Building student’s academic capital and the challenges encountered

Abstract

Abstract School principals are expected to build student’s academic capital by drawing on a variety of human capital sources, forming focused communities that foster a strong culture of teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies primary school principals employ to enable students to build academic capital in East Gojjam Province, Ethiopia. The study employed a qualitative approach with a holistic multiple-case study research design. The data were collected from a total of 14 participants: nine (9) teachers and five (5) principals in primary schools. The interview method was used for data collection, and thematic analysis was conducted to present the data. Findings revealed that the principals encouraged teachers to use various teaching methodologies, facilitated linking students' learning to the real world, and helped teachers assist students in creating their own knowledge. Additionally, they categorized students into groups to support one another and appreciated teachers using different continuous assessment techniques to develop students' academic capital. However, students' academic capital development in primary schools was hindered by principals' extra duties, limited resources, a lack of teacher collaboration, and inadequate documentation of students' progress on continuous assessments. To foster academic capital in students, schools should reduce principals' administrative workload, provide sufficient resources, promote teacher collaboration, improve continuous assessment documentation, and encourage innovative teaching practices.