EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE PEFORMANCE OF FCT STUDENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGEABSTRACT
Over the years in Nigeria, there has
been a consistent decline in students'' performance in English Language.
This sordid situation has caused teachers, parents, curriculum experts
and evaluators a serious concern. This study therefore was set out to
evaluate the factors affecting the peformance of fct students in english
language. To carryout this investigation, data were collected from 50
English Language teachers randomly drawn from the Federal Capital
Terirory (FCT), Abuja in Nigeria. Analysis of data revealed that poorly
trained English Language teachers, poor instructional delivery, lack of
infrastructural facilities, teachers'' attitude towards innovation, the
traditional content/knowledge oriented curriculum and general students''
apathy in English language were factors associated with student’s poor
performance in English Language. Based on these findings,
recommendations were made on strategies that will improve the quality of
instructional delivery and learning of English Language geared towards
enhancing students'' performance in the subject at the Nigerian secondary
schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Given the importance of English language
as a subject, common sense demands that students should perform well in
it. The fact that English language is the most important subject in the
secondary school curriculum is incontestable. To be able to understand
his or her teachers in all other subjects effectively, a secondary
school student requires at least fair knowledge of the English language.
Little wonder that English language is referred to as the key to all
other subjects. To be eligible for admission to universities and other
higher institutions of learning secondary school student must pass
English language at credit or distinction level. English is the sole
medium of communication in the university communities.
English language as a subject, is
important and students are required to perform well in it. The
statistics of results from West African Examination Council (WAEC)
however reveal that year in year out. Only fewer than thirty percent of
candidate who writes English language in this very important (WAEC)
examination pass with a credit or distinction level. What a shameful and
painful revelation owing to this ugly situation. Department of English
in some Colleges of Education have established Pre-English programme for
the benefit of some of the candidates that could not pass it at the
ordinary level stage.
I believe that there are some factors
affecting the peformance of fct students in english language. This will
be discussed below.
- Some so called English Language teachers are not academically
qualified to teach it. They do not teach it well, as they are not
specialists in the field of study. They are graduates of other
discipline, who took to teaching English language because they could not
find even teaching appointment in their respective disciplines.
- Some students are to some extent responsible for the fact that they
perform poorly in English language. They do not even practice the habit
of speaking simple and correct English always—– they always speak pidgin
English, even when they ask their English language teachers questions
about their lessons. This has in fact landed some of them in trouble
before their teachers. There are some students who do not buy the
recommended English language textbooks for their studies and some
students among those who buy theirs do not make effective use of the
books.
- Lastly, most parents and teachers of other subjects who are seen as
models by students often discuss with them in wrong English. There are
causes of teachers who commit unpardonable grammatical errors when
teaching. Some parents who are university graduates make such mistakes
as “stop making noise”, “off the light”, “so therefore” etc when
interacting with their children. Students generally take such wrong
expressions for correct ones and they go a long way to affect their
performance in their English language examinations.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Education is only
just becoming accepted, as evidenced in the increased enrolments for the
past twenty (20) years however, the consistent high rates in some major
accounting and technical subjects have fair reaching consequences for
national development as a result of high wastage rate of schools with
private and public in the country, this arises from the number of
candidates eligible for certification. Specifically, students in
collaboration of corrupt teachers has always device a way out
examination malpractices. Special and miracle centres becomes the order
of the day after all, the end justifies the means.
This is mostly common in private
schools and those schools in remote areas that lack supervision.
However, the half baked students with good results but cannot defend it
have serious implication of producing quality of students.
There is the need to study the cause
of the high failure rates abd low quality students that led to academic
performance by finding solutions tro the following research questions.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- Does the quality of English language teachers affect academic performance among students in Secondary School in FCT?
- Does the number of teachers available affect the rate of failure in certain subjects?
- Does the availability or non availability of workshop affect the rate of failure of candidates in identified subject?
- Does the non availability of instructional materials constitute academic performance?
- Does the interest of students affect academic performance in secondary school?
- Does parental support affect the failure rate of candidates in some identified subjects?
- Does the role of cultism in some schools affect academic performance?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study was to evaluate the factors affecting the peformance of fct students in english language
. The investigation was carried at
revealing the causes of the poor performance in examination and quality
of students trained after their academic journey.
This will enable the researcher
to make appropriate is recommendations which will lead to an improvement
of the performance in the future.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In this jet
age, there is no compromise about ensuring that quality of education is
realized. The outcome of the study will be able to source of immense
information and help to educational planners, counselors and administers
towards to ensuring that our educational system will not be thrown to
the dust bin resource planners in the state and federal government will
also derive a wealth of knowledge from it.
Additionally, it will acts as a
guide for recruitment of qualified teachers in different fields and
enhancing learning environment. Finally it will be a source of
enlightenment to students, parents, institutions, government and the
society at large.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This research covered all the
past years by checking the results and assessing the students that
passel out during these years in five selected schools. This research
study was limited to the responses from public and privates schools FCT
concerning the relationship between the adequacy of teachers,
infrastructures, available of instructional materials, interest of
students, parental support and quality of students produced enables the
researcher to pass judgment on the causes of academic performance among
students in Secondary School FCT.
LIMITATION
Some of the
factors which could lead and impact greatly on performance of candidates
like, gender, location of institution and type of school (federal
state) were not included in the study. In addition, some respondents
might not give truthful answers
DEFINITION OF TERMS
- WAEC (West Africa examination council) they conduct school certificate exams with the country and west African region.
- NECO (national examination council) they conduct senior school exams within the country (Nigeria).
- NPE (national policy on education) they make and regulate education policy.
S.S.C.E (senior secondary school certificate examination) this is an examination for these in senior secondary school.
A Research proposal for evaluation of factors affecting the peformance of fct students in english language:
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In this jet age, there is no compromise about ensuring that quality of education is realized. The outcome of the study will be able to source of immense information and help to educational planners, counselors and administers towards to ensuring that our educational system will not be thrown to the dust bin resource planners in the state and federal government will also derive a wealth of knowledge from it.
Additionally, it will acts as a guide for recruitment of qualified teachers in different fields and enhancing learning environment. Finally it will be a source of enlightenment to students, parents, institutions, government and the society at large... education project topics
EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE PEFORMANCE OF FCT STUDENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE