The influence of school environment on students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Luwero District

Abstract

The study aimed at finding out the influence of school environment on students' academic performance in selected secondary schools in Luwero District. The need for the study arose from the fact that much as educators, policymakers and the general public have always wanted students’ academic outcomes to improve, the results in Luwero district show that some schools have continued to register poor performance in National Exams. It was therefore important that a study be conducted to establish the extent to which school environment affects students' academic performance. The research sought to determine whether school infrastructure, instructional materials and teacher quality influence students’ academic performance A cross sectional design was employed with a sample size of 302 senior four students who were randomly selected from eight secondary schools. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from students while an interview guide was used to gather qualitative data from teachers and head teachers. The study also employed an observation checklist. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of frequency counts and percentages; and inferential statistics using the t-test and ANOVA technique to test the null hypotheses. Ultimately, the results of the analysis led the researcher to conclude that the three independent variables significantly affect students' academic performance. On the basis of the research findings, it was recommended that for significant changes in students’ performance to be effective, schools should see to it that they put in place quality infrastructure. Secondly, if students are to perform well academically, schools need to be well equipped with adequate instructional materials. Lastly, in order to close the achievement gap among students, there is need to ensure that every student is taught by a well trained teacher.