A case study of what determines learner performance in a combined school in Mpumalanga Province

Abstract

The study investigated what determines learner performance through an education production function using regression methodologies. The case study of Bankfontein combined school in Mpumalanga province used data obtained from SA-SAMS. The education production function in this investigation included variables such as learner performance, age, gender, days absent and socio-economic status. The study yielded results which showed that age, absenteeism and socio-economic status can strongly determine learner performance. For instance, absenteeism and socio-economic status could negatively affect learner performance. Moreover, as measured by examination scores the poor community of Bankfontein yielded poor educational outcomes. It was recommended that the school with diverse learners should be managed strategically, by providing or directing learners for necessary surviving skills such as entrepreneurship and artisans to name a few. As village schools have several socio-economic challenges ranging from many child-headed households, parents lacking adequate parenting skills especially to education matters, staying with old illiterate grandparents and others, schools should devise means to consider that in the day-to-day activities. Keywords: Quantile regression, Learner performance, SA-SAMS, Production function, Ordinary Least Squares