The quality of academic resources and promotion of cooperative learning in selected public primary schools in Kaliro District, Uganda

Abstract

The study sought to understand how academic resources affected children’s cooperative outcomes in selected public primary schools in Kaliro District aimed at maximizing the quality of pupils’ leaning. And the Modified Education Production Function Theory was used to investigate the relationship. It identified the problem as lying in human resource support, material resources and time allocated. The objectives of the study were; to measure the relationship between i) human resource support ii) material resources iii) time and cooperative learning in selected public primary schools in Kaliro District. The study was guided by quantitative approach and complemented by qualitative approach. It was a cross-sectional survey in design which was analytical in nature. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, observations and documents.

Questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data was made for presentation using frequency tables, means and percentages. To test the null hypothesis, the researcher used Fishers’ ANOVA. Each of these independent categorical variables was compared with cooperative learning which was numerical using Fishers’ ANOVA. The data from interviews was also analyzed using the constant comparative method. The Findings showed that the academic resources significantly positively related with cooperative learning but the relationship was not a perfect one. This meant that primary schools with inadequate academic resources could still have effective cooperative learning. The study recommended that the instructional materials in place should be fully utilized. Government efforts could be supplemented by the private sector to realize this goal achieved. Strategies should be laid to attract teachers to hard-to-staff schools and these could include building or improving staff housing, recruiting teachers locally.