NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: PERSPECTIVES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SEVEN ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS IN GUYANA

Abstract

The perspectives of secondary school teachers in seven administrative regions in Guyana, South America on the impact of non-cognitive skills on students' academic performance across different subject such as Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and English Language formed the foundation and conclusion of this study. This study utilized a qualitative approach with a case study design with a fully-open-ended survey as the research instrument to garner teachers' perspectives on the impact of non-cognitive skills on students' academic performance. The participants were purposively selected specific to the regions in Guyana. A total of twenty secondary school teachers participated in this study. The responses were analyzed to answer the three research questions. Qualitative data were analyzed through Thematic Analysis. The findings of the study revealed that teachers perceived non-cognitive skills as integral to students' academic performance and agreed that non-cognitive skills assessment should be incorporated into the curriculum to a greater extent. Teachers are of the belief that non-cognitive skills assessment is not given much needed attention when compared to cognitive skills assessment. It was recommended that curriculum should be amended to include non-cognitive skills assessment and teachers should be trained further in the conduct of non-cognitive skills assessment. The integration of non-cognitive skills assessments to a greater extent into institutional framework would enable educators to construct targeted frameworks to cater for learners’ specificities that foster improved academic performance. Non-cognitive skill assessment is critical for not only enhancing learners’ academic performance, but also for predicting the academic performance of students in different subjects.