Factors that led to Schools having different pass rates at Grade Seven Public Examinations level in Makoni District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study sought to investigate factors that led to different trends in pass rates in Grade Seven National Examinations in Primary Schools in Makoni District during the period 2015 to 2019. The investigation employed mixed methods research design. The target population of the study comprised all school heads and Grade Seven teachers in Primary Schools in the District. The study was conducted in twenty primary schools randomly-selected from 182 primary schools in the district. A stratified random sampling strategy was used to select participants for the study. Twenty Grade Seven teachers and twenty School Heads were randomly-selected from their respective strata to participate in the study, bringing the total sample size to forty respondents. A structured questionnaire, and Focus Group Discussions were used for data-collection. The study findings revealed that the general Grade Seven Public Examination pass rates in Primary Schools in the District ranged from: low; high, and mixed. The factors that led to schools having different pass rates for the period 2015 to 2019 included the following factors: (1) Availability of text books and reading resources/library facilities; (2) Teacher's level of commitment to duty; (3) Regular and frequent administering of revision tests to learners; and (4) Teachers' length of experience. The study recommends that: (1) Government increases the non-remuneration component of the National Budget for school development, teaching and learning resources; and (2) School Development Committees establish a textbook levy to be paid by each learner, and approved by the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education.