Influence of learning styles, curriculum and counselling on SHS students’ academic performance in Dunkwa-on-Offin of Ghana

Abstract

The study is on “influence of learning styles, curriculum and counselling on SHS students’ academic performance in Dunkwa-On-Offin of Ghana.” It is worth for such an investigation to take place at the SHS due to the crucial nature of education at that level. The study employed mixed-method design using concurrent approach. Both random and purposive sampling procedures were employed to select a sample of 117 subjects which consisted of 18 educators and 99 students. Students’ and educators’ questionnaires, interview guide, documentation and performance test were employed to collect data for the study. Both inferential and descriptive statistics were used for the qualitative aspect of the study. Content analysis was employed for the qualitative aspect of the study. Pearson’s product correlation coefficient, frequency and percentage tables, means and standard deviations were employed to analyse the quantitative data that were gathered. The findings of the study revealed that the variables under study such as learning styles of students, SHS objective-based core curriculum of learning and counselling were contributory factors affecting academic performance at the SHS level. The study recommended that stakeholders such as the government and policy makers of education come out with a more workable SHS core curriculum of learning. It is again recommended that SHS educators appropriately implement the core curriculum of learning while applying appropriate teaching strategies taking into consideration the students’ learning styles, and effective application of counselling. SHS students are also expected to learn hard making good use of their most preferred learning styles and availing themselves for counselling activities for their academic performance to be improved better.