Students’ Attitude and Student Academic Performance in Government-Aided Secondary Schools in Wakiso District-Uganda

This study explored the relationship between students’ attitude and student academic performance in Government-Aided secondary schools in Wakiso District-Uganda. The study was guided by three specific objectives; i) To examine the relationship between student engagement and student academic performance, ii) To examine the relationship between student motivation and student academic performance, and iii) To examine the relationship between student behavior and student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district. The study adopted a correlational research design coupled with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A sample size of 40 respondents was considered constituting of head teachers and teachers from the 10 selected government-aided secondary schools in the district. Both descriptive analysis and correlation analysis was employed to provide answers to the study phenomenon. The study revealed that there is a very strong positive and statistically significant relationship between student engagement and student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district. The study also revealed that there is a moderately positive and statistically significant relationship between student motivation and student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district. Further, the study also revealed that there is a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between student behavior and student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district. Therefore, the study concludes that student attitude in form of student engagement, student motivation, and student behavior has a statistically significant association with student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district in that an increase in the different forms of student attitude will resultantly lead to an improvement in student academic performance in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district. The study recommends that the government and secondary schools’ administrators should ensure efficiency and promote student attitudes such as motivation, engagement and participation, comprehension, and critical thinking as these play a significant role in helping students achieve higher academic performance and develop skills that are valuable throughout their educational careers and beyond in government-aided secondary schools in Wakiso district.