Full Guide Step by Step Writing Academic Research Proposal

Fore words

As we were coming down towards the end of the Academic year, I promised to give you a guideline on how to go about writing your proposal. Kindly take time to read the guideline and try to see how you can accommodate these procedures when writing your proposal.

Take this guideline as benchmark for writing your proposal. Therefore you need to consult as many research books as possible so as to enrich the contents of this guideline and come up with a proposal of recommendable standard.

However, these guidelines differ much depending on the nature of the University and Discipline. Therefore, there is no common format/approach for writing proposals across Universities and Disciplines.

As you write your proposal make note of the following:

(i) You are undergraduate student; therefore, your work must reflect that you are a mature academician ready for an independent work.

(ii) Try to adhere to all principles of academic writing, remember plagiarism is a crime against scholarship. Therefore your arguments must be supported by proper citations/acknowledgement of sources.

(iii) Take time to read extensively and intensively about your research topic so that you are aware and sure of what you intend to do. This will help you in defining your problem, stating your objectives, stating your problem, identifying knowledge gap, and deciding on appropriate research methods to adopt.

Chapter One

The problem and its setting.

1.0 Introduction

This section aims at introducing a chapter. It highlights major parts of the first chapter. At this point therefore, you need to point out/outline all the major parts of the first chapter. This section must be short paragraph (not more than five sentences) offering a summary of the contents of the chapter.

For example: this chapter is presented under the following sections: background information; statement of the problem; and objectives of the study. Other sections are research questions/hypothesis (depending on your choice); significance of the study and definition of key terms and concepts. Delimitation of the study is also included in this chapter.

1.1.0 Background to the problem

This section is the heart of the research. It should be at lest 2 pages long. The section forms the basis of other sections of your research. For example: justification of the study, objectives of the study, statement of the problem, and knowledge gap. Therefore, this section should be written in a very precise manner to give a complete picture of your work. A well defined background will produce good objectives, good statement of the problem and will clearly show what is known about the study and what is not known. Give all the information that will help your examiner to understand the generality of the problem. You just need to briefly explain how a particular problem has arisen and why is it a problem. It should be noted that, background information is a summary of your literature review.

Generally what is expected at this point is:

• Give a brief history of the problem, stating clearly why the problem exists with reference to various scholars.
• What is known about the study, give the major arguments raised by various scholars
• State what is not known (indicate why you believe that it is, in fact, a researchable problem).

1.2.0 Statement of the problem

This is a summary of the background section. This section should not go beyond one paragraph. A candidate needs to state what is known about the study, what is not known about the study and what is expected out of the study.

For example: Existing literatures about the causes of truancy indicates that…………………………………..Astounding as it may appear, there is no major study on the role of parents towards high rate of truancy in Tanzanian primary schools, particularly in Nyamagana District. Therefore, this study seeks to find out and establish the role of parents towards high rate of truancy in Nyamagana District.

1.3.0 Objectives of the study

These states what the researcher seeks to achieve at the completion of the research project. This is important because it is the basis for evaluating whether the research has accomplished what it set out to do.

1.3.1 Main objective

This refers to the general intention of the research. It should spell what the research is supposed to accomplish. In most cases it carries the title of the study.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

These are specific objectives arising directly from the general objective of the study. These are normally stated in measurable terms such as

• To identify……..
• To determine……..
• To describe……….
• To establish……….
• To find out……….

1.3.3 Research questions

These are specific objectives translated into questions. They are investigative assumptions, which guide the study. Each specific objective is translated into an independent question, therefore, the number of specific objectives determine the number of research questions to e developed.

1.4.0 Significance of the study

This refers to the relevance of the study in terms of academic contributions and practical use that might be made of the findings. It should reflect on knowledge creation or socio-economic value to the community.

Therefore, you need to identify the key beneficiaries (field of study, researchers, academicians, community or other stake holders in the area of study) of your study and describe how each beneficiary is going to benefit. In other words what will be the contribution of the new knowledge that you are going to generated?

For example:

(The title of the study was: The Role of Peasants in Struggles for Independence of Tanagnyika)

Findings from the study will push forward historical investigations of struggles for independence in new directions, showing the ways in which grassroots activists, particularly peasants were critical in struggles for independence in Tanganyika. Therefore, results would lay the basis for understanding the role of peasants in struggles for independence elsewhere in Africa, and third world in general where peasants were and are dominant. Also the study provides significant insights, which will be helpful to teachers, students, politicians, historians and other interested researchers in the study of political history particularly in Sukuma land and Tanzania in general

1.5.0 Delimitation of the study

At this point a candidate needs to define geographical and academic limits of the study. For example:

The study will be conducted in ………..District from four wards. Teachers, Ward Educational officers, Head of schools, parents and students will be involved. The study will deal with the role of parents only towards high rate truancy in Nyamagana District.

1.6.0 Definition of key terms and concepts

The same words may have different connotations to people, especially if they work in various disciplines. List and clarify or define the main words and concepts that you will use in your research.

