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The Impacts of the Challenges of Fijian Rural High School Students on Their Academic Achievement
Submitted 3 October 2022 Revised 23 December 2022 Accepted 23 December 2022 Victor Alasa1*, Doreen Kumar2
1,2School of Education, College of Humanities & Education, Fiji National University, Lautoka, Fiji Corresponding Email: *[email protected]
DOI: 10.30870/gpi.v3i2.17162 Abstract
Globalization and technological revolution have made education a priority for every human being. Policymakers and curriculum specialists have given considerable recognition to the provision of quality education. Even though quality education rests upon multiple factors like environment, social and political climate of a country the impact on academic achievements of students in rural schools cannot be underestimated. Many studies have shown that rural schools were faced with multiple challenges that are unique to their environment, which hampers the provision of quality education. There has been little improvement in students‟ performance and educational standards in rural schools. The study used the qualitative research method within the constructivist paradigm. Four research objectives and research questions guided the study. Data were collated from respondents purposively drawn from the five schools in the research context of Bua district Region of Fiji Island in the Northern via on call interviews. The findings of the study revealed that certain student-related challenges, teacher-related challenges, curriculum challenges, school support system and lack of parental involvement and socio-economic status significantly affected academic achievements of rural secondary school students in the research context. In conclusion, it is imperative to use education policies, reforms, and strategies to address student related challenges, teacher related challenges, curriculum challenges, improve school support systems to enhance academic achievements. Parental support and engagement are one of the most significant findings of the study which indicates that there is a need for parents to be actively involved in their children‟s education by providing academic support, consistently monitoring performance in school by getting feedback from teachers, showing support in school and community-based programs and ensure that the home environment is made conducive for their children‟s learning. Rural school students can excel in academic achievements through provision of quality education.
Keywords: Globalization, Quality Education, Challenges, Academic Achievements, Rural Secondary Schools
INTRODUCTION
The global field of education focuses on meeting the goals of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) (UN, 2015). Alongside with SDG4 the Incheon Agenda 2030 for Education emphasized on importance of quality teaching and learning outcomes and targeting equality and accessibility to quality education at all levels. The global concern about quality education has attracted attention of Pacific Island Countries. Forum Education Ministers adopted the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) in 2018 outlining the education goals prioritized into four policy areas: Quality and Relevance, Learning Pathways, Student Outcomes and Wellbeing and Teacher Professionalism. The framework is aligned to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Incheon Declaration on Education for All Framework for Action. The PacREF represents forum leaders‟ commitment to regionalism as means to achieve sustainable development, economic growth, strengthened governance systems, institutions, and security for all. One of the prominent visions outlined in
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the framework is “Moving towards Education 2030” which aims to enhance learners‟
academic achievements by raising the quality of education in the Pacific Island Countries.
Today every nation is faced with multiple challenges of achieving quality education and are innovating strategies to enhance this capacity to improve academic achievements of every learner and Fiji is no exception. Many studies have been conducted across the globe to investigate the factors that affect academic achievements of students at various levels of schooling such as in the Indonesia context by Al-Ansi, et al. (2021), Lin & Danpradit (2021) in the Thailand context, and Van Anh (2022) in the Vietnam context. In Fiji, there are limited studies that focus on challenges affecting learners in rural and remote island schools. The curriculum trend in Fiji incorporates several new initiatives and reforms that are aimed at improving academic achievement of students. This includes compression of content, teacher quality and recruitment, standardization of syllabus and a thematic approach for lower levels of primary education. However, there is a need to focus on reforms that will elevate the quality of education in rural schools in Fiji. In Fiji, most students that drop out of school are from rural areas (Gounder, 2013).
An extensive study by Xu et al. (2015) on rural education and urbanization in China reveals that rural – urban disparities have always existed in education and the gap seems to be widening further. The country recently came up with strategies like increasing the funding to rural schools considerably to improve the quality of education in rural schools and enhance academic achievements of disadvantaged rural school students. Rural schools in Fiji are struggling to cope up with the dilemmas of meeting the 21st century educational goals and this is basically attributed to the difficulties that the schools are still facing in terms of resources, Internet and Communication Technology, infrastructure facilities, funding and support systems.
Students are the most important asset of any education institute. All levels of schooling, Colleges and Universities have no worth without learners. Development of a country is directly linked to development of human resources and investment in education (Plessis, 2019). The students‟ academic achievement plays a crucial role in producing high quality workforce of a country that has the capability to innovate, initiate ideas, and invent knowledge and technology contributing to growth and development of a nation. Students‟
academic achievement has received considerable amount of attention in much research.
