Statistical Modelling of Factors affecting Performance of Students inSecondary Schools in Tanzania

Abstract

Over the last decade, secondary schools in Tanzania have failed to produceenough graduates who are able to join higher level of schooling (Advanced level). Only less than 35% of students were able to score between division one and three.Theaimofthisstudywastodevelopafactormodelwithfactorsaffectingtheoverallperformance in secondary schools in certificate of secondary national examinations inTanzania. Data was collected from 26 secondary schools in Dar es salaam and Arushausing self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires had 16 Likert type questions in five-point scalerangingfromstronglydisagreetostronglyagree.Thefindingsfromfactoranalysis indicatedthatthreefactorsnamely“schoolculture”,“supportivelearningenvironment “and “teacher satisfaction with the school” explained 74.8 percent of total variation inoverall performance in certificate of secondary education examination. Multiple Linearregressionrevealedthatsupportivelearningenvironmenthadasignificanteffectonoverall performance in terms of school Grade Point Average. It is concluded that in orderto improve overall performance, schools and the government should create supportivelearning environment by employing more teachers, ensuring availabilityof books aretimely and adequately available and the availability of library and laboratories. Furtherstudies should add the qualitative part so as to gather more information about schoolsand otherfactorswhichwerenot considered underthisstudy.