Chapter two

Literature review.

1.0 Introduction:

This part aims at introducing the chapter.

For example: this section is about literature review related to the study. It is divided into two parts, Empirical Literature and Synthesis and research gap.

• Empirical literature:

An adequate literature review is required in all research proposals. The purpose of literature review is:

• To provide evidence to the examiner that a candidate is well acquainted with past and current knowledge in the field of study. This will help to identify the known and unknown knowledge
• To prove that the research will not duplicate past or current knowledge
• Literature review positions your research within the existing body of knowledge.The gathered evidence should be from different parts of the world and specifically from at least each continent.
• Research gap

This is the gap in knowledge that a researcher wants to fill through his/her research. It is established after a thorough review of literatures. Literature review helps a researcher to know about the existing knowledge and missing knowledge (research gap).

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Chapter three

Research methodology

1.0 Introduction

This part usually introduces the chapter. It outlines the major components of the third chapter. For example:

This Chapter presents Research Methodology through which information relevant to the research problem will be collected. In this area of Research methodology, the Researcher stated various steps and techniques that will be used in studying the research problem. The Chapter is presented under the following sections; Research design, Area of study and Sample and Sample size. Other sections are Data collection methods and Reliability and Validity of instruments.

3.1.0 Research design

At this point a candidate is expected to define the term research design, identify the kind of research design he/she will employ in his /her study (qualitative or quantitative design), give reason(s) for selecting a particular design (why qualitative or quantitative design) and state how a selected design will be used in the field.

3.2.0 Study area

At this point a candidate is expected to give a thorough description of the study area. The most important information for this section is outlined below:

1. Geographical information, including climatic information (temperature, rainfall, vegetation, soil, drainage) and geographical position (latitudes and longitudes) of the area are important.
2. Administrative information of the region, including administrative boundaries. It is important to include the following maps: Map of your country, map of the region and district
3. Social information like the people inhabiting the area, language(s) spoken, and culture of the people.
4. Economic information, particularly economic activities taking place in the region and economic status of the region are important
5. Demographic information (population data of the area)
6. Justification of the study area. Why is it important for the study to be conducted in the proposed area? It is important to have credible evidence from sources.

3.3.0 Sample and sample size

A candidate is expected to:

• Define a term sample
• Give the expected sample size (e.g. 100 respondents)
• Give reasons for selecting such a sample size ( e.g. due to limitation of resources, time and geographical accessibility)
• Describe the numerical composition of your sample (e.g. in particular the sample will consists of 30 teachers, 20 head of schools, 25 parents 25 students)

3.4.0 Sampling procedures

These guarantees that the data is representative and a basis for generalizing the conclusion.

A candidate is expected to

• Define the term sampling procedures
• Identify the sampling procedures he/she will employ in the study
• Describe each selected procedure
• Give reasons for selecting each procedure
• Describe the way he/she will use each sampling procedure in getting respondents (e.g. x sampling procedure will be used in sampling A&B respondents because…………)

3.5.0 Data collection methods

A candidate is expected to

• Define the term data collection methods
• State why is it important to use a variety of data collection methods in research
• Identify the kind of data collection method he/she will use in the field (e.g. this study will employ the following methods of data collection; interview, questionnaires, documentary review (must be employed) and Focus Group Discussion. Then describe the identified methods as follows:

3.5.1 Interview

• Define the term interview
• Give reasons for choosing this method
• State to whom(what kind of respondents) the method will be administered
• Explain how you will use/administer this method in the field

3.5.2 Questionnaire

• Define the term questionnaire
• Describe the kind of questionnaires you will use in the field ( Close or Open ended)
• Give reasons for choosing this method
• State to whom(what kind of respondents) the method will be administered
• Explain how you will use/administer this method in the field

3.5.3 Documentary review

• Define the term documentary review
• Outline the kind of documents that you think are important in your study
• Explain where you will get such documents
• Give reasons as to why documentary review is important in your study

3.6.0 Validity and Reliability

3.6.1 Reliability

• Define the term reliability
• Give reasons why reliability is it important to consider reliability when preparing a proposal (research instruments)
• Explain how you would ensure reliability of your research instrument

3.6.2 Validity

• Define the term validity
• Explain why is it important to validate research instruments?
• Explain how you would ensure validity of your research instruments?

3.7.0 Data analysis plan

A candidate is expected to give a plan on how she/he will analyze the data collected.

3.8.0 Work plan

A candidate is expected to give a plan/ timetable of his/ her study. This is important in guiding the whole exercise of research.

