FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATION COUNCIL (WAEC)
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Table of content
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE
Background
of the study
Brief history
of WAEC
Statement
of Problem
The Purpose of
the Study
Research
Questions
Research
Hypothesis
Significance
of the Study
Definition of terms
CHAPTER
TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research
Design
Population
Sample
and Sampling Technique
Procedure for Data Collection
Data
Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND
PRESENTATION
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendations
REFERENCES
Abstract
This is a research that cantered on
factors affecting the performance of students generally in the West Africa
Examination Council which has become a great concern to various stakeholders in
the educational sector, most especially in Nigeria. The researcher argued that
poor performance of students in WAEC could be traced to several factors that
can be compartmentalized into the domains of parents, students, teachers,
schools, the language of instruction, government and the society among others.
In other words, the causes of poor performance of students in WAEC are
multi-dimensional in nature. The researcher concluded that poor performance of
students in WAEC constitutes wastage on investment in secondary education. The
researcher recommended that since academic performance is a virile instrument
to the national development of any nation; all concerned stakeholders must be
responsive to their roles in order to restore hope to the current grotesque
academic performance of students in WAEC in Ilaje Local government area of Ondo
state, Nigeria.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
The West African Examinations Council
(WAEC) is an examination board formed out of concern for educational
development in Nigeria and West Africa at large. Ambali S. (2003) noted that
the council has developed a team of well trained and highly-motivated staff
that conducts examinations at local and international levels. In 1948, a
meeting was held to discuss the future policy of education in West Africa; at
the meeting Dr. George Barker Jeffery was appointed to visit some West Africa
countries such as Sierra Leone, Gambia and Nigeria; at the end of the visit,
Jeffery’s recommendation for the establishment of WAEC in1952 was adopted WAEC
(2007). Pathetically, shameful failure in students’ academic performance in
Nigeria is no longer news in the recent years. This axiomatically noted in the
public’s unhappiness which becomes more prominent following the annual release
of the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination results, since the
student outcomes do not match the government and parental investments both at
the senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions. The situation is so
pathetic that stakeholders keep on wondering why this level of education has
persistently failed to meet them earnings and aspirations of the society. Apart
from the fact that the Poor performance of students in public examinations
constitutes wastage on investment in secondary education, it puts a big
question mark on the quality of secondary education in the country. Each time
the results of students in Senior school Certificate Examination (SSCE) are
released, it has been a tale of woes and national embarrassment.
However, stakeholders have continued to
trade blames on the causes of poor academic performance of students in public
examinations. Some people shifted the blame on government, some on parents,
some on society and students themselves with the teachers having lion share of
the blame. As accusations and counter-accusations on who to blame on the
performance of students will persist, the fact remains that all the
stakeholders have roles to play in solving the problem of abysmal failure of
students in public examinations. Nevertheless, there is need to identify the
major factors of the problem with a view to providing lasting solutions. It is
against this backdrop that this study investigated the performance of students
in WAEC from the perspective of the teachers who appear to have the lion share
of the blame.
Brief history of WAEC
In
1948, the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate and the
University of London School Examinations Matriculation Council discussed with
the West African Departments of Education the future policy of school
examinations as would be best suited to the needs of West Africa.
Following this discussion, the late Dr. G. B. Jeffery, F.R.S., Director of the
University of London’s Institute of Education, was invited in October 1949 by
the British Secretary of State for the Colonies to visit West Africa to study
and advise on a “proposal that there should be instituted a WEST AFRICAN
SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL”.
After a three-month visit to West Africa, touring The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana (then called The Gold Coast) and Nigeria from December 1949 to March 1950, Dr. Jeffery submitted a report (since known as the Jeffery Report) strongly supporting the proposal for a WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL and making detailed recommendations on the composition and duties of the Council. The four West African governments adopted and published the report in late March 1950, without reservation and an ordinance establishing the Council as a corporate body was drafted by the West African Inter-Territorial Secretariat in consultation with the governments.
After a three-month visit to West Africa, touring The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana (then called The Gold Coast) and Nigeria from December 1949 to March 1950, Dr. Jeffery submitted a report (since known as the Jeffery Report) strongly supporting the proposal for a WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL and making detailed recommendations on the composition and duties of the Council. The four West African governments adopted and published the report in late March 1950, without reservation and an ordinance establishing the Council as a corporate body was drafted by the West African Inter-Territorial Secretariat in consultation with the governments.
In
Lagos, in 1953, the Government of Nigeria also made available a large block of
offices at the Technical Institute, Yaba, which became the seat of the Deputy
Registrar. In Sierra Leone and The Gambia, the Council, in the meantime,
worked through the Department of Education.
An office was opened in Freetown in 1958, the year in which the Council’s London Office was also opened. The national office of the Council in The Gambia was opened in Banjul (then Bathurst) in January 1973.
