Socio-Economic Status as Determinants of Students’ Performance in English Language in Secondary Schools in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper examined how parents' socio-economic status determined students' performance in English language in Tanzania secondary schools. Two research questions and two research objectives guided the study. The study was conducted in two randomly selected Regions in Tanzania Mainland. It employed a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from 350 students in sixteen secondary schools. Data was collected through a questionnaire and achievement tests and was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to get frequencies, means, percentages, as well as Pearson's correlation and regression coefficients. It was found that students in Tanzania secondary schools had varying backgrounds in English language, which was determined by the type of primary school they had attended and the class at which they started to learn English language. The regularity of English language usage at home and school enhanced students' performance in English language together with parents' encouragement as well as material and moral support. It is recommended that parents' socio-economic status should not inhibit learners' exposure to English language learning. Also, parents, schools and government should protract English language teaching and learning through providing current textbooks as well as providing a favourable environment to learn and use English.

The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Self-Efficacy and English Language Proficiency of English Language Teachers in the Rural Area: A Case of Passara Education Zone in Sri Lanka

“…Muttaqin et al (2022) stated that SES significantly predicted academic achievements and English proficiency. Nyamubi (2019) in research conducted among secondary schools in Tanzania concluded that the regularity of English language usage at home and school enhanced performance in the English language together with encouragement as well as material and moral support. Nyamubi (2019) is also of the view that socioeconomic characteristics and their background in English language learning make an important factor in their learning outcomes.…”

“…Nyamubi (2019) in research conducted among secondary schools in Tanzania concluded that the regularity of English language usage at home and school enhanced performance in the English language together with encouragement as well as material and moral support. Nyamubi (2019) is also of the view that socioeconomic characteristics and their background in English language learning make an important factor in their learning outcomes. Okunnuga and Christiana (2017) examined SES as a determinant of achievement in the English language in Nigeria and concluded that the SES of the parents had a positive influence on student's English language achievement.…”