Example of work plan

References

This should consists of list of books, journals, conference papers, etc cited in the proposal

• This should appear in an independent page
• You should use a common format throughout your work
• Books should be arranged from A-Z

Appendices

• This should also be in a fresh page
• This section should consist of questionnaires/interview guide that you will use in the field. Each category of respondents should have its own list of questions/interview guide.
• Design specific questions for each objective
• Questions set should be in a position to answer your research questions
• Questions should be few in number for them to be effective
• Poor framing of questions will result to poor data

For example:

APPENDIX A: questionnaire/interview guide for Head of school

• This should consist of questions to e answered by Head of schools
• They should be in an independent page

APPENDIX B: questionnaire/interview guide for teachers

• This should consist of questions to be answered by teachers
• They should e in a separate page

APPENDIX C: questionnaire / interview guide for students

• This should consists of questions to be answered by students
• They should e in a separate page.

Physical structure of the proposal

Body text

• Type face – Times New Roman
• Font – 12
• Double spacing

Titles/sub titles

• Body text – full justification
• Titles/subtitles – Bold, centered

Pagination

Pagination shall be at the bottom, center

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The best top ways to deal with the group of slow Learners Students.

Slow Learner

Slow learner is a child who has a limited ability of learning or a child who its intelligence is below average due to different reasons.

Fore word

Teaching slow learner is not a simple task 1,2,3. It needs some one who is patient, caring and who love teaching others to be be perfect in something. As the definition explains above that , slow learner is a child whose its intelligence is below average, there fore you must consider different teaching Technics so as to come up with the best results, and if you will find out that among of your Technic is more helpful, then apply it.

How to deal with group of slow learners

• first you have to identify them. that is if a school has large number of students, then they have to be sorted out first. Sorting them out will help the teachers to know exactly number of slow learner who they are going to work with.
• Second, they have to be distributed to the number of teachers available in a certain school, that is if the school has 10 teachers and the total number of slow learner is 10, every teacher will work with only one student. this will simplify working with one slow learner, as it will be easier to make assessment,working with him or her any time, the learner will feel special and it will help a learner to pay attention to what his or her teach instruct as the learner is alone.

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After being sorted and distributed

• Choose the best teaching methods to work with your learner. This will work by trying to apply different teaching methods, that is, at the beginning try to apply different methods as you can when teaching him or her, this will help you to understand which method is the most suitable for your student, as you make an assessment to your student in each every methods you use.
• Assessment, if you real want to have better to have better result to your student, please make sure you assess him or her as more as you can. This will help you as a teacher to understand the progress of your student, however it will have more advantage to your student, as the more test, quizzes, exams and or any other form of assessment will build your student with confidence to do activities you provide to him or her.
• Do not give up so easily, that is you have to be patient and kind as i have said before that teaching a slow learner is not a simple task. There fore you do not have to give up so easily because you may find that, you have taught him or her yet after giving him or her the work or an assignment ,either quiz, or test and or exam, and she score zero, do not be frustrated, what you are supposed to do is to try another teaching methods which will make him or her do the best next time.

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One more thing to work with your Learner

• Try motivating him or her . In this case you are not supposed to apply negative motivation like punishment, rather you are supposed to apply positive motivation such as interesting gifts.This will make your learner to work hard as she or he knows that is going to have something she like when do good in her or his learning activities. for this to work out, try to read your student first, that is try understand him or her well the thing she or he likes the most, and promise him or her to give him or her when she will do best. You must also be honesty so as when she or he do good work you truly give him or her the gift.
• Also you have to provide productive punishment when she or he misbehave or did something wrong, that is instead of using sticks and or any other harsh punishment, try to give him or her the work that will become more advantageous to him or her and you. Example if you are teaching him or her English language, give him or her a task to write a single sentence and she he must fill 15 pages or above of same single sentence.

Things to avoid when teaching your student.

• Avoid being aggressive.
• Avoid being harsh.
• Avoid him or her to give up on his or her work.

Source

Generally, transmitting knowledge skills from one person to another need some one is ready, loving, caring and patient. There fore teaching slow learner need kind of teacher who is qualified to teach slow learners because as i have said above that teaching slow learner is not simple task, there for teaching slow learner is not a job of everyone, that is not every one can be able to teach slow leaner.

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The Common Problems That Face Teachers in Tanzanian Schools

Government employed teachers, are those teachers who serves the government schools, either in primary or secondary schools. Their main duty is to teach and transferring knowledge, skills and culture to students or pupils in theses public schools. In the course of transferring knowledge to young generation they tend to face different challenges as explained below as follows:-

Lack of teaching and learning materials

• Many schools in Tanzania has no enough teaching and learning materials such as text books, teaching equipment, and other teaching materials. They hustle everyday searching for teaching materials in their environment including internet resources in order to get lesson notes. This is a greater challenge to teachers making them feel that teaching activity is a hard job.

Low salary paid to Teachers

• Government employed teachers are doing greater job transferring knowledge to the young generation but still they are paid little salary. This is great challenge to teachers and this make them even not concentrating on teaching because they just keep thinking about how to earn an extra cash for him or her to survive well. Because the paid salary is not enough to teachers monthly expenditure especially those who have big families. This challenge remove teachers concentration on teaching . I recommend the government to crosscheck payment system of teachers in order to make them feel as if they are real government servants by increasing their salary.

