Teaching and learning materials,teacher-factors, student characteristics and performance of home economics students in core subjects: a case of Aburaman Senior High School

Abstract

A number of arguments have been made concerning factors affecting academic performance of home economics students in core subjects. The available studies suggest that student-characteristics, teacher-factors and Teaching Learning Materials have a positive relationship with academic performance and achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine how teaching and learning materials, teacher- factors and students-characteristics relate to home economics students, performance in core subjects. The research design used was descriptive survey to determine the relationship of the three variables. Using the purposive sampling technique 180 students and 19 tutors and 1 headmistress were selected for the study. Results revealed that, lack of interest, inadequacy of time, difficulties in understanding concepts, and inability of teachers to use TLMs, inadequacy of relevant TLMs for core subjects, the teachers’ difficulties in explaining abstract concepts to students and students’ difficulties in understanding lessons were the causes of poor performance of home economics students in the core subjects. From the findings, it was recommended that teachers should be motivated in order to motivate the students to learn, teachers should be engaged in more in-service training to use more practical approach and the Ghana Education Service should timely provide adequate teaching and learning materials for the students and teachers to use. This will enable the teachers to have adequate time for each student.