Determinants of Students Academic Performance in Senior High Schools: A Binary Logit Approach

Abstract

A binary logit model is used to investigate the determinants of students’ performance in the final high school examination. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 1,129 final year students (614 boys and 515 girls) in ten senior high schools (SHSs) during the 2008/2009 academic year. Respondents were requested to provide information on their own characteristics, father characteristics and mother characteristics. The background information was then merged with the results of the examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council in May/June 2009. It was found that 55.3% qualified for post-secondary education. Empirical results revealed that academic ability and type of school attended are the most important predictors of performance in the final SHS examination. Having a father who is a farmer reduces the probability of qualifying for post secondary education by 29%.