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Poor working environment

• Many government schools has no good favorable environment, that is you may find the school has no any office for teachers. Teachers are kept in an empty classroom and made it as their office. Another issue is the houses, many governmental built schools has no houses for teachers to live, this led to make teachers live far away from the school where by some areas are remoteness and they don’t have even electricity supply. This make teachers feel as if they are not civil servants. Therefore in order to resolve this problem the government should improve the working environment for its teachers.

Lack of teachers in rural areas

• Many government schools which are located at rural areas has low number of teachers while those urban schools have many teachers compared to urban schools. This is a great challenge to teachers who are in rural secondary schools, because you may find the school has a number of five hundred students and has only nine teachers. And some of subject may miss teachers especially science subject, you may find that mathematics teacher is one in a school with about five hundred students enrolled. This challenge make the teachers feel that teaching activity is tiresome job and difficult enough, because when it come the time you want to give the students test or exam, you start thinking on how are you going to mark all papers. Therefore in order to solve this problem the government has to crosscheck the schools with few teachers and hire or transfer more teachers to school with lack of teachers particularly in rural areas.

Challenges from the parents and guardians or civilians

• This means that some parents are they ignorant especially when they find out that his or her child is punished by teachers, some parents tend to claim teachers to for the case of punishing their children at school. Other parents or guardians they don’t want their children to be punished by teachers especially having punished by sticks, even if the student or pupils is misbehaving at school or broke out the schools regulations. Some tend to inter in conflicts with teachers and sometimes even bewitching the teachers. In order to resolve this problem parents and or guardians should not interfere the school regulations.

Lack of motivation to teachers by the Government

• Motivation is something important to any person , motivation make a person to work more accurate knowing that she or he will get something after accomplishing something in a good way. Teachers in many schools has no motivation from the governments, you will find out that instead of motivating teachers the government motivate the students, where by the teacher is one to be motivated after the students being performed well. Example is the previous years the government was giving money and laptops and money to the students who did well in their examination. It used to call them to the parliament house and giving them those gifts. The question is who is to be motivated? , The one who made the students to perform well or the students who performed well? The one who is to be motivated is the one who made the students to perform well but not the students. Therefore the government should crosscheck its services to workers including motivations so as to make them work hard.
  

Lack of cooperation between parents or guardians and teachers

• This means that parents or guardians think that only the teacher is responsible for her or his child to perform well in his or her academics, that is parents do not crosscheck their students’ progress academically instead they live everything to be done by teachers. You may find that parents or guardians they tend to leave their children playing the whole time, instead of keeping them busy studying, this problem is mainly common to public schools (day schools) where students go to school and return home. In order to solve this challenge parents must cooperate with teachers by making follow up of their children academic progress.

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The simple present tense

The Simple Present Tense

I have been teaching Linguistic for 10 years now, however i realized that in order a person to speak and write in good English language, one must first Lean English Tenses, this is because English Tenses guide a person how to speak and or write according to the time. Being a linguistic teacher, teaching Swahili and English, i have came up with simple way to Learn all English Language Tenses categories with full formula winch will guide you how to learn and understand English language quicker.

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What is Simple Present Tense?

The simple present tense, is a tense which express actions which are in daily routine or habits. That is it tell us those actions in which some one or something do everyday, every time, every year, every month, every second and so on.

How will you recognize simple present tense?

The simple present tense can be recognized by the appearance of some words in your given sentences. These words include the following:-

• Every - which can be , every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every Monday, every Tuesday, every Wednesday, every Thursday, every Friday, Every Saturday, every Sunday, Every Week, every Month and every Year.
• Sometime- The appearance of this word indicate that the sentence is in simple present tense because the word sometimes denote that some one or something is doing a certain thing at unknown time, but its like his/her or its behavior to act like that.
• Always -This word also denote simple present tense in sentence, as it express that something or some one is doing something in routine or habits.
• Daily - This denote those activities being done every day.

Formula to use on Simple Present Tense

The formula of how to use simple present tense is divided into two category , however it may stand alone as one. Its division came from the rules on how to use simple present tense. I will start giving you the standalone formula which requires you to understand the pronouns, such as She, he, it and They , we, you, I.

The formula

1. SHE/HE/IT + VERB + S /ES /IES ( To the given Verb)

Example

i. She plays football every evening = she + play (verb) + S (Added in verb)

ii. It rains every day = she + rain( verb )+ S (Added in verb)

Formula 2.

THEY /WE/ YOU/ I + VERB + .........( nothing to add to the given verb)

Example

i. They cook every time.

ii. We eat every noon.

iii. I do my homework every weekend.

NB. The words, she, he, it and they, we, you, I, These are known as pronoun and pronoun stands before the name of things, Animals and people.There fore you may use names of things, animals and people in your sentences by considering the your formula.

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More examples on Simple Present Tense.

