A Research Proposal On "A study on the Student’s Achievement Differences between Private and Public Schools of Gorkha"

1. A Research Proposal On
A study on the Student’s Achievement Differences between
Private and Public Schools of Gorkha
Submitted To
Apex College, Pokhara University
Submitted By
Nabin Bhattarai
Roll No: 12450455
Registration No: 2011-2-45-0480

2. Contents Page
no.
1. Introduction
1.1. Background 1
1.2. Statement of the problem 2
1.3. Rationale of the study 2
1.4. Objectives 2
1.5. Research Hypothesis 3
1.6. Research Questions 3
1.7. Delimitation of the study 4
2. Literature Review 5-6
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Introduction 7
3.2. Research design 7
3.3. Population 7
3.4. Sampling procedures and sample size 7
3.5. Data collection procedures 8
3.6. Tools and techniques of the study
3.6.1.Closed questionnaire 8
3.6.2.Observation checklist 8
3.6.3.Matrix preparation 9
3.7. Analysis and interpretation of data 9
References 10

3. CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Student achievement is not simply a matter of what happens in school. Although
schools can and do make a dramatic difference, research (Hallinan, 2006)has identified
numerous factors which affect student success. The variance in academic performance
between students attending public and private schools remain a topic worthy of
investigation. If this variance actually exists, are there present specific factors which can
be used to measure performance variables and investigate the perceived differences in
student performance?
School achievement of students in Nepal is often claimed under satisfactory as large
number of students get failed annually in their SLC examination. According to Department
of Education (DOE, 2011) almost all the public schools are running smoothly but the result
is not satisfactory. It may be the reason that teacher responsibility and role of School
Management Committee (SMC) are questionable. Similarly, every year school teachers are
provided different sort of training but it is often questioned that, that training is not
transferred to classroom teaching is equally responsible for student’s poor achievement.
On the other hand, there is often said a huge gap between public and private schools in
terms of each results, student’s enrollment teaching strategy and methods, and instructional
materials that are put in process of classroom teaching. Private schools are actively utilizing
their all efforts, for example, they run monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually
examination formally and informally. These gives sound results as the students get
regularly provided feedback but the case is quite different in public schools. Public schools
do not follow such system for sound results because their system itself is passive, as most
of the teachers are reportedly involved in politics. Similarly their public system is not
properly monitored to yield a good result (Center for Educational Innovation and Research
Development, 2006). In this connection, this study will attempt to explore the students’
achievement status of private and public schools.
1.2 Statement of the problem

4. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there exists a variance in academic
performance between students attending public and private schools and if this variance
actually exists, to identify performance variables which can be used to measure the
observed differences in student performance.
1.3 Rationale of the study
Since the educational system of Nepal is in a developing phenomenon, achievement of
students, specifically at school level, is always claimed to be a hot debate. That’s why the
results obtained from this research will help the board of both public and the private schools
to govern the students’ achievement to maximum level. As this research investigates the
factors liable for creating the gap of student’s achievement between private and public
school, this study helps the policy planners and decision makers of MOE. If so, they can
play significant role in improving the students’ result with providing good information that
are the contributing factors of the poor result to some extent. The obtained information
might be useful for the sample and other education department of Nepal.
1.4 Objectives
The main objective of this study is to determine the gap in student’s achievement between
public and private schools; however, the specific objectives are as follows:
 To assess the students achievement gap between the private and public schools of
Gorkha district
 To seek out the crucial factors that play roles in achievement gap of the students
between public and private schools

5. 1.5 Research Hypothesis
1.6 Research Questions
The research questions posed in this study are,
 What is the status of students’ achievement in public and private schools?
 What are the major factors that play role;
a) Either for good and poor achievement in public schools
b) Or for good and poor achievement in private schools
Student’s
Achievement/S
core

6. 1.7 Delimitations of the study
 The study will be delimited in four schools of Gorkha district. Among these four
schools, two will be public and rest will be private.
 For statistical analysis previous results of both types of schools will be taken and
study will be limited on such results of examination.
 The study will consider some teachers of both types of schools for generating the
causative factors that affects results.
 The study will employ statistical tools for the data analysis as a major analysis part.

7. CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW
Researchers (Coleman, Hoffer, & Kilgore, 1982) have identified differences in academic
achievement between students attending public and private schools suggesting that private
schools are “associated with higher cognitive outcomes than public schools in reading,
vocabulary, and mathematics” (Boerema, 2009). Boerema notes that “students in their
junior and senior years in high schools learn slightly more in private schools than in public
schools” (p.113).
Students attending public and private schools may not be identical, one might error in
accepting a generalization as noted by Bracey (Barcey, 2000) that “private schools succeed
because they can pick and choose students, they have more freedom to dismiss disruptive
students, and their parents are more involved in their children’s education” (p.165).
However, according to Maureen T. Hallinan (2006) research has shown that “religion plays
an important role in adolescents’ lives, positively impacting their academic performance,
educational aspirations, worldview and optimism about the future” (p.73). Further,
Hallinan argues that adolescent religiosity has been related to a reduced likelihood of
engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking, drugs, and alcohol abuse.
However, Oscar Barillas (2009), in his article Private Schools vs. Public Schools -
Top 5 Reasons Why Private Schools Are Better than Public Schools, suggests students in
private schools perform academically better than students in public schools.Among the five
reasons Barillas (2009) suggests is the premise that government budget cuts do not affect
private schools. His research suggests that “most public schools are making concessions to
try and reduce their overall expenses, cutting down useful programs and teachers.
However, schools not funded by the government are hardly making any reductions in their
overall economic budget” (p.1). Moreover, he suggests that students are motivated to
perform higher in independent schools than in government funded schools. “…because
parents and guardians are paying for their student’s education, the students are pressured
to perform well and impress their parents” (p.1).
Moreover, public schools have been found to allow students to have a choice in the
course when compared to private schools as Ravitch (1996) states, “Across the curriculum,

