School Academic Performance Research Articles

The Relationship Between Head Teachers’ School Rules’ Implementation and Student Academic Performance In Secondary Schools

This study examined the relationship between head teachers' enforcement of school rules and students' academic achievement in private secondary schools. The school rules and academic performance are interrelated and key to the realization of good performance. The goal of this study was to ascertain how the application of school rules and regulations by head teachers and students’ academic achievement are related to one another in secondary schools in Mogadishu, Benadir region. The theories X and Y put out by Douglas McGregor were the focus of this study. The intended populations consists of 2040 students from eight secondary schools, 68 instructors who serve on disciplinary committees, and 34 head teachers. Thus, there were 2142 target populations in total. 307 respondents made up the sample, and they were distributed as follows: 8 head teachers, 8 teachers who serve on disciplinary committees, and 291 fourth-grade pupils from the 8 chosen schools are included. The validity of the content was assessed using professional judgment. The test-retest approach was used to determine the instrument reliability. By using professional judgment, the validity of the questionnaire was guaranteed. The information was gathered through questionnaires and interview schedules. The descriptive statistics used specifically for quantitative data analysis using SPSS were frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Frequency tables, bar graphs, and charts were used to display the study's findings. Themes derived from the objectives were used to analyze the qualitative data and were then presented through narrations. The study discovered that the application of school regulations had a favorable and considerable impact on students' academic performance in Mogadishu. The results of this study may help stakeholders and those in charge of policy at the education ministry understand how head teachers might improve students' academic performance by implementing school rules. In conclusion, the head teachers’ school rules implementation had a reasonable affirmative relationship and account for variance in academic performance in secondary schools. It showed that academic performance increases among students with an increase in the level of school rules implementation by the head teacher. For Private Organizations managers, to function most effectively, the study recommends that leaders need to avail themselves for training on how best to manage student discipline in schools in the course of school rules implementation.

The Absent Family and the Education among Contemporary Tibetan Students

The deficiency of educational resources is typically held as one of the major impediments to the educational development of Tibetans in China. Even though the Chinese state has committed to supportive policies and providing resources to the region, the academic performance of Tibetan students remains low. The current study examines how students’ family life affects their academic performance in schools. Based on the fieldwork in two Tibetan-serving boarding schools in Northwest China, we found that family absence and family education have a profound impact on Tibetan children’s academic learning. Drawing on the sociology of education literature, we analyzed the tri-factors of family socioeconomic status (SES), family structure, and values. Our analysis revealed that even with an increased level of resource input, family factors contributed to Tibetan students’ disappointing academic achievement. Our analysis suggested that well-intended educational policies cannot entirely substitute for the disadvantages caused by an absent family.

Investigating the Student in Returning to Learn After Concussion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Examine concussion effects on academic outcomes, including student perspectives. This study included a systematic review and meta-analysis examining post-concussion school attendance, academic performance, perceptions of academic difficulty, and accommodations for students in elementary through college settings. The analysis considered pre- and post-injury factors, along with injury factors that contribute to post-concussion academic outcomes. The systematic review showed that students with concussion miss more school days and perceive higher levels of academic difficulty, but results about academic performance varied. Meta-analysis yielded small concussion effects on school absence and academic performance and moderate effects on perceptions of academic difficulty. Female sex, older age, history of migraine, prior concussions, severe or persistent symptoms, vestibular-ocular motor, and cognitive disruptions are risk factors, but these moderators were not identified in the meta-analysis due to lack of effect sizes. This study confirmed negative concussion effects on academic absences, performance, and perceptions of academic difficulty. Identified contributing factors will guide future practices to support students returning to learn after concussion. Negative impacts to academics from concussion may be amplified by complicating factors. Future investigations are needed to confirm risk factors and mitigating effects of early identification and post-injury supports.

Sports Participation and Academic Performance in Primary School: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chinese Children.

