ABSTRACT
Comparative study of student performance in WAEC biology, chemistry
and English from 2004 – 2008 in Enugu North Local Government Area.
In
this study the researchers want to know to what extent the student
performance in English varies from the student’s performance in biology
and to what extent the student performance in English vary from
chemistry. This has motivated the researcher towards reviewing all the
related literature necessary on the performance of the student in WAEC.
The population of the study is all the candidate that took chemistry,
biology and English in WAEC from 2004 to 2008 in Enugu North Local
Government Area in Enugu State, four (4) school were selected for this
study which are:
1. City Girls Secondary School
2. Urban Girls Secondary School
3. Queens Secondary School
4. Metropolitan Girls Secondary School
The
instrument for the data collection is self reporting inventories which
was collected through the vice principal of the sampled schools, the
data collected is the total score of the student who took chemistry,
biology and English language from 2004 to 2008, the statistically tools
used in the data analysis is person correlation co-efficient i.e.
N∑XY - ∑X∑Y
(N∑X2 – (∑X)2) [N∑Y2 – (∑Y)2
And
the data analyzed and presented shows that there is significant
difference between the student’s performance in WAEC English and biology
and there difference between the student performance in WAEC English
and chemistry the conclusion is that the student’s performance in
science varies from the student’s performance in English based on the
finding and conclusion the following recommendation were made,
employment of qualified science teacher (e) provision of good equipment
for science practical and good training of science teachers.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background of the Study
Meaning of academic performance of student is challenging, since
science student performance is the produce of socio-economic,
psychological and environmental factors. Education ought to be growing
as a profitable industry with prime objective of maximizing profit by
delivering high quality education that produces well educated, skilled
and manned student according to needs and requirement of the dynamically
growing market. There are two group of student as generally perceived.
That is those who improve and those who don’t improve. This student
performance can be affected by different factors such as learning
abilities because new paradigm about learning assumes that all student
can and should learn at higher levels, but it should not be considered
as constraints because there are other factors like race, gender, sex
that can affect students performances (Hansen 2000).
Meshiachoudis
(2001) explained the effect of age, qualification and distance from
learning place on the student performance. Qualification in his
explanation concerns the readiness of student in joining a particular
discipline in the school for instance a student that is not capable of
doing science in the secondary school joins science because his/her
friends are offering the subject.
Kirby (2002) added that the
academic performance of student is also affect by student impatience.
Yronne (1998) further elaborated that student academic performance is
very much dependent on SEB (Socio-economic background) as per his
statement secondary school student performance is with satisfically
significant different.
Alexander (2001) explained that some of the
practice adopted by secondary school administration can also influences
their academic performance, such practice like club, media and culture
clubs etc. Meanwhile, looking at the fact that our main focus of this
writing is to compare how student perform or the performance of student
offering biology, chemistry and English in Enugu North Local Government
Area from 2004-2008. You find out that most of the subject are science
subject (biology and chemistry), which involve student who are brain is
sharp and hot, not student who’s I que is low and cannot perform or
solve any mathematic problem rather they move to the simplest subject
that they can perform better (i.e. English language etc). That is why
when you go into all this clubs mention above you find out that most of
the student there are not in science class. Science student don’t have
time and chance for all this because of their mathematical involvement
reflecting to point out that they do not have time for grammer”. But of a
truth that they do not have chance of joining some of the above
mentioned practice (clubs, cultural groups and media) which is of great
help to passing English Language in WAEC as it is well known that most
of the essay in WAEC are debts. Articles and letter writing of which the
English student do well in the subject because they joined the
practice.
According to Bello an Abuja based educationist a member of
all Nigeria Committee of principals of secondary schools ANCOPSS. The
truth is that the reading culture in Nigeria is generally poor. To make
it worse, these days most of our student hardly read listed they waste
their precious time watching television or films, listening to music,
playing video/computer games.
Another educationist, MOhmud (2009)
attributed the dismal performance in WAEC examination to the
lactadaisical attitude of the government and its refusal to adequately
fund the education sector. According to him on several occasion we
clamoured for improved budgetary allocation to the education sector but
all these have fallen on deaf ears. For instance UNESCO recommend that
26 percent of any country’s budget should be allocated to the education
sectors, but instead what do you have in Nigeria? Government paying lip
service to education sector, other countries who understand the
importance of education have taken, proactive steps to adequately fund
their education sector. For instance Ghana has allocated 29 percent to
its education sector, even for more than the UNESCO recommendation. The
same thing with South Africa and but ward who allocated 35 percent and
57 percent respectively to their education sectors. So until these thing
are implemented we would continue to montage the future of our
children.
Comparative study refers to the comparism of different
capabilities or abilities of different groups or individual of the same
or different categories wikipedia (2009). Comparative study of the
performance of student in WAEC in biology, chemistry and English
language from 2004-2008 deals with comparing the performance ability of
student in biology chemistry and English language.
Statement of the Problem
The comparision of
student performance in WAEC has been a confusing issue even to WAEC body
as the case may be taken a close instance as regard this confusion.
WAEC could not present the highest or the best performed student in WAEC
each year as they use to do formally as at 1990. This day results are
released without comparism and grades to enable student really know
their level of performance when compared to the subjects, that is why
these study focuses on identifying the following;
1. Comparing the performance of student in biology and English language in WAEC from 2004-2008.
2. Comparing the performance of student in chemistry and English in WAEC from 2004-2008.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose underlying
the project is to investigate the performance of the secondary school
student in WAEC taking their comparative performance on Biology,
Chemistry and English Language from 2004-2008 in Enugu North Local
Government Area. The study specifically seeks to determine.
a. The performance of student in WAEC Biology and English from 2004 – 2008 in Enugu North.
b. The performance of student in Chemistry and English language from 2004-2008.
Significant of the Study
The usefulness of this
research work in education system cannot be over emphasized of the
result of the study is properly utilized, it is going to be benefit to
the student because it will enable them to really know their performance
in WAEC in some subject like chemistry, English and biology etc to
either improve on those subjects. The research work is of great
importance to the WAEC officials themselves in that it will enable them
to know the impact of taking a comparative study of the student
performance in WAEC in years interval as this study tries to examine the
performance of student in WAEC in biology, chemistry and English
language from 2004-2008.
It will also help the government to know the
area which the student are lacking behind and to solve the problem that
brings about such lapses.
It will at the same time be of help to parent so that they know the subject area which their children perform more better.
Scope of the Study
The study was based on
secondary school student performance in WAEC in biology, chemistry and
English language and restricted to Enugu North Local Government in Enugu
State from 2004-2008.
Research Question
1. To what extent do the students’ performance in English varies from their performance in biology in 2004 – 2008.
2. To what extent do the students performance in English varies from their performance in chemistry in 2004-2008.
Hypotheses
The following hypothesis was tested for this study.
1. Ho: There is no significant difference in the students’ performance in English and biology their performance.
2. Hi: There is significant difference between English and biology or English and chemistry.
The hypothesis is confirmed at .05 level of significant.