School and social factors in relation to achievement in the GCE examination in the Turks and Caicos Islands
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1985
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Abstract
This study sought to examine the relationship between certain school and social factors and achievement in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations of five groups of graduates of the Turks and Caicos High School, Turks and Caicos Islands. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 44 male and 72 female graduates of the Turks and Caicos High School for the years 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78, and 1978/79, and from analysis of the GCE O'Level results obtained by the subjects. The major findings revealed that, on the whole, some school and social factors did appear to have had a substantial effect on achievement. SES, as measured by parents' occupation, however, did not prove to be a strong predictor of achievement. Significant correlation coefficients were found between achievement in the GCE examination and year of graduation, students' perception of employment opportunities and students' perception of the importance of career counselling. There were significant relationships between achievement and year of graduation, students' perception of the importance of career-counselling, gender, living mode, parents' attendance at PTA, parents' assistance with homework, parents' consultation with teachers about students' work, and income status of parents. It is concluded that: 1) the independent variables identified appeared to have substantial effect on achievement; 2) among the variables studied, some school and social factors appear to have a more substantial effect on achievement than others; and 3) achievement in the GCE O'Level examination is, on the whole, at an extremely low level