Factors influencing academic performance of Social Studies students in selected senior high schools in the Wa Municipality

Abstract

The focus of this study was on cross sectional stakeholder (students, parents & teachers’) perception on some determinants of students’ poor performance in Social studies. The design of this study was descriptive case study research design aimed at eliciting information from the respondents on factors that determine students’ poor performance in the selected secondary schools and the population of the study comprised 10 selected secondary school teachers who teach Social studies in Wa municipal education zone. Two hundred students, 10 parents and 2 GES officials also formed part of the study population. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire and data were analyzed using mean frequencies and charts for all research questions. The findings of the study revealed that school/government related factors, teachers’ related factors and students’ factors are some determinants of students’ performance in Social studies. The researcher recommended based on the findings that only competent and qualified Social studies teachers should be employ to teach the subject in secondary schools