The following are mixed examples on simple present tense for both formula :-

i. She always cries for help .

ii. We learn new thing everyday.

iii. It rings every four minutes.

iv. He comes here everyday.

v. They always help us!

vi. I write good ebooks every weekend

vii. peter cleans his house every day

viii. we teach people new thing every day

ix. John makes good tables evry month.

x. She washes her clothes daily.

The use of simple present in plural form.

If you want to use simple present tense in plural form( Third personal pronouns), then you have to consider the second formula given above.

the following are examples :-

i. They watch movies every night

ii. John and peter always play to gather.

iii. we make good furniture.

iv. You cry every night.

v. They go to school every week.

vi. we make the best pizza every day.

vi. They sometimes go to the market.

viii. We always shop online.

ix. Anna and Jane love each other well.

x. We share our earning every month.

Try out to do the given question below

Try out this question to check out yourself if you understood the lesson .

• Question, change the given verbs in brackets into simple present tense

1. James (write) notes every day. (.......................................................)
2. She (buy) new smartphone every year .(............................................)
3. It (stop) at 04:00 pm every day (.........................................................)
4. I (eat) pizza every morning (.............................................................)
5. They (mistype) the letter every time. (................................................)

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Complete sample of Academic research report

This is a sample of academic research report in which covers basic information or guides on how to write research report ready to be submitted.Before working on this sample make sure you have already prepared your research proposal, because research proposal help you to choose the suitable topic and research method in which you will use in your study. For the complete guide on how to write academic research report , take a look on below sample.

Chapter one

This chapter covers back ground of the problem, purpose or aim of the research, research questions, significance of the research, and definition of the key terms and finally delimitation of the study.

1.1 Background of the problem

Education is a process through which individual acquire skills, competencies, and attitude. It is the right of every child to be educated; it can be traditional or western. Thus, education it has been regarded as culture to man, people and the nation of the world at large. This explains why man has to educate himself and his offspring in the society. Poverty is one of the factor militating against man from carrying out his educational activities perfectly. Because of the various perception and complexities of the term poverty, a universally agreed definition cannot be arrived at. But then, poverty according to the oxford advanced learners dictionary (2000), poverty is the state of being poor. Mike (2005) sees poverty as a way of life characterized by low calories intake, inaccessibility of adequate health facilities, low quality education system, low life expectancy, unemployment and under-employment. It will therefore be considered in a broader way which implies that, it has been viewed in various perspectives which include one national state and home background. At the national level, a nation can be considered poor when her economic standard is very low and this automatically makes the nation underdeveloped. The economy of a country that does not reached certain stage of development in terms of infrastructure and other development indices. As regard poverty in the family level, we are referring to the home background. Even before the indigenous education or western type of education, the home has always been the agency through which man learns various aspect of life to enable him live a meaningful life in his environment. The home which is also known as traditional way of educating the young ones is still regarded as the first school of a child before he or she enters the larger society. The role of the home cannot be over emphasized because the general assumptions that, states of poverty in the family or home goes to a long way to determine the extent of youth or students’ educational development. Education is seen by many as the route to alleviate poverty. There is no doubt that meaningful; education is the most potential instrument for alleviating and eventually abolishing poverty. In considering the effect of poverty on academic performance of students to be precise, the home background is the most important phenomenon that need to be seriously considered in order to enhance the effective study of the relationship between poverty and students academic performance. In view of this, some factors that needed to be considered in the home or family background are parents’ academic qualification, socio-economic class and facilities available in home or home environment as well as parent status.

1.2 Statement of the problem

This research sought to investigate and identify the impact of family poverty on the primary and secondary school students’ in academic performance at East Usambara, whereby despite the Government effort to improve academic performance of students by provisions of human and material sources such as more training teachers and learning materials, and constructing more classrooms and laboratories, but still academic performance of students in East Usambara remained poor. Hence a researcher decided to look on the other hand of family to find out how family poverty affect academic achievement of students, because family play a greater role upon students academic performance .Hence calling up on researcher to make an investigation on how family poverty affect students academic performance.

1.3.0 Objective of this research

The following are the objectives of this research whereby they are categorized into two types, which are, the main objective and specific objectives:-

1.3.1 Main objective

The main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of family poverty on academic performance of students in primary and secondary schools.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

This research sought to achieve the following specific objectives;-

i. To analyze the challenges facing students from poor families in relation to academic performance.

ii. To assess the effect of poor academic performance on students from poor families.

iii. To suggest possible solution to the problem.

1.4 Research Questions

The following are sample of questions helped a researcher in the process of data/ information collection and gathering:-

(i) Does family poverty affect academic performance of children?

(ii) In which ways family poverty affect academic performance of children?

(iii) In which ways academic performance of children from poor families can be improved?

1.5 Definition of the key terms

(i) Poverty is the deficiency symptoms in various sphere of life such as health, education, water sanitation and employment.

(ii) Family poverty is the situation where by a family cannot afford to meet the required basic needs, such as food, shelter, and water.

