Background of the study

The background of the study provides context to the

information that you are discussing in your paper. Thus,
the background of the study generates the reader's
interest in your research question and helps them
understand why your study is important. For instance, in
case of your study, the background can include a discussion
on how socio economic factors influence learning patterns
or the disparity in academic performance among learners
of grade 12.
Typically, the background of a study includes a review of
the existing literature on the area of your research,
leading up to your topic. Once you have discussed the
contribution of other researchers in the field, you can
identify gaps in understanding, that is, areas that have not
been addressed in these studies. You can then explain how
your study will address these gaps and how it will
contribute to the existing knowledge in the field.
The background of the study establishes the
context of the research. This section explains why
this particular research topic is important and
essential to understanding the main aspects of the
study. Usually, the background forms the first
section of a research article/thesis and justifies
the need for conducting the study and
summarizes what the study aims to achieve.