Existing literature proves that social, psychological, economic environment and personal factors strongly influences students‟ academic achievements however, it is also important to note that these results might be different from person to person and from country to country
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While many studies have been conducted to explore the challenges affecting academic achievements of students, very few are conducted in rural secondary schools in Fiji. The academic achievement of rural secondary school students in Bua district has been significantly average and even low for few schools. The Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts in 2015 declared a 100 % target for all academic achievements of students across the country. Regardless of whether the target is realistic and achievable, most schools are struggling to attain the 100% benchmark. For instance, if one of the schools in the district has achieved 80% in the external examination, what about the other 20% of students? What are the reasons for the 20% of students not attaining the target? Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the key challenges affecting the academic achievements of rural school students in the district. Challenges identified can help relevant education authorities to develop strategies and policies to address the key issues faced by rural schools in the country.
This study leveraged the Walberg‟s Theory of Educational Productivity to explain the variables that affect academic achievements of students. The model comprises of nine factors affecting academic achievement grouped into three categories, which are students‟
characteristics and aptitude, environmental factors and quantity and quality of instruction (Walberg 1984, 1986). The theory has been quite influential in explaining the challenges that students encounter in academic achievements. According to Walberg‟s theory Parental, support and home environment have been dominant factors. Classroom climate and school learning resources give students a sense of belonging and pride to excel in education (Prebble, 2006). According to Hattie (2009), social media is also affecting lives of students than watching television. Plant et al. (2005) findings reveal that students who spent more time studying are self-motivated and have higher academic achievements.
Performance in schools is evaluated in numerous ways including examination as a determinant of one of the factors of quality education (Yeboah, 2014). The study by Bacon (2011) defined academic achievement as standardized test scores, grade and overall academic ability and performance outcomes. As an outcome of education performance is the capacity to achieve when one is tested on what one has been taught (Otoo, 2007). Academic performance is concerned more with attaining a pass in exams whereas academic achievement focuses on completion of the entire course of study. Better academic performance leads to successful academic achievement
School level factors and academic achievements have a direct relationship. A conducive teaching and learning school environment lead to better academic achievement Resources like equipped classroom, laboratories, instructional materials, digital resources and sanitation facilities are significant contributors to effective learning. Wang et al. (2019) pointed out on
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the importance of having effective school leaders. Bhengu (2005) describes the conditions in which rural school Principals operate. The research further mirrored as to how Principals managing their schools work under a lot of pressure and expectations, adjusting to new demand and policy reforms, and are placed at high accountability in terms of students‟
performance. Good leadership has a higher impact on student‟s achievement as it contributes to school improvement through motivation, participation, and coordination of the teachers.
Teachers in rural schools are faced with multiple challenges like poor working conditions, inadequate training, and isolation. The study by Shikalepo (2020) and Mulamba (2019) based on teacher motivation and teacher performance in rural based secondary schools established a positive relationship between teacher performance and motivation. If teachers are given incentives and motivation like accommodation in rural areas, rural allowances and recognizing extra efforts of teachers by rewarding them with gifts and certificates it boosts teacher morale and confidence which ultimately improves teacher performance and academic achievement of students. Mosha (2014) and Jazzilah (2017) have highlighted that teacher quality is an important contributor to student achievement.
Student level factors affecting academic achievements include self- motivation, self- discipline, peer support, time management skills, self- regulated learning, and appropriate character attributes for success. The research by Sikhwari et al. (2019) indicated that students‟
academic achievements are influenced by self- motivation, peer support and self-confidence.
Disciplined and hardworking students who share the same vision with their peers achieve academic excellence in education. The study by Zimmerman (2000) found out that self- efficacy provides students the motivation to learn through self-regulatory processes of self- monitoring and self-evaluation. Wang (2019) defines self-efficacy as belief in one‟s own capabilities to perform a specific action. Students with high self-efficacy achieve better performance compared to students with lower self-efficacy. A study by Gang (2009) confirms that self-discipline students are high achievers.
Students‟ initial education begins at home where learning takes place in form of socialization from parents and family members. Therefore, home-based factors affect a child‟s academic achievements in school to a greater extent. Family income, parent‟s level of education, parental involvement, home circumstances and socio-economic status are some of the dominant factors that affect students‟ academic performance. The study by Chinyoka and Naidu (2014) reveals home based factors like lighting, study space and reading resources affect academic performance of girl learners from poverty-stricken families. Seleman (2018) study pointed that occupation and level of education of parents impact students‟ academic performance. A study by Duan and Guan (2018) in a Chinese junior secondary speaks of the
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three aspects of parental involvement which are home based, school based and academic socialization. The findings confirm that parental involvement activities are beneficial for junior school students with low family socio-economic status.
