ANALYSIS OF POOR PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY IN

NIGERIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Objectives
1.3.1 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Limitation of the Study
1.8 Scope of the Study
1.9 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review

2.0 Introduction
1. The School-Based Factors:
2. The Extrinsic Factors:
2.1 The School Based Factors
2.1.1 Students’ Perception & Attitude
2.1.2 Teachers’ Attitudes
2.1.3 Methods of Teaching
2.1.4 Teaching-Learning Materials/Curriculum
2.1.5 Teacher’s Workload/Class Size
2.1.6 Learning Environment & Facilities
2.1.7 Students’ Assessment & Achievement
2.2.0 The Extrinsic Factors Causing Poor Performance
2.2.1 Mass Media/Social Network
2.2.2 Financial Status/Background of Parents
2.2.3 Culture & Society
2.2.4 Peer Group/Foundational Education
2.2.5 Parental Influences/Level of Education

CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design
3.2. Area of the Study
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Research Assumptions
3.5 Criteria for Selection of Schools
3.6 Sample and Sampling Procedures
3.7 Research Instruments
3.7.1 Students’ Questionnaire
3.7.2 Teachers’ Questionnaire
Page | 1
3.8 Validity of Instruments
3.9 Data Collection Procedure
3.10 Data Analysis Procedure

CHAPTER FOUR: Data Analysis, Results and Discussion

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Data Analysis
4.2.1 Quantitative Data
4.2.2 Quantitative Data
4.3 Background Characteristics of the Students
4.3.1 Sex/Gender of Respondents
4.3.2 Age Index and Class
4.3.3 Type of Primary School Attended
4.3.4 Junior Secondary School Result Statistics in Basic/Integrated Science
4.3.5 Chi-Square Analyses of the Collected Data on the Effects of Students’ Background
Characteristics on Their Performance
1. Gender of Respondents
Decision Rule 1
2. Age Index & Class
3. Type of Primary School Attended
4. Basic/Integrated Science Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination
Result.
Decision Rule 2
4.4 Student’s Perception about Chemistry
4.5 Students’ Attitudes toward Chemistry
4.6 Teachers’ Attitudes (as perceived by students)
4.7 Learning Environment and Facilities
4.8 Students’ Assessment and Achievement
4.9 Evaluation Frequency and Strategies
4.10 Teachers’ Questionnaire Analysis
4.10.1 Background Characteristics of Teachers
4.10.2 Students’ Interest in Chemistry
4.10.3 Rudimentary/Fundamental Understanding of Chemistry
4.10.4 Influence of Parental Background
4.10.5 Effect of Learning Facilities
4.10.6 Effect of Teaching Method
4.10.7 English Language Comprehension Ability and Mathematical Competence of
Students
4.10.8 Curriculum Content, Syllabus & Workload

CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary
5.3 Conclusion
5.4.Recommendations

Page | 2
Page | 3
 ABSTRACT

This study investigated the poor performance of students in Chemistry. The widespread poor performance and
the negative attitudes towards chemistry of secondary school students have been largely ascribed to teaching
problems. Chemistry being the branch of science which studies the nature and properties of substances which
make up the environment, with the changes they undergo, is a very important course of study which does not
only stand as a scientific study but also a very essential for the development of any nation which must be
productive and be able to stand independently in the production of its inhabitants’ chemical consumables.
However, as important as this course is, the students who are expected to be the carriers of the necessary skills
needed for a productive application have been performing so poor persistently over some years ago. To curb
this, this research work focused on investigating the factors responsible for this persistent poor performance at
the Senior Secondary School level, using Uyo North and South Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria, as study areas. Eight (8) Secondary Schools were randomly selected from the two Local
Government Areas, where twenty-five students were randomly selected from six of the schools, sixteen and
thirty from the other two schools respectively, making a total of one hundred and ninety six (196) students from
SSS 1 to 3. One teacher out of the total Chemistry teachers present in each school was also selected, making a
total of 8 teachers in all. Many related theses were reviewed to have a foresight of what the likely factors
responsible for this effect could be, and the factors found out were out-listed under two broad headings called:
The School-based Factors (7) and The Extrinsic Factors (5), making a total of twelve (12) factors in all. The
method of data collection employed in this thesis is the teachers’ and students’ questionnaires. The former has a
total of thirty- three (33), while the latter has a total of twenty-five (25) structured items respectively. Chi-square
and Correlation Coefficient were used in the analysis of the data collected. From the examinations conducted,
sixteen (16) hypotheses were formulated to check the validity of the identified factors, and the following
factors were found to be affecting the
performance of students negatively: poor school background characteristics of students, wrong perception of
students about chemistry, wrong attitudes of students toward chemistry, poor learning environment & facilities,
poor/inadequate assessment of students and improper achievement test, inadequate evaluation, poor method of
teaching on the part of teachers, poor English language comprehension ability and mathematical competence,
the type of primary school attended, performance in JSSCE Basic/Integrated Science, and old age. Meanwhile,
the following factors were speculated in the literatures reviewed, but were found to have no effect on students’
performance: gender difference, curriculum content, syllabus and workload of teachers, and students’
rudimentary understanding of chemistry. Also, parental background of students was found to have a very weak
effect on the performance of students in chemistry. After all, reliable recommendations were made for the
concerned bodies and individuals, including ministry of education, the school management/administration,
chemistry teachers, parents, and other stakeholders. Recommendations were also made for further studies, with
all of these focused on making positive changes to the performance of students in Chemistry right from the
foundational education level, and to effect a transformation of the education sector of the country, Nigeria, at
large.

