An assessment of administrative challenges affecting student academic performance in selected community secondary schools: a case of Dodoma Municipality- Tanzania
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Date
2017-07-28
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St John's University of Tanzania
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess administrative challenges affecting students’ academic performance. The study was conducted in Dodoma Municipality and focused on selected community secondary schools. The objectives of the study were to determine administrative activities influencing students’ academic performance, identifying administrative challenges which affect students’ academic performance, and strategies or measures employed to overcome administrative challenges for the purpose of improving students’ academic performance .The research design for this study was descriptive survey. Qualitative approach was used. The sample of 73 respondents was selected using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentary review methods of data collection were used. Data were analysed using thematic technique of analysing the qualitative data. Descriptive statistics for data analysis was used to obtain frequency and percentages
The findings obtained revealed that, majority (100%) of the heads of school reported that the major administrative activities which influence students’ academic performance were; instructional supervision of teaching and learning progress and maintaining the availability and adequacy of teaching and learning materials. While 64% of teachers confirmed that instructional supervision of teaching and learning progress is one of the administrative activities influencing students’ academic performance.
Further, the findings indicate that shortage of school finances provided constitutes among major administrative challenges this view is supported by 58% of teachers. While 100% of students indicated that the shortage of science teachers and laboratory equipment to be among the constraints to their academic performance. On other hand 100% of HoS confirmed that school administration face with inadequate funding, inadequate recruitment of science teachers, and inadequate teaching and learning materials especially laboratory equipment.
The study recommended that non-governmental organizations and all well-wishers should be encouraged by government to offer more support to the education sector that so as to overcome financial shortages that result in inadequate facilities. It was suggested that a study should be done on students’ challenges affecting academic performance so as to compare the results with what is observed in the current study.