All study participants were asked to self-report their sociodemographic factors (e.g., sex, grade, age), independence, and outcomes. Alongside that, a self-reported questionnaire was used to assess participation in sports and academic performance of three core subjects in China's schooling system (Chinese; math; English; from A to F, with A indicating the best academic performance). An ordered logistic regression, with an odds ratio (OR) at 95%CI confidence interval, was performed to examine the association between sports team participation and academic performance. The final analysis included 27,954 children aged 10-14. Children in the fifth and sixth grades accounted for 50.2% and 49.8%. Chinese, math, and English academic performance were positively correlated with participation in sports. Compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades. In terms of math, compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades. Regarding English, compared with students who never participate in sports, those students who participate in sports 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week, were more likely to achieve better grades. Consistent with previous studies, the current study confirms the positive effect of sports participation on children's academic performance. For an academic-related outreach, gender-, grade- and area-specific strategies should be considered in future research.

Are children’s relationships with pet dogs uniquely related to children’s social and emotional competence and adjustment?

Abstract Companion animals, including pet dogs, can be sources of support and potentially contribute to children’s competence and adjustment. The goal of this paper is to examine whether children’s pet dog relationships are related to their competence and adjustment after accounting for relationships with parents and friends and demographic factors. We distinguished three qualities of child-pet dog relationships – positive pet relationship qualities, friction, and pets as substitutes for people – and examined them in relation to children’s thriving, school academic performance, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The sample included 115 children (M age = 10.93, 57 girls and 58 boys) who completed questionnaires about the quality of their relationship with a pet dog, the positive and negative qualities of a best friendship, and the security of attachments to parents. To measure child competence, children reported their thriving and parents reported children’s school academic performance. To measure adjustment, parents and teachers reported child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Positive pet relationship qualities were related to a higher competence. Friction and pets as substitutes were related to lower competence and adjustment, although some findings varied by the reporter or after controlling for other factors. Pet relationship quality uniquely contributed to some child outcomes, although moderation analyses did not provide any evidence that pet dog relationships compensate for low-quality friendships or insecure parental attachments. Collectively, the findings suggest that relationships with pets may augment but not override the impact of relationships with parents and friends.

School start time delays and high school educational outcomes: Evidence from the START/LEARN study.

Delaying high school start times extends adolescents' nightly sleep, but it is less clear how it affects educational outcomes. We expect links between school start time delays and academic performance because getting enough sleep is a key input to the cognitive, health, and behavioral factors necessary for educational success. Thus, we evaluated how educational outcomes changed in the 2 years following a school start time delay. We analyzed 2153 adolescents (51% male, 49% female; mean age 15 at baseline) from START/LEARN, a cohort study of high school students in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, USA metropolitan area. Adolescents experienced either a school start time delay ("policy change schools") or consistently early school start times ("comparison schools"). We compared patterns of late arrivals, absences, behavior referrals, and grade point average (GPA) 1 year before (baseline, 2015-2016) and 2 years after (follow-up 1, 2016-2017 and follow-up 2, 2017-2018) the policy change using a difference-in-differences analysis. A school start time delay of 50-65 min led to three fewer late arrivals, one fewer absence, a 14% lower probability of behavior referral, and 0.07-0.17 higher GPA in policy change schools versus comparison schools. Effects were larger in the 2nd year of follow-up than in the 1st year of follow-up, and differences in absences and GPA emerged in the second year of follow-up only. Delaying high school start times is a promising policy intervention not only for improving sleep and health but for improving adolescents' performance in school.

Parental Rejection and Adolescents' Learning Ability: A Multiple Mediating Effects of Values and Self-Esteem.

Today's society has been paying increasing attention to the important impact of family parenting practices on the development of adolescents. Adolescents with poor parenting practices may have poor academic performance in school, have low self-evaluation, and are more likely to be captured by video games and short videos. The present research explored the mediating role of fashion values and self-esteem in the relationship between a negative parenting style and adolescent learning ability. We aimed to deepen our understanding of the relationship between family parenting and adolescent value identity, as well as between individual self-esteem and school adaptation. We based our research on a total of 997 students in Shanghai from grades 6, 8 and 10. Furthermore, we made use of parenting behaviour, Chinese adolescent values, and of the revised Chinese version of the class drama questionnaires and of the Children's self-awareness scale. The chain mediation model was used to analyse the mediating effect of fashion values and self-esteem on parental rejection and peer evaluation learning ability. The results showed that fashion values played a partial mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, and that parental rejection positively predicted fashion values, and fashion values negatively predicted learning ability. Self-esteem played a partial mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, while parental rejection negatively predicted self-esteem and self-esteem positively predicted learning ability. Fashion values and self-esteem played a chain mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, as parental rejection negatively predicted fashion values, fashion values positively predicted self-esteem, and self-esteem positively predicted learning ability. In conclusion, a negative parenting style influenced the development of adolescent value recognition and self-esteem, and affected the development of adolescent learning ability. That said, we should encourage families to adopt a positive parenting style and adolescent quality education to positively impact adolescent development.