Page | 4
Page | 5
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Chemistry has been a very important science subject whose role in the development of a nation like

Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. However, as important and significant as this subject is among its other likes

of science subjects including Physics, Mathematics and Biology in the senior secondary school level of the

nation, students have persistently, like in the aforementioned courses or subjects above, continued to perform

poorly, considering the evaluations carried out by both internal and external examination bodies like WAEC and

NECO.

“There has been wild cry each year when WAEC or NECO releases their annual results as a result of

students poor performance, especially in Science subjects” [(Salami, Mohammed, & Ogunlade; (2012) in

Ojukwu, M.O. (2016)]. “Candidates’ performance at the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination

(SSCE) conducted by WAEC and NECO has consistently remained poor, with chemistry having one of the

worst and poorest results over the years” (Ibe & Madusnum; 2001 in Ojukwu, M.O; 2016)

Meanwhile, the poor performance of students in any course of study, be it Sciences, Social Sciences, or

even Commercial studies would lead to a poor development of the country since they make up the content

(major) of the education sector of the country, which indeed is the bedrock of the nation’s development, both

economically, technologically, politically and generally in the aspect of sciences.

Aside the fact that the nation as a whole is being negatively affected when there is poor performance of

students with their output in the society, it haphazardly embitters individual student and their guardians/parents

badly because education is believed and known to be the major medium through which individuals adapt to a

new environment

Page | 6
and attain high levels in the hierarchy of any endeavor. Thus, poor academic performance in the

general education, regardless of whichever course of study such as chemistry or any other,

usually brings about sadness and frustrations to the individual concerned and to his/her parents,

as well as the entire family. As a matter of fact, it gives parents and students a feeling of

satisfaction and enthusiasm when children excel academically (Fehintola; 2009 in Ojukwu, M.O;

2016).Parents and students aspiring and endeavoring to become so fulfilled in life in various

careers such as Medicine & Surgery; Dentistry; Petrochemical Engineering; Agricultural

Practices; Food Engineering; Nursing; Geology, and many more to mention but a few, find it so

difficult to have their aspirations and endeavors realized simply because of their poor and

unsatisfying performance in Chemistry which is a compulsory subject needed for any of these

courses especially in the Health Sciences. At the senior secondary school level, no student without

at least a credit pass in Chemistry would be allowed to progress for his/her University education,

and this alone can kill the dream of many potential students to become practitioners of any of the

above mentioned noble courses. This in turn affects the Educational Sector of the country,

resulting in poor socio– economic growth as it limits or restricts such victimized students to a

lower hierarchy in the economic strata if care is not taken with enough supply of courage and a

never – giving – up attitude in such students. Considering all these, this study was focused on

getting reliable facts and figures of the factors affecting the students which therefore result in

their poor performance in this so important subject, Chemistry, at the Senior Secondary School

level. Meanwhile, Saage (2009) in Nbina, J.B. (2012) identified specific variables causing this

poor performance, such as poor primary school background in Science, lack of incentives for

test, lack of interest on the part of students, students’ laziness,

Page | 7
incompetent teachers in the primary school, large class sizes, psychological fear of the subject,

etc. Also, Korau (2006) in Nbina, J.B (2012) reported that such factors include students’ factors,

teachers’ factors, societal factors, governmental infrastructural problems, language-barrier

problems, examination body related-factors, curriculum related variables, and evaluation related

variables, textbook availability, and home factors. With all these previous theses, the focus of the

study shall be to see into the genuineness of each of these factors, its effects, and how a profound,

lasting and very reliable and proficient solution can be arrived at.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This project work is intended to examine the analysis of poor performance of senior secondary

school students in chemistry based on the fact that there has been a consistent and re-occurring,

and so baffling cases of such which is so much affecting the students’ academics/education during

and after secondary school level, to the extent that chemistry as a subject has become a fearful

masquerade in the minds of many students who offer it. As if that wasn’t enough, it has become a

nightmare to so many other students in both secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the

country and there have been cases of the students stating emphatically that they wouldn’t want

their posterity to experience these problems.

1.3 Research Objectives

The objectives of this research work are as follow: To

1. Find out the effects of students’ background characteristics on their performance

in chemistry

2. Establish the real attitudes of students and teachers toward Chemistry as they

may affect students’ performance in the subject.

Page | 8
3. Find out the school-based factors which might be responsible for students’ poor

performance in Chemistry.

4. Search out some extrinsic factors such as parental background in terms of

profession, who the students live with, qualifications of teachers and their

experience: all of which may affect students’ performance in Chemistry.

5. Source out reliable strategies for curbing the persistence of students’ poor

performance in chemistry.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to determine the analysis of poor performance

of senior secondary school students in chemistry, using some selected secondary

schools Uyo North and South Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State,

Nigeria, as a case study (both private and public schools will be used). The

researcher through findings also seeks to find solutions to the identified problems,

test many hypotheses in order to establish a highly meaningful and perfectly

working set of recommendations which can improve and facilitate a better

performance in chemistry.

1.5 Research Questions

The following questions have been put forward for the purpose of this project

work:

1. What are the perceived analysis of students’ poor performance in chemistry?

2. How do extrinsic variables affect students’ performance in chemistry?

3. What are the strategies or methods to improve senior secondary school

students’ performance in chemistry?

Page | 9
1.6 Research Hypotheses

Page | 10
 In the course of making examinations about the factors responsible for the

persistent poor performance of students at the senior secondary school level in

chemistry, the following null hypotheses were postulated:

1. H0: “Gender of students does not affect their performance in Chemistry.”

2. H0: “The age of students in a particular class does not affect their

performance in Chemistry.”