(iii) Academic, in this research, means reading studying and technical skills. (Oxford Advanced learners Dictionary, 1997)

(iv) Performance, in this research, refers to the act of or process of performing a task, or an action etc. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary 2006)

1.6 Significance of the research

(i) The research intended to be useful as the resource data and practical entity in formulating education policy toward primary and secondary schools as far as the role of family in matter is concerned.

(ii) To show and prove the importance of family in children academic achievement.

(iii) This study sought to create awareness among parents, government, students and other stakeholders in the society on the impact of family poverty in relation to academic performance

1.7 Scope of the study

Cohen et al, (2000) argues that it is very important for a researcher at the planning stage to clearly specify and define the area to be researched. Therefore this study carried out in Amani Muheza at East Usambara ( Tanga Region). This research covered all schools in Amani area. Thisresearch carried in this area because the area has many students who most of them perform poorly in their academic, including poor National examination results. Also, there are a large number of students who drop out from school before time and engage in early marriage, drug abuse and other activities like Agriculture and Bodaboda . Hence researchers wanted to know whether family poverty has an effect on students’ academic performance

Chapter two: literature review

2.1 Introduction

This chapter covers literature review as related to the research problem, related theory review, and demonstration of the knowledge gap after the readings. The following are related literatures:-

Poverty is defined as sufficient income in cash or kind to meet the most basic biological needs for food, clothes and shelter. This kind of poverty is commonly known as absolute poverty. It is also means miserable condition of life inadequate sanitation, health services and education Malunda, (2002). He further explains that, as many as 1.2 billion people or 23 percent of the world’s population live in this type of poverty that is absolute poverty. In Tanzania for example it’s estimated that in 1983, 655 percent of all Tanzanians living in village were living in poverty.

Poverty in the world is great problem associated with number of problems in explaining this, Jensen (2009:7), asserts that poverty involve complex array of risk factors that involves adversely affect the population in malt attitude ways. He further, argues that the four primary risk factors afflicting families living in poverty are such as emotional and social challenges, acute and chronic stressors, healthy and safety issues and finally cognitive lags.

Clause, (2010), however, argues that poverty considered every significant at risk. According to him at risk factor in relation to education means dropping out from school, and also on the other hand engaging in drug abuse and alcohol, in criminal action and attempt suicide among other consequences. He explains more that when examine poverty in school two types of poverty are looked at. The first is poverty on an individual level and the second is measure of poverty level in school. For individual statement poverty is typically determined by whether or not children are eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch where by a school poverty level seen a percentage of its student having receive a reduced price. Students who eligible to receive free or reduced price which these student are risk of academic failure. This may not be surprising however the consequence of high poverty in school is revealing as to how poverty gains momentum and can cause an entire system Detroiter.

Family economic level may influence academic performance in different ways. According to Marzono. (2004: 521), parent economic resources can influence self esteem in several ways, parent income bring both children and parent social status and respect that can translate into individual self esteem. He further explains that income can also enhances children’s self esteem by reducing the emotional or supportive qualities of parents home. The pressure that limited economic resources can place on marital relationship and can in turn translate into negative parent relationship and lower level self esteem.

In examining the effect of family poverty on children academic performance, clauss (2010: 737), points out three effects whereby he asserted that, first, stressful effect that poverty has on family may led to affect children academic performance, family living in poverty often lack some of the key components that, contribute to academic success such as security and access to basic resources. Second he argues that parents from poor families may be hindered from living positive emotional relations with their children’s due to a number of problems associated with poverty, related reasons such as having work long hours, being single parents and therefore having less time to spare with their children and being under constant stress. Finally he explains that, there is little hope for students living in poverty in school setting and poor academic will lead to a life chronic poverty.

Jensen (2009), also he pointed out the effect of family poverty on academic performance, arguing that poor children have fewer and less support network than their more affluent counterpart do. According to him children from poor families have fever cognitive enrichments opportunities, they also have fewer books at home, and they visit library less often and spend considerable more time watching Television than their middle income counterpart do. He further explains that children from poor family live in chaotic unstable households, they are likely to come from single guardian home, and their parent’s hood strains resources and correlates direct with lower chance of attend college.

Ross (2000) looks family poverty on academic performance by comparing students who are in urban and rural. According to him family background and social economic status have consistently been shows to be related to study student achievement. In emphasizing his argument, he pointed out times factors such as follow, first situation in urban public school overall had less desirable experiences than those in other locations on 8 of the 20 measures, analyzed even after counting for higher poverty concentration in urban schools. Second, he explains that situation in public schools on every measure except the availability of minority staff and student use of alcohol. Third, he asserted that students in high poverty urban public schools had less desirable school experiences than those in urban sub urban schools on two of indicators, fourth, student in high poverty in urban schools have unusually high rates of watching Television comparing with other groups of children or students, exceeding the rate that would be predicate from difference location and poverty concentration combined. Finally he concluded that students in urban high poverty schools had more disciplinary problems and were much likely to watch a lot of television.

