Truancy and academic performance of Junior High School pupils in Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa district

Abstract

The resarch was conducted in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District of the Central Region of Ghana. It investigated how truancy relates to academic performance of truant junior high school pupils. A descriptive survey design using mixed-methods sequential explanatory approach was employed for this study. Simple random and purposive sampling methods were used to select 114 study participants comprising 108 truant pupils and 6 teachers for the study. Questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.73) and semistructured interview guide were the main research instruments used to collect data. The quantitative data were analysed and presented in tables as frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analysed thematically. Inferential statistics was computed using chi-square (χ2) and independent samples t-test via Statistical Product for Services Solution (SPSS) software at a significance level of p ≤ 0.05 using a confidence interval (C.I) of 95%. The study revealed that truancy is prevalent among public junior high school pupils in the district Truancy has significantly contributed to poor academic performance, poor retention, repetition and dropout among the pupils. There is significant age and gender difference in the prevalence of truancy among the pupils. It was recommended that parents should satisfactorily provide for the basic needs of their wards. Parents/guardians and teachers should use corrective rather than punitive measures to curb truancy. Also, school counsellors should frequently counsel truant pupils.