3. H0: “The type of primary school (private or public) attended by the

students does not have any effect or contribution to the performance of

students in Chemistry.”

4. H0: “The performance of students in their JSSCE Basic or Integrated

Science does not have any correlation with students’ performance in

chemistry.”

5. H0: “Students’ perception about chemistry does not affect their

performance in Chemistry.”

6. H0: “There is no direct relationship between students’ attitudes toward

chemistry and their performance in the subject.”

7. H0: The attitudes of chemistry teachers toward their students do not have

anything to with students’ performance in chemistry.”

8. H0: “Learning Environment of students and their school facilities for

learning do not affect or influence the performance of students in

chemistry.”

9. H0: “The effectiveness of students’ assessment and achievements in

their academics do not affect their performance in chemistry.”

Page | 11
10. H0: “There is no significant level of relationship between students’

performance in chemistry and their evaluation frequency.”

11. H0: “The level of students’ rudimentary understanding of chemistry is not

really a determinant factor to their performance.”

Page | 12
 12. H0: “The relationship existing between parental background and

students’ performance in Chemistry is not insignificant.”

13. H0: “There is no positive association or direct proportionality between

the availability of learning facilities and Chemistry students’ performance.”

14. H0: “There is no significant effect on the performance of senior secondary

school students in Chemistry when their learning facilities are poor.”

15. H0: “English language comprehension capability and Mathematical

competency of students do not affect students’ performance in Chemistry.”

16. H0: “There is no significant negating effect of curriculum content,

syllabus, and teachers’ workload on the performance of students in

Chemistry”

1.7 Significance of the Study

This study would be significant to students, teachers, parents/guardians,

school administrators, curriculum planners, the government, and the society at

large, with the aim of helping improve; first, the students’ ability to perform

brilliantly rather than otherwise; second, the teachers’ teaching efficiency and

productivity; third, the parents’/guardians’ ideologies and understanding about

their wards’ betterment and how they can help bring out the best in them; fourth,

the administrative structural styles and format; fifth, curriculum planners’

curriculum content, set up, analysis, complexity ratio, simplicity measure; sixth,

the government’s input, yielding maximization, and their expected discretion;

seventh and finally, the society’s impacts, inputs and profits.

Page | 13
1.8 Limitation of the Study

The researcher’s limit of study is within the coverage of Uyo North and

South Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, due to time &

financial constraints

Page | 14
 alongside other factors such as the need for an in-depth study of the identified

problems in those particular areas.

1.9 Scope of the Study

The following Secondary/High schools were selected for the purpose of this

study within the specified area:

1. Methodist High School, Oron

2. Science college, Ididep

3. Saint Brian School, Uyo

4. Reality High School, Uyo

5. Government High School, Eket

6. Adiaha Obong Secondary School, Uyo

7. Christ the King High School, Uyo

8. Holy Girls Child School, Ikot Ekpene

1.10 Definition of Terms

 Chemistry: This is the branch of science which studies the nature and properties

of substances which make up the environment, with the changes they undergo.

 Variables: These are factors which are not constant but vary, and are thereby

subjected to being tested under various/different circumstances.

 Senior Secondary School: This is an upper stratum of a high school or college

closest to tertiary institutions or universities by the educational system or format of

Nigeria. It is categorized into 3 sub – strata, viz: S.S.S 1, S.S.S 2 and S.S.S. 3

Where, “S.S.S.” signifies the acronym for “Senior Secondary School”

 Students: In this context, are groups or sets of people who learn new knowledge,

principles, skills and values under the imparting influence of a teacher ( a

Page | 15
custodian of the content to be learnt)

Page | 16
 Extrinsic: This term refers to a value or factor or just anything that is not part of a

particular set up. In this context, it refers to those values, factor or anything that

does not take place within the school environment, but that may in one way or the

other influence the internal (intrinsic) set up of the school system, especially, the

students. It is an external part of anything it is used with.

 NECO: National Examination Council, a national examination conducted as a

replica or equivalent of WAEC as regulated by the examination body in Nigeria.

 WAEC: West Africa Examination Council, an international examination

conducted for students of the Senior Secondary School Leaving level for the

award of the SSCE (Secondary School Certificate in Education) in West African

countries which include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso,

Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Republic, Liberia, Mali, Niger,

Mauritania, Senegal, Togo, Saint Helena, Sou Tome, Guinea Bisau, and Nigeria,

making a total of 18 countries.

Page | 17
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

The role of chemistry in the development of the scientific base of a country cannot be overemphasized and

Nigeria is not an exception. Yet with the increasing importance of chemistry to the unfolding world, the

performance of Nigerian students in the subject at the secondary school remains a dismal failure. However it is

disappointing to note that the students‘ performance in chemistry at internal and external examination has

remained considerably poor despite the relative importance of chemistry (Saage 2009). Several factors have

been advanced to affect students‘ poor performance. Korau (2006) reported that such include the student

factor, teacher factor, societal factor, the governmental infrastructural problem, language problem examination

body related variables, curriculum related variables, test related variables, textbook related variables and home

related variables. Saage (2009) identified specific variables such as poor primary school background in

science, lack of incentives for test, lack of interest on the part of students, students not interested in hard work,

incompetent teachers in the primary school, large classes, fear of the subject psychologically etc.

