Role of Teachers Recruitment Process on Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Rwanda: A Case of Nyamasheke district, Rwanda

Abstract

This research focused on evaluating the impact of teachers' hiring strategies on the academic achievement of students in government secondary schools in Rwanda, specifically in Nyamasheke District. This study was based on human capital theory and theory of teachers' quality. The researcher intended to employ a descriptive research design and correlational research design for data collection. The total number of participants was 180 teachers, 20 education officials and 30 head teachers. These participants were drawn from 30 selected schools across 15 sectors within Nyamasheke District, Rwanda. The sample size was 146 participants calculated by using Yamane formuala. Teachers was selected randomly while headteachers and education officials was selected purposively based on their relevant experiences, in line with the study's objectives. A substantial percentage of respondents (43.9%) strongly agreed that a strong link exists between the teacher recruitment process and students' academic performance, with an additional 38.6% agreeing. This indicates that over 80% of participants believe recruitment directly influences academic success. However, a minority (7.9% strongly disagreeing and 7.0% disagreeing) expressed skepticism about this relationship. Moreover, 64.9% of respondents strongly agreed that recruiting qualified teachers positively impacts student behavior, while 25.4% also agreed. This suggests that nearly 90% of participants see a connection between qualified teachers and improved student conduct. When it comes to collaboration among teachers, 46.5% strongly agreed and 38.6% agreed that the recruitment process influences teamwork, although some (7.0% disagreed and 5.3% strongly disagreed) did not perceive a strong link. Additionally, 62.3% of respondents agreed that merit-based recruitment enhances academic outcomes, with 15.8% strongly agreeing. However, 14.0% of respondents strongly disagreed, indicating a divergence of opinion on the effectiveness of this approach. The Pearson correlation coefficient calculated for these variables is 0.919, indicating a very strong positive correlation. This suggests that enhancements in the recruitment process are strongly associated with improved student academic outcomes. The coefficient value of 0.919, which is close to1, implies a near-perfect positive correlation.