The effect of poor reading comprehension on the academic performance of students of Koforidua Presbyterian Junior High School One in the New Juaben Municipality (Eastern Region)

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which poor reading comprehension affects academic performance of Koforidua Presbyterian Junior High School in the New Juaben District (Eastern Region), Ghana. The study‘s objective was to establish the comprehension errors made by students, the effects of poor reading comprehension on students‘ academic performances for the various subjects in the school and the strategies put in place to address poor reading comprehension. The research approach is qualitative. The target population for the study was the pupils of Koforidua Presbyterian Junior High School in the New Juaben south Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique. A simple passage was given to the students to read and answer the comprehension questions that followed. All students (N = 22) that scored less than three out of five in the comprehension exercise, being 9 boys and 13 girls were selected. The end of first term exams scores for these students were investigated to know the impact of their reading comprehension on their academic performances. Based on the responses given by pupils and teachers it was found out that the students had difficulty in their English reading comprehension and it affected their general academic performances. The impact of poor reading comprehension on the academic performance of students in Koforidua Presbyterian Junior High School One in English language was higher in female students than in male students