In Nigeria the pupil‘s home upbringing tends to affect their attitudes to authority. It is one of co-operation and

passive submission. Children seen to have a natural tendency to explore, find out and collect objects. Too

much restriction can have a lasting effect on the learner to the extent that he becomes afraid to experiment and

explore in chemistry and later in life when encouraged to find out for him or make individual contribution he

may be too inhibited to do so (Lawis, and Eddy 1967). Kahl (1961) has shown that parental attitudes were

more important in predicting aspiration of pupils towards continuing their schooling and successes in school

than status. Parents should not expect too little or too much from their children. Too much pressure can lead to

failure and dislike of chemistry. Critical remarks can encourage lukewarm attitude towards chemistry. They

should therefore discuss the progress of their children with the teachers so as to assist the learners in their areas

of difficulty.
Page | 18
 Parents that are too push-up can cause academic maladjustment for learners. Boocock (1972) found that

parental dominance tend to discourage the children in school learning. However some parents over-pamper

their children too much to the points of spoiling them completely Korau, 2006). Since such parents shun their

responsibility to train their children at home such children will develop nonchalant attitude to chemistry and

other courses.

Korau (2006) observed that the schools population counts in thousands today against the hundreds of the

previous years. Schools today are overcrowded in classrooms which make it impossible to talk of an ideal size

of a classroom for effective teaching of chemistry. No effective teaching can take place under a chaotic

situation where he cannot handle the large number of students effectively. Consciously quantity and quality

cannot work together and this can affect the students‘ learning of chemistry and thus perform poorly.

Some of the probable factors considered as causing poor performance of Senior Secondary School

Students in Chemistry include the following:

1. The School-Based Factors:

i. The Students’ Perception & Attitude

ii. The Teachers’ Attitudes

iii. The Methods of Teaching

iv. The Teaching/Learning Materials/Curriculum

v. The Teacher’s Workload/Class Size

vi. The Learning Environment & Facilities

vii. Students’ Assessment & Achievement Tests

2. The Extrinsic Factors:

i. Mass Media/Social Network

ii. Financial Status/Background of Parents

Page | 19
iii. Culture/Society

Page | 20
 iv. Peer Group/Foundational Education

v. Parental Influences/Level of Education

The two major factors given above as: The School-based Factors and The

Extrinsic Factors have the highlighted factors or variables under them as the focus

of this study and literature review.

Now, each of the factors shall be expatiated one after the other as follows:

The School Based Factors

School from this context refers to the place where the process of teaching

and learning takes place.

However, there have been various contributions toward what the

components of a school are; but basically, there are three (3) components of a

school, viz:

i. The Learner (students)

ii. The content and

iii. The Teacher

These three components work hand-in-hand with utmost dependence such

that one cannot exist successfully without the other. If the teacher is available

without a content (either subject or skill) to teach when the students are available,

there can be nothing called teaching or even learning. And if students are in

existence without a teacher or content to learn from, then there can be nothing

called learning or teaching in such setting.

In view of these, Zachariah K.M. (2012) in his research work perceived that

there are absolutely cases whereby the insufficient or none availability of any of

Page | 21
these 3 major components and other necessities such as the school plants and

facilities (such as class rooms, teaching/learning materials etc.) may hamper a

good yield of students’ learning capabilities.

Page | 22
 The following are therefore identified as the analysis of students’ poor

performance under the stratum of the school.

Students’ Perception & Attitude

Ojukwu M.O. (2016) in his findings and data analysis collected the

following from the students which amount to 240 in number (118 Males, 122

Females):

Students’ perceptions toward the analysis of their poor performance in chemistry:

Item Agree% Disagree Mean S.D Decision

Students’ Low Retention 94.4 5.6 3.72 0.575 Accepted

Students’ Emotional Problems 88.8 11.2 3.11 0.758 Accepted

Students’ Lack of Interest in 45.0 55.0 2.35 0.104 Rejected

Chemistry

Inadequate Coverage of the 100 0.00 3.61 0.502 Accepted

Syllabus

& Failure to Conduct Practical

Difficulty Level of the Subject 88.8 11.2 3.11 0.758 Accepted

Student’ Poor Study Habits 33.3 66.7 2.33 0.752 Rejected

From the analyses shown above, according to the collection of Ojukwu

M.O. (2016), it could be inferred that the perception of students about chemistry as

a difficult subject is so high and far beyond average, with a relatively equal

affirmation of low retention of the subject when taught or studied. This

confirmation however did not state or show that students have a negative attitude

towards the subject, as it is shown in the table that 66.7% of the questioned

students disagreed with poor study habits.

Page | 23
 Zachariah K.M (2012) in his related study based on students’ poor

performance in Mathematics stated: “Students’ attitude towards Mathematics was

measured using a

Page | 24
‘Likert Scale’ and the results obtained indicated that they have a positive attitude

towards Mathematics”. This is in contradiction to the assumed ideology or thought

that students oftentimes fear Mathematics and so want to avoid it at all costs. But

if students have a positive attitude towards Mathematics (being a core subject);

what then should be their fear for Chemistry. Yet, the case is not like that, as it is

revealed that 88.8% confessed that Chemistry is a difficult subject.

Meanwhile, they still have a positive attitude toward the study of this

acclaimed difficult-to-understand subject by studying to understand. But the

counter move to this might be due to their low retention ability of the subject

matter.

However, Mwamwenda (1995) argued that the achievement of students in a

subject is determined by their attitudes rather than their inability to study. This

shows that a student with the mindset of knowing, embedded with the will and

desire to understand any subject matter can certainly do so regardless of its

difficulty. But more noteworthy is the mind- blowing findings revealed in the

problem of inadequate coverage of syllabus and failure to conduct practicals

which got 100% agreement of the whole 240 students which were questioned. This

can also bear forth the fact that the students’ positive attitude toward chemistry can

be killed, recollecting the fact that the syllabus is the analytical breakdown of the

content to be learned in the teaching/learning process; this therefore makes a core

component of the school absent and consequently results in poor performance of

the learners.

