Similar context, different results : an analysis of factors influencing schools' academic performance in the Xhariep District

Abstract

This study aimed to establish how schools in the same district manage to have different matric results. For years since the dawn of democracy, matric results in South Africa have been a huge focus, since it is the final stage of formal schooling. The department of Education classifies all schools performing below 85% pass rate as underperforming and dysfunctional. Even though all schools are expected to achieve the mentioned target, some schools are still not achieving the set requirement. The study focuses on the academic performance of schools in the Xhariep district, by comparing why to do other schools reach the desired target and others do not. The study was conducted at four secondary schools in the Xhariep Education District. A qualitative method was used to generate data, and it included face-to-face interviews of learners, teachers, and SGB members, document analysis within the school as well as observation of the environment in each school. The findings revealed that Principals played an important role in ensuring the schools performed well by collaborating with the educators and school management team. Moreover, the study has revealed that all the four schools investigated have strategies that they use to achieve good results. The performing schools when compared to underperforming schools made sure that they have a small number of manageable strategies that are known, accepted, and implemented by all stakeholders in the school.