Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to examine major factors affecting academic performance
of selected secondary school students in Gondar City Administration. In order to do it, descriptive
survey design was employed. A total of 260 students, 90 teachers, 9 department heads and 3 directors
were the sample population. Regarding sampling technique, students and teachers were selected using
simple random sampling to fill the questionnaires. Directors were selected based on purposive
sampling technique and department heads were selected based on random sampling technique for
interview. Questionnaire and interview were the major data collection instruments used for the study.
Mixed research method (quantitative and qualitative) was used and the data collected was analyzed
using percentage for quantitative data and qualitative description for qualitative data. The findings of
the study revealed that the major factors affecting students academic achievement in these schools
were lack of students motivation to learn, students’ discipline problems, lack of teachers’ motivation to
teach, inappropriate method of teaching, lack of appropriate parental support, the assignment of
directors who are not specialized in the field of Educational planning and management, irrelevant
curriculum, extra. Based on the findings, conclusions were made and recommendations were
forwarded to solve the existing problems .Accordingly, students should be regularly motivated by their
parents, teachers,extra. Students disciple problem should be reduced by giving advice continuously,
teachers’ motivation to teach should be increased by giving incentives and their method of teaching
should be improved by giving training, specialized directors in the field of Educational planning and
management should be assigned, the existing curriculum should be revised, extra.
