For students to attain academic excellence, there are a lot of factors that have to come in play, and that’s a no brainer. This is categorized into things like
- Their (students’) actions
- Parents’ actions
- Teachers’ actions
- Inevitable factors/ events
Sometimes, students and teachers can work around the factors and beat the odds until they become successful. However they’ll most likely be subject to these factors. This article reveals and discusses the factors in detail.
1. Discipline
Of course, there are so many things that can go wrong in a student’s life if they aren’t disciplined. Discipline is seen in things like
- Adherence of students to school rules and regulations
- The amount of respect that students give their teachers
- How students treat their fellow students
Much as this is not the only factor that affects the student performance, it is one of the main factors, and it has to be seriously considered.
2. Class attendance
What could be the best way for a student to increase their odds of passing examinations if not the rate at which they attend classes? By attending classes, students have the chance to;
- Get first-hand information from the teacher, with explanations
- Take notes in time so they can use the rest of the time for revision
- Ask questions and get answers right away
By deliberately missing classes, some students put themselves at a great risk of failing greatly, because there are high chances that all their plans won’t work out.
3. Reading culture
Not every learner has the assiduity to sit down and read their notes with the intent of mastering what they were taught. However, reading on a regular basis has the following benefits;
- Helps the student memorize what they were taught
- Promotes research and consultation in case they find something they didn’t properly understand
- Keeps the student’s brain sharp, hence preventing memory loss
- Promotes meaningful interaction between students
When a student adopts a good reading culture, they increase their chances of academic excellence even if they might not be naturally gifted like the rest.
4. Adequacy of the necessary equipment
Every school needs the necessary equipment for teachers to conduct lessons and teach their students like they have to. These usually include;
- A fully stocked library
- Adequate furniture
- Well-stocked science and computer laboratories
- Teaching aids
With the possession of the necessary equipment, every teacher is able to conduct lessons and demonstrate whatever they need with the tools at their disposal. The opposite is true for schools that don’t have enough equipment.
5. Student welfare
Depending on the school, students go through different conditions. Some conditions are just good enough to set them up for success, while other schools just can’t provide similar conditions, thus making their students perform relatively worse.
6. Regular assessment and evaluation
There is no way a student can improve if they are not assessed on a regular basis, through things like tests, exams, projects, etc. This is because;
- They get to challenge what they think they know and find out what they don’t know
- Helps boost their confidence
- Makes them learn more through trial and error
- They monitor their progress, thus properly setting academic goals
In schools where students are not assessed regularly, the performance is usually weaker than that in schools where the opposite is true.
7. Relationship between teachers and students
The atmosphere between teachers and students in a school is a very important predictor of student success. This is because;
- Affects the attitude of students towards their teachers and vice versa
- Influences how much students love a subject
- Affects the rate at which students attend classes
If there’s a bad relationship between a teacher and certain students, the students will most certainly fail that teacher’s subject – if they can’t choose to drop the subject.
8. Participation in Co-curricular activities
These days, it’s so unfortunate that some schools have got this whole thing wrong. They assume that if they make co-curricular activities available for students, it will distract them from their studies. It is wrong, because;
- Some students are talented in the co-curricular activities, so killing their talent would even cause more anxiety
- It helps take the students’ minds off books for a while
- If it involves training and competition, these activities make students more competitive, thus setting them up for academic excellence
Sometimes, some schools manage to force their students’ way to success without allowing them a few co-curricular activities, and they manage to make it. However, the possibility of that isn’t guaranteed.
9. Teaching practical lessons
Practical lessons are just so important in every school. This is because practical exams are always a great way for students to boost their performance. This actually applies to students that underperform in subjects like Physics and Chemistry.
Therefore, schools that offer quality practical lessons stand a high chance to boost the performance of their students while the opposite is true for schools that don’t.
10. Learner motivation
The modern day self-help gurus have made it all look like motivation is useless. However, motivation can be simply described as someone’s “why”. This is important because;
- It keeps the learner going even in times when it’s hard and uncomfortable
- A well-motivated learner can hardly give in to the temptations of indiscipline or peer pressure
- It smoothens the work for teachers, since driven students don’t have to be told what to do all the time
If a learner isn’t motivated, it will always seem as if they’re being dragged kicking and screaming, to their goal.
11. Credibility and competence of staff
The staff does a lot to determine the fate of the school and the students. This means, the school staff has to be credible and competent enough by doing things like;
- Being punctual
- Always attending their classes without fail
- Staying enthusiastic about their job
- Using the right methods to teach their learners
- Resisting uncontrollable emotions
If teachers aren’t credible enough, it puts the entire school in a chaotic state, usually causing a downward spiral in the students‘ results.
Conclusion;
To get your students to excel in their exams, there is a lot that has to go in, and luck hardly plays any role here. Therefore, you have to make sure that you are taking the right steps to make sure that you create the best conditions for your students to flourish academically.