Abstract

The article presents findings from a study which was undertaken to identify factors within the teaching and learning processes, which lead to increased performance for learners of Economics in Grades 10–12 in a district in the North West Province of South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate how normal and progressed learners’ achievement or performance can be enhanced through curriculum management, monitoring of lesson plans, and effective allocation of resources. Various factors involved in enhanced teacher and learner motivation were also analyzed. A mixed method of merging qualitative and quantitative was used in order to yield rich informative and descriptive data about teacher practices, teaching and learning management, and learner improvement from forty participants. Results showed that newly appointed teachers had content knowledge but grossly lacked skills in content pedagogy which implied that they did not have enough teaching practice. Lack of resource provisioning and relevant support materials to teachers were also highlighted as a contributory factor to poor learner performance. It was also realized that in some schools, principals believed that their jobs only entailed sitting in the offices and reviewing reports, thus resulting in severe out of touch and inadequate understanding and knowledge of what happens in the classrooms.