Factors Influencing Academic Performance of Ward Secondary Schools

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.