Determinants of Students’ Academic Performance in Economics

in Selected Secondary Schools in Kaduna State.

By

Arema, B. I.

Ph. D. Student of Department of Economics,

University of Ilorin, Nigeria.

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Abstract

This research work sought to investigate the determinants of students’ academic

performance in economics in selected senior secondary schools in Kaduna North

Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The study used descriptive statistical tools

to analyze the primary data gotten through the administration of a structured

questionnaire on the sample. The sample consisted of ninety (90) respondents; ten

(10) teachers and eighty (80) senior secondary school students drawn from four (4)

secondary schools in Kaduna North Local Government Area. The study revealed that

factors that determine the academic performance of students in economics include;

students’ interest in the subject, the qualification and competence of the teacher,

availability and use of relevant textbooks in economics, examination malpractice

and poor or low enlightenment about the benefits of studying economics.

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Introduction

The National Policy on Education (2009) recognizes education

as the nation’s greatest asset towards the quick development

of its economic potentials, sociological and human resources,

hence it focuses on the integration of the individual into a

sound and effective citizen. It also plans equal educational

opportunities for all at the primary, secondary and tertiary

levels.

Education has been the pillar upon which all meaningful

national developments are built. It is the instrument which

sets the pace for growth, development and understanding of

issues in all their ramifications. For education to be

relevant in a society, it has to be effectively taught. And

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this can only be achieved through the use of good methods and

suitable instructional materials.

In the school setting, the teaching and learning process is

not complete without an evaluation of the learning outcome.

The academic performance of a student measures the student’s

level of understanding of what he or she has been taught.

Epunam (1999) defines academic performance of a child as the

learning outcomes of the child which includes the knowledge,

skills and ideas acquired and retained through their course of

study within and outside the classroom situations.

The academic performance of secondary school students in the

West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National

Examination Council (NECO) has taken a dramatic decline in

recent times. This poor performance cuts across all subjects

including Economics. There is no gainsaying that the purpose

of teaching is to facilitate learning such that the students

will be able to achieve high academic performance in

examinations. For teachers of Economics, it is important that

they understand and appreciate the determinants of their

students’ performance in the subject. This knowledge will help

the teachers to organize the teaching and learning process

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such that the students will achieve high performance in

Economics. The fact remains that there can be no excellent

academic performance without effective teaching and learning.

It has been established among Psychologists that a number of

factors determine the ability of the students. Some of these

factors include; the learning environment, the competence of

the teacher, motivation, the interest of the students to

mention but a few.

Numerous studies have analyzed the factors behind the

performance of students. Identifying the variables that

influence the academic performance of students at school is of

great importance for two reasons. On one hand, it is an

essential tool for the public authorities in charge of

definition of optimal and efficient education policies. On the

other hand, this kind of analysis can help the educational

institutions to improve the quality of their programmes (Awa,

2003) cited in Issah (2009).

Statement of the Problem

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The achievement of high academic performance in any subject

requires effective and efficient teaching and learning

process. Therefore, it is important for educationist to

investigate the factors or determinants of students’ academic

performance in any subject of interest. This need is germane

at this time that the academic performance of students is on

the decline.

In Nigeria, there has been a steady decline in the academic

performance in WAEC and NECO examinations. This poor

performance cuts across all subjects. Also, in recent time,

there has been a decline in the academic performance of

students in Economics at the senior secondary school level.

This poor performance calls for investigation in order to

fully understand the underlying factors or variables that are

responsible with a view to remedying the situation.

The benefits of studying Economics cannot be over emphasized,

as such, when students fail or perform poorly in Economics in

the WAEC or NECO examination; they lose the opportunity to

fully enjoy these benefits. It is therefore apt that a study

of this kind be undertaken to come up with the possible ways

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of making the teaching and learning of Economics more

effective and high performance oriented.

Research Questions

The study is premised on the following research questions:

(i) Do teachers of Economics have the resources,

qualifications and skill required to teach effectively?

(ii) Do secondary school students have pre-requisite

knowledge, resources and interest required to learn

Economics?

(iii) Do secondary school authorities provide the right

environment for the effective teaching and learning of

Economics?

Methodology

This study adopts survey method in the collection of primary

data. The data collected are subsequently analyzed using

appropriate statistical tools on the basis of the research

questions of the study.

Population

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The population for this study comprises of Senior Secondary

School students that offer Economics and their teachers in

Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State. These

students are about 9,040 in number and their teachers are

about 226 spread across 113 senior secondary schools in Kaduna

North LGA of Kaduna State.

Sample of the Study

Two (2) public and two (2) private senior secondary schools

were randomly selected from the study area (Kaduna North LGA).