Quality teaching and learning means equality in education regardless of the level of income, location, race ethnicity, gender, and any other factor unrelated to academic ability.
The differences in opportunities available to students between an urban and a rural school have always existed. The disparities of isolation and connectivity, mass migration of students and level of funding are the most significant factors affecting academic achievements of students. Ampora et al. (2015) concludes that those urban schools perform better than rural schools because they attract and admit high performing students with excellent Basic Education Certificate Examination. The study is quite influential in a way that it points out the reasons as to why there is mass migration of students, and it stresses that rural schools lack educational resources and are neglected in terms of development. The lack of educational resources and development is attributed to budgeting pointed out in a study by Jazzilah (2017). The study concurs with the findings of Prosser (2006) which highlights how Fiji as a country faces rapid urbanization and therefore the rural areas are faced with depleting human and financial resources. Rural parents in Fiji prefer sending their children to urban schools because of better facilities and educational resources. One important point highlighted in a study by Lingam & Lingam (2013) is that there is a considerable amount of gap in relation to financial support given to rural schools compared to urban schools. The rural schools‟
students can improve their academic achievements and perform better in external examinations but are impeded by these disparities.
METHOD
The study was conducted at rural schools in Bua Province of the Northern Division of Fiji Islands, and a qualitative investigation was undertaken on the challenges that affect academic achievements of students. The study basically considered helicopter view of the students‟ challenges that directly and indirectly impact their achievements like school level factors, teacher level factors, student level factors and home-based factors. The study utilized the qualitative research paradigm to seek and obtain answers to the research questions.
Interviews were used to collect data from the cases with one-on-one interview and group discussions. The target population comprised of all the Head of Schools and teachers from the five secondary schools in Bua province. The study population consisted of 9 teachers and 5 Head of Schools. In total 14 participants were involved in the study. The two categories of participants; Head of Schools and Teachers were regarded as appropriate in providing in
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depth information and opinions regarding the challenges affecting academic achievements of students.
Teachers more than 5 years of teaching experience and more than 3 years of teaching in rural school were interviewed. Semi structured interview questions allowed for in- depth investigation of the research problem and participants were also able to respond freely. The objective of the interview was to get practical and lived experiences of participants on the challenges that they faced that affects the students‟ academic achievements.
The recorded interview was transcribed and analyzed inductively using a thematic approach to explore the key challenges affecting academic achievements of rural secondary school students of Bua. The study employed what Miles & Huberman (1994) referred to as
“the idea of a within case thematic analysis” In addition, peer debriefing, in particular dialogue reliability checking, was employed to ensure the credibility of the data analysis by randomly selecting the interviews for detailed cross-checking. Each transcribed interview was assigned a number and reflected beside the extracts used accordingly. The research was conducted with the HOS and Teachers from the five schools in Bua. Firstly, the approval was sought from FNU Ethics Department to conduct the study. Permission was then taken from the Head of Schools (HOS) to do research. The participants were then approached, aims of the study were explained, and then participants were interviewed in compliance to the focus research questions. In this research official document from the administration was utilized as well like minute books, circulars, external exam analysis and other files relating to students‟
academic achievements. Data was collected over a period of five weeks.
Respect for the dignity of research participants was prioritized. Prior to conducting the study full consent was obtained from all participants. All participants were informed that the participation is voluntary and there is complete freedom to decline or end participation at any time during the study. Utmost confidentiality was upheld, and all participants were made aware that the responses would be kept confidential, and participants‟ anonymity will be maintained.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The demographic characteristics of the study participants-Head of Schools can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the study participants – Head of Schools (HOS)
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School Age Sex Teaching
Experience
HOS Position
Qualification
A - HOS 1 49 M 26 Acting Bachelors
B - HOS 2 40 M 17 Confirmed Masters
C - HOS 3 52 M 27 Acting Bachelors
D - HOS 4 52 F 30 Acting Bachelors
E - HOS 5 50 M 32 Acting Diploma
Age and Sex
Based on Table 1, the five Head of Schools who participated in this study were from all the five schools in the district. Out of the five that were, interviewed 20% were females and 80% were males. The average age of Head of Schools was 48.
