Factors Affecting Students’ Performance in English at Colleges of Education in Ghana

Abstract

The role and place of the English language in education in Ghana makes students’ performance in the subject an important issue for stakeholders in education. Following the poor performance of Level 100 students in English in the 2013/2014 second semester examination in some public colleges of education, this study made an exploratory comparative investigation into why students in some colleges of education performed highly and others performed poorly. A qualitative study involving observation of lessons, interviews with 8 tutors, 8 heads of English departments, 8 principals of colleges and a focus group interview with 80 teacher trainees from 8 colleges made up of 4 colleges with high student performance and 4 with poor student performance was undertaken. The findings suggest that students’ weak background in English, under qualified teachers, lack of logistical support and professional development training impacted negatively on teaching and learning, contributing to students’ poor performance in the English examination. It was recommended that colleges screen student entry qualifications, ensure that only qualified professional English teachers teach the subject and that these teachers receive regular professional training and support to improve the quality of teaching and learning.