However, it is to be noted as well that students’ poor attitude toward the

Page | 25
subject, probably in form of fear, hatred of either the teacher or the subject, non-

challant attitude, laziness and others certainly do produce poor performance.

Haimowitz (1989) in Ojukwu (2016) indicated the cause of most failures in

schools might not be due to insufficient or inadequate instruction but by active

resistance by the learners. This serves as a supportive

Page | 26
 ideology or knowledge to the fact that students’ attitude in the form of resistance

of the subject matter affects their performance negatively.

Teachers’ Attitudes

Zechariah K.M (2012) in his findings showed that data obtained after

analyzing teachers’ responses to items soliciting their attitude towards

Mathematics indicated that they have a positive attitude towards the subject

with their overall mean perception as

4.18 out of the maximum possible score of 5.00. This implies that they have a

positive attitude towards Mathematics (4.18 > 2.50).

Meanwhile, Ogembo (2012) stated that teachers’ attitudes and motivation

play a pivotal role in the teaching and learning process; laying emphasis on the

fact that educationists and employers know that it is essential to motivate learners

and employees so that they can work diligently to produce good results in

whatever they do (Kithinji, 2007). He further stated in his findings which was

targeted towards the factors influencing the poor performance of students in

chemistry, that according to Kwale SMASSE District INSET _ 2004, “although

Science and especially Mathematics teachers may have positive attitude, yet they

are beset with problems that frustrate their efforts to teach effectively and

efficiently.”

He further highlighted the following as parts of the frustrating problems

which negatively affect teachers’ attitudes, an action which bounces back on the

performance of students.

i. It is possible that a number of teachers are not in the profession by choice.

Page | 27
Although many of them adjust and accept teaching as a profession, there are those

who take too long while others do not accept the profession at all.

Page | 28
ii. Inadequate number of teachers is another destructive factor of students’

performance which does that via teachers’ abnormal workload and insufficient

time for adequate preparation, especially in the urban areas

iii. Students’ attitude, if negative, towards a particular subject will certainly without

doubt cause teachers to be discouraged

iv. Overloaded curriculum content

v. Lack of facilities to aid a reasonable teaching/learning process

vi. Uncooperative administration, especially in the provision of required facilities

vii. Poor remuneration for teachers

With all the outlined results gotten from previous studies, it could be

inferred that as there are positive attitudes of teachers, there still exist so many

factors which may hinder their (the teachers’) maximal performance. When these

hindering factors as outlined by Ogembo (2012) above are active, the students’

performance would still be affected wrongly. A case study of such relationship

between teachers’ attitude and problem-causing factors is the poor remuneration of

secondary school teachers in Nigeria, which actually discourages them from going

to class to teach effectively. As their attitudes are being turned upside down due

to non-payment of salaries and allowances, the students are affected and this

results to poor students’ performance.

In cases where teachers are expected and supposed to have a positive

attitude, the students’ also appear to portray a discouraging mindset either by their

being unready to learn or otherwise; teachers get discouraged and some have their

passion to effectively and actively teach quenched.

Page | 29
 The case of professionalization is another factor which wrongly (through

teachers’ attitudes) bastardize the output of students. Just like Ogembo (2012)

mentioned, many teachers today in Nigeria do not even have any interest

whatsoever in being a professional

Page | 30
teacher. Most of them just venture into teaching as a job to earn for their living,

probably because of job scarcity in the country or for any other reason. There are

cases of seeing a Petrochemical Engineering graduate teaching chemistry in

secondary schools, not because such graduate was trained or had passion or even

any intention to become a teacher, but primarily because he didn’t have any other

means of getting income. This goes far back to lack of enough work space or

media through which such graduate can work in the appropriate places in line with

his course of study, such as the Refineries, and other companies that may need his

service.

Another part of this problem is its stem: Un-professionalization of teaching.

The fact that teaching has not been professionalized as it should be like other

professions such as Accountancy, Medical Practices, Law and Soliciting

Professions, etc. has been a major problem which allows the untrained men to

easily venture into the world of teaching – (Komolafe, Akinsanya, & Akanmu,

2010).

Overloaded curriculum and insufficient teachers also go a very long way in

affecting the attitudes of teachers (and this consequently produces poor results or

output). Imagine a single teacher teaching three classes (SSS 1 to 3). How would

the teacher be able to cope as effectively as he/she should with his students? This

can also go a long way to affect his/her attitude towards anchoring the students’

works such as assignments, experiments and field exercises. To mark with utmost

attention the scripts or workbooks of over 40 students per class, and 3 classes

make 120, plus workbooks per day or probably at the most minimum, 1 week

Page | 31
cannot be as easy as it would be with that of just 1 class per day or per week.

This alone prevents the teacher from giving maximum attention to students’ lapses

and academic shortcomings. Meanwhile, a stitch in time saves nine.

Page | 32
 Overloaded curriculum and unavailability of some required facilities are

found to be a threat under the SWOT Analysis of the teaching-learning process, as

pointed out by Ogembo (2012), but they shall be discussed in details later.

2.2 Methods of Teaching

Akanmu, Aluko, Akinyeye & Makinde (2015) define method of teaching as

the strategies or techniques adopted and used by teachers in transferring learning

in a classroom teaching-learning process. They further state that “It is how the

teacher passes across or communicates lessons.”

The following are the attributes of a good method of teaching, as given by

Okeke (1997) and Ifeagwu (2000) in Akanmu et al (2015). It should:

1. Provide useful activities that would help learners to discover facts and

contribute effectively to the learning activities.