Teaching Experience
Table 1 showed that the number of years of teaching experience ranged from 17 to 30 years
Academic Qualification
Based on Table 1, the respondents were asked to indicate their qualification. 60% of the participants had a bachelor‟s degree, 20% had masters and 20% had a Diploma certificate.
Position-HOS
Based on Table 1, the Head of Schools interviewed stated their position as either acting or confirmed on their respective posts. 80% had acting appointments for their Head of School post which were subjected to renewal on a yearly basis and 20% had confirmed position as Head of School.
The demographic characteristics of the study participants-Teachers can be seen in Table 2.
Table 2. Demographic characteristics of the study participants-Teachers
School Age Sex Teaching
Experience
Teacher Position Qualification
A T1 34 F 5 Acting HOD Bachelors
T2 44 M 22 Acting Assistant
Principal (AP)
Postgraduate
B T3 38 M 15 Acting HOD Bachelors
T4 33 F 10 Acting HOD Postgraduate
C T5 27 F 7 Acting HOD Postgraduate
T6 39 M 7 Assistant Teacher Diploma
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School Age Sex Teaching
Experience
Teacher Position Qualification
D T7 26 M 5 Assistant Teacher Bachelors
T8 32 F 8 Acting HOD Bachelors
E T9 38 F 15 Acting AP Diploma
Age and Sex
Out of nine teachers that were interviewed 56% were females and 44 % were males.
The average age of teachers was 35.
Teaching Experience
The results indicated that the number of teaching experience ranged from 5 to 22 years.
Most teachers had spent more than 5 years in the teaching field which indicated that the teachers had adequate knowledge and experience of their profession.
Academic Qualification
Teacher participants were asked to indicate their qualification. The proportion of teachers with bachelor‟s degree was 44%, 33% had Post Graduate Diploma while 22% had Diploma certificates.
Teacher Positions
Results indicated that the teachers had either assistant teacher posts or had acting positions in school. More than 50 % of teachers had acting Head of Department position in school, 22% had acting assistant principal posts while the other 22% had assistant teacher posts in their respective schools.
Qualitative Analysis of Data
The first objective was to study the academic achievements of the five schools for the past 3 years can be seen in Table 3.
Table 3. The academic achievements of the five schools for the past 3 years
School 2018 2019 2020
A External Exam Target Achieved Target Achieved Target Achieved
FY12CE 100 60 100 60 100 46
FY13CE 100 74 100 63 100 63
B FY12CE 100 88 100 88 100 100
FY13CE 100 92 100 81 100 96
C FY12CE 100 84 100 63 100 76
FY13CE 100 63 100 70 100 77
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School 2018 2019 2020
D FY12CE 100 64 100 49 100 66
FY13CE 100 73 100 38 100 56
E FY12CE 100 54 100 82 100 55
FY13CE 100 93 100 66 100 68
Source: School Records
The results in Table 3 indicate that the level of academic achievements for each of the school is different and most schools are average performing schools in the district. The benchmark for Ministry of Education Heritage and Arts is 100% and therefore as indicated in the results most schools are below the set benchmark. The second objective was to find out the challenges associated with the academic achievements of Year 12 and 13 students. The results obtained from each participant from the respective school are shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Challenges affecting academic achievements
School Head of School Teacher Teacher
A High absenteeism rate Discipline of students Staffing and motivation Teacher attendance and attitude
Transport issues
Lack of parental support
Resources/ICT
Culture/mentality of students
Discipline and attitude Teacher
attitude/attendance/teachin g methods
Resources/ICT
Paperwork/Documentation English competency of teachers/students
Library services
Lack of parental support Socio-economic status /family factors
Poor leadership
Curriculum challenges Recruitment of teachers to rural schools
Retaining experienced teachers
Resources/ICT
Basic infrastructure and facilities
Lack of parental support
B Students‟ attendance and discipline
Peer pressure Teacher attitude
Teachers‟ delivery and methods of teaching Curriculum challenges – content/ education system
Leadership challenges FEG allocation
Parental engagement Socio-economic status Resources/ICT
Rural urban disparities
Student attendance FEG allocation Parental engagement Leadership
Rural urban disparities Digital resources/ICT Student exposure and academic competitions
Absenteeism Discipline Parental support School resources Documentation/
paperwork
ICT/digital resources FEG allocation Leadership
Socio-economic status Library services
Rural urban disparities
C Less competition and motivation
High absenteeism rate Priority given to sports
Students attitude and discipline
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School Head of School Teacher Teacher
Quality of teachers Infrastructure- electricity
Parents involvement Socio- economic status
Attendance and
discipline
than academic Discipline
Teachers‟ delivery in class Teacher attitude
Staffing and recruitment of teachers to rural schools FEG allocation
Priority given to rugby Lack of parental support No consistent power supply
D Competency in English Curriculum challenges Students‟ attitude Lack of parental involvement
Public education system – automatic promotion/exam
oriented
Exposure of students ICT/ resources Leadership
Lack of motivation Literacy and numeracy
Curriculum challenges English competency Student attitude and discipline
Parental involvement Priority to other things than academic work
English competency of teachers and students Gap in transition from primary to secondary Discipline and attendance Curriculum challenges Socio economic status Resources/ICT
