Does school environment affect student achievement: an investigation into the relationship between secondary school characteristics and academic performance in Tanzania

The main objective of the study was to examine the relationship between school characteristics and overall achievement by establishing the following minor objectives: Documenting the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of secondary schools in Tanzania; Assessing the impact of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of secondary schools on examination performance. Critically examining and documenting why secondary schools in Tanzania are in their current condition. Providing achievable recommendations for strengthening and improving performance in secondary schools in Tanzania. For almost three years now in Tanzania learners' performance in the National Form Four Examination has been deteriorating, hitting a historical low in 2012 when 65 percent of the candidates who took the exam failed. This situation has been a cause for alarm and calls from education stakeholders for immediate government intervention. The findings of this study are therefore expected to provide new knowledge about the factors behind good or poor student academic achievement with respect to school climate. In addition to that, the findings of this study will help to encourage policy makers and the community in general to strive to improve the school climate in order to affect student performance in national examinations.