CLASS SIZE AS A CORRELATE OF EFFICIENCY AND
EFFECTIVENESS IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF PRINCIPLE OF ACCOUNTS IN SELECTED
SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA.
ABSTRACT
This project analyzed the influence of class-size on
the quality of output in secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The
population of the study comprised all the 62 secondary schools that presented
students for the year 2003 SSCE examinations in the State. A sample of 5 schools was selected through
stratified random sampling technique.
Data were collected through an inventory and were analyzed with the use of chi square test, correlation analysis
and t- test. Semi-structured interview was conducted with selected principals and education officers. Their
responses were analyzed through the content analysis technique. The
findings revealed that schools having an average class-size of 35 and below
obtained better results in the Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examinations
than schools having more than 35 students per class. The mean scores were
higher in schools having an average class-size of 35 and below. The
interviewees’ responses supported the findings as they supported small
class-sizes in schools. It was therefore recommended that Government should
provide more classrooms in all secondary schools in the State to cater for
small class-sizes. An ex-post-factor design has been employed to investigate
the effects of class size on the academic achievement of Senior Secondary
Schools students in Principle of Accounts using 150 SS II students selected
from 5 secondary schools in Ikere-Ekiti local government area of Ekiti State. The study was guided by two research
questions and the ensuing null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of
significance. The results showed that Principle of Accounts students in small
sized classes perform better in relation to those in large sized classes.
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CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study
As school population
increases, class sizes also increase, the performances of students become an
issue. According to Dror (2005), class size has become a phenomenon often
mentioned in the educational literature as an influence on pupil’s feelings and
achievement, on administration, quality and school budgets. In his words he
noted, that class size is almost an administrative decision over which teachers
have little or no control. Most researchers start from the assumption that size
of the class would prove a significant determinant of the degree of success of
students. In fact, with the exception of a few, many studies have reported that
under ideal situation, class size in itself appears to be an important factor.
Class size refers to an educational tool that
can be used to describe the average number of students per class in a school
(Adeyemi, 2008). This varies from country to country. Kedney (2009) saw it as a
tool that can be used to measure the performance of the education system.
The place of account in
the life of any nation cannot be overemphasized for instance Franwood (2001)
pointed out that it provides information that is vital in the process of taking
decision in virtually all organization. in the same vein Walter B. Meigs (2000)
believes that it enable us to know is going on relative to day-to-day
activities indeed and it also believed that all organization (public and
private) to evaluate the effectiveness of their policy.
It was that realization
of the importance of account that necessitated its introduction into the
secondary school curriculum in Nigeria
under the present system of education (6-3-3-4). The subject is introduced to
students up to secondary school level.
The few of attention in
the teaching of principle of account has for long been it methodology for
processing data and hence to most people book keeping. It means recording
financial data in books of account and by accounting. It means the whole
structure of ideas involved in giving expression to the activities in assumed
to conduct in a mechanical kind of way without a theoretical by reference to
which objective may be understood. Principle of account is a subject at any
level of education in mentally demanding. It is analytical of any level because
it involves mass transactions which have to be reduced to relatively small
items to give status and assessment to the progress of any enterprises.
Principles of account
therefore need through approach by professional teachers who are well abreast
of innovations in teaching methods of principle of accounts. There are various
methods by which principles of account teachers can impact knowledge on their
students, which can be done by ways of giving information on advice on how to
get something done.
In addition, principle
of account serves as a source of information guide and organizer of
opportunities for learning. Difference teachers have different ways by which
they can impact knowledge. The term “teaching style” refers to a particular
teacher’s way of going about the business of enabling students to learn.
In relation to class-size
effect on Principle of Account, Stepaniuk (2000) reported that the rational
utilization of classroom space depends upon class-size. This in turn would
depend upon the area of the classroom. He argued that there are approved norms
of class-size, 40 pupils per class for grades 1 to 8 and 35 pupils per class
for the senior classes; while the standard allocation of class space per pupil
is 1:25 square metres. In this regard, Dean (2004) compared class-size in some
countries and found that Turkey, Norway and Netherlands had class-sizes of 20
more; the UK, USA, Japan, Canada and Ireland had class-sizes of between 15 and
20 while France, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg and Belgium had
sizes of below 15.