Library services
Primary levels of schooling need to be strengthened
E Lack of parental support
Students‟
attitude/discipline Teachers‟
attitude/discipline/atten dance
Effects of pandemic Socio economic factors Lack of parental involvement in school
Students‟
attitude/discipline Peer pressure
Lack of parental support Teacher
attitude/attendance
Teaching/ Learning resources
Socio economic status of parents/family factors
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Figure 1: Bar graph above showing participant response to interview questions
The results of study as shown in Figure 1 and Table 4 indicate that there are numerous factors that the academic achievements of rural school students. Many respondents agreed that student‟s attitude and discipline affect their performance in school whereas very few regard that attendance and discipline is a minor factor affecting academic achievements of students.
More than 70% of the participants pointed curriculum related challenges as major factors affecting student‟s achievements in rural schools. On the other hand, most teacher participants pointed out that documentation and paperwork hamper actual teaching in class which has negative impact on the student‟s achievements. All participants agree that there is adequate provision of instructional materials like textbooks for teaching and learning however the schools are faced with problems of internet connectivity and digital resources that could enhance teaching and learning. Most participants from all the respective schools pointed that there is not enough computers or laptops for use by students to do research work. Very few students get access to the computers and those who do are computer students. In addition, the participants indicated that internet and communication technology enable students to be exposed to a lot of learning materials online that can broaden their level of academic knowledge and improve their performance in classroom. More than 50% of the participants indicated that rural schools need a well-equipped library to enable students improve their literacy and reading skills. Moreover, the English competency of teachers and students were also pointed out where the concern was that most students do not speak in English all the time and therefore the spoken and written English affects their academic performance considering
85 71 78 92 100
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Student related challenges
Teacher related challenges
Curriculum challenges
School support system
Parental involvement and
socio-economic status
Response in %
Challenges
Participant Response
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that English is a compulsory subject, and it is an important subject that qualifies the students for a pass in the final examination. One of the major challenges that were emphasized by all teacher participants and Head of School was the lack of parental support towards children‟s education and socio-economic status of parents in rural areas. Most Head of Schools and teachers indicated that quality of teachers, teaching methods, teacher attitude and attendance greatly impact students‟ academic achievements. On the other hand, most participants also pointed out that staffing and recruitment of teachers also affect academic achievements of students.
In presenting the research findings for this study, codes were used to identify the participants. Codes H1 to H5 were used for the five Head of Schools and T1 to T9 for the nine teachers. Qualitative data gathered from the interviews was presented with references to observations and literature wherever appropriate. The following themes were identified and discussed:
Internal factors
Student related challenges
Numerous student level factors revealed in the study are students‟ discipline, attitude, attendance, motivation, peer pressure and self-regulated learning. The findings concur with the study conducted in rural schools by Sikhwari et al. (2019) where self-motivation and self- discipline are significant factors that improve students‟ academic achievements. T3 asserted that „student‟s attendance is really poor usually at the beginning of the term and we teachers have to call the students and follow up.‟ H1, T7, and T8 pointed out that ‘attendance and discipline of students is really aggravating and greatly impacts students’ academic work’. H1 further indicated that most students also face transport issues that contribute to high absenteeism in school especially the ones that must wait for inter-island transport. According to H4, „students lack intrinsic motivation to come to school to learn and become independent learners. They are dependent on the teachers to push them all the time’. H2 and T4 stated that most students “easily get influenced by their peers. Junior students usually follow the trend set by senior students. High absenteeism, smoking, truancy, and substance abuse are major types of peer pressure affecting students‟ academic work.‟
Research has indicated that apart from attendance maintaining appropriate behavior, attitude and discipline play a crucial role in enhancing academic achievements of students in rural schools. Jung et al. (2017) study reveals that self-discipline bridges the gap between self-efficacy and academic performance. The findings affirm that attendance, discipline, and attitude of students greatly impact their learning in school. Independent or self-regulated learners are more disciplined, and they are able to study on their own which has positive
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impacts on their learning compared to those students who have discipline issues, lack interest and motivation and have to be continuously pushed to complete their academic work.
