Factors contributing to poor academic achievement among low performing pupils: a case study / Mallika Vasugi Govindarajoo, Navina D. Selvarajoo and Mohd Sofi Ali

Despite numerous efforts by the Malaysian Ministry of Education to raise educational quality especially in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic, the number of low-performing pupils in Malaysian schools remains a serious concern. Additionally, the number of pupils’ dropping out has increased during the period of online facilitation. This qualitative case study examines factors contributing to poor academic achievement among low performing pupils. Also, it explored the strategies to overcome those factors. Sampling was purposeful as this study required the views of both those who were directly part of the low-performing group either as students or educators. Five teachers and five low academic performing pupils were chosen as participants from a Malaysian primary school. Data was gathered through scheduled semi-structured interviews with teachers and pupils. The study sought to explore the factors that contribute to poor academic achievement, and those which are frequently overlooked. The findings revealed that the main factors related to pupils with low academic performance, were lack of family or parental support, financial issues, motivation, learning facilities, interaction, equality and teaching techniques. These findings will help teachers, school administrators, curriculum designers and developers to plan new teaching and learning strategies in their classrooms.