In Nigeria, however,
Okoro (2005) reported that the class-size in secondary schools ranges between
35 or40 students. He argued that few pupils per class are uneconomical, as they
do not make full use of space, teachers and teaching materials. Adeyemi (2008) too,
reported that average class-size influences the cost of education while capital
cost could be reduced by increasing the average class-size in schools while
Nwadiani (2000) argued that the higher the class-size, the lower the cost of
education. He contended however, that most classrooms are over-crowded
spreading resources thinly and thereby affecting the quality of education.
Ajayi (2000) supported the viewpoints and argued that in order to control
rising capital cost of education, the average class-size could be increased.
These points were also supported by Toth and Montagna (2002) who reported that
the increase in enrollment in many institutions which has become major concerns
of students could definitely lead to an increase in class size. Commeyras (2000)
however, disagreed with these arguments and reported that effective teaching
seems impracticable for teacher educators having large class sizes of 50, 75,
100 or more. In terms of outcomes, Schultz (2003) classified the outcomes of
education into two categories from the economic point of view. These are
consumption and investment. Cohn (2005) referred to the consumption aspect as
that related to benefits derived by students. He regarded the investment
component as including a variety of outputs related to the enhancement of an
individual’s or society’s productive skills. Thus, Blaug (2003) argued that the
extension of education tends to raise the earnings of those who benefited from
it. In this regard, Simkins (2001) reported that output “represents the
immediate results of the system’s activities.” According to him, “the main
outputs in education are expressed in terms of learning, that is, changes in
the knowledge, skills and attitudes of individuals as a result of their
experiences within the educational system.” He argued that the educational
system is a productive system in the very sense that it produces outputs
especially various forms of learning. He expressed that the components of the
system could be represented in a model viz:
Input
Process Output. Explaining
the model, he alleged that the various inputs are processed in the production
of outputs. Examinations in Nigerian schools dated back to the advent of formal
education. Since then examinations have occupied a central place in the
Nigerian educational system .According to him, examination has been “the sole
criterion of quality” in Nigeria and “once a higher percentage of the pupils
pass their external examinations, the school is considered to be of a high
quality.” The importance of examinations in Nigeria even extended beyond this
point. This importance as entrenched in the Federal Government of Nigeria
National Policy of Education was in the fact that all secondary schools should
gear their programmes to meet the requirements of model, he alleged that the
various inputs are processed examinations being conducted for the School
Certificate. Toward this end, Fafunwa (2014) argued that “it is an educational
truism that examinations control the curriculum and whoever controls a
country’s examination system controls its education.”
The
WAEC/JSSCE Ordinance emphasized the importance of standards in its
examinations. According to the Ordinance, standards must be such that the
certificates awarded on the basis of performance in the examinations shall not
represent a lower standard of attainment when compared with equivalent
certificates of other examining authorities. These examining authorities were
the Cambridge and London Universities Examinations Boards for the WASC and GCE
examinations respectively. Although the SSC examination has replaced the WASC
and GCE examinations in Nigeria it still uses the GCE ‘O’ & ‘A’ level
standards as its norms since it was pitched between the ‘O’ & ‘A’ level
standards. The pattern of grading candidates’ score in the examinations was
such that the distinctions grade was represented by A1 to B3. The credit grade
was represented by C4 to C6. The ordinary pass grade was represented by D7 and
E8 while the failure grade was represented by F9. It needs to be mentioned
however, that the distinction and credit grades are the only requisite
qualifications for admissions into universities in Nigeria and candidates must
have at least five credits in five subjects including English Language in order
to qualify for admission .The foregoing review has shown that class-size is a
controversial educational tool that has varied from one country to another.
Thus, this study was embarked upon to determine the effect of class-size on the
quality of output of Principle of Accounts students from secondary schools in
Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Statement
of the Problem
It has been observed
that secondary schools in Ekiti State appear to be densely populated while
classrooms seem to be over-congested. It has shown the views of previous
researchers on class-size in various countries. In view of the divergent
opinions, the problem of this study was to determine what effect class-size had
on the teaching and learning of Principle of Accounts in secondary schools in
Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
This situation seems to be impairing effective teaching and learning
process in the secondary schools in the state and hence the reason for embarking
on this project.
