How Distance to School and Study Hours after School Influence Students’ Performance in Mathematics and English: A Comparative Analysis

Mathematics and English are essential subjects of the education system globally, as they provide skills for everyday human life. Mathematics and English are core subjects in the senior secondary education program in Botswana. The performance of students in Botswana in mathematics and English over the years has been poor. Most students travel long distances to school and have to return home every day. The distance to school and the hours after school for studying may contribute to the poor performance of students in these subjects. This quantitative study determined the influence of the distance to school and after school study hours on the performance of senior secondary students in mathematics and English in Botswana. Data were collected through a survey of a random sample of 168 students learning mathematics and English in senior secondary schools in Botswana. Findings of analyses of variance indicated that study hours after school and the distance to school have a significant influence on the performance of students in mathematics, whereas no influence was determined on student performance in English. Further, Post Hoc analysis determined that the long travelling distance and low number of hours of after school study had a sizeable adverse influence on student performance in mathematics. To improve student performance in mathematics, it was recommended that stakeholders should ensure that students stay closer to school and had better, more reliable transport. The former can be achieved by increasing the amount of hostel accommodation in schools.