Head (2008), in his study remind the society that, children of poverty truly lives in conditions that is unlike condition of middle class and wealthy children. He added that, children of poverty suffer from breathing problem. Also impoverished children wish for ordinary things like pets and nice clothes. But he argues that the hopes and dreams of children from poor families are not different from other children.

Barr et al (2008), however points out the effect of economic impoverishment on student learning, that is, to them, poor nutrition has a debilitating effect on children poverty and homes of poor children’s often lack the education enrichment supports to maintain and enrich what happens during the school day as a result poverty level children have a poor recode of completing home work, assignment and arrive at school next day less prepared than their advantage peers. They also assert that, children of poverty suffer significantly during the Summer time, whereby chose children from poor family during the summer time they spent their time going to the city and state parks taking swimming and dance lesson and participating in organized sport programmers.

Tsai (2008) indicates that economic status including parent’s education status, employment status and parental income can have an influence either direct or indirectly on student’s performance. He argues that those children who come from financially low family backgrounds or live with unemployed parents are more likely to be accused for academic failure and leaving School early. He continued to emphasize that family structure can also lead to poor academic performance, example, unstable family structure, such as single parent home blended families, and extended family homes have potential to interface with student performance at school. However parental involvement in children school activities is important in student attitudes toward education and their school performance. This is because poor educated parents do not possess the adequate skills and information to participate in their children with home work assignment and to solve academic and behavior. Therefore this also can led to poor academic performance because the students has no a person to direct him or her to do his or her home work assignment, hence poor performance.

2.2 Theory regarded the study

Ragner Nurkse, in his theory of vicious circles of poverty believes that society is poor because it is poor. He claims that a society with low income has both low level of saving and low level of consumption.

Nurkse believes that a circle of poverty is a phenomenon where poor family has become trapped in poverty for at least three generation and those families have either limited or no resources. To clarify his argument, Nurkse takes poor man as his example, as a consequence of lower income, the poor man continue to grow weaker and inefficient there by perpetuating his poverty.

In addition, poverty can have many dimension, low earning and low level of skill or ability, lack of assets and access to training and education, poor health malnutrition, lack of shelter and food are also the sign of poverty. However on an individual level the circle of poverty starts with the statement that a poor person cannot pay for an adequate supply of food and thus is poor. The circle of poverty starts all over again with a situation where person does not have money to get nutrition’s food, and this process goes on and on.

Furthermore the vicious circle of poverty implies a circular constellation of forces tending to act and react in such way to keep a country or person on in state of poverty. According to Kathel (2011; 220), a poor man not have to eat being under fed, his health become weak, being physically weak, his working capacity is low, which means that he will not have enough eat and so on.

Therefore, in relation to this study, the vicious circle of poverty implies that poor man will not be able to send his children to schools, especially in high school and higher level. And this will leads to illiteracy and unemployment hence both children and parents remain poor because children remain uneducated and therefore have no access to employment opportunities hence the vicious circle of poverty takes place.

Vicious Cycle of poverty

Source

2.3 Research gap from review of literature

The surveyed literature from different source of materials on the impact of family poverty on children academic performance they based on psychological effect, relationship between parents and children, parents’ income, single parents and comparing the students who are in urban and rural schools. Example, Clauss (2010; 737), in his study pointed out psychological effects based on stress that has on family as a source of children poor academic performance. He has also shown the relationship between parents and children, and single parent to have effect on children academic achievement, where by the study regard poor relationship between parent and children as a source of children poor academic achievement due to parents being busy with work, the whole day, leading them to have no time to spare with them. Also in the study carried by Barr et al (2008), based on comparing parent income and economic impoverishment on student learning to have an effects on children academic achievement, the study indicates that parent income may have direct or indirect contribution to children academic achievement. Finally, the study done by Ross (2000), based in comparing the students who are in rural and urban schools, the study indicated that there are little materials access in rural schools like network, which may lead to poor academic achievement of children comparing to urban schools.Therefore, from the analysis of different literature, it clearly show that, there are many studies which have done on the impact of family poverty upon students academic achievement but these studies are too wide and unspecified to a certain area . Therefore, this study sought to find out and identify the impact of family poverty on the student’s academic performance in primary and secondary school, particularly in Amani rural area as a case study.

Chapter three, Research methodology

3.1 Introduction

This chapter covered research approaches, research design, population of the study, sample size, location of the study, sampling procedure, data collection methods, data analysis of the study.

3.2 Research Approach

The researcher used mixed approach because the study need descriptive and quantitative data, therefore mixed approach were used so as to gather required information

3.3 Research design

In this study the researcher adhered to use qualitative and on the other hand quantitative design. This is because the study dealt much on the impact of family poverty situation on students in primary and secondary schools.

3.4 Targeted population

In this study three wards schools were visited. Where by the population included students, teachers, parents, and heads of schools. Therefore the researcher used all mentioned respondents because are the one who concerned with the problem, so they were used by a researcher as respondents and provided required information to the researcher

3.5 Sample size

Since it was not possible for everybody within the targeted population to be involved in the study, the researcher planned a small sample groups, therefore the population from which data gathered was, 100 respondents.

