Booth Id:
BEHA044
Category:
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Year:
2020
Finalist Names:
Agrawal, Veenaa (School: Lincoln Community School)
Abstract:
This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the new government policy (the Double-Track System (DTS)) from stakeholder point of view and the impact the policy is having on students, parents and teachers. I administered test surveys and interviews (in person and over the phone) with around 30 students, parents and teachers each, all involved in the double track system. The surveys contained mainly multiple choice questions with a few open-ended questions. After, the quantitative data was processed (converted into percentages) and analysed for any statistically significant results and important ideas were extrapolated from the interviews. Findings showcased that 56% of students felt that benefits of the DTS outweighed the negatives and 85% confirmed that the DTS has reduced financial burden on their families. 67% and 50% of the parents and teachers respectively feel that the benefits of the DTS outweigh the negatives. 80% of the teachers feel that the DTS had made parents less responsible towards their child’s education, while 71% of students in Accra assert that their schools do not have enough infrastructure to effectively support learning. Additionally, 70% of parents feel that the gaps in the academic calendar affects their child’s education and 74% of teachers claimed that the shorter academic period due to the DTS has negatively affected their ability to teach effectively as 60% of the teachers asserted that it has resulted in adjustments in their teaching including skipping topics and their lessons. This study found that while the majority of the stakeholders in the Double-Track System believe that the advantages of the program outweigh the disadvantages, there are still several factors holding back the system from being truly successful.