Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Education
Committee Chair
Thomas Lipscomb
Committee Chair School
Education
Committee Member 2
Kyna Shelley
Committee Member 2 School
Education
Committee Member 3
Kevin Wells
Committee Member 3 School
Education
Committee Member 4
Thomas O’ Brien
Committee Member 4 School
Education
Abstract
This study examined how headteachers, teachers, and parents in Ghana attribute responsibility for senior high school students’ academic performance, particularly in relation to performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The study addressed the limited empirical evidence on how these key stakeholders perceive their relative influence on students’ academic success and whether these perceptions differ across stakeholder groups and regions. It also explored stakeholders’ views on the effects of poverty on their ability to support students.
A survey design was used. Data were collected from 30 headteachers, 368 teachers, and 265 parents from senior high schools in the southern, middle, and northern regions of Ghana. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the structure of the attribution items and yielded two underlying domains: students’ motivation and engagement, and students’ achievement. Composite scores derived from these factors were analyzed using repeated-measures and multivariate procedures to examine differences among stakeholder groups and across regions.
The findings revealed significant differences in how influence was attributed. Teachers were consistently perceived as having the greatest influence across both domains, followed by parents, while headteachers were viewed as having comparatively less direct influence. The overall pattern was similar across regions. Stakeholders also indicated that poverty limits their capacity to support students’ academic performance effectively.
Copyright
Samuel Owusu, 2026
Recommended Citation
Owusu, Samuel B., "A Comparison of Headteachers’, Teachers’, and Parents’ Attributions of Their Relative Influence on Students’ Academic Performance in Ghana" (2026). Dissertations. 2475.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2475