• Twizeyimana Philippe
• Andala Hesbon Opiyo

The general objective of this research study examined the effect of parental socio-economic status on female student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Nyamasheke District between 2019 and 2023 school years. The researcher was guided by three specific objectives which are to determine effect of educational level, parent’s marital status and parent’s income on female student’s academic performance in Nyamasheke District. The significance of the study is in term of helping policy makers to level the ground for education accessibility as a strategy of achieving universal education in Rwanda. It facilitated to make recommendations to the Ministry of education, Rwanda Education Board related to policies and mechanisms that may be adopted to ameliorate the learning outcomes in secondary schools. Results may play a role to a body of knowledge to the existing knowledge for academicians and future researchers in the area of gender equality especially in regard to universal education approaches in general. The researcher used theory of Epstein’s theory of parental involvement, gender equity theory and performance equation theory. This study was a descriptive with a correlation research design using a mixed approach. A total of 8 head teachers, 8 class teachers, 8 guidance and counselling staff and 259 students constituted the population. The researcher used Yamane formula to calculate a sample size of 129 respondents. Therefore, simple random sampling technique was used to select 15 students from each of the sampled schools, to give a sample size of 120 students and 8 head teachers, 8 class teachers and 8 guiding and counselling staff. Data was gathered by questionnaires, interview guide and desk review on learning outcomes in the last five years by analysing existing documents available in secondary schools and Rwanda Education Board. The researcher conducted a pilot study to test validity and reliability of research instruments. Quantitative data was analysed using statistical product and service solution version 26.0 to produce descriptive statistics in term of frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation as well as inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) using tables, graphs and pie charts. Quantitative data from the interview guide was presented in terms of themes and subthemes using content analysis. The findings were that the level of parent’s education impacted on the female student academic performance, parental income affected on the female student academic performance and parental marital status also affected on the female student academic performance. The study therefore concluded that parental income, parental education, and parental marital status were important antecedents of female students’ academic performance. In order to improve female students ‘academic performance, it was recommended that the government should increase bursary allocation to needy female students to retain them in school, the district to develop appropriate systems to enhance parental education and parents to be sensitized on the benefits of parental involvement in education.

Academic Performance, Socio-Economic Status (SES)

"Parents’socio-economic status and female student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Rwanda A case of nyamasheke district, Rwanda ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 9, page no.g133-g150, October-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2409612.pdf

"Parents’socio-economic status and female student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Rwanda A case of nyamasheke district, Rwanda ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 9, page no. ppg133-g150, October-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2409612.pdf