The first meeting of the Council took place in Accra from 24th to 27th of March, 1953. It was attended by three nominees of the Secretary of State, namely the Chairman of the Council, Mr. A. N. Galsworthy; Chief Secretary of the West African Inter-Territorial Secretariat, Dr. G. B. Jeffery (representing the University of London); and Mr. J. L. Brereton, Secretary of the Cambridge Syndicate (representing the University of Cambridge).
An office was opened in Freetown in 1958, the year in which the Council’s London Office was also opened. The national office of the Council in The Gambia was opened in Banjul (then Bathurst) in January 1973.
The first meeting of the Council took place in Accra from 24th to 27th of March, 1953. It was attended by three nominees of the Secretary of State, namely the Chairman of the Council, Mr. A. N. Galsworthy; Chief Secretary of the West African Inter-Territorial Secretariat, Dr. G. B. Jeffery (representing the University of London); and Mr. J. L. Brereton, Secretary of the Cambridge Syndicate (representing the University of Cambridge).
In
March 2002, the Council celebrated its 50th anniversary in Abuja, Nigeria, with
the theme ‘WAEC: 50 Years of Excellence’. The highlight of the celebration was
the launching of a book on the history of the Council- The West African
Examinations Council (1952-2002): Half a Century of Commitment to Excellence
and Regional Cooperation
Statement of Problem
The ultimate aim of education is to provide knowledge to
the world. In an effort to achieve this, knowledge has been divided into a
system of studies called syllabus with contains all elements of the each
subject.
Schooling in developing countries like Nigeria can be
tedious and difficult. Imagine where schooling takes place under conditions
that are very different from those in developed countries. Students are likely
to attend schools that are poorly constructed and under miserable equipment
like no windows or doors, no place for student to sit but cracked cemented
dirty floor, some times teaching and learning takes place under the trees with
very bad chalkboard, that students can hardly see what is written on the board
clearly.
The curriculum is poorly designed, learning environment
typically has few resources and class rooms would have students to accommodate,
many of whom are chronically undernourished, parasite ridden and hungry. The
job of educating these students is significantly more difficult, with the use
of inexperienced, untrained and unqualified teachers in the teaching of the
subjects in our different schools can be discouraging, teachers who are not
masters in the subject, they tend not to motivate the student in to seeing the
importance and wonders they are to see and gain in the knowledge of subjects,
thereby making students take to play rather than studying.
Teachers neglect the use of instructional materials in the
teaching and learning of subjects. They engage themselves with chalk and talk
method of teaching, which lives the students with little or no understanding.
The Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this
study is to determine the factors affecting performance of students in WAEC
over period of years.
To investigate whether there
is fall in the level of performance of students (quantitatively) in WAEC over a
period of year in Ilaje local government Area of Ondo State.
To show the frequency of performance of students in WAEC
over period of years and also to determine those who are
responsible for the poor academic performance of students in West African
Examinations Council (WAEC).
Research Questions
(1)
What is the performance of
students in WAEC in Ilaje local government area of Ondo state over a period of
year?
(2)
What is the trend of performance of
students in West African Examinations Council
(WAEC) over period of years?
(3)
Are the numbers of those
passing WAEC between the years of study higher than those failing?
(4)
Who are responsible for the poor
academic performance of students in West African Examinations Council (WAEC)?
Research Hypothesis
1.
There is a significant
difference in performance of students in WAEC over a period of year.
2.
There is no significant
difference in trend of performance of students in (WAEC) over a
period of year.
3.
There is significance
difference between factors responsible for the students’ performance
in West African Examinations Council
Significance of the Study
This
research study will be of great help to students, teachers, curriculum planners
and the society at large in the following ways;
The
findings of this research will help students who are directly concerned to
appreciate the each subject, encouraging them to put more effort in the study
since it is inevitable. This research study will expose the importance of the
each subjects, it wonders and the fun and happiness it gives, making them
understand that each subject is an easy subject so as to remove every negative
sentiments, attitudes and fear students have towards their study.
This research will expose areas the teachers
need to put more efforts in the teaching. It will further help teachers in
employing better techniques and methods of teaching to the best understanding
of the students.
The research
study will be of immense help to the prospective and present curriculum
planners. It will enlighten and widen their knowledge towards making an
effective curriculum that will be better understood by the teacher who is to
implement it, to achieve its objectives.
This
research study is an eye opener to the general public in making people see the
importance of study and it’s usefulness in day-to-day activities and the
indispensable contribution of study in nation building.
Definition
of terms
Factor:
one of the elements contributing to
a particular result or situation, or a
fact that influences
the result
of something
School: A school is an institution
designed for the teaching of students (or “students”) under the direction of
teachers.
Academic performance – Knowledge attained or skills
developed in school subjects by test scores.
Secondary school- is a term used to describe an
educational institution where the second stage of schooling, known as secondary
education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place.
WAEC:
means West Africa Examination Council
