https://www.grin.
com/document/450284
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Factors contributing to improvement in students’ academic performance have received much attention
from educators and researchers (Signh, Malik & Sign, 2016; Ali, Haider, Munir, Khan & Ahmed, 2013;
Farooq, Chaudhry, Shafiq & Behanu, 2011). These researchers found that several factors contribute to
improvement in the academic performance of students. Ali et al. (2013) found daily study hours, social
economic status of parents/guardians and age as factors that significantly affects academic
performance. Similarly, Narad and Addullah (2016) and Farooq et al., (2011) also found economic status
of parents, their academic background and encouragement as factors that influence academic
performance. Proper guidance from parents and teachers, communication skills, and learning facilities
have also been found as a significant determinant to academic performance (Signh, Malik & Signh,
2016).
Previous studies have found that improvement in the academic performance of students is dependent
on a combination of teacher, student, school and parental factors (Amuzu, Ankalibazuk, & Abdulai,
2017; Narad & Abdullah, 2016; Okolie, Elom, & Inyiagu, 2014; Oppong-Sekyere, Oppong-Sekyere &
Akpalu, 2013; Farooq et al., 2011). Others have also attributed it to environmental, personal, social,
psychological and economic factors (Sign, Malik & Sign, 2016; Ali et al. 2013; Mushtaq & Khan, 2012).
Most of these studies tend to focus on a single subject or focuses on limited factors that contributes to
academic performance. For example, Farooq et al. (2011) focused on only socio economic status and
parent’s level education. They recommended that other studies should explore peer factors, family
factors, student and school factors. Again, Jayanthi, Balakrishnan, Ching, Latif and Nasiruden (2014)
emphasized that an extensive study should be conducted to include more than one school to assess the
academic performance of students.
DKC
Several concepts have been used in this study but the key variable which was defined is academic
performance. This is because academic performance determine the human capital development of an
economy; it enable students and parents to know the current academic state of their students; and it
determines the failure and success of an academic institution (Narad & Abdullah, 2016).
Academic performance have been defined and explained by several authors. According to Narad and
Abdullah (2016) academic performance is the knowledge gained which is assessed by marks by a teacher
and/or educational goals set by students and teachers to be achieved over a specific period of time.
They added that these goals are measured by using continuous assessment or examinations results.
Annie, Howard and Midred (as cited in Arhad, Zaidi & Mahmood, 2015) also indicated that academic
performance measures education outcome. They stressed that it shows and measures the extent to
which an educational institution, teachers and students have achieved their educational goals. Similarly,
Yusuf, Onifade and Bello (2016) opined that academic performance is a measurable and observable
behaviour of a student within a specific period. He added that it consist of scores obtained by a student
in an assessment such as class exercise, class test, mid-semester, mock examination, and end of
semester examination. Again, Martha (2009) emphasized that academic performance of students is
defined by a student’s performance in an examination, tests, and in a course work.
The definitions given by the authors’ shows that the definition of academic performance is based on
measurable outcomes such as class exercise, test, and examinations results. Based on this, the
operational definition of academic performance used in this study is the results obtained by a student at
end of a specific term in all subject. Per this study a student who obtains a total of aggregate 6-36 in six
of his/her subjects is considered to be academically good; and the percentage pass is 50 percent and
above.
history
https://ballotpedia.org/Academic_performance
Academic performance is the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects.
Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance,
graduation rates and results from standardized tests.
The origins of measuring academic performance in the United States date back to the 1830s. Education
advocates Horace Mann and Samuel Gridley Howe used a standardized test to evaluate student
progress in Boston. Kansas school administrator Frederick J. Kelly advanced the idea of standardized
testing with the Kansas Silent Reading Test in 1914. This multiple-choice test was used to decrease
grading time and standardize student evaluations. IBM employee Reynold B. Johnson developed a
grading machine in 1934 that could grade test sheets by picking up the electrical current created by
pencil marks.[1] Henry Chauncey developed the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) in 1934 to evaluate
scholarship candidates at Harvard University and University of Iowa Professor E.F. Lindquist created the
first version of the American College Test (ACT) in 1959.[2][3]
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 encouraged adoption of standardized
testing by all states. This legislation required states to measure student proficiency and develop
accountability measures for public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 continued the ESEA's
focus on accountability by requiring states to ensure minimum proficiency levels in order to receive
federal funds.[4]