EFFECTS OF SCHOOL DISTANCE ON GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND INFLUENCE ON GENDER INEQUALITY IN SECONDARY EDUCATION: CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PANGANI AND HANDENI DISTRICTS, TANZANIA

Gender equality in education has been an issue of interest in developing strategies for many countries across the world whereas gender issues have been integrated into the world development agendas. Despite efforts made to achieve gender equality in education, few countries worldwide have attained full gender parity in secondary education. Tanzania like other SSA countries has worked hard to achieve gender equality in education as given by EFA goal number 5, MDG goal number 3 and currently SDG goal number 5. However, the problem of girls dropping out early from school and poor academic performance continues to be prevalent (URT, 2016). Long school distance is pointed out as one of the factors influencing gender inequality in secondary education. This study, therefore, examined the effects of school distance on girls’ education and its influence on gender inequality in secondary education. The study was guided by three specific objectives, which were carried out through Cross-Sectional - Convergent Parallel Mixed methods research design to allow simultaneous collection and merging of quantitative and qualitative data. The sample was obtained by using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques making a total of 101 sample sizes, comprising 79 respondents for quantitative data and 22 for qualitative information. Data analysis involved thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative findings. Study findings revealed that girls are more vulnerable to the problem of long school distances than boys because of biological formation and socially constructed beliefs about gender roles. The study findings noted that school distance encourages the prevalence of sexual harassment, early sexual relations and teenage pregnancy among school girls all of which lead to poor academic performance and or school dropout. Additionally, this study indicated that school distance coupled with the burden of domestic chores negatively affects girls’ school attendance, classroom learning and academic performance. This study, therefore, concludes that long school distance is one among main factors that affect girls’ education and contribute to the persistence of gender disparities in secondary education. To resolve the problem, this study recommends on the introduction of education PPPs so as to merge efforts among education stakeholders in building school hostels in every community secondary school in the country and fully furnish them with the required facilities.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0098/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition.

Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition.

Poor School Academic Performance and Benign Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes

Poor academic performance of students with epilepsy seems to be a multifactorial problem related to difficulties in reading, writing, math, and logic skills. Poor school and academic performances refer to learning problems in a specific academic area due to learning disorders and learning difficulties not excluding the ability to learn in a different manner during school and academic life. Sometimes, school, academic difficulties, and Rolandic epilepsy can coexist together, and there may be comorbidities. Consequently, the risk of impaired academic performance in people with epilepsy is high. This review analyzed the relationship between Benign Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (BECTS) and poor school and academic performance (PSAP) in children and adolescents (aged 6 to 19), and in adults (aged 20 to no age limit). The PRISMA guideline was used to guide our review strategy. This research shows that Benign Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (BECTS) and poor school and academic performances are strongly correlated. An early onset age, as well as a long persistence of seizures, correlate more closely with PSAP. On the other hand, it appears that good pharmacological control of seizures and remission from the acute phase of the pathology support better school performance. This review highlights how neuropsychological aspects are also involved in patients with BECTS and PSAP, both in the greater predisposition to the establishment of other neuropsychiatric conditions and in the possibility that stigma conditions and poor academic results may have repercussions on the adaptation and functioning of these subjects. Global management of the subject with BECTS and PSAP is essential, which also pays attention to the aspects of social and scholastic inclusion, both to achieve age-appropriate educational and behavioral objectives, to give the necessary tools for the growth of the individual, and to allow a serene transition to adulthood, favoring autonomous learning and better outcomes.

