Mampane, Motlalepule Ruth2025-03-312025-03-312025-092024*S2025http://hdl.handle.net/2263/101818Thesis (PhD (Learning Support, Guidance and Counselling))--University of Pretoria, 2024.This research explores the relationship between resilience and academic performance among public Junior High School (JHS) students in Ghana. The study identifies the primary determinants of resilience and academic performance within this demographic. Ghanaian public junior high students from low socioeconomic backgrounds face significant challenges at home, school, and in their environment. It is essential to understand how these students manage to achieve academic success despite these obstacles. This research addresses a gap in the literature, as the relationship between resilience and academic performance in this context has not been extensively studied. The mixed-method approach was employed, using a sequential exploratory case study design and a pragmatic philosophical stance. The study adopted a cross-sectional method involving 498 Form 2 and Form 3 students from varied cultural backgrounds and eight teachers with teaching experience ranging from 17 to 30 years from three selected JHS schools in the Ayawaso West District. The quantitative phase, which preceded the qualitative phase, involved collecting data through a survey using the Resilience Questionnaire for Middle-Adolescents in Township Schools (R-MATS) scale and academic performance scores from the average of the four core (mandatory) subjects: English, Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies. Qualitative data was gathered through focus group discussions with students and face-to-face interviews with teachers. The focus groups (eight to ten students) were categorised based on objectively determined resilience and academic performance levels. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 25, while thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data. The qualitative data provided rich insights from the three focus groups and teacher interviews. The study was guided by Resilience Theory and Self-Determination Theory. The key findings indicate that stakeholders must support students by fostering resilience-enabling characteristics. It underscores the importance of parents, teachers, and the government in supporting students to develop resilience, which can significantly enhance their academic performance and contribute to the growth and development of the economy. These findings can inform policymakers, headteachers, and parents enhancing the development of strategies and policies to support and improve academic achievement, thereby addressing the educational challenges faced by students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.en© 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.UCTDSustainable Development Goals (SDGs)ResilienceAcademic performanceJunior High SchoolAdolescentEducational challengesThesisu21792705https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28669697