SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN GEOGRAPHY IN SOME SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ODOGBOLU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE

ABSTRACT

This study was set to investigate the performance of senior secondary schools students in geography in some selected secondary school in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.And in achieving this, four major hypotheses were formulated for testing, based on the following variable interest in the study.

Family Background: The teachers’ attitude and qualification, Attitude of Senior Secondary School Students’ themselves and the available of material and facilities.

The researcher made use of the descriptive survey research method in carrying out the study. One hundred sample elements were randomly selected among the Senior School Students in the three (3) Secondary School used for the study.

The study made use of the questionnaire as the main instrument in gathering information needed for the study. The data collected was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics of frequencies, percentages and Chi-square (x2).

The result indicated that:
The family background of the Senior Secondary School Students would definitely influence their performance in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun-State.

The teachers’ attitude and qualification world also to a greater extent affect the performance of Senior Secondary School Students in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun – State.

The attitude of the Senior Secondary School Students themselves towards geography would definitely affect their actual performance in the subject.

Lastly that the availability of adequate and modern materials and facilities (including textbooks) would influence the performance of Senior Secondary School Students in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.Based on the results and findings of the study certain salient recommendation were made.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Secondary School is seen as a center for a living in a modern age of science and technology. It was on the basis of this that Sofolahan Committee (1971) recommend geography as one of the core subject and this was agreed upon.This emphasis on geography came as a result of advances in sciences and technology in the developed countries and their diffusion to developed countries which Nigeria is one Fafunwa (1971) accepts this when he writes “we are in a world of science and technology have become an integral part of the world.

At the Senior Secondary School Level geography is taught, this is in a response to the would wide move towards curriculum integration. An implication to this statement is that new trends should not be accepted unquestiongly and that teachers should understand the nature of geography and the need to integrate the components that make up geography and relate geography or nature to man which in this case is the study of GEOGRAPHY.The nature of geography on National Policy on Education Stipulated that geography should be one of the core subject taught in Secondary School Level.The choice of geography is based on sound pedagogical standing point. It present the whole of science and social science as the intricately, interwind and intellectually, integrated, enterprise that it is.A curriculum that is subject centre does not foster the development of view of the life which, education has as its major objective. Besides students at this level have psychological deposition which makes them see event or phenomena, in a unified manner.

Furthermore, if the principal function of geography instruction on the Senior Secondary School is general education for the majority few of whom may become geography major this function is best serves by renewing social science in as a broad scope as possible hence according to the are curriculum for geography when the term social science is applied, it means that the course is devised and presented in such a way that the child:-

Gains the concepts of the fundamental unit of geography.
Gains the communality approach to problems of scientific nature.
It helped to gain an understanding of the function of science and technology and social science in everyday life and the world in which he/she lives so geography occupies a special position in the Secondary School curriculum it represent the foundation stones for subsequent instruction in the social science in later life for a student who wish to pursue a social science related career and a general introduction to the sciences for the other who may wish to purse either. Humanity based on vocational inclined studies the success or failure of geography instruction at the stage of Senior Secondary, is therefore of importance.
A solid foundation of geography would equip Millions of Senior Secondary School Students for successful social science career, thereby indirectly contributing to the much needed science and technological advancement of the Nigerian society.

A poor foundation may have negative consequence. It is for these reasons that geography should be properly and effectively taught to students in Senior Secondary School to do this all aspects of geography curriculum must be taught to students in senior secondary school to do this all aspect of geography curriculum must be taught to student if they are to have a balanced introduction of science and social science.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State has been very poor for instance the final examination (WASSCE) results for S.S.S. III geography for the past three year indicated a high rate of failure.

The table below show the failure rate in geography in some selected Secondary Schools. In Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.