Mindfulness-based programs and school adjustment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly used in educational institutions to enhance students' mental health and resilience. However, reviews of the literature suggest this use may have outpaced the evidence base and further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these programs' effectiveness and which outcomes are being affected. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the strength of MBPs' effects on school adjustment and mindfulness outcomes while also considering the potential influence of study and program characteristics, including the role of comparison groups, students' educational level, the type of program being used, and the facilitator's training and previous mindfulness experience. Following a systematic review of five databases, 46 studies using a randomized controlled design with students from preschool to undergraduate levels were selected. At post-program, the effect of MBPs compared to control groups was (a) small for overall school adjustment outcomes, academic performance, and impulsivity; (b) small to moderate for attention; and (c) moderate for mindfulness. No differences emerged for interpersonal skills, school functioning, or student behaviour. The effects of MBPs on overall school adjustment and mindfulness differed based on students' educational level and the type of program being delivered. Moreover, only MBPs delivered by outside facilitators with previous experience of mindfulness had significant effects on either school adjustment or mindfulness. This meta-analysis provides promising evidence of the effectiveness of MBPs in educational contexts to improve students' school adjustment outcomes beyond typically assessed psychological benefits, even when using randomized controlled designs.

School climate, academic performance, and adolescent well-being in Korea: The roles of competition and cooperation

School climate, academic performance, and adolescent well-being in Korea: The roles of competition and cooperation

Which Types of Amotivation Affect School Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Middle School Students? A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

This study investigated the mediation role of school absenteeism in the relationships between different types of amotivation and academic performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the hypotheses of study. Participants were 311 eighth-grade middle school students who were absent from school for at least three days during the 2018–2019 spring semester. Data were collected from Academic Amotivation Inventory, which comprises four different types of amotivation. The significance of the indirect effects of amotivation types on academic performance was tested by using the bootstrapping method. Results demonstrated that each of four amotivation types were robust predictors of absenteeism. SEM analysis results showed that types of amotivation, including ability beliefs, effort beliefs, and value placed on task directly predicted students’ academic performance. Bootstrap analysis revealed that each of those types had an indirect effect on academic performance via the partial mediation of absenteeism. However, task characteristics did not directly predict academic performance, and this relationship was mediated fully through absenteeism. Absenteeism acted as a mediator between amotivation types and academic performance. Findings provided preliminary evidence of negative effects of different types of amotivation that, when combined with absenteeism rates, may lead to high risk for students’ academic performance.

Person Ability: The MBTI Personality Types and its Relationship with the Academic Performance of Grade 12 Students in Dr. Yanga’s Colleges, Inc.

Online personality tests have emerged due to evolving technological advances, with their popularity mainly rooted due to their ease of use and quick results. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, one of the most popular, has become the new approach to assessing personality. The user will be categorized as one of the 16 personalities described in this test, each with their own set of strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. On the other hand, academic performance is the degree of knowledge of a student and is impacted by various circumstances. Several studies have investigated the relationship between personality types and academic-related events. This became the catalyst for why the researchers aim to achieve a correlative study, utilizing the currently popular MBTI in particular. The researchers seek to determine if this test can be used for anything more than psychological feedback. Notably, the researchers’ objectives not only define the concepts of various personalities present on the test and academic performance but also determine whether there is a connection between these personality types and the student’s academic performance. To conclude, the researchers employed both physical and online surveys. These comprised the adopted 16-personality type questionnaire by Crystal Knows to determine their personality type and a form that sought the first semester grades of core and applied subjects of 294 grade 12 students, the calculated number of participants needed for the study. Following a thorough data collection procedure, the researchers arrived at the following conclusions: 1) There are a variety of MBTI types present among grade 12 students, but they can be classified into four (4) groups: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers. 2) The student’s academic performance in school falls into three (3) categories: Category A (90-100), Category A (90-100), Category B (85-89), and Category C (75-84). 3) There are academic groups that excelled, particularly the Analysts and Diplomats group. Lastly, 4) No substantial correlation exists between personality types and students’ academic performance. The study’s implications can help young individuals expand their knowledge through personality tests.

