Analysis of Students Academic Performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination in Integrated Science between 2018-2021
Abstract
This study was specifically carried out to analyze students’ academic performance in junior secondary certificate examination in integrated science between 2010-2013 in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. The sample size of the study was scored from 1846 registered candidates between 2010-2013 in the area. Two research questions were formulated and answered using simple percentages and mean. The research revealed that the students’ academic performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE) in Integrated Science in urban schools was higher than the students’ academic performance of students in rural schools between 2010-2013. The study recommends that integrated science teachers should adopt every relevant method instructional materials and techniques needed to improve and enhance the performances of students in their external examination in subsequent years.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Integrated science as the largest diversity of science has promoted the acquisition of specialized skills and knowledge such skills and knowledge enhance some special career opportunities and enable one to live a meaningful life (Coley & Cradler, 2000). Research in integrated science has yielded the knowledge that provides the basis for dispelling certain superstitious beliefs. The knowledge and many others have improved tremendously, (Akindele, 2009). In the past centuries agricultural implements were mostly manual but today most of the agricultural implementations are done by machines and thus more food is produced with less human effort (Tony, 2012).
Akindele & Araoye (2009) opined that exposure to integrated science education offers the learners a wide range of relevance to all aspects of life. As an academic subject, integrated science is quite popular at all levels of Nigerian education. It has a larger subject’s enrolment than any other subject in the junior secondary schools especially at the upper basic level of Nigeria education (Ofoeegbe, 2013). However, inspire by the popularity and the unique position of integrated science in the development of science and technology failure rate has remained very high (Akubuibo, 2004). Several researchers have pointed out different reasons for students’ poor performances, some of which are due to the abstracted of certain aspects of integrated science, lack of understanding on the students part of certain scientific concepts and terminologies, and many others (Nselum, 2010).
Examinations in Nigerian schools, dared, back to the advent of formal education. It occupies a unique position as a measure of quality within the educational system of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. They are either internal or public internal examinations that are set by teachers within a school system. These could be in the form of tests and end of the term examinations. Public examinations, on the other hand, are examinations that are conducted by recognized examining bodies.
Analysis of Students Academic Performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination in Integrated Science between 2018-2021
As such, the examination such as the Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examinations and the Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) are regarded as external examinations. This is, in the sense that the examining boards conducting these examinations do not organize instructional courses nor prepare students for the examinations. They are examinations that are designed and organized under specific terms and conditions are based on norms that are regarded as standards. They are designed to evaluate performance at the end of a course of study. However, despite the unique position of examinations in the educational system; there have been conflicting reports on the predictive strength of the Junior Secondary Certificate Examinations (Adeyemi, 2008).
As a result of this failure experienced, some students begin to doubt their intellectual abilities and some believe that their efforts to achieve are futile. These feelings in turn lead to a high persistence level of failure. They give up quickly as soon as something appears to be difficult in the learning process (Nyong, 2013). Hence, there is a great need for students to be motivated to develop a positive attitude which is crucial to academic performance (Adeyemi 2011). One cannot do this without analyzing the performance of students in this important subject (Integrated Science).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
All over the world, education is seen as machinery through which the acquisition of knowledge and skills is achieved so that every citizen is provided of quality education to her citizens. This quality education is evident in the performance of students in external examinations such as the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE).
Unfortunately, it is observed that the academic performance of most learners in integrated science falls below expectation and this is attributed to many factors among which are home factors, environmental factors, peer group, teaching methodology, teachers variable, and many others as noted by (Ngban, 2009).
This triggers the researcher to carry out this research in order to identify those variables such as school location (urban and rural) and sex of students (male and female) whether they have any effect on the academic performance of students in integrated science in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination in Integrated Science.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The study sought to analyze the students’ academic performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examinations in Integrated Science between 2010-2013 in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Specifically, the study seeks to intend to;
- determine the performance of students in junior secondary certificate integrated science examination in urban and rural areas of Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
- compare the performance of male and female students’ examination from 2010-2013 in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Questions
(I) What is the performance of students in junior secondary certificate integrated science examination in urban and rural areas of Oruk Anam Local Government Area?
(ii) What is the mean difference between the performance of male and female students in junior secondary certificate integrated science examination from 2010-2013 on Oruk Anam Local Government Area?
Analysis of Students Academic Performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination in Integrated Science between 2018-2021