FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOL STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF BAHAWALPUR

Abstract

Education is the most powerful weapon which one can use to change the world. Education is a social instrument through which one can achieve his/her goals and shape his future. It has a high rank in humanity. It increases the efficiency and enhances the mental capability of an individual. In this study, we investigate the determinants of grades of school student in Pakistan. We use a unique dataset of school and student information that related with individual student and their parent. Information was collected in a survey of government and private school. For this analysis, we used OLS regression technique. There are major four types of variable that effect the grades of school student (1) student’s related variable (2) parents related variable (3) school related variable (4) teacher related variable. Among the significant variables are the parents’ educations, teacher education, education of elder brother and sister, group of the student (Arts, science), gender of student (male, female), type of school (govt., private), medium of the study (English, Urdu) and income of the parents.
Teacher, parent’s, elder brother and sister education and income of household are positively related with grade of school students. Gender of students has positive effect on grades of school students and male students get higher grade compare to female students. Arts group students get better grade compare to science group students. Private school students get higher grade compare to government school students. Medium of course is negatively related with grade of school students. Students that study in Urdu medium get higher grade compare to English medium school.