- Title
- Leaners' perceptions of factors contributing to poor academic performance in rural high schools of the Fort Beaufort Education District
- Creator
- Tom, Lusu Lennox
- Subject
- Education, Higher
- Subject
- School management and organization
- Subject
- Teacher effectiveness
- Date
- 2013-01
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25272
- Identifier
- vital:64137
- Description
- This research investigates learners’ perceptions of factors which they believe contribute to their poor academic performance in high schools. The study focuses on four schools in Fort Beaufort district of the Eastern Cape. Twenty-four learners (6 from each school) participated in this study. Using a theoretical framework drawn from Bandura (1977) the study explored the views of learners in both under and high performing schools. One main research question was posed, answered and discussed for the purpose of the study. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus group discussions and document analyses. The findings of the study revealed a number of factors contributing to poor academic performance. These were learner factors, teacher factors, home factors and teaching resources. Regarding learner factors, the study revealed that while learners were committed and motivated to do their work in order to avoid low income jobs, this did not always happen as they found themselves getting distracted during class time and this affected their performance. The study revealed that some of the teachers lacked commitment, and were very unprofessional and incompetent. This, according to the learners, contributed to poor learner performance in the various subjects. Home factors also played a role in learner performance. The study revealed that home factors were seen to be enabling when parents were supportive and helpful to their children. At the same time, home factors tended to impede learning when learners were given household chores to do and this impinged on their study time. Some parents were also illiterate and as a result were not able to help their children with homework or supervise them while they were busy with their homework. The lack of teaching and learning resources such as textbooks, computers and laboratories as well as overcrowded classrooms also contributed to poor learner performance. This study makes the following recommendations: Teachers should be closely monitored by principals to ensure that they come to class regularly and are punctual so that learners do not lose time necessary to cover the content on their syllabus. Teachers should plan and prepare for lessons thoroughly. Lessons must cover a wide range of activities during their teaching to actively engage learners and prepare them adequately for their assessment tasks, including examinations. Teachers should be work-shopped regularly in order to capacitate them on the latest trends and pedagogies in education as well as rejuvenate their professionalism. It is important that teachers be active researchers in class in order to appraise themselves their learners’ needs and how they can, from the learners’ point of view, improve service delivery. From time to time teachers should work closely with parents to develop strategies they can jointly use to monitor and support children’s learning effectively.
- Description
- Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2013
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (137 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | Tom MSc thesis 19 April 2013.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |