Factors affecting the academic achievement of a sample of 'A' level geography students in Jamaica

Abstract

This study sought to probe the effect of certain variables--grouped into student, home, and school/teacher dimensions--on academic achievement in A'Level geography, using both the overall grades and the aggregate score for the individual papers as criterion measures. Data were collected from questionnaires administered to 137 Form 6A geography students (68 male, 69 female) from 22 secondary schools in urban and rural areas of Jamaica, and to 28 Sixth Form geography teachers in the participating schools. Results of the data analysis revealed that: 1) of the students sampled, 42.3 percent passed A'Level geography, with boys and girls obtaining an equal number of passes; performance on Paper I was the weakest, especially for girls; 2) the three best predictors of overall grade were Educational Tone of the Home, Attitude to Geography, and Geographical Tone of the School; 3) there were many significant relationships among the independent variables, as well as between the independent variables and the criteria; results from factor analyses pointed to a Motivational Factor for all groups, as well as an Environmental Factor comprised of home and school inputs; 5) there were few significant sex differences; boys displayed a greater degree of academic motivation, while girls perceived more parental pressure and a greater influence of the geographical tone of their schools on achievement