Teacher related challenges
Teachers are the main assets of any school and their immense contribution in impacting students learning outcomes positively cannot be overlooked. The study reveals that teacher attitude, attendance and punctuality, class management and delivery, experience, and staffing impacts academic achievements of students. H2 stated that „some teacher’s relaxed attitude, lateness to class and attendance to school affects classroom work of students.‟ Participants responded that most teachers have the habit of getting absent a lot without a genuine reason and most are not committed to their work so their relaxed attitude is stifling teaching and learning. Teacher‟s positive attitude has a huge impact on student‟s personality and performance (Mulamba, 2019). T1 and T3 stated that ‘I believe that teacher’s classroom delivery, teaching strategies matters a lot. T1 further stated that there is too much paperwork and documentation, which hampers teacher’s actual classroom teaching. Increased work demands of teachers are quite challenging as it leaves no adequate time to prepare lesson’.
Teachers can foster a classroom environment that encourages student participation and learning through varied teaching strategies. Casinillo and Guarte (2018) research indicates that teachers who have good teaching skills and positive attitude positively impact academic achievements of students. Lingam et al. (2017) study revealed that too much paperwork is stressful for teachers, and it affects their teaching time. High premium given to preparation of files for inspection both at school level and at macro level overburdens the teachers. In addition, apart from school related expectations pandemic has created a different set of challenges for teachers where additional demands regarding health and safety of students and teachers must be met with compliance to the standard operating procedures of MEHA. T2 shared that ‘most of the time our children are deprived of learning when a teacher is transferred, and teachers are not sent in a timely manner.’ T2 further pointed out that a huge gap is created upon transfer of experienced teachers who are replaced by inexperienced ones who need further coaching and mentoring.‟ According to T5, ‘staffing is a huge challenge because at a time in our school we had no physics teacher half the year and computer teacher was posted late. Other staffs must teach subjects that is not their teaching area. T5 also stated that teachers are not using varied teaching pedagogies to suit the different background of students in a class.‟
The research indicates that staffing in rural schools is one of the prominent challenges affecting academic achievements of students. The timely replacement and recruitment of teachers play a significant role in ensuring that students are not deprived of learning when a
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teacher is transferred. It is also noted that when an experienced teacher is transferred the replacement is usually a new graduate. Participants asserted that rural schools need experienced and competent teachers to be able to live with the many challenges of rural life.
According to the research by Jazzilah (2017), staffing involving highly trained and professional teachers improve students‟ academic performance.
Curriculum Challenges
Research indicates that rural schools are faced with numerous curriculum related challenges that affect academic achievements of students. According to the respondents‟
major challenges that rural schools are facing is public education system and the exam- oriented curriculum. According to H4 and H5 ‘I feel it is the public education system. It starts with preschool and whether the students pass or fail at different levels they still go up and the problem compounds from there.’ H4 further pointed out that ‘the curriculum is exam oriented where much emphasis is given to passing of examinations, so the students do not learn the skills and I think class-based assessments were better.’
Public education system in Fiji has automatic progression of all students to Year 12 level regardless of whether they pass or fail. This indicates that less consideration is given to development of skills and competencies in students as they will automatically be promoted to sit for the FY12CE.The results will be screened at year 12 level and only those students who pass will be promoted to year 13. According to MEHA, to have an overall pass in the exam, students must pass English. Respondents feel that class-based assessments were better tools as it allows various types of assessments to be conducted consistently which enables a student to learn skills and not mere testing at the end of the year by sitting for an external exam that accounts for the whole years‟ work. This understanding is crucial and research by Joweli (2019) on analysis of developing 21st century competencies in mathematics indicates that teaching methods have been influenced by exam-oriented curriculum. Limited time is available for teachers to cover the entire curriculum and so most teachers embrace lecture method of teaching as a quick fix strategy to meet academic expectations. T8 pointed out that
„most students are not able to cope with the curriculum as they find it is too difficult and so drop out from school at an early age. T 8 further added that „there is a gap in the transition from primary to secondary school which needs to be strengthened.’