Racial and Economic Stratification on Campus: The Relationship between Luxury Residence Halls, Race, and Academic Outcomes

Racial and Economic Stratification on Campus:The Relationship between Luxury Residence Halls, Race, and Academic Outcomes Joshua Travis Brown (bio), Fred Volk (bio), and Joseph M. Kush (bio) Residence hall design has remained an important topic for higher education professionals, but recently it has garnered attention from audiences beyond the postsecondary sector, including policymakers, donors, and media. In the competitive realm of enrollment management, luxury residence hall designs that emphasize high-end amenities and private rooms are vital in attracting certain prospective students (McClure, 2019). The design of luxury residence halls has created tension between the ideals of equitable educational experiences and increased competition to attract enrollment, as such facilities are often priced beyond the financial reach of students whose presence is essential to creating a diverse educational experience for all students. Rather than creating a more diverse environment, residence hall design has been shown to promote racial and economic stratification in living spaces (Foste, 2021). One form of racialized pattern in student housing is homophily, which is the grouping of students by race or class that permits (or limits) opportunities to interact with persons "like me" (McPherson et al., 2001). Yet, interacting with others of a similar race and economic background has been shown to result in better academic outcomes (Brown et al., 2019). Some researchers found residence hall design played no role in college experiences (Bronkema & Bowman, 2017), while others found isolating designs to be less conducive to flourishing and associated with poorer academic outcomes for Black students when examining Black/White differences (Brown et al., 2019). As university leaders face pressures to increase enrollment, some have allocated millions of dollars to attracting students using a new type of luxury residence hall design—hybrid luxury—that combines high-end amenities and high socialization design (Cramer, 2021; Eligon, 2013). While hybrid luxury halls emphasize added amenities such as coffee lounges, co-working spaces, and exclusive resident-only fitness studios, they also incorporate certain design elements to strategically increase patterns of student socialization. What remains unknown is (a) how emerging hybrid luxury designs may be associated with academic outcomes and (b) whether student academic outcomes differed in other forms of residence hall designs conditioned on race and homophily [End Page 108] opportunity. The focus of this work takes up these two questions. METHOD Data used in this study were drawn from archival records of a large, predominantly white institution in the Eastern US. We restricted the sample to first-semester undergraduate students and further eliminated NCAA athlete students, international students, or persons 21 years of age or older. This resulted in a sample size retrieved over seven years of 17,640 incoming first-year students. See Table 1 for demographic details of the full sample. First-semester GPA was the outcome measure for analyses, while covariates included high school GPA (a predictor of first-semester GPA) and estimated family contribution (EFC; a measure of household ability to contribute to college costs calculated from the FAFSA). Three distinct residence hall architectures were examined (i.e., traditional corridor, suite, and hybrid luxury) with a differentiated price range of $3,400 between the least and most expensive designs. Four racial/ethnic categories were included in the study (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian American) and used to calculate homophily opportunity for each residence hall based on the percentage of residents with racial similarities. For example, if a student indicated their race was Black, their calculated homophily opportunity was equivalent to the percentage of Black students in their residence hall. We used OLS regression to assess two basic models with first-semester academic performance as the outcome. Based on prior research, we included race, residence hall design, and homophily opportunity as our focal predictors (Brown et al., 2019). The two-model approach permits an incremental examination of complex social factors where each model includes controls for high school academic performance and economic status. The first model included two residence hall designs and controlled for economic status to examine fundamental gaps in the literature. The second model considers three categories of residence hall design to examine how hybrid luxury designs may be associated with academic outcomes and whether academic outcomes differed in other forms...

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten? Evidence from the Philippines

Although there is broad agreement that investments in early childhood education are important, questions about the relative effectiveness of different types of programs persist. We study the effects of two distinct types of kindergarten programs in the Philippines: the Jumpstart kindergarten program, implemented by a local faith-based NGO between 2005 and 2017, and a government-sponsored kindergarten program mandated nationwide beginning in 2012. Exploiting the timing of the rollout of these two programs relative to the age different children within a household could enter kindergarten, we find large effects on primary school academic performance due to attending Jumpstart and smaller effects due to attending the government kindergarten. We then examine mediating characteristics that may explain these differential effects. We find that socioemotional skills such as self-control, openness, and conscientiousness partially mediate our primary results. These findings support other research that highlights the importance of developing socioemotional skills in the pre-elementary grade levels, not only as ends in themselves but also as mediators to better academic performance.

