FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN JUNIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION IN SOCIAL STUDIES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

With the worldwide concept of education for all and the implementation of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria as a follow-up scheme, it was expected that Nigeria's growth would be expedited due to the inherent values in education. As a core discipline at the upper basic level of the Nigerian education system, social studies is one of those topics having the biggest mandate for converting Nigeria into a member of the world's developed nations. Despite the significance placed on social studies education and the efforts made to promote it in schools, students' academic achievement in social studies does not correspond to the investment made in it. According to Essien (2004), there has been a decline in students' academic achievement in social studies over the years.

According to Essien (2004), as quoted in Opoh (2011), students' academic performance in Social Studies deteriorates yearly when compared to other courses such as Christian Religious Knowledge, despite the fact that they are in the same subject group. Education is the most powerful agent of social and personal development that pupils experience in a relatively formative manner. Every level of education's principal purpose is to effect fundamental change in the student (Tebabal & Kahssay, 2011). Education can be considered as a crucial tool for a nation's long-term and methodical human and material development. This is a sector that is prioritized by every well-meaning society. It is the process of transmitting a society's knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests, abilities, competencies, and cultural norms to future generations in order to foster the society's continuous advancement. In order to obtain the aforementioned educational benefits, curriculum is designed for each school subject at various educational levels. Recognizing the significance of teachers in the implementation of any educational approach, Ukeje remarked in Ebiringa (2012) that while education may open the door to modernity, the key is in the hands of the teacher. The instructor determines what happens in the classroom, particularly in the social studies classroom. Any educational program can only be conducted successfully if teachers possess the necessary information, skills, values, and attitudes.

In order to facilitate the process of knowledge transmission, teachers must employ appropriate teaching styles that best suit specific objectives and level exit outcomes. In the past, many teachers relied on teacher-centered procedures rather than student-centered methods to transmit knowledge to students.

Social Studies is a subject that aims to develop pupils who are creative, patriotic, responsible, and capable of contributing to the advancement of the nation (Ezegbe, 2008). The ultimate goal of Social Studies, according to Okojie (2005), is to provide individuals with information and awareness for effective relationships and life. It has gained great appeal as a result of its significance in national development, even becoming one of the fundamental courses at the primary school level. Naturally, the significance of every school subject in the educational system is defined primarily by its ability to contribute to the general educational goals of that community. This is largely because both the goals of education and the goals of the many school disciplines are derived from the needs, difficulties, and ambitions of society as a whole. Social Studies is one of the core school subjects taught at the primary level in Nigeria, and it is considered that if taught well, it will contribute significantly to national development. (FRN, 2004) Formalized paraphrase

Social studies education in the form of three traditional courses, Economics, Geography, and History, may be traced back to the early history of education in Nigeria. In these three subjects, the knowledge taught to Nigerian pupils was foreign and British in origin. The Nigerian child was being educated away from his immediate environment, society, and culture. The information obtained was absolutely worthless to the Nigerian youth. At the time, social studies were incapable of instilling in the Nigerian youngster knowledge of his immediate surroundings, national consciousness, and national pride, among other things, all of which are primary goals of modern social studies (Mezieobi, 2002).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Despite the importance of Social Studies in national development and stakeholders' efforts to encourage students to study the subject, students continue to do badly in the subject (Agara, 2010). Omabe (2006) stated that students' social studies achievement is weak. Despite this, a variety of factors have been identified as leading to poor performance on the social studies junior certificate test. The instructional methods used in the subject's teaching are one of these features. Social studies, according to Igu (2012), is an activity-based subject that relies on instructional methodologies for effective teaching. Good instructional materials, according to Omabe (2006), are crucial in the teaching and learning of social studies since, regardless of a teacher's efficiency, lesson delivery efficacy cannot be guaranteed without the use of instructional methods. Instructional techniques aid in the acquisition of abstract concepts by helping to concretize ideas and inspire learners' imaginations, according to Esu, Enukoha, and Umoren (2004). Similarly, Mathew (2012) asserted that using instructional techniques improves teaching effectiveness by allowing students to actively participate in classroom instruction. All of these schools of view contend that adopting the right instructional methods boosts student achievement.

According to Mocho (2012), poor instructional approaches are to blame for Social Studies underachievement. Furthermore, Odundo (2013) asserts that social studies teachers have a proclivity to employ well-known pedagogical tactics such as lecturing, drilling, and questioning, which may have a negative impact on student learning outcomes. However, it is for these reasons that secondary school social studies performance currently falls short of expectations. Despite poor performance in social studies, few studies have been conducted to examine the efficacy of instructional methodologies used to teach the subject in secondary schools in Plateau State's Jos north LGA.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objectives of this study is to examine the factors affecting students’ performance in junior certificate examination in social studies. Other objectives of this study are:

i.          Find out the causes affecting students’ performance in junior certificate examination in social studies

ii.        Find out the appropriate instructional method to be used in teaching social studies

iii.      Ascertaining the extent teachers’ qualification and attitude towards teaching can improve the performance of social studies among students in schools.

iv.      Find out whether subject mastery on the part of the teachers influence student understanding of social studies and

v.        Find out the influence of instructional method used in teaching social studies on the academic achievement of social studies.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What are the causes affecting students’ performance in junior certificate examination in social studies?

ii.        What are the appropriate instructional method to be used in teaching social studies?

iii.      To what extent does teachers’ qualification and attitude towards teaching improve the performance of social studies among students in schools?

iv.      Does subject mastery on the part of the teachers influence student understanding of social studies?

v.        What are the influence of instructional method used in teaching social studies on the academic achievement of social studies?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be greatly beneficial to educational institutions as the study will show the importance of social studies and how to improve students academic performance. The study will also be significant to  teachers as the findings of the study will reveal the different methods that can be used in teaching and improving students academic performance.

Finally, this study will be beneficial to the scholars and students as it will serve as an existing material for further studies and future research.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on factors affecting students’ performance in junior certificate examination in social studies. Specifically, this study will be focused on finding out the causes affecting students’ performance in junior certificate examination in social studies, finding out the appropriate instructional method to be used in teaching social studies, ascertaining the extent teachers’ qualification and attitude towards teaching can improve the performance of social studies among students in schools, finding out whether subject mastery on the part of the teachers influence student understanding of social studies and finding out the influence of instructional method used in teaching social studies on the academic achievement of social studies.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

A study of this sort would be incomplete without addressing some of the difficulties that the researcher experienced. As a result, the different issues that limit the results of this research endeavor are addressed below.

This study is primarily based on the responses of students and teachers. The time allotted for this study was insufficient; as a result, the researcher was unable to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the subject.

In the local government region used as a case study for this research, there was another period of long vacation for teachers and pupils.

Finally, all of the questionnaires distributed to the researcher were not returned by instructors, students, or counselors. And this would only encourage him to work with those who were closest to him.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Factors: a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result.

Social Studies: various aspects or branches of the study of human society, considered as an educational discipline.

Get this material NGN 5,000

Message Us on WhatsApp  »