Most teacher participants raised their concern on the English competency of students and difficulties to cope up with the curriculum. Most students‟ find that the syllabus is content heavy and difficult and because they are not able to cope with these challenges, they normally decide to quit schooling at an early age. If the English competency is improved at primary levels of schooling, then students will be able to cope well in other subjects and there will be
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fewer issues when they transit to secondary level. This concurs with findings of Kumar &
Kaur (2020) that the standard of written and spoken English is declining at an alarming rate in Fiji. The findings of the research further indicates that highly qualified teachers should be recruited to teach English at primary levels of schooling as language acquisition best happens at early stages of life.
School support systems
School infrastructure, facilities and other resources enhances teaching and learning capacity and undoubtedly plays a significant role in improving student-learning outcome. The research findings reveal that the school support systems like water, electricity, condition of buildings, teaching and learning resources, staff quarter‟s facilities and Internet and Communication Technology (ICT) are key challenges affecting academic achievements of students. H2 T2 and T3 shared that ‘internet connectivity and digital resources like computers and laptops are not enough to cater for all students in the school especially when students want to do research work.’ T3 further elaborated that “we do not have a well-equipped library where students get exposed to a variety of learning materials.” .
The 21st century education is taking a different direction when it comes to learning. ICT is becoming essential part of all organizations whether it is schools, businesses, churches or even homes. Ministry of Education‟s one textbook per child policy has been successful in ensuring that adequate instructional materials like textbooks are available in all schools throughout the country. The findings reveal that all rural schools in the district have sufficient supply of textbooks. The main concern is the digital resources needed for teaching and learning especially laptops and computers. There are also connectivity issues, which stifle the process of teaching and learning when there is a need to do research or show some online videos to students. Schools do not have a well-equipped library and do not have a librarian.
The Head of Department for Language is the one that organizes library resources and manages the library. Research in one of the rural Fijian primary schools by Lingam & Lingam (2013) revealed that physical facilities in rural schools like classroom, staffroom, library and toilets are of poor quality. The schools have sufficient textbooks but need more science materials, library books, sports equipment, and curriculum materials to make learning and teaching a richer experience.
According to H2, T3 and T6, ‘rural schools should be given more financial assistance to improve the school resources and infrastructure.‟ T3 further added that „staff quarters facilities; water and electricity are lacking and needs to be addressed to retain highly qualified and experienced teachers in rural areas.’ All schools in Fiji are eligible for a Tuition Fee Free Grant (TFFG) and as per MEHA; policy school roll determines the total
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grant. As per research finding the rural schools, infrastructure facilities and resources reveal that the schools need more financial assistance to provide quality education through provision of adequate learning resources and technology. In addition, better infrastructure, water supply, electricity and staff quarters will retain highly qualified and experienced teachers in rural schools. T5 T8 and T9 shared that „there is a huge gap when it comes digital teaching resources like laptops, computers, and photocopier and printing machines between the rural and urban schools.
T3 said that „I have taught in urban schools for many years and I have seen that urban schools are well equipped with essential teaching resources, technology, computers, library, sports equipment compared to rural schools.
Rural urban disparities have always existed, and a number of research have pointed out the disparities in terms of socio-economic status, income, educational resources. As the world becomes urban dominant, the gap seems to be widening further. An intensive study by Chand and Mohan (2020) reveals that rural and remote schools often face different challenges compared to the schools located in urban centers. The study further stresses that a poorly resourced school will have negative impact on child‟s learning. Resources like equipped classroom, laboratories, instructional materials, digital resources and sanitation facilities are significant contributors to effective learning (Lingam & Lingam, 2013).
