Effect of School Variables on Perceived Students’ Performance in Science Delivered through Open and Distance Learning

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between teacher ICT competencies, laboratory resources, teacher workload, and perceived student science performance in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) within Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools in Kampala, Uganda. Employing a mixed-methods design, quantitative data from 76 randomly selected teachers were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression, while qualitative insights were gathered from 10 purposively sampled participants. Results revealed significant positive correlations between each predictor and perceived student science performance, while the combined regression model explained 40.3% of the variance and 40.3% of the variance in performance. However, only teacher workload significantly predicted perceived student science performance. Qualitative findings highlighted challenges including insufficient ICT training, limited laboratory resources, and instructional pressures from dual-mode delivery. The study concludes that while ICT skills and laboratory resources are vital, their effectiveness depends on manageable teacher workloads. It recommends integrated policies to enhance teacher capacity, infrastructure, and workload management to improve science outcomes in ODL settings across Sub-Saharan Africa.