Factors causing low academic performance of grade nine (9) learners in english composition writing in selected public secondary schools in Mulobezi district of western province.
In today's global world and with the help of modern technology, English has become the most common and dominant language spoken and used both at the national and international levels. It has been playing a major role in many sectors such as medicine, engineering, politics, economics, international relations and education. The good academic performance of learners in most cases depends on the dynamics of inspiration such as reliable teaching staff, sufficient teaching/learning aids, sufficient teachers and a positive attitude towards the education of learners. One prominent factor that leads to low academic performance in the English Language by learners can be attributed to one macro aspect of the language which is composition writing. This is so because at grade nine level, English composition writing takes 40% of the final examination. This implies that failure in this component translates into a huge gap to cover from other components of English language subject. For a country like Zambia where the English Language is used as a medium of instruction in schools, it becomes more important for learners to have good command in composition writing as almost all other subjects will require the skill of composition writing to answer them satisfactorily. This study examined the low academic performance of grade nine learners in selected Public Secondary Schools in Mulobezi District of Western Province of Zambia in the English Language, composition as a focal point, and how it affects learners' overall performance. A sample of forty-five (45) respondents was purposively and randomly selected and interviewed. The study was qualitative and used interview guides for data collection. Schools were selected using a non-probability technique which was a convenience method. Respondents such as teachers and Head-teachers were selected using purposive sampling and only students were selected randomly. The data collected was coded and common phrases and word count were used to analyze data. The findings of the study revealed that the low academic performance in English Language composition writing of grade nine learners in Public Secondary Schools was due to several contributing factors. Some of these included: insufficient teaching and learning materials, lack of academic activities that support composition writing such as Debates, Writing Competitions, Reading Competitions and Journalism clubs.
English language--Study and teaching., English--Medium of instruction.
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