Abstract:
The main objective of this study was to examine factors affecting academic performance of
ward secondary schools in Moshi District and Moshi Municipality. Four ward secondary
schools were visited. The focus was on establishing links between education providers,
facilitators, and learning environment which included all facilities and infrastructure,
availability of materials and performance of ward secondary schools at district level.
Interviews were conducted to 100 students, four heads of schools, eight teachers, four ward
education officers and two municipal/district education officers. Surveying, elite interviews
and document review techniques were used to collect data. Data was analyzed both
qualitatively and quantitatively.
The study demonstrates that there was no impressive performance among ward secondary
schools. The associated challenges include the few numbers of teachers per subject taught
where most of the secondary schools have limited number of teachers in relation to a number of
students; poor teaching environment and fewer learning materials compared to the number of
students are among factors constraining academic performance. Other constrains include fewer
and under-qualified teachers, lack of competent libraries including lack of staff, few alterative
readings and few books, unavailability of or underfunded laboratories, weak communication
between teachers and parents, unfriendly relations between students and some of their teachers
and poor attendance of students in classes.
The study recommends funding of a more encompassing research that will involve more schools so that firm research generalization that will be basis for better understanding of factors
and characteristics behind the poor academic performance among most ward secondary schools
in Tanzania. If a bright future is to be realized, a sustainable programme has to be developed
taking on board the government and participation of communities where wards secondary
schools are built.
