Factors Influencing Academic Performance of Students in Ward Secondary Schools in Kongwa District, Tanzania

This study investigated factors influencing academic performance of students in ward secondary schools in Kongwa district. The study specifically examined school based factors; home based factors and lastly identified students’ based factors influencing their academic performance. The study was guided by open system theory. A descriptive survey design was used in carrying out the study for data collection and analysis. The study used mixed research approach. Heads of schools,teachers, students, ward education officers, District Education Officer and parents were the respondents of the study. Both purposive and randomly sampling procedures were used in the selection of the respondents. Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussion methods were used in data collecting process. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were used for analysing the collected data.The findings revealed that the occupation and level of education of parents/guardians had an impact on students’ academic performance. Distance to and from school,availability of teaching and learning materials, teachers working conditions,availability of laboratories and libraries and students’ based factors had some effects on students’ academic performance. It was recommended that there is need of building hostels in order to avoid students to walk long distances from home to school; the government also must ensure that teaching and learning resources are available. It is also recommended that other studies should be carried out in other areas in other secondary schools in varied context.