Global Journal of Sociology and Anthropology

Global Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 4 (3), pp. 001-010, March, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Factors prompting pupils’ academic performance in privately owned Junior High Schools in Accra, Ghana

Michael Perry Kweku Okyerefo¹, Daniel Yaw Fiaveh²* and Steffi Naa L. Lamptey¹

¹Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

²Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA), University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

Accepted 18 November, 2014

Abstract 

The increasing poor performance of most public schools in Ghana has made the task of Government in meeting Basic Education needs a daunting one. This study, therefore, examined, from the perspectives of pupils and teachers/heads of schools in three selected privately owned Junior High Schools in Accra, the influencing factors on their higher academic performance as compared to public schools. Findings from this study could serve as a blueprint for improving academic performance in publicly owned Junior High Schools in Ghana. Overall, 121 respondents were interviewed using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The study found that parents and role models played a crucial role in pupils’ academic performance.

Key words: Academic performance, Junior High Schools, privately owned Junior High Schools, publicly owned Junior High Schools, education.