A CORRELATIONAL ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PURE SCIENCE SUBJECTS IN WAEC (2011 – 2013)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every society, whether simple or complex has it’s own system of education of its youths, and education for the good of life has been one of the most persistent concerns of man throughout history. It is this concern that led to the proliferation of secondary institutions in Nigerian from the 1970’s to date.

The aim of secondary education in Nigeria as observed by 1969 curriculum conference was two fold. One is to serve as preparatory level for those wishing to study beyond secondary school level, and the other is to serve as a point of discontinuity and basis for job seeking for those who want to remain at that level. The W.A.S.S.C.E result which this study intends to analyze is the concluding part of secondary education. Therefore, this is a worthy exercise. The importance of this examination for a person undergoing secondary education is obvious because of the importance attached to it by tertiary institution, public organizations as well as private organizations and other employers of  labour. The aim of this study is to unveil the degree of the relationship of WASSCE results in pure science subjects in the schools under study, so as to enable the researcher proffer same suggestions for the enhanced usage of both schools. The institutions involved in this study are commonwealth comprehensive college and St. Michael’s college Jos. The importance of the pure science subjects cannot be over emphasized, as they are considered the back bone of technological advancement and development of every nation in the world. The two schools under study offer equal number of pure science subjects which include mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology which are of interest to the researcher. Therefore the researcher is more willing to use available time and resources at her disposal to find out the co-relational performance of students in the selected institutions for the selected subjects and the period of time.

1.2            STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research analysis is mainly directed to a critical survey of the main problems associated with the pure science subjects’ results in selected post primary institution. Since the analysis centers around only on pure science subjects’ WASSCE result from 2011 to 2013 of the two schools, the problem is therefore expected to lie around the same care.

There are many factors that hinder students from getting good results and developing positive attitude towards pure science subjects. The problems making students to get poor results may come from different direction.

Therefore the main problem confronting the researcher is what are the causes of this mass failure and inconsistency in the WASSCE results?

Improper teaching methods and inadequately stocked laboratories does affect the students’ performance. If the teacher does not have the technical know how of the subject he/she is bound to misguide the students.  Students have different levels of understanding, therefore the necessity of measuring and evaluating students in order to obtain accurate information about the individualities. The two statements above show that there are factors that are responsible for the poor performance. By making the co-relational analysis the researcher would definitely know the performance relationship between the selected subjects in the two schools.

1.3            PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

A correlation analysis of students’ academic achievement in pure science subjects in WAEC of common wealth comprehensive college and St. Michael’s college Jos.  The basic aim of this study is to bridge the gap of performance in the two institutions selected by the researcher. The study is aimed at calling every responsible body to eliminate the problem that comes from their sides so that there would be an improvement in the students’ performance in the future. The study is also aim at providing useful insight in to the pure science subjects in every secondary school. Since the researcher is based on correlating students’ performance in pure science subjects’ WAEC results, it is therefore aimed to explore and identify some of the factors that are associated with the students’ academic achievements as measure by their WASSCE. The specific purpose derived from the above are:

1.     To bridge the gap of performance in the institutions.

2.     To access the existing relationship of the students’ performance in WASSCE.

1.4            RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i.                What is the correlation in students’ performance in Biology in the two schools?

ii.              Is there positive correlation in students’ performance in mathematics in the two schools?

iii.           What is the correlation in students’ performance in chemistry in the two schools?

iv.           What is the correlation in students’ performance in physics for the two schools?

1.5     RESEARCH HYPOTHESIE

H01: There is no significant different in the students’ achievement in mathematics and biology in the two schools.

H02: There is no significant different in the students’ achievement in chemistry and physics in the two schools.

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Since this research is solely focusing its theme on the co-relational analysis of pure science subjects in two secondary schools. It is important for directing people’s attention to the student’s achievement in pure science subjects in WAEC result in general. The study is of great importance to:

i.       Teachers

ii.     Students

iii.  Ministry officials and the government in general.

          The study is important to the teachers especially those concerned (i.e the pure science subjects teachers in the selected secondary schools) because the study would clearly show how far the teachers have succeeded in impacting the appropriate knowledge to the students. This could be done by statistical representation and tabulation of the results in the two schools for the said period of time. The statistical analysis of the results in chosen subjects would eventually tell whether students have been well taught. By looking at the students’ performance, teachers would know their fate and by teachers knowing their fate they would make necessary adjustments in order to tackle any deficits that came from them.

          The study is important to the pupils as it is important to the teachers. It is of great significance to the pupils for it would bring about improvement in the pupils’ performance in the subjects being studied in particular. If teachers would make necessary adjustments in order to improve the method of impacting knowledge, it would definitely create a positive situation on the student’s i.e the change in style of teaching by the teachers could help the students improve in their performance in that the students are the receivers of the knowledge being imparted by the teachers.

     The ministry officials (especially the ministry of education) would also benefit from the study because they would easily know the necessary tools for learning which are to be provided in order to improve any deficit on the part of students and staff.

1.7              DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

In this study, the researcher is mainly concerned with the pure science subjects’ WAEC – SSCE results for the selected secondary schools in Jos for a specific period of time. As the topic had indicated the study is mainly focused on the co-relational analysis of same specific subjects. Therefore in this study the researcher limits herself to only students’ WAEC – SSCE results because she feels this is an examination which is conducted at the international level, and its results within and outside the country, such results are taken as guidelines for further studies that could be taken as being valid to measure the academic achievement.

Another delimitation worth of mentioning is the number of years limited for the number of years limited for the study. The researcher is only concern with the WAEC – SSCE results form 2011 to 2013. The researcher also restricted herself to only two institutions, commonwealth comprehensive college and St. Michal’s college, Jos. All these delimitation are due to the financial and time constraints, the researcher is faced with. Therefore to save time and financial problems the researcher decided to limit herself to such boundary. However, the impediments in the way of the study do not in anyway render it non valid as it happens in any type of study, it merely has its own delimitation.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

          In this study there are some operational terms that need to be defined so as to clarify any obstacle to an easy understanding of the work. The following are the terms need to be defined.

a.     Co-relational Analysis:   It is a study showing mutual or reciprocal relationship of two or more variables and it is a study that shows the kind and degree of relationship between the variables.

b.    WAEC – SSCE:  The abbreviation means: West African Examination Council’s Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. It is an examination take by students of West African as their final and summative evaluation of secondary education.

c.      Statistical Techniques:     It is a style or technique that deals with the collection, tabulation and systematic classification of quantitative data, especially of occurrence as a basis for inference and induction.

d.     Correlation co-efficient: Is a numerical measure of the degree of correlation between the variables.

e.      Performance: It means to act in accordance with the requirements.

f.       Problems: It means difficulties; problems in other words can mean matters that can cause worry.

g.     Analysis: Analysis refers to an examination of variable together with thoughts and judgment about it.