These made up the four (4) senior secondary schools from the

existing 113 senior secondary schools in the study area. The

population of the four (4) schools was 2,160. Eighty (80)

student-respondents and 10 Economics teacher-respondents were

used as sample for the study based on Kjrecie and Morgan

(1970) recommendation that 5% of the population is alright.

Proportional sampling technique was used to select sample for

the study as described by Miles (2001) that it gives every

member of the population equal and independent chance of being

selected or included in the sample. The selected senior

secondary schools are as follow:

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(i) Federal Government College, Malali, Kaduna.

(ii) Rimi College, Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.

(iii) Loisiana De Prince High School, Sarduana Crescent,

Kaduna.

(iv) Zamani College, Malali, Kaduna.

Instrument for data collection

The instrument that was used for data collection in this study

is essentially a structured questionnaire and students’

records of teachers’ assessment based on school examination

and continuous assessment. The structured questionnaire

contains twenty six (26) items that pertain to the

determinants of students’ academic performance in Economics.

On the basis of these items, the study seeks to answer three

research questions of the study.

Validation and Reliability of the Instrument

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The instrument was content validated. The split half method

for testing reliability co-efficient was carried out on the

questionnaire used for the study. A reliability co-efficient

of 0.81 was obtained. This high reliability co-efficient was

considered adequate for the instrument.

Administration of the Instrument

The structured questionnaire was administered by the

researcher to ninety (90) respondents i.e. ten (10) teachers

and eighty (80) students. The student-respondents were

randomly selected from students in SSS II and SSS III in four

selected schools. The structured questionnaire contains twenty

six (26) items that pertain to the research questions of the

study. The respondents were expected to respond by ticking any

of the four (4) options provided i.e. Strongly Agree (SA),

Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD).

Data Analysis

The data collected were statistically analyzed using

descriptive statistics like frequencies, mean and standard

deviation. In the analysis, the options in the questionnaire

were awarded points as follow; strongly agree (SA = 4), Agree

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(A = 3), Disagree (D = 2) and Strongly Disagree (SD = 1). A

mean score of 2.5 and above was considered Agree; and response

with a mean score of less than 2.5 was considered as Disagree.

Presentation of results

Research Questions 1

Do teachers of Economics have the resources, qualification,

skill and experience required to teach effectively?

Table 1: Responses to Research Question 1

S/

No.

Items Strongly

Agree

(SA)

Agree

(A)

Disagr

ee (D)

Strongl

y

Disagre

e (SD)

Mean

( )

Remark

1. The academic

qualification of the

teacher will determine

his/her ability to teach

Economics effectively.

26 35 20 9 2.87 Agree

2. The area of study

(discipline) of the

teacher will determine

his/her ability to teach

Economics effectively.

25 45 13 7 2.98 Agree

3. There is nothing wrong

to ask a graduate of

Accounting or Business

23 12 30 25 2.37 Disagre

e

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Administration and other

social science

disciplines to teach

Economics.4. The teacher’s depth of

knowledge in Economics

will determine his/her

ability to teach

Economics effectively.

21 34 23 12 2.71 Agree

5. The teacher’s ability to

give relevant examples

will determine his/her

ability to teach

economics effectively.

34 31 12 13 2.96 Agree

6. The teacher’s use of

teaching aids will help

students’ understanding

of economics.

23 34 23 10 2.78 Agree

7. The teacher’s commitment

to work will determine

his/her ability to teach

economics effectively.

41 23 16 10 3.06 Agree

8. The teacher’s

communication skill

(speech, volume and

understandability) will

determine his/her

ability to teach

effectively.

23 25 33 9 2.69 Agree

Table 1 shows that both the students and teachers sampled

agree that the academic qualification, discipline, depth of

knowledge in economics, use of teaching aids, commitment of

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the teachers and the teachers communication skills will

determine the ability of the teacher to teach effectively. And

by extension affect the performance of students in economics.

Research Question 2

Do secondary school students have prerequisite knowledge,

resources, interest and motivation required to learn

economics?

Table 2: Responses to Research Question 2

S/

No.

Items Strongl

y Agree

(SA)

Agree

(A)

Disagr

ee (D)

Strongly

Disagree

(SD)

Mean

( )

Remark

1. The study of

economics is

highly

beneficial to

all learners.

25 35 12 18 2.74 Agree

2. Students stand

to benefit a lot

from studying

economics.

35 19 22 14 2.83 Agree

3. To perform well

in economics

students need to

50 25 9 6 3.32 Agree

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have interest in

the subject.

4. The knowledge of

Business Studies

at the JSS level

will help

students to

understand and

perform well in

economics.

23 34 13 20 2.67 Agree

5. The students’

access to

relevant

economics

textbooks will

determine their

ability to

perform well in

economics.

33 40 7 10 3.07 Agree

6. The students’

willingness to

study hard will

help them

perform well in

economics.

23 35 23 9 2.8 Agree

7. Economics is a 5 12 45 18 1.82 Disagr

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very difficult

subject.

ee

8. Students are

ignorant about

the benefits of

studying

economics.

25 36 23 6 2.89 Agree

Table 2 shows that the respondents agree that the study of

economics is beneficial to the students. They also agree that

the students need to have interest in the study, have relevant

previous knowledge of Business Studies, have relevant

economics textbook to enable them perform well in economics.

The respondents disagree the economics is very difficult. They

opine that for students to perform well, they need to study

hard.

Research Question 3

Do secondary school authorities provide the right environment

for the effective teaching and learning of economics?

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Table 3: Responses to Research Question 3

S/

No.

Items Strongl

y Agree

(SA)

Agree

(A)

Disagre

e (D)

Strongly

Disagree

(SD)

Mean

( )

Remark

1. Students need

enlightenment about the

benefits of studying

economics.

23 34 27 6 2.82 Agree

2. Some schools do not have

qualified and competent

economics teachers.

12 23 45 10 2.41 Disagre

e

3. Some schools do not have

qualified and competent

economics teachers.

23 15 38 14 2.52 Agree

4. Frequent change of

economics teacher does

not affect the

performance of students

in economics.

35 37 12 6 3.1 Agree

5. The teacher-students’

ratio affects the

effectiveness of

34 20 25 11 2.86 Agree

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teaching and learning of

economics.

6. Economics teachers need

to motivate the students

to learn and perform

well in economics.

29 37 11 13 2.91 Agree

7. The possibilities of

engaging in examination

malpractice do not

encourage students to

study hard to perform

well in economics

examinations.

36 32 12 10 3.04 Agree

Table 3 shows that the respondents agree that the students

need enlightenment about the benefits of studying economics.

They also agree that some schools do not have qualified and

competent economics teachers. The respondents are of the

opinion that frequent change of economics teachers, teacher-

students ratio and motivation of students to learn and the

possibility of engaging in examination malpractice all affect

the performance of students in economics.

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Discussion of Findings

The research findings indicate that senior secondary schools,

both private and public are faced with the problem of

inadequate qualified and competent teachers. Some of the

teachers available do not show enough commitment to the work.

Secondly, the study suggests that senior secondary school

students do not show enough interests in economics. Their

level of enlightenment about the benefits of studying

economics is low. Also, the students need more motivation to

take the study of economics more seriously. Some of the

students have relevant textbooks in economics but most of them

do not read them. The possibility of examination malpractice

de-motivates students of economics from studying hard to excel

in economics examination.

Thirdly, the study revealed that the environment for the

teaching and learning of economics needs to be improved upon.

While some schools engage unqualified and incompetent teachers

to teach economics, some schools experience frequent changes

in economics teachers. Worse still, some schools encourage

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examination malpractice. These factors account for poor

performance of students in economics examinations.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions

are reached. The factors that determine the academic

performance of students in economics include; students’

interest in the subject, the qualification and competence of

the teacher, availability and use of relevant textbooks in

economics, examination malpractice and poor or low

enlightenment about the benefits of studying economics.

Economics as a subject is averagely difficult. So, students

need to work hard to perform excellently in the subject. The

study of economics should not be taken with levity.

Recommendations of the Study

Based on the findings of the study, the following

recommendations are made; Economics teachers should make

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deliberate efforts to motivate and enlighten economics

students about the benefits of studying economics. School

authorities should ensure that only qualified and competent

teachers are engaged to teach economics. The teachers should

be well remunerated and motivated to show enough commitment to

the job. Also, the school authorities should provide a

conducive environment for the teaching and learning of

economics.

References

Federal Republic of Nigeria (Revised, 2009) National Policy on

Education. Lagos: Federal Printers

Press.

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Performance as Perceived

20

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Issah, H. T. (2009). An Assessment of Relationship Between Students

Perception of Social Studies and

Their Academic Performance in Colleges of Education in Kaduna State.

Journal of Educational Research and Development. Vol. 4

No. 3 Dec. 2009.

Kjrecie, R. K. and Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for

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Miles, J. (2001). Research Methods and Statistics Success in your Psychology

Degree. Glasgow: Bell

and Brain Ltd.

Obanja, M. (1992). Education Today. A Quarterly Journal of the

Federal Ministry of Education. Vol. 6

No. 1 Dec., 1992.

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(Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis). Department of Education ABU,

Zaria.

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