3.6 Location of the study

Cohen et al, (2000) comment that it is very important for a researcher at the planning stage to clearly specify and define the area to be researched. Therefore this study carried out, Amani Area in Tanga Region. The study covered three ward schools. The study carried in this area because the area has many schools with many students who most of them perform poorly in their academic, including poor National examination results. Also, there are a large number of students who leave the school before time and engage in early marriage,drug abuse and other activities like Agriculture and Bodaboda. Hence researchers wanted to know whether family poverty has an impact on the students academic performance in this areas.

3.7 Sampling procedure

Simple random sampling was used during the process of gathering information or data. This provided equal chance to female and male to give information in this study, so it reduced biasness and errors.

3.8 Instrument for data collection

The study involved questionnaires, interviews, and documentary review in gathering required information

3.8.1 Questionnaire method

During the course of investigation two types of questionnaire were used, that was closed – ended questionnaires and open – ended questionnaires. Questions were employed to students where by different questions were formatted for the respondents to answer through writing the answers on the papers provided. This helped to provide a wide chance for the respondents in which they gave out their views and their suggestions concerning with the problem. This method was useful because large amount of information were collected from a large number of people in a short period of time and in a relative coast effectively way. Also through this method the results were quickly and easily quantified by a researcher or through software package. The method also helped to get data based on qualitative, that is numbers and tables.

3.8.2. Interview method

The researcher used oral questioning or conversation with respondents, where by structured interview was employed. This method was administered to the parents, head of schools and teachers. During data collection the interaction was in form of face to face conversation between a researcher and the respondents. This method was useful because it helped in investigating issues in a depth way and discovered how individuals think and feel about a topic or a problem and why they hold a certain opinion. Also the method was useful because it was helped in obtaining details, information about personal feelings, perception and opinion, and also it was avoided an interviewee from not influenced by others in the group, and therefore it was helped in obtaining correct information from interviewee.

3.8.3. Documentary review method

Researcher used this method to gather information through studying the written documents such as textbooks, journal, news papers, speeches, articles, picture and diagrams. The researcher read different documents and results records or data which enabled him to gather required information for analysis. The researcher visited ward schools and has got required information. This method also helped to get access to information that was difficult to get in any other way such as for those people or case who were not will to talk in a formal research interview . Also it helped in making collection of data over a longer period of time as well as large samples

3.9 Data analysis plan

The information which was collected through all the mentioned methods were presented in different ways such as descriptive forms, and also processed into figures. They were also presented into simple percentages to indicate the responses of each item in chapter four

Chapter four: data analysis, interpretation and discussion Introduction

This chapter processes data, present and analyses the findings from the field. It presents the findings in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Principally the study aimed at investigating the impact of family poverty on primary and secondary school students academic performance, in Amani area. Thus, the data processing, presentation and analysis based in tables and analysis.

4.1 Data processing and presentation

The collected data was processed by the researcher after the completion of data collection, where by the researcher put together the interview and questionnaires for further classification of responses which had risen by the respondents. The researcher labeled the questionnaires and interviews by numbering them from 1 to 300. This was because there were about 300 respondents, who responded in total. From this then, the researcher cross-checked all the responses in questionnaires and interviews to get similar or alike responses in each particular question asked and hence a researcher grouped the responses. Therefore data in this study was presented in different form including tables and analysis.

4.2 Data analysis

The researcher analyses the data in accordance with the research objectives, where by the analysis based on quantitative and qualitative description of the field result as presented by the respondents in questionnaire and interviews. Therefore, the researcher analyse the findings with reference to research objectives, in accordance with the above two approaches

4.3 Demographic information of respondents

During the field research the researcher attended the total of three ward schools. The respondents were categorized in different groups with their size, such as 50 teachers from all three schools, 135 students and 15 Head of school from all three ward schools, also 20 civilians (parents) in the ward. The following is the table showing general demographic information of the respondents involved in the process of data collection. {present your data in table)

References

Ballis,J.(2008) The globalization of World’s politics Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Barr et al (2008) saving our students, saving our Schools. Corwn Press, Mathura road, NewDelhi India.

Clauss-enhlers(2010) Encyclopaedia of cross-cultural School psychology, The state University of New Jersey U.S.

Jensen, E. (2009)Teaching with poverty in mind, United state of America.

Kathel et al (2011) Ragner Nurkse classical economic development and its relevance for today. UK & New York.

Lippman (1996) Urban Schools. The challenges of location and poverty. US, Department of Education.

Ross, M. (2000) School level correlates of academic achievement.US, Department of Education.

Rural Poverty portal (2005-2012), http;//www.ruralpovertyportal.org.country/home.

Tsai (2008) A study of at risk students; Experience in residential alternative girls. The Universityof Incarnate ,United State of America.

Vicious circle of poverty/http;//www.preservativearticle.com/ what is vicious circle of poverty.

World Bank Country study (2002) Tanzania Social sector review. United State of America

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