2. Have consideration for all the varying groups of learners in the class; the

clever, average and below average

3. Be able to make use of educational maxims as “the lesson must start from

known to unknown” etc. make use of previous knowledge or experience to

develop new facts and ideas.

4. Make learning meaningful to the learners. It should be relevant to his needs

and situations

5. Prepare moderately for a lesson. It should not attempt too much or too little

in any given lesson

Just in the same vein, Ogembo (2012) states that the principles of effective

teaching rest on fundamental assumptions about optimizing curriculum and

Page | 33
instruction.

The assumptions include:

Page | 34
i. The school curriculum assumes different types of learning that call for

different types of teaching. No single teaching method such as direct instruction or

social construction of meaning can be the choice method for all occasions.

ii. For any subject, chemistry inclusive, instructional needs change as the

students’ expertise develops.

Therefore, what constitutes an optimal mixture of instructional methods and

learning activities will evolve as the students’ school year, instructional units and

even individual lessons progress (Harris & Taylor, 1983; Corno & Snow, 1986;

Gastel, 1991).

iii. The students need to learn effectively and progress through the curriculum.

Effective instruction needs to focus on the zone of proximal development which is

the range of knowledge, concepts and skills that the students are not yet ready to

acquire on their own but can acquire with the help of their teachers. Teachers have

different styles and strategies for helping students learn; particularly chemistry

concepts and skills and there is no one right way to teach.

Garson (1988) in Ogembo (2012) says if students are to learn science, we

must give them respect for observation rather than the pronouncements of

textbooks; contrary to the findings of Kwale SMASSE (2004) which revealed that

most science teachers who enter into activity of teaching are armed only with

textbooks.

So far, from the given statements above, the choice of a good teaching

method is known. But if there is anything contrary to the characteristics and

assumptions given, then such is erroneous and produces poor outputs.

Page | 35
 Even in cases where all these attributes and conditions are being followed

or offered, Twoli (2006) found out that some schools’ head teachers use all these

primarily to make their students pass some national or international exams instead

of using them to make sure the knowledge becomes part of the students. This was

found to be in existential

Page | 36
 use because such school administrations’ focus is on making their way to the top

of the list of schools with highest passing out students rate regardless of if the

students they so produce this way are capable of making impacts in their society

after all. “This practice reduces students to passive recipients who are supposed to

imbibe knowledge from teachers, memorize it and reproduce it all in

examinations alone.” Ogembo (2012).

Furthermore, Zechariah (2012) in his analysis found out that 5.6% of

teachers use lecture method, 3.4% use project, 64.2% use discussions, 6.5% use

discovery method, while 27% use the Q & A method. According to (Costello,

1991), lecture method is ineffective in that it turns the learners into passive

participants in the learning process. However, despite the disadvantage, lecture

method allows the coverage of large content within short period (SMASSE, 2007).

Discussions, project and discovery methods create an enabling environment for the

learners and ensure that individual differences are taken care of.

With all the methods mentioned and many more that are, their use in the

appropriate place and for the appropriate subject or topic maximizes the

performance of students. However, the consistent use of a particular method which

is didactic, like the lecture method, may produce poor performance of students.

2.3 Teaching-Learning Materials/Curriculum

SMASSE (2014) in Ogembo (2012) identified overloaded curriculum as part

of the frustrating factors which alter teachers’ attitudes.

A curriculum is a comprehensive plan prepared to guide and control the

general educational programs at certain level or sector of education. It is a very

Page | 37
broad and unified plan prepared commonly for a set of subject taught in the same

level or sector of education. (Akanmu, Aluko, Akinyeye & Makinde, 2015).

Page | 38
 Meanwhile, teaching-learning materials refer to those objects or devices

used by the teacher to transfer or pass knowledge across to students/learners. Such

include objects which are at times used as teaching aids, educational materials,

educational media, instructional media, educational resources, learning resources,

resources materials, etc. just as the case may be. (Akanmu et al)

Zachariah K.M (2012) showed in his research work that textbooks, being a

teaching material, are leading with 94.1%, followed by mathematics geometry-

charts and models which take 10.5% and 6.2% respectively.

Meanwhile, Psacharopolous and Woodhall (1985) say textbooks are a

major input for performance in examinations. This view is shared by Chepchieng

(1995) who observes that availability of quality textbooks in secondary schools

is strongly related to academic achievement among children from lower income

families, especially those in rural boarding schools and that physical facilities

contribute positively to students’ academic performance (Munda, Tanni &

Kaberia, 2000). Also 43.50% of all students indicated that their schools lacked

physical facilities and the ones existing were poorly used, stating that the

availability of these facilities highly contribute positively to students’

performance. However, the absence of any or some of these materials and

facilities amount to poor performance, not of the students alone now, but also of

teachers. Aside all that, when the teaching materials are available, most

teachers find it difficult at times to cover the whole scheme of work selected

from the curriculum mostly because of time constraints which arise from factors

such as to uncalculated holidays, slow rate of students’ understanding of the

Page | 39
subject matter taught from a well-planned syllabus, or even the laziness of the

teachers which may have resulted in the inability to cover the syllabus, and

where possible, there may be no suitable materials to effectively

Page | 40
 teach according to the education curriculum been stated or laid down to follow. All

these consequently result to poor performance of students.

Inappropriate use of specific materials or even the unavailability of such

may forfeit the goal of the curriculum, and this surface to affect the students not

alone, but even the society at the long run.

