Factors accounting for senior high school students’ learning of English language in the Techiman metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

The research examined the factors accounting for senior high school students’ learning of the English language in the Techiman Metropolis. Theoretically, the study was guided by the theory of behaviorism, while methodologically, it employed a cross-sectional design. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select respondents, while a questionnaire and key informant interview guide were used to collect the empirical data from the sampled population consisting of 20 students from each of the three schools, making a total of 60 students. Ten teachers of English language and heads of departments were selected from each of the three senior high schools in the Techiman Metropolis, for a total of 30. In all, 90 respondents took part in the study. The quantitative data was coded, counted, grouped into tables, and processed to provide frequency tables and charts, using SPSS version 16.0. The qualitative data depended on descriptions and explanations. The qualitative analysis involved putting the data (the views of the teachers and heads of departments) under thematic areas followed by descriptions and explanations. The research revealed that the factors accounting for SHS students’ learning of the English language included motivation, the quality of teachers of the English language, the availability of teaching and learning materials (TLMs), teachers of the English language’s continuous professional development, students’ engagement in classroom activities, and the timely assessment of students. Despite these, the study discovered that there are no adequate textbooks in the schools, and there is also the notion among the students that the English language is not their mother tongue, which impeded progress toward helping them to learn the language. The conclusion is that there are some students who see the need to learn the language; hence, they need to be given attention to excel. The implication is that the government will need to provide adequate/more textbooks to senior high schools in the metropolis. Also, sensitization among parents and students about the importance of learning the English language in a technologized 21st century will craft ways for progress in learning the language.