TITLE:
The Influence of the School’s Socioeconomic Status on Grade 1 Learners’ Performance in Zambezi Region, Namibia
AUTHORS:
Kenneth Nzwala, Muzwa Mukwambo
KEYWORDS:
Socioeconomic Status, Grade 1, Rural Schools, Urban Schools, eEGRA
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.10,
October
19,
2023
ABSTRACT: Rural
and urban schools have two different contexts with unique socioeconomic
opportunities which may, as a matter of fact, enhance or dis-enhance learning
opportunities. This is due to the belief that urban schools perform much better
than rural schools due to favorable learning prospects they enjoy. This article
thus explores the influence of the school’s socioeconomic status on Grade 1
learners’ performance in Zambezi Region, Namibia. The study is qualitative in
approach and is a case study in design. Data were generated through interviews
and the emergent Early Grade Reading assessment (eEGRA) test done by Grade 1
learners at the two schools. Four lower primary school teachers were interviewed, two rural and two urban respectively. A
sample of teachers was drawn using a purposive sampling technique, and
Grade 1 learners
who participated in the eEGRA test were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were analyzed thematically.
The study found that the school’s socioeconomic context is not a
reliable yardstick to be used to determine and/or measure schools’ performance
as rural schools can also outperform urban
schools, and recommends that pedagogical activities of both urban and
rural schools should be strictly monitored and funding and teacher placement
formulae should be revisited.