8. the same pattern emerges: the public schools allow students to choose easy courses, while
the Private schools have the same high expectations for all their students” (p.81). Rense
Corten and Jaap Dronkers (2006) hypothesize that differences related to school climate or
high values and expectations of teachers and students might explain differences in
scholastic achievement between private and public schools (Dronkers, 2006). Similarly E.
DeAngelis points that the achievement gap between private and public schools has been
widening for decades possibly because private schools have the flexibility to create a
specialized program for students (DeAngelis, 2008). As it is possible that private schools
may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend
lessons across the curriculum, private schools can create their own curriculum and
assessment systems (DeAngelis, 2008).
CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

9. 3.1 Introduction
Research methodology refers to various systematic steps to study the identified and defined
research problem or subject by a researcher stating certain related objectives. This section
will deal with the methodology used in the study to collect primary and secondary data and
analyze and measure the student’s achievement in the Gorkha district in Nepal. First,
research design has been set making overall plan of the study using appropriate sample
size. Second, data will be collected from Gorkha with concerned respondents and analyzed
the data using compatible statistical software. The research methodology term will contain
research design, source of data, sample and population of survey, data collection procedure,
tools and techniques, data presentation and analysis procedures.
3.2 Research Design
The study employs the survey design for carrying out the study to meet the stated
objectives. The study will mostly utilize quantitative and partially qualitative approach as
a major method of data collection and data analysis which employs statistical tools, mean,
median, mode, correlation, significance test and closed questionnaire.
3.3 Population
All the students of that particular grade whose results are going to be analyzed are the
population of the study. For the purpose of the study certain representative sample
population will be selected.
3.4 Sampling procedures and sample Size
Because school are scattered in remote areas and are hard to visit at the same time for data
collection so, the sampling procedures of this study will be non-probability sampling. To
select the sample population those students who are currently studying in the grade will be
selected by utilizing random sampling procedures. And their previous grades result will be
traced out for the statistical analysis. Similarly, teachers from private and public school
will be selected on equal basis. A total of 100 students and 50 teachers from both Public
and Private school will be taken for the survey in order.

10. 3.5 Data collection procedures
At the very first, the researcher visits the site with the stamped letter provided by the college
as form of request letter. The researcher first samples the schools as discussed in limitations
of the study i.e. two private and public schools in order to carryout survey. Then the
researcher develop the rapport building with the schools head teachers and teachers, and
explain the objectives of the study just for academic purpose. This rapport building will
open an avenue for getting consent to administer questionnaire over the teachers and
essential data that is result seat of the students from the school documents. Accordingly,
both private and public schools will be visited to collect the data.
3.6 Tools and techniques of the study
The following tools and techniques of the study will be carried out to collect the essential
data from the field.
3.6.1 Closed questionnaire
The closed questionnaire will be prepared to collect the from the school teachers regarding
what affects students results and what major factors are responsible for affecting the
achievement of private and public schools.
3.6.2 Observation Checklist
To find out the school’s effectiveness it’s surficial physical facility room, desk, benches,
decoration and other facility (library, computer lab) the researcher will record them with
the help of observation checklist, which is prepared focusing on public and private schools.
3.6.3 Matrix preparation
To record the student’s achievement of the grades as per the student’s name, the researcher
prepares a matrix in such a way that it is more facilitative while computing data for different
statistical means.

11. 3.7 Analysis and interpretation of data
As the research is mainly quantitative it will employs quantitative data analysis procedures
such as, statistical methods mean, median, mode, correlation and level of significance test.
Similarly the closed questionnaire as responded by teachers will be converted into
numerical data, so that, it can be changed into percentage and other statistical means.
On the other hand, qualitative data will be received from open questionnaire as the
researcher will prepare semi-structured questionnaire. The response given by the teachers
are constructed in to meaningful words and their quoted “narration” will be prioritized to
analyze the data which gives the meaning about the factors that affect achievement of the
students in both public and private schools.

12. REFERENCES
Barcey, G. (2000). Bail Me Out: Handling difficult data and tough questions about public
schools. Thousand Oaks: California: Corwin Press Inc.
Barillas,O.(2009). Private schoolsVsPublicschools - Top5 reasonswhyprivate
schoolsare betterthan publicschool. EzineArticles. RetrievedSeptember11,
2013 fromhttp://ezinearticles.com/?Private-Schools-Vs-Public-Schools---Top-5-
Reasons-Why-Private-Schools-Are-Better-Than-Public-School&id=2356862
Boerema, A. (2009). Does mission matter? An analysis of private school achievement
differences. Journal of School Choice, 112-137.
Center for Educational Innovation and Research Development, C. (2006). Result of
Public School. Performance Evaluation. Balkhu.
Corten,R. & Dronkers,J.(2006). School achievementof pupilsfromthe lowerstratain
public,private government-dependentandprivate government-independent
schools:A cross –national testof the Coleman-Hofferthesis.Educational
Research and Evaluation,Vol.12,No.2,April,179-208.
DeAngelis,E.(2008). Proposal forhonorsthesisachievementtrendsinpublicand
parochial schoolsinMaine.RetrievedSeptember28, 2009 from
http://students.umf.maine.edu/~deangeea/honorsproposalpage.html
DOE. (2011). Flash Report. sanothimi.
Hallinan, M. T. (2006). School sector and student outcomes. Indiana: University of Notre
Dame Press.
Ravitch, D. (1996, December 7). Why do Private schools succeed? Forbes, 81.