Factors Influencing Pupils' Learning Achievements

—From an MALP Survey in Malawi—

Abstract

Heyneman & Loxley (1983) discussed the importance of school related factors on children's learning achievements, which they emphasized were more important than children's family background. Later, Baker et al. (2002) reported that school related factors were no longer the most important factors to determine children's learning achievements now that the economy in developing countries had greatly grown up and the educational investment had been increased by the governments and donors. It is true that the economic growth is acknowledged in many developing countries. However, there are still some countries with the least economic development, similar to the economic situation of countries targeted in Heyneman & Loxley study. What about these countries? Are school related factors still important in such countries compared to children's family background?

Data of a pilot survey for Monitoring Achievement in Lower Primary (MALP) in Malawi were analyzed to examine variables explaining fourth grade pupils' learning achievements in mathematics and Chichewa (national language) and the relationship among the variables and pupils' learning achievements. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for the analysis. School variable consisted of teacher variable, head teacher variables and school resource variables was the strongest variable explaining children's learning achievements. The influence of pupils' family background on their learning achievements was insignificant in mathematics. It was significant in Chichewa, however the effect size on pupils' learning achievements was not as large as that of school variable. Thus, this research confirmed the findings of Heyneman & Loxley in Malawi after 25 years of their study, despite the change in the world economic level.