ABSTRACT
This research work sets out to
investigate Poor Performance of Students in English Language in NECO
Examination among selected secondary schools in Awka Urban. Stake holders have
continued to trade blames on the students, teachers, parents, government, even
NECO itself on the poor performance of students in English language. It is
against this background that this study investigates the factors responsible
for the poor performance of students in English Language in NECO examination
from the perspectives of the students and teachers who appear to have the lion
share of the blame.
In order to conduct the study, a
descriptive survey research design was adopted, using questionnaire as the
major instrument for collection exercise. Tables and Percentages were used for
data presentation thereby enabling for easy discussion and interpretation.
At the end of the data gathering
exercises, the study revealed that, although the government, parents, the
school have their own share of the blame; the students had the lion share of
the blame followed by the teachers.
Thus, the study concluded that
un-seriousness among students viz- a viz the over bearing influence of the
social media go a long way in affecting their performances in English Language in
NECO Examination.
Finally, appropriate recommendations are
put forward for solving the present situations as revealed by the study.
POOR
PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NECO EXAMINATION AMONG SELECTED
SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN AWKA URBAN.
BY
OGUNBADEJO,
SAMUEL IDOWU
PGDE/2015/15483
CHAPTER
ONE
Introduction
For proper understanding of this work, this chapter
looked at the following:
Background of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Purpose of the study
Scope of Work
Research Questions
Background
to the Study
Nigeria is a multi –
lingua as well as a multi – ethnic group. Hence, her multi- lingua and multi –
ethnic stratification favour the adaptation of English as the official language and so is
employed as inter and intra national language in the country. English language
is an important core subject in the school curriculum and a channel of
international acceptability to Nigerians. Akin- amide, (2012) notes that
English is being used at all levels of education in the country. The focus of
this work, then, is the secondary school level and specifically the factors
affecting the performance of Senior Secondary School Students in English
Language in NECO Examination in Awka urban, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Atanda and Jaijeoba, (2011) emphasize the importance of English in
Secondary School curriculum pointing out that English Language plays a central
and strategic role in the school system because almost all the school subjects
are taught using English Language. The place of English Language and its
objectives as revealed in the secondary school curriculum cannot be
substituted.
The Outcries on the
incessant failure of students in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination
(SSCE), West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and National
Examination Council (NECO) have been on the increase over the last two decades Judith,
(2014.)
The persistent poor performance of
secondary school students in public examinations such as NECO in the recent
times has made the development of secondary education in the nation a difficult
task, Adepoju, (2011).
Ajayi, (2012) further elaborates that
the situation is so pathetic that stakeholders keep on wondering why this level
of education has persistently failed to meet the yearnings and aspiration of
the society. The mass failure of students in public examination constitutes
wastage on investment in secondary education; it puts a big question mark on
the quality of secondary education in the country.
The bedrock of the
nation’s educational system has always been the secondary school students. Supporting
the notion, Joshua, (2004) who believes that, ‘secondary education is the pivot
around which the development of the nation’s economy revolves. It is the engine
room that provides the nation’s economy and higher (tertiary) education
production systems.’ In fact, the high percentage of candidates who failed NECO
yearly is reflected in the low percentage of the candidates that meet the
university admission requirements.
Each
time the results of students in NECO and other external examinations are
released, it has been a tale of woes and national embarrassment.
Various captions in the National dailies
point toward mass failure of students. Some of these captions include:
“
79% fail English Language as NECO releases SSCE,’ ‘NECO records mass failure in June/July
SSCE,’ Mass failure in both the WASSCE and SSCE,’ mass failure in public
examinations; a national disaster.”
Ajayi, (2012) contends
that ‘in the past five years, most of the students who sat for SSCE each year
did not have credit passes in at least five subjects including English Language
and Mathematics. The situation is getting worst every year,’ he concludes.
It was indeed a national woe when in
2009, NECO released its November/December SSCE result showing that only 1.8%
passed with five credits and above in English.
Statement
of the Problem
That students fail NECO
examination particularly in English Language is an indisputable fact.
Stakeholders have continued to trade blame on the causes of mass failure of
students in NECO examination especially in English Language. Some people
shifted the blame on government, some on parents, some on the society and
students themselves with the teachers having lion share of the blame.
As accusations and counter – accusations
on who to blame on the mass failure of students in English Language in NECO
examination will persist, the fact remains that all the stakeholders have roles
to play in solving the problem of abysmal failure of students in English
Language in NECO examination. However, there is need to identify the major
causes of the problem with a view to providing lasting solutions.
It is against this
backdrop that this study investigates the factors responsible for the poor
performance of students in English Language in NECO examination from the
perspectives of the teachers and students who appear to have the lion share of
the blame
Purpose
of the Study.
In line with the above, the purpose
of this study is to find out the factors responsible for poor performance of
students in English Language in NECO examination.
The specific objectives of the study include:
1. To
know the trend of performance of the students in English Language in NECO
examination.
2. To determine who is responsible for the poor
performance of the students in English Language in NECO examination.
3. To examine the factors responsible for students poor performance
in English Language in NECO examination.
Significance
of the Study
One of the major
challenges facing the educational system in Nigeria is the abysmal failure of
students in public examinations. To this end, this study becomes relevance as
it will unveil to education stakeholders in Awka urban the trend of students’
performance in English Language in NECO examination. This will enable such
stakeholders to device legitimate means on how to tackle poor performance and
re-enforce better performance of students in external examination.
Furthermore, various
research works keep shifting blame on who is responsible for student’s poor
performance. This study will narrow down on Awka urban on who is actually
responsible for poor performance of students in external examination
considering the fact that a university community is sited within the community.
This work will add to the body of knowledge on who is responsible for poor
performance of students in NECO examination in English Language.
The result and recommendations
of this work will be of immense benefits to policy makers and stakeholders in
education matters in Awka urban, as their eyes will be opened to some of the
hitherto neglected factors for poor performance of students in English Language
in NECO examination.
The teachers themselves
will equally benefit from this study as their eyes will be opened to their
neglected responsibility of imparting qualitative education on the students.
Furthermore, they will also know that the blame is not only theirs, the students
are part of the blame, hence all hand will be on deck to ensuring that best
form of education and examination techniques are employed by the teachers, the
result will be improved students’ performance in English language in NECO
examination
This study will be of
immense help to the students as they will realize that they have part to play
in edging a good future for themselves. This can only be achieved if they have
an attitudinal change to some of their negative attitudes to examination
The
Scope of the Study
This study covers
secondary schools within Awka urban. This becomes necessary as the researcher
lives within the urban city. This will facilitate data gathering.
The time frame for the work is a period
of seven (7) consecutive years of NECO examination between 2009 – 2015.
This study painstakingly examines the
factors responsible for poor performance of students in English Language in
selected secondary schools within Awka urban between 2009 and 2015.
This work is however limited by time frame
and finance. Work of this magnitude should have looked at all the secondary
schools in Awka South Local Government Area. This work is nevertheless limited
to Awka urban so as to enable the researcher to be focused and this, hopefully,
will yield expected
results.
Research
Questions
In other to achieve the objective of the
study, the following research questions were raised to guide the study.
1. What
is the trend of students’ performance in English Language in NECO examination?
2. Who
do you think is responsible for poor performance of students in English
Language in NECO examination?
3. What
are the factors responsible for poor performance of students in English
Language in NECO?
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