Institutional support and performance of students in co-curricular sports activities in secondary schools in Makindye east constituency, Makindye division, Uganda

Abstract

The study sought to determine the relationship between institutional supports on student performance in co-curricular sports activities in secondary schools in Makindye East constituency. The study's overarching objectives were to ascertain the association between funding and students' performance in co-curricular sports activities, to assess the association between infrastructural facilities and students' performance in co-curricular sports activities, and to ascertain the association between staff involvement and students' performance in the co-curricular sports activities in secondary schools in Makindye East Constituency. Cross-sectional correlational and survey research methods were used in the study. Both a qualitative and a quantitative approach were used in the mixed strategy. 193 respondents provided the data that was gathered. Self-administered research questionnaires were used to collect the study participants' quantitative data, while focus groups and interviewing tools were used to gather the respondents' qualitative data. Standard deviations, means, and frequencies were used in descriptive analysis. To compare the means of the respondents in relation to students' performance in co-curricular sports activities, one-way ANOVA was used to compare the means of the respondents and Pearson's correlation was used to examine the relationship between the study variables and independent sample t-test results. The use of content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The study findings showed a statistically significant negative difference in the rating of the students’ performance in co- curricular activities based on gender; and statistically significant based on the variable of age and no statistically significant difference based level of education. The study also found out that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the variables of, funding; infrastructural facilities; staff involvement and performance of students in co-curricular sports activities. Basing on the finding it was concluded that secondary schools in Makindye East constituency need to improve on the funding, infrastructural facilities and staff involvement so as to improve on students’ performance in co-curricular sports activities; thus achieving students’ holistic development. Among the key study recommendations are the following; schools should enforce performance of students in the co-curricular sports activities through improving infrastructural facilities for co-curricular sports activities. This can be achieved through constantly renovating and managing school infrastructures that support co-curricular sports in the schools.