Remedial program management practices and transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera district, Rwanda

Abstract

This study aims to assess the influence of remedial program management practices on transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda. The study was guided by four specific objectives, which were to explore the influence of resource allocation on transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda; to assess the effect of technology integration on transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District; to examine the influence of stakeholders’ involvement on transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District; and to examine the influence of supervision of remedial programs on transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District. Educational Management Theory and Constructivist Learning Theory guided the study. A descriptive survey with a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods, was adopted to gather perceptions from a total population of 2,144, including 46 head teachers, 46 deputy head teachers, 330 teachers, and 1,722 remedial students. A sample size of 337 respondents was calculated using Solvin’s formula. The sample size included 7 head teachers, 7 deputy head teachers in charge of studies, 52 teachers, and 271 remedial students selected from 46 public day secondary schools in Bugesera District. Schools were selected first through simple random sampling, then headteachers and deputy headteachers were selected through purposive sampling, while teachers and remedial students were selected through simple random sampling. The study collected data from teachers using questionnaires, while interview guides were used to collect data from head teachers and deputy head teachers in charge of studies, and focus group discussions were conducted with remedial students. A reliability index of at least 0.7 was used as the benchmark to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, and a validity test was conducted with an acceptable threshold of 0.6. To analyze the data, quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS to calculate the mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution, and a regression analysis was applied to test the hypothesis, while qualitative analysis was conducted through thematic coding. The study revealed that resource allocation (R² = 0.017, p = 0.357) did not have a statistically significant influence on transition rates, whereas technology integration (R² = 0.124, p = 0.010), stakeholder involvement (R² = 0.185, p = 0.001), and supervision of remedial programs (R² = 0.260, p = 0.000) all positively and significantly influenced transition rates in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District. The study concludes that supervision of remedial programs had the highest significant influence on transition rates. It recommends that the Ministry of Education should strengthen policies on structured supervision and capacity-building, urges school leaders to enhance monitoring, feedback, and early interventions, and suggests further research on long-term effects, leadership sustainability, early identification strategies, and teacher professional development in remedial programs.