STUDENTS VARIABLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS A CASE STUDY OF IBESIKPO ASUTAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA AKWA IBOM STATE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Title Page – – – – – – – – i
Declaration – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – v
Table of contents – – – – – – – vi
List of tables – – – – – – – – ix
Abstract – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – – 4
1.3 Purpose of the Study – – – – – – 5
1.4 Research Questions – – – – – – 6
1.5 Research Hypothesis – – – – – – 6
1.6 Significance of the Study – – – – – 7
1.7 Delimitation of the Study – – – – – 8
1.8 Limitation of the Study – – – – – 9
1.9 Assumptions of the Study – – – – – 9
1.10 Definition of Terms – – – – – – 10
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Theoretical Framework – – – – – 12
2.1.1 Self Determination Theory – – – – – 12
2.1.2 Cognitive Evaluation Theory – – – – – 14
2.2 Conceptual Review – – – – – – 15
2.2.1 Concept of Academic Performance – – – – 16
2.2.2 Self Concept and Academic Performance – – – 18
2.2.3 Study Habits and Academic performance – – – 21
2.2.4 Attitudes to Learning and Academic Performance – – 24
2.3 Empirical Review – – – – – – 26
2.4 Summary – – – – – – – 28
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Research Design – – – – – – 29
3.2 Area of Study – – – – – – – 29
3.3 Population of Study – – – – – – 30
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique – – – – 31
3.5 Instrumentation – – – – – – 31
3.5.1 Construction of Instrument – – – – – 31
3.5.2 Validation of the Instrument – – – – – 32
3.5.3 Reliability of the Instrument – – – – – 32
3.5.4 Administration of the Instrument – – – – 32
3.6 Method of Data Analysis – – – – – 33
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1 Answers of Research Question – – – – 35
4.2 Hypothesis by Hypothesis Analysis of Data – – – 38
4.3 Discussion of Findings – – – – – 41
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study – – – – – 43
5.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – 44
5.3 Recommendations and Implication of the Study – – 44
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research – – – – 45
Reference
Appendices
LIST OF TABLES
PAGE
Table I: The percentage count of Self Concept and Academic
Performance of Senior Secondary Schools Student’s in
Economics in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area – 35
Table II: The Percentage count of Study Habits and Academic
Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in
Economics in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area – 36
Table III: The Percentage count of Student’s Attitude to Learning
and Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School
Students in Economics in Ibesikpo Asutan Local
Government Area – – – – – – 37
Table IV: Summary of Correlation Analysis of Self-Concept and
Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School
Students in Economics – – – – – 38
Table V: Summary of Correlation Analysis of Study Habit and
Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School
Students in Economics – – – – – 39
Table VI: Summary of Correlation Analysis of Student’s Attitude
Learning and Academic performance of Senior
Secondary School Students in Economics – – – 40
ABSTRACT
This study examined Student’s Variables and Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Economics in Ibesikpo-Asutan Local Government Area to ascertained the relationship between Student’s Variables-self-concept, study habits and student’s attitude to learning and academic performance in Economics. A sample of 180 used for this study, made up of students drawn from three public and two private senior secondary two students in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was used. The cluster and random sampling technique were employed in sample selection for both public and private senior secondary two students. A 15 item instrument called, “Student Variables Questionnaire” (SVQ) and a 20 item instrument called, “Student Performance Test in Economics” (SPTE) were used, the reliability of the instruments were tested using Spearman Brown formula; which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.99. The instruments used were validated by experts from the department of Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counselling, and Department of Economics both in the University of Uyo, Uyo and the supervisor approved after all corrections were effected. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Three research questions were formulated and analyzed using percentage count. Results of the findings showed that, self-concept, study habit and student attitude to learning have significant relationship with academic performance of students in Economics. Some recommendations were made, the suggestions include that, parent, government and school authorities’ should assist to promote positive value towards education as a necessary tool for economic development of Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
An investigation into the factors that affect student’s academic performances in Nigeria has attracted the interest of educators and researchers over the years. This concern arose from the fact that student’s performance in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) has remained poor. According to Agao (2001), the issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even the students themselves.
Adu and Ageni (2004) in their study on an appraisal of the trend in performance of student’s in Economics at the senior secondary certificate examination in Oyo state, particularly revealed that performance of candidates in Economics is not only poor generally, but continue to fall over the years. They further noted that, to better understand the factors which contributed to student’s poor performance in Nigeria, an assessment of the teaching-learning process is imperative to appreciate the impacts of instruction process on students. This assessment of students learning is important for demonstrating academic performance and programme success. The authors also observed that measuring students learning outcomes is a process that necessitates sequential and systematic evaluation of teaching-learning process, since learning take place in a complex environment.
Also, there is a general consensus about the important of Economics in effective management of the nation’s limited resources. This fact is acknowledged by time and efforts devoted to the teaching and learning of Economics in the school today. The training of quality teachers (educationist) and good managers of the nation’s economy that would effect transformation of any nation depends largely on the knowledge of Economics as a subject.
According to Emovon (2011) and kuku (2008), a nation resources managers are as good as Economics teachers. Jegede (2010), supports this view and says that social science based education has always been an index of economic growth and hence, socio-economic recognition of nations throughout the world.
However, the academic performance of students at both internal and external examinations left much to be desired. According to Adeqandu (1998), most studies in education focused on what goes on in the class room while neglecting other important factors such as the socio-psychological factors. The way an individual learn is not only affected by the classroom work and situation but there are other factors which determine what, why and how individual learn.
According to Onecha (2009), man’s educational aspirations and accomplishment are projected by the psycho-social variable in his environment. These variables take unique positions in human beings since they are necessary for understanding human overt and covert actions, potentialities and their performance in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of education.
Bakare (2008) and Gboge (2009), expressed academic performance as that behaviour exhibited by a person that is noticeable after undergoing a programme of instruction in a school, the programme could be a syllabus or scheme of work in a particular class over a period of time. Also Akinboye (2010) claimed that some factors that influence academic performance of students are heredity, environment, time, some that are resident in the students, the family, the school and the society.
Self concept is concerned with all that an individual thinks he is, what he thinks he can do. According to Hassan (2011) and Gboye (2009), it is sort of self-perception, which can be high (positive) or low (negative).
Study habits is broad as it combines nearly all other sub-topics under it, such as, study attitude, study method and study skills. Allport (1995), asserted that, attitudes is mental and natural states of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive influence upon the individual’s response to all objects and situations with which its related. Attitudes toward study have great contribution in academic performance and good study pattern. As such, successful learners adopt positive attitude towards study and do not waste time or energy on doing what is not profitable, once they have what to do. If the learning experience is pleasant, the learner’s attitudes and motivation usually is positive and if the learning experience is not pleasant the learner’s tends to avoid it.
There is however a general opinion among researchers that academic performance relating to success and failures do influence self concept, study habits, attitudes to learning through various means. It is against this background that this study investigated self concept, study habits, attitudes to learning and academic performance in Economics of Senior Secondary School students.
STUDENTS VARIABLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS A CASE STUDY OF IBESIKPO ASUTAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA AKWA IBOM STATE