External factors
Parental support and socio-economic status
The most critical challenge that affects the academic achievements of students in rural schools is lack of parental support and engagement. All participants that were interviewed indicated that there is no continuous parental engagement and support towards students‟
academic work. The extent to which parents encourage learning at home and involve themselves in their child‟s learning is one of the influential factors that can contribute positively towards students‟ academic achievements. T4 shared that „we have few students whose parents are committed and majority whose parents do not turn up during Parent Teacher Interview or even come anytime throughout the academic year to know their child‟s performance.‟ H4 and H1 was of the view that „it is time for parents to take some responsibility of their child‟s learning and see they the children at home are supervised and monitored and they do spent time doing their revision and academic work‟
The study indicated that parents indeed need to take responsibility and show commitment to their children‟s education. They need to attend Parents Teacher Interview in school or make frequent visits to know about progress of their children. One of the respondents indicated that school is a three-legged stool where students, parents and teachers
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need to play their part to achieve goals and objectives of students and schools. Duan & Guan (2018) study in a Chinese junior secondary school shows that parental involvement has positive effects on academic achievement and behavior of students. T8 shared that „parents over here are not educated and are not well economically.‟ H2 pointed that „parents in this locality are not able to buy electronic gadgets or internet connectivity services for learning at home. H2 further elaborated that we have some very bright students, but parent‟s socio- economic status is not good to support them.‟
The study also indicates that parents in rural areas have poor socio-economic status and so they do find difficulties in providing home study resources and facilities. Most parents are from farming background or have casual employment. The Ministry of Education has provided transport and free education to all students; however, parents still face difficulties in sending their children to school every day and providing other necessary items like stationeries and uniforms. One of the participants pointed that student whose parents come from a better socio-economic status are educated and are committed to their children‟s school work. This concurs with the study carried out by Seleman (2018) that occupation and level of education of parents impact students‟ academic performance.
Academic achievements of rural secondary school students are impacted by various internal and external factors. The findings have shown that the key challenges are student related, teacher related, curriculum related, school support system and lack of parental support and socio-economic status.
CONCLUSION
This research intended to investigate the key challenges affecting academic achievements of rural secondary school students using secondary schools in Bua as a case study. Academic achievements of rural school students in Bua are average and most schools are below the benchmark of 100% set by MEHA. The internal factors were found to be student related challenges, teacher related challenges, curriculum challenges and school support system. Major student related challenges were attendance, discipline, and attitude of students. Teacher related challenges were attendance and punctuality to school and classes, attitude, class management and delivery, experience, and staffing.
Curriculum related challenges were associated with public education system of automatic progression of all students to year 12, content heavy and exam-oriented curriculum.
Lack of parental support and socio-economic status were found to be major external factors affecting academic achievements of students. Various research from literature have been utilized to support findings of the study. Lingam et al. (2017) study based in rural primary schools in Fiji identified that basic infrastructure and physical facilities are a great concern for
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rural schools in Fiji. According to Sikhwari et al. (2017), self- motivation and self-discipline are essential student attributes that enhances academic achievements of students. It is imperative to use education policies, reforms, and strategies to address student related challenges; teacher related challenges, curriculum challenges, improve school support systems to enhance academic achievements.
Parental support and engagement are one of the most significant findings of the study which indicates that there is a need for parents to be actively involved in their children‟s education by providing academic support, consistently monitoring performance in school by getting feedback from teachers, showing support in school and community based programs and ensure that the home environment is made conducive for their children‟s learning. Rural school students can excel in academic achievements through provision of quality education.
SUGGESTIONS
This study offers the recommendations for policymakers and curriculum specialists should: strengthen behavior management policy and have a comprehensive framework that guides and addresses student‟s attendance, discipline, academic expectations, responsibilities, and ethical behavior. Devise new criteria that select students who are interested to join teaching based on quality academic credentials, discipline, and moral expectations. The tertiary institutions to strengthen and use a holistic approach to reframe the entire teacher training program that produces highly qualified and competent teachers in the country.
Provide greater economic support to rural schools (TFFG allocation). Rural schools are faced with many challenges that are unique to their environment like water, electricity, internet, and Communication Technology (ICT), physical facilities and infrastructure and staff quarters.
The existing formula to be modified to allow for greater financial assistance to rural schools so that rural school students are provided with equal opportunities of quality education.
Literacy and Numeracy needs to be strengthened at primary levels of schooling to ensure that the students are competent in basic language and mathematics skills before they transit to secondary level of education. Experienced teachers to be recruited to teach lower primary levels. The curriculum content can be modified and compressed to suit student‟s level and skills at primary and secondary levels of schooling and also allow teachers to have adequate time to use varied teaching strategies for different learning experiences for a particular student. Design and implement Parental Responsibility Policy (PRP) that clearly describes the roles and responsibilities of parents towards their child‟s education and welfare.
Teachers, Parents and Students must: make up a strong network upon which the education system survives. Each one needs to engage and play their part to accomplish educational goals and objectives. Teachers need to be committed and obligated to the
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profession‟s calling, parents need to take responsibility of their children‟s welfare and education by providing support, career guidance and counseling, mentoring, and coaching to help their children achieve goals and finally students must show interest and determination in their academic work, be self-motivated and independent learners and maintain self-discipline and self-efficacy to attain quality marks in external examinations
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