Investigating into the causes of students poor performance in comprehension at senior high school, the case study of Azeem Namoa senior high school

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the causes of students’ poor performance in comprehension at senior high school. Azeem Namoa Senior High School was used as a case study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population was students and teachers of the school. A sample of 102 students and 4 teachers of English were purposely selected for the study. Questionnaires were used in data collection. The findings of the study reveal that mother tongue interference; communication in Pidgin English; social media influence; limited teaching and learning materials; misconceptions about English Language Comprehension; and teaching and learning based on traditional content and knowledge were the major causes for students’ poor performance in English Comprehension. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that special attention should be given to the teaching of vocabulary building as the study revealed that teachers pay less attention to that; the headmaster in collaboration with the head of the department and the English teachers should find ways of motivating students to love reading; the government should provide the school with instructional aids; the headmaster in collaboration with the PTA should build a language laboratory for the school; the curriculum must be relevant and flexible to the needs of the students in rural areas; and finally, teachers must always discourage the use of the mother tongue on school campuses, especially in secondary boarding schools.