SCHOOL CULTURAL PRACTICES AND LEARNERS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN RWANDA: A CASE OF GASABO DISTRICT

This study investigates the impact of positive cultural practices in schools on the academic performance of learners in public primary schools in Gasabo District, Rwanda. It focuses on three key objectives: identifying the cultural practices upheld by school leaders, assessing the correlation between these practices and learners academic outcomes, and determining the overall influence of these practices on academic achievement. The research adopts both descriptive and correlational research designs, with data collected from a sample of 168 respondents through questionnaires and interviews. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 24, employing descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses to address the research questions. The findings reveal that 48.6% of schools do not prioritize cultural practices as a mean to enhance academic performance. However, 78.8% of respondents indicated that academic outcomes, including promotion, graduation rates, repetition rates, and test scores, are significantly influenced by the daily operations of schools. Additionally, 56.3% of respondents agreed that school norms, vision, goals, teacher-learner relationships, and assessment methods play a crucial role in academic success. Regression analysis demonstrated that school cultural practices account for 79.3% of the variance in academic performance (R-square), with a strong positive correlation (Pearsons coefficient = 0.916, p-value < 0.01) between these practices and academic outcomes. The study concludes that the implementation of shared goals, school symbols, norms, and positive teacher-learner relationships can significantly enhance academic performance. It recommends that the Rwandan Ministry of Education and educational planners provide training on cultural practices to school leaders to further improve learner outcomes.