Does School Environment Exacerbate Achievement Gaps? Evidence from Ghanaian Public Senior High Schools

Learning achievement gaps continue to be experienced in many learning institutions despite various policy and institutional measures to reduce learning inequalities among various categories of learners especially in developing nations. This study attempted to establish whether or not school environment exacerbated learning achievement gaps among students in senior secondary schools in Ghana. The study utilized mixed methodology in addressing the relevant research questions in the study. The study established that pertinent elements of within class and within school learning environment like proportion of poor students in the school or class, proportion of students from low SES, and proportional of most at risk students in classrooms, and level of student truancy was associated to incremental achievement gaps among students in senior secondary schools in Ghana. The study recommends for an affirmative action in the management of such cohorts of students in senior secondary schools so as improve schools learning environment and reduce achievement gaps in such schools. Keywords: Achievement gaps, senior secondary schools, school environment. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-7-09 Publication date:March 31st 202