Exploring College Academic Performance of K to12 IT and Non-IT-related Strands to Reduce Academic Deficiencies

Improving students' academic performance is a significant concern among academics. Despite various strategies to improve academic performance, there are still a significant number of students who fail academically. This study sought to investigate the possible reasons for the academic deficiencies among Infotech Development Systems Colleges, Inc. Information Technology (IT) students in the IT and Non-IT-related strands, if their strand is significant to their academic performance in college, as well as formulate a solution based on the identified reasons and recommendations to reduce the negative academic remarks. The researchers employed survey questionnaires and interviews to conduct exploratory data analysis. Similarly, the Senior High School academic performance and actual grades of the respondents from AY 2018-2019 to First Semester of AY 2021-2022. On the tested hypothesis showed statistical significance (p < 0.05) on IT-related strand. The study further reveals that the Non-IT-related strand has more students with academic deficiencies compared to IT-related strand and highlights a variety of reasons cited. Respondents cited misalignment of strand to current program, instructor not speaking clearly, unreliable internet connection, and failure to complete and submit an academic task as reasons for academic deficiencies. The researchers designed a model that can potentially eliminate academic inadequacies. The model takes into account both internal and external factors; for internal variable it includes effective time management, a positive attitude and mindset, prompt and punctual completion of requirements, and good study habits. While for the external factors, competent and student-friendly instructors, a stable, strong, and accessible internet connection, a conducive learning environment, relevant available resources and facilities, adaptation of limited face-to-face or hybrid classes, and alignment of SHS strand to college program of choice are recommended.

Sport Participation for Academic Success: Evidence From the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

We aimed to identify long-term patterns of sport participation (overall, team, and individual sport) from childhood into adolescence, and to examine the association between these patterns and academic outcomes. This cohort study used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children in wave 3 (4-5y) to wave 9 (20-21y). The participants were a nationally representative sample of 4241 children. We conducted latent class analyses to identify sport participation trajectories and assessed the association between these trajectories and academic outcomes. Continued sport participation was associated with lower odds of being absent from school (OR = 0.44; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.26 to 0.74), better performance on attention (B = -0.010; 95% CIs, -0.019 to -0.002) and working memory (B = -0.013; 95% CIs, -0.023 to -0.003), higher numeracy (B = 20.21; 95% CIs, 14.56 to 25.86) and literacy scores (B = 9.42; 95% CIs, 2.82 to 16.02), higher end of school academic performance (B = 3.28; 95% CIs, 1.47 to 5.09), and higher odds of studying at university (OR = 1.78; 95% CIs, 1.32 to 2.40). Team sport participation was associated with reduced absenteeism, better performance on attention and working memory, and being awarded the Higher School Certificate. Whereas individual sport participation was associated with higher literacy scores and end of school academic performance. Team and individual sport participation both benefit academic outcomes, but differently. Given the decline in sport participation during adolescence, these findings highlight the need to develop educational policies to establish an environment that promotes sport participation, which in turn could improve academic outcomes.

Speech Communication Skills Perspective of Students: Basis for School Academic Performance

Speech Communication Skills Perspective of Students: Basis for School Academic Performance

Influence of National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme on primary school pupils attendance and academic performance in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

This study examined influence of National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme on primary school pupils’ attendance and academic performance in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Two specific objectives with corresponding research questions and hypotheses were raised and formulated respectively to guide the study. The study adopted survey research design and was carried out in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The population of this study is 1870 teachers from 79 public primary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The sample size for this study is 330 teachers. A structured questionnaire titled “National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme and Pupils Attendance and Performance in Public Primary Schools Questionnaire" was developed and used for the study. Cronbach Alpha Statistic was used to obtain an overall reliability coefficient of 0.89 for the instrument. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the two research questions. Chi-square statistics was used to test the two null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. From analysis of data, the following major findings were made: provision of meals to pupils improve their daily regular attendance, improves enrolment in primary schools, enhances their punctuality, and also improves their co-curricular activities. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made; the State Government should try and replicate the blue print of the Federal Government's National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme to every Local Government in the State so as to ensure sustainability in the provision of meals to pupils and as well as improve their daily regular attendance as well as enhancing their punctuality. Also, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and other education stakeholders should initiate school feeding integrated intervention programmes that improves co-curricular activities through provision of meals to pupils this will influence their ability to understand the practicality of things during learning and also improve their ability to engage with digital technologies.