Purpose of the Study
The
broad objective of the research project is to examine the relationship that
exists between class size and academic achievement of Principle of Accounts students
in secondary schools in Ekiti State.
The specific objectives are;
1. To examine the effect of class size on
the academic performance of Principle of Accounts students in secondary schools
in Ekiti.
2 To examine how negative effects of class
size on academic performance of Principle of Accounts students in secondary
schools in Ekiti could be brought to minimal.
3 To examine how quality class size helps in
improving the efficiency and Effectiveness of teaching and learning of Principle
of Accounts in secondary schools in Ekiti.
Research Questions
The
research seeks to answer the following questions that affect the effective
teaching and learning of Principle of Accounts in Ekiti State to guide the
study.
(1) “Is
there any difference in the achievement in Principle of Accounts for secondary
school students in small and large sized classes?
(2) Is there any interaction effect between
location of school and class size in the achievement in Principle of Accounts for
secondary school students in small and large sized classes? ”
(3) Is there any significant difference between
the quality of output of students in schools having an average small
class-sizes and the quality of output of students in schools having an average
large class-sizes in the SSCE examinations in the State?
(4) What
is the impact of class size on Principle of Accounts Teachers' productivity in secondary
schools in Ekiti State?
Research
Hypotheses
The
following null hypothetical statements are made with respect to the objectives
of the study.
i.
“There is no significant difference
between the achievement of students in Principle of Accounts in small and large
sized classes of secondary schools.
ii.
There is no interaction effect of School
location and class size in students’ achievement in secondary school Principle
of Accounts.
iii.
There is no significant difference
between the quality of output of students in schools having an average
class-size of 35 students and below and the quality of output of students in
schools having an average class-size of above 35 students in SSCE examinations
in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
iv.
There is no significant relationship between
class size and teachers’ productivity.
Delimitation
of the Study
The study is specifically talking about
the Correlation between the class size and the teaching and learning efficiency
of Principle of Accounts Students in Ekiti State. The study will concentrate on
the effects of class size on the teaching and learning of Principle of Accounts
in (5) Senior Secondary Schools in Ikere Local Government area of Ekiti State.
Significance of the Study
The
Nigerian education system is progressively becoming more and more complex. But the catalogue of sources shows that
Nigerian secondary school class is over congested and thereby leads to a
decline in the teaching and learning of Principle of Accounts. Experience has shown that class size is a
major contributing factor to the assumed teachers’ Ineffectiveness in many
secondary schools in the State. For instance, in the recent years, Nigeria has
witnessed rapid educational expansion especially at the secondary school level
without corresponding increase in the provision of essential facilities and
this has resulted into large school size and eventually large class size; with
its attendant problems of lack of facilities for teachers and also lack of good
classroom management by the teachers. For instance, it has been observed that
students may be too difficult to control by teachers in many of the large
classes due to over congestion of students in these classes. Experience has
also shown that teachers tend to lose the ability to attain or establish effective
teaching in the overcrowded class than small class and this problem of large
class size in secondary schools has been attributed to several factors, such as
the introduction of too many subjects on junior secondary school time-table,
which invariably has given birth to accommodation of all the subjects on the
school time-table couple with the shortage of qualified teaching personnel to
teach these subjects.
Based
on this, the research work contains the researcher’s contributions that would
be of help and useful to education policy planners, Educationist, Ministry of
Education authorities, Stakeholders, school administrations and management in
schools towards helping students to
improve the quality of facilities in the education system.
Apart
from the above, the research will provide valuable information on the influence
of different interacting factors on the effects of class size on the teaching
and learning of Principle of Accounts among secondary school students. The
content of the study will also serve as resource materials for others who want
to carry out further research.
Definition of Terms
The
definitions used in the historical class size debate vary according to the
researcher. The following definitions are ones that will be used in this research.
Class size: Class size is
typically defined as the number of students for whom a teacher is primarily
responsible during a school year. The teacher may teach in a self-contained
classroom or provide instruction in one subject (Lewitt & Baker, 1999, p.
2).
Pupil-teacher ratio
(also known as teacher-student ratio): Achilles
(2003) defined pupil-teacher ratio as the number of student in a school or
district compared to the number of teaching professionals.
Class size reduction:
Class
size reduction is the processes to achieve class sizes smaller than the ones
currently in place (Achilles, 2003).
