PRACTICES OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN ENORE WOREDA OF GURAGE ZONE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA REGION.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to assess the Practices of community participation in improving students’ academic performance in secondary school. To carry out the designed objectives in effective manner, descriptive survey design was used. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were employed. The three secondary schools were selected as a sample for the study by using purposive sampling; because in past two years the national exam results of student were declined. The participants in the study were students, teachers, community representatives, school principals, supervisors and Woreda education experts. The sampling techniques that used to select the sample were simple random sampling, stratified sampling and purposive sampling. The data were collected basically through questionnaires, semi structured interviews and document analysis from school different source. The data collected from respondents (teachers, PTSA, SETB and students) were tabulated and systematically organized using methods of descriptive statistics and the qualitative data collected through interview (principals, supervisor and educational officers) open ended questions and document review were analyzed in narrative analysis. The finding of the study reveal that community participate in school program to improve the students’ academic performance was insufficient. For this insufficient role of community in improving students’ academic performance and active participation of community in school program, some of the factors are negative attitude of teachers, principals and community, lack of training, low level of income and insufficiency of resources among community, Centralization of decision-making by school management and Community’s proximity problem to schools affects their effective supports. Thus, to alleviate the major factors encountered with community participation in improving student academic performance, identifying the serious problems and giving priority to solve it, making close relationship among the school stakeholders, identifying the training needs and address these need, promotion of transparency and provision of incentive for their involvement were recommended