Strategies for Improving the Academic Performance of Students in Botswana Primary Schools

Abstract

Background: The Government of Botswana has since attaining independence from Britain in 1966 demonstrated a lot of interest in the improvement of primary education by adopting two policies; the Education for kagisano of 1977 and the Revised National Policy on Education of 1994 to guide the development of education in the country. Other efforts include partnering with organizations from countries such as the USA and Britain and others to help improve the quality of the primary education. The other major aim for these was to improve the performance of students in the final examinations.

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of the study was to establish strategies that can be used to influence student’s performance in Primary School Leaving Examinations.

Methodology: A mixed-method design allowed the researcher to triangulate data from the professional literature and a questionnaire comprised of closed and open-ended questions. Out of the two hundred
questionnaires distributed, one hundred and twenty seven questionnaires were returned; while only one hundred questionnaires were properly completed and therefore used in the study. Respondents were
also interviewed.
Data Analysis: For the closed ended section of the questionnaire, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used. Data from the interviews and open-ended section of the questionnaire was coded, and then emerging patterns and themes were identified and described in order to understand the meanings of these categories from the perspectives of the respondents, with verbatim texts included. The findings of the study show that there are various strategies that can be
used to help improve the performance of students in PSLE. Some of the strategies include parental involvement, infrastructure provision and human resources.