Causes of Students¿ Low Academic Achievement in Science

This is the first research work ever conducted to determine the perceived causes of low academic achievement in science in Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Republic of Ghana. The study examined among other things how schools, teacher and students factors considered in the work influence academic achievement of students. The major result established by the study indicate that teacher attitude to teaching science, large class size, teacher absenteeism, student s motivation, teacher subject matter knowledge and student s low entry grades, were the factors responsible for the low academic achievement of science students in the low achieving schools. In effect, the study recommends that, school heads should put in place appropriate strategies to monitor teachers absenteeism, and again G.E.S., M.O.E and PTA should supply teaching and learning materials and science equipments for effective teaching and learning in the low achieving schools.