2.3.1 Teacher’s Workload/Class Size

Zachariah (2012) found out that 27.8% of teachers teach below 15 lessons

per week, 66.7% teach between 16 to 30 lessons, while 27.8% teach more than

30 lessons in a week. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (2008) says a teacher

in a secondary school is supposed to teach at most 30 lessons in a week – a figure

which I personally find too big here in Nigeria. This indicates that 27.8% of

teachers (in his findings) were overloaded. This percentage is high and may

contribute to poor students’ output.

Problematically merged with this is the factor of too much class size

compared to the normal expected size of 50 students maximally per class. There

have been many reported cases of teachers resigning from a particular school of

work with such workload for a better place. This occurrence is due to the

consideration of the fact that such population per class becomes uncontrollable

many a times for the teachers or that the management of such number of students’

works and activities became cumbersome and outrageously too much for them.

The resignation of teachers results to the employment of new teachers which

may bring an entirely new method, approach or relationship different from those

of the former teachers, therefore resulting in a kind of confusion and puzzle for the

Page | 41
 students under such tutelage. The end product of such processes is usually the poor

performance of students in such course or subject of study, with chemistry

inclusive.

2.3.2 Learning Environment & Facilities

Page | 42
 Learning environment in the formal school setting includes the classroom,

the staff personnel of the school, the school plants and even the peer groups of the

learners. Ogembo J.O. (2012) opined that the type of classroom interaction

existing between the students and their individual teachers determines not only the

effectiveness of the learning situation, but also the attitudes, interest and in part,

even the personality of the child. Gammage (1979) however argues that in the

context of classroom interaction, personality, as it is, affects learning. The child’s

reaction to success, failure, praise and blame – relative to the interaction with the

teacher, become crucial since they relate not only to the student’s social and

emotional behavior in the classroom but also to his motivation and morale. The

teacher must therefore be careful about what happens in the first few encounters

with the students as it is likely to establish the classroom environment of the

particular class.

With all these earlier marked out contributions, it can be inferred clearly that

the learning environment or atmosphere found inside the classroom is of extreme

importance in molding the character of the students and determining the efficiency

with which learning takes place. The motivation of the learner may be achieved if

the classroom interaction both between a student and his/her mates and that

between himself with the teacher in charge of chemistry is enhanced and made

effective. This will consequently promote an eager mindset in the students and

result in their brilliant performance, having gotten answers to their curiosity

created by the virtue of genuine interest. It is however noticeable in students with

an experience of low or no effective classroom interaction to fail in the concerned

course or subject, which does not exclude chemistry. Such learning environment is
Page | 43
usually filled/characterized by fear in the students; probably due to threats or an

unfriendly atmosphere created by the subject teacher.

Page | 44
 However, mention has been made of the learning facilities as a cogent factor

related to the learning environment – (School plants) responsible for either ills or

norms in the teaching – learning process of chemistry as a science subject.

According to Maundu, Muttuwii and Sambili in Ogembo (2012), a classroom

teacher requires various kinds of teaching resources such as textbooks, apparatus,

chemicals, charts, models, motion pictures as well as laboratories and others to

enhance the effectiveness of his or her instruction. Meanwhile, a resource is

defined as any source of information, expertise, supply or support which helps in

the enhancement of the teaching – learning process by modifying the teaching and

learning situation. Chemistry being a science subject cannot do or be complete

without practical and phenomena which cannot be studied effectively through

abstract or theoretical discussions. According to Gregg (1968) in Ogembo (2012),

every bit of chemical knowledge is a direct result of one or more careful and

unbiased experimental observations. Most of these observations are made by

using at least one or more of the five senses. Students’ performance in practical

work is determined by proper use of laboratory tools (glass ware, and equipment)

and the correct execution of procedural techniques (filtration, titration, preparation

of certain concentration of solution (Kwale SMASSE, 2005).

According to Bhagwan (2005), a growing body of research in the cognitive

science suggests that students learn and better retain what they learn through

‘authentic’ learning tasks. In a contradicting development to all these, Okafor

(1996) reported that 5% of the post – primary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, had no

laboratory. Even the ones with laboratories were not ideally equipped with human

and material resources. These factors which are actually not peculiar to Lagos
Page | 45
State alone affect students’ achievements in chemistry.

Page | 46
 ICT is another facility in the world of today that enhances the

teaching/learning process. Bhagwan (2005) outlines the following as the most

important contributions of ICT: It Has a positive effect on students’ attitude

towards learning

Makes instruction more students-centered; encourages co-operative learning and

stimulates increased teacher-students interaction

Provides multimedia products that graphically illustrate concepts

Provides challenging visual/spatial tasks which develop logical and scientific thinking

Enables students to develop high-order results and logical thinking by making abstract ideas

concrete.He further stated that the implementation of ICT as a facility of study

(teaching/learning) will certainly help students’ performance. But since all these facilities are

not present in many schools here, then its effect cannot but be felt otherwise.

2.3.3 Students’ Assessment & Achievement

According to Ayot (1986), the techniques and frequency of

assessment/examination profoundly affect the content of the curriculum, how it is

taught and ultimately, the students’ performance.

Assessment includes informal classroom processes such as observing pupils

tackling a task, questioning them about their work, looking at the records of their

previous works or listening in on their discussions. More formal processes include

testing and examinations. Generally, assessment provides insights into very

specific aspects of the thoughts and performance of students (Brenner, 2004). The

use of assessment to ask and answer questions such as, the thought of students

about a particular topic or why a students’ performance in certain skilled tasks

Page | 47
becomes deteriorating, actually improves

Page | 48
the information available to the teacher and makes it possible to identify and

address learning difficulties (Beck & Earl, 2002; Beck, 2002).

The other issue considered necessary is how a student’s previous encounter

with the assessment outcome of the subject affects his overall performance.

Embeywa (1985) opines that, to feel positively towards a subject area, one has

motivational orientation towards a subject area with high academic yield (high

performance). Perhaps, consistent poor performance in chemistry demotivates

students, thus enabling the vicious circle of poor performance in chemistry.

The study under this attempts to consider the correlation between students’

previous performance and their attitude toward chemistry as a subject.

Black (2002) in Ogembo (2012) identified factors that he considered to be

seemingly crucial for successful learning and other factors considered to act as

hindrances. Those that enhance learning include:

i. Regular classroom testing and the use of the results to adjust teaching and

learning rather than competitive grading.

ii. Enhanced feedback between teachers and students, which may be oral or in

the form of written comments on work.

iii. The active involvement of all the students

iv. Careful attention to the motivation and self – esteem of students,

encouraging them to believe that they can learn what is being taught.

v. Time allowed for self – assessment by students, discussion in groups and

dialogue between teachers & students.

Those that hinder achievement include:

Page | 49
i. Tests, which encourage rote and superficial learning, even when teachers

claim they wish to develop understanding

Page | 50
ii. Failure by teachers to discuss and review testing methods between themselves

iii. Over – emphasis on giving of marks and grades at the expense of useful

advice to students

iv. Approaches that compare students in such way that persuades them that the

purpose is comparison rather than personal improvement which demotivates some

other students

v. Testing, feedback and record – keeping which serves a managerial rather

than learning function

He further states that:

i. Careful framing of the teacher’s questions encourage active students’ participation.

ii. Increasing ‘wait time’; that is, giving students time to think and contribute

progressively after questions.

iii. Comments on written tasks identify what has been done well and that which

needs improvements.

iv. * Making criteria for evaluating any learning achievement transparent to students.

v. Students should be taught habits and skills of collaboration in peer – assessment.

vi. Encourage students to keep in mind the aims of their work and assess their

own progress to meet the aims.

vii. Students should be sensitized about the formative use of the summative tests.

Note: The asterisked Roman figure (iv) above is a very crucial point which

is supposed to be made known to students, but it is a pity to know that most

students do not even know about any of such criteria such as what the marking

scheme says or what the marking analysis of teachers for the assessment would be.

Page | 51
 In view of the above, it is crystal clear that assessment has a profound

effect on the teaching process. According to Twoli (2006), assessment is an

important aspect of

Page | 52
 any educational program through which the range of realization of an objective is

known. If the measure of objective realization is therefore not known through the

feedback medium that assessment gives, then poor performance might become

inevitable.

2.4 THE EXTRINSIC FACTORS CAUSING POOR PERFORMANCE

This segment of the literature review focuses on considering how some

factors outside the school organization affect students’ performance in chemistry

at Senior Secondary School level. The factors shall be discussed below

2.4.1 Mass Media/Social Network

Adeyemi (2014) in Adewumi (2016) defines mass media as any means or

source of public information that educate and enlightens members of the society.

The says further that it’s a very powerful agent of education and socialization

which has the capacity to either make or mar any student exposed to it.

Akanmu (2012) in Adewumi (2016) refers to mass media as the channel

through which information and instructions are disseminated in a strategic format

either electronically or in prints via some devices such as television, radio,

telephone, satellite networks or books, journals, magazines and newspapers

respectively

However, with all the intended modernization of channels via which

information and messages could be passed across to the masses, many students are

found of exploiting the negativities in mass media against themselves either

directly or indirectly as it is not all the information given through the mass media

Page | 53
that are necessary or needful for secondary school students. Some electronic and

printed media have segments meant for games, adults only movies and all such

which when students get too used to turn out to becoming affective against them.

Such segments or offer may include porn TV show,

Page | 54
 unnecessary puzzle games and stories, an action which even result in moral

decadence in the society, apart from the academic damages it does to their lives.

Social networks/media is a firm of electronic communication media which

facilitates interaction based on certain interests and characteristics, using highly

accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media use web – based

technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social dialogues,

and some of such are Facebook, Twitter, Eskimi, 2go, and Whatsapp (Laitos

Blogspot © 2017).

Each of these social networks is actually intended for communication

effectiveness and efficiency through electronic devices to meet up with the

standard of technological advancement which started well in the communications

arena since the 20th century. The effect of all these on academic performance of

student is that many of them become uncontrollably addicted to these social media

negatively such that the time they should spend studying their academic materials,

and doing school works are sold out unto these social networks, thereby producing

a poor yield in their academics generally.

2.4.2 Financial Status/Background of Parents

Nyandwi M.D. (2014) in his research work on a very similar topic in

Tanzania found out that the financial status or background of the family in terms

of income actually has a very conspicuous influence on the performance of

students in chemistry. He stated that the literature on achievement consistently has

shown that parent’s with moderate to high income and educational background

held beliefs and expectations that were closer than those of low – income families

Page | 55
to the actual academic performance of their children; low income families instead

had high expectations and performance beliefs that did not correlate well with

their children’s actual school performance (Alexander et al. (1994)).

Otieno & Yara (2010) asserted in Nyandwi (2014) that, earners from low

economic status families tend to value domestic activities more than

schooling. Such

Page | 56
 children are subjected to child labour and have little time for studies. They

indicated that in most developing countries, there are many families whose

members despite their full day’s hard labour do not find it possible to make their

ends meet. Children of tender age in such families have to work for their living.

These coupled with little government financing of education sector makes many

families still unable to meet the requirements of their children’s education thus

contributing greatly to their poor academic performance. In Nigeria, especially

Akwa Ibom State, the government tried