The implications of streaming on academic performance of secondary school students in Busia District

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate how streaming of secondary school students in Busia District influences their academic performance. The researcher was inspired to carry out this study because there was poor academic performance in Busia District as less than one-third of students passed the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations with grades that enabled them qualify for government sponsorship in high school and vocational institutions. The study was carried out in March 2020 in Busia District and used a cross-sectional study design. Convenient sampling procedure was used to sample schools, while purposive and systematic random sampling procedures were used to collect data from students, teachers and school administrators of Lumino High School and Masaba College as well as district education officials. Data was collected using questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guides, interview guides and a document review guide. Study findings show that secondary schools used prior academic performance as the main criterion to create homogenous groups of students with roughly one-third being placed in high ability streams and the remaining two-thirds in lower ability streams. The size of high ability streams was averagely smaller than that of lower ability streams although all streams had equal access to school resources. Teachers were allocated equitably but pedagogy was focused mainly on high ability streams as these were expected to post better grades in final examinations. Students in high ability streams got more support while those in lower ability streams were neglected, a practice which demotivated them. In both schools, students in high ability streams posted better grades than those in lower ability streams. There was also a higher failure rate among students from lower ability streams in both schools. The study concludes that streaming has significant implications (although negative) for over all academic performance of secondary school students in Busia District. Only a small proportion of students benefitted from the practice. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) develops a policy or guidelines on streaming secondary school students in Uganda. Schools should create heterogeneous classes mixing fast and slow learners. Schools should provide continuous encouragement to students, especially slow learners to enable them reach their full potential. It is further recommended that the MOES trains school administrators and teachers on issues of equity.