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CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusions and implications
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emotional needs, contributing significantly to positive learning outcomes. Likewise, Mensah and Koomson (2020), who explored student-teacher relationships and students’ academic performance in Ghana, reported that positive relationships between students and teachers create environments that promote academic performance while negative relationships stifle performance. Equally, Hughes and Kwok (2006) found that positive student-teacher relationships increase students’ participation in learning activities and reduce student-teacher conflicts. The study further established that positive student-teacher relationships influence academic performance significantly.
Findings of this investigation also showed that students’ academic performance thrives on positive student-teacher relationships. School authorities can introduce activities that lead to an effective school learning environment. Interactive school activities enable teachers to appreciate students’ dispositions and provide them with guidance. The activities can promote positive student-teacher interactions that can enhance learning outcomes. Students’ diverse socio-economic characteristic in the Greater Accra Region provides an opportunity to teachers to implement approaches that take into account students’ backgrounds.
5.2.2. Academic support and students’ academic performance
This research explored how academic support influenced students’ academic performance and hypothesised no statistically significant relationship between academic support and students’ academic performance in SHS. However, the results showed that academic support substantially influences students’ academic performance; hence the hypothesis was rejected. Academic support consists of direct and indirect resources necessary for promoting academic performance. This study found that academic support provided by teachers and parents influenced students’ academic performance significantly.
This research demonstrated that teachers promote students’ academic independence and learning culture through assignments and homework. Homework improves retention and problem-solving skills, including learning habits that promote academic performance, as reported by Bempechat (2004). The study found that when parents are involved in children’s academic progress, it motivates them to improve their academic performance. The findings corroborate conclusions made by previous studies in the field. For instance, Chen (2005) found that teachers and parents’ academic support reinforce positive behaviours like school attendance, which directly influence students’ academic performance. Similarly, King and
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Ganotice (2014) concluded that parents provide the most significant academic support to students among socialising agents. The support includes providing valuable learning resources, supervision, assistance in homework, and discussions on academic-related matters.
In Ghana, Gyamfi and Pobbi (2016) reported minimal involvement of parents in children’s activities such as regulation of television viewing time, study time, playing time, time to return from school, monitoring homework, and selecting the television programme.
Likewise, Chowa et al. (2013) observed that Ghanaian parents had low involvement in children’s education. The studies demonstrated that active parental participation in students’
educational activities contributed positively to academic performance.
The findings of this study have established that parental engagement in students’
learning activities such as homework, discussion of academic progress and cooperation with teachers improve learning outcomes. Parental guidance to students complements school learning engagement. Thus, parents need to establish effective collaboration with the school to provide academic support to students in order to improve students’ academic performance. In Ghana, the 2002 educational review established the parent-teacher association (PTA) to strengthen parental participation in school management. The framework of PTA enables parents to actively engage in school management as one of the stakeholders in education and contribute to the enhancement school learning environment.
5.2.3. School physical environment and students’ academic performance
This investigation was to establish how the school physical environment influence students’ academic performance. The hypothesis that there is no statistically significant influence of school physical environment on students’ academic performance was rejected.
The research demonstrated that school physical environment impacts positively students’
academic performance in SHS. In addition, the findings showed that school furniture and school safety were aspects of the school physical environment that significantly influenced students’ academic performance.
School infrastructure provides a favourable atmosphere for learning and enables students to focus on learning activities. This finding supports related results in the field. Alimi et al. (2012), for instance, found that the quality of school facilities positively influenced students’ academic performance. The study concluded that a conducive school physical environment fosters students’ academic performance. Likewise, Suleman et al. (2014)
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established that students who studied in well-equipped classrooms achieved higher scores. The study concluded that a favourable and well-equipped classroom environment impacts positively on students’ academic performance. Asiyai (2011) affirmed that a safe learning environment improves students’ academic performance.
The findings demonstrate that infrastructure and safety are important dimensions of the school learning environment. This study provides data to stakeholders to emphasise the school physical environment’s role in improving academic performance. The results established that when students learn in a safe school environment, they are motivated to attend school and regularly participate in learning activities. School safety promotes a sense of belonging and effective learning. A well-organised school physical environment facilitates effective teaching and learning and enhances students’ academic performance. Therefore, this study concludes that resources should be mobilised to improve the school physical environment.
5.2.4 School teaching environment and students’ academic performance
The study investigated how school teaching environment influences students’ academic performance. The research rejected the hypothesis that there is no statistically significant influence of school teaching environment on students’ academic performance. The study found that, among indicators of school learning environment, school teaching environment had the most significant influence on students’ academic performance in SHS. School teaching environment consisted of school technical and instructional environment. This research has established that integrating information and communication technology in teaching and learning is vital in achieving quality learning outcomes. Results showed that e-learning facilities enhanced students’ academic performance.
Additionally, this study found that instructional approaches impact significantly on students’ academic performance. Through various teaching methods, teachers engage and sustain students’ interest in learning. The approaches motivate students to aspire for higher academic performance. This study supports initiatives that promote continuous professional development for teachers. For instance, in 2014, the education sector ministry in Ghana initiated the Transforming teacher education and learning programme in Colleges of Education (Coffie, 2019). The goal was to improve the quality of teacher training to enhance teacher practices and learning outcomes.
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The findings of this investigation corroborate results from related studies. For example, Brock et al. (2008) found that the teaching environment was significant in achieving students’
learning needs. Similarly, Kember and Leung (2005) established that a school teaching environment characterised by effective teaching, active students’ participation, and coherent curriculum leads to improved students’ academic performance. Furthermore, Arinze et al.
(2012) observed that integrating ICT in teaching can improve learning quality. Integration of ICT in teaching approaches provides a bridge between subject content and pedagogical skills.
However, Agyei (2013) reported that ICT had not been noticeably integrated into teaching and learning in senior high schools in Ghana. Therefore, policy on incorporating ICT in schools should be implemented to address students’ poor academic performance in senior high schools.
5.2.5 Indicators of school learning environment and students’ academic performance
The research explored the extent to which school learning environment predicts students’ academic performance. The study found that indicators of school learning environment significantly influence students’ academic performance. This finding was established by the adjusted R2 value of linear regression analysis of this study. The analysis showed that school learning environment factors cumulatively contributed 71.1% of variations in students’ academic performance. The study implied that students’ academic performance in senior high schools in Ghana could be improved by enhancing the school learning environment.
Poor academic performance in senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region can be attributed to indicators like student-teacher relationships, academic support, school physical environment, and school teaching environment.
The results provide insight into the overarching challenges of decline in students’
academic performance in SHS. The government of Ghana should increase funding to senior high school education and upgrade school infrastructure to provide a favourable learning environment. Similarly, reports by MoE (2017) and World Bank (2017b) indicated that school resources, funding, infrastructural development, and teacher quality are critical for quality education outcomes. Ministry of Education should improve teacher education and professional development to optimise students’ academic performance. Likewise, parental involvement in school management should be enhanced to establish effective collaboration to improve learning outcomes in senior high schools.
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