in the Builsa South to inform parents about the value of education to children, the community and the nation. This would be a way of encouraging them to be active in the Parent Associations as well as other activities in the schools.