Geographical regions and primary school learners’ achievement differences in Ghana: Implications for an inclusive curriculum

Abstract

In the study reported on here we investigated the effects of geographical regions on primary school learners’ achievement in Ghana’s National Standardised Test, aiming to understand how regional differences in learning opportunities challenge Ghana’s dual purpose of effectively implementing the basic school curriculum and inclusive education. Data from 318,254 Grade 4 learners in 9,619 public schools analysed with multilevel modelling showed that the region negatively affected mathematics (β = -.586) and English (β = -.807) achievement. Compared to the Western North region, 10 regions positively impacted mathematics achievement significantly, 3 had negative effects, and 2 had insignificant effects. All regions significantly enhanced English achievement compared to the Western North region. On average, learners in the Ahafo region earned an extra 6 marks (β = 6.365) in mathematics and 15 marks (β = 14.715) in English, while in the Eastern, Western, and Volta regions, learners were disadvantaged by 1, 4, and 5 marks, respectively, in mathematics. The findings reveal significant inequalities in educational opportunities across the regions, and achievement significantly depended on where learners attended school. It is thus essential to consider regional-based inequalities when assessing learners, while intentional efforts are made to address these inequalities to ensure inclusive education and curriculum implementation.