Teacher-Student Relationship and Academic Performance of UCE Students in Kyamate Secondary School, Ntungamo Municipality, Ntungamo District

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between teacher-student relationships on the academic performance of UCE students in Kyamate secondary school, Ntungamo Municipality. This was assessed through the breakdown of teacher-student relationship in terms of teacher specifications, students’ involvement and classroom environment and how these influence the students’ academic performance. The study undertook a quantitative paradigm, with a co-relational, cross-section, survey design. The target population of the study was 10 people from where the researcher sampled 10 respondents using Morgan and Krejcie tables (1970) and further sampled using both simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Results showed that there is a strong positive relationship between teachers’ specifications, students’ involvement, classroom environment and academic performance of UCE students as these were evidenced by correlation coefficients(r) of 0.830, 0.687 and 0.804 respectively that were statistically significant since the p value (0.000) < 0.01. Based on the study findings, the researcher recommends that teachers with great experience and better management skills should be enrolled in secondary schools in order to educate well students and hence attainment of better academic excellence in their learning. Teachers should be equipped through various development programs such as workshops, capacity building, training and retraining sessions to enable them develop various motivational strategies that could be used to motivate students’ interest, and develop them to learn for better academic performance and overall achievement. The researcher recommends that there should be much involvement of students in the school activities such as co-curricular in order for them to boost their confidence in public, students’ participation in academic activities should also be encouraged so as to better their relationship with teachers which hence has positive returns on their academic performance. In addition, secondary school administrators, alongside with government through agencies such as the ministry of education and sports should constantly ensure that teachers are trained and equipped with classroom engagement skills that will enable teachers to effectively communicate feelings, ideas and thoughts in order to develop a sense of belonging and enhance the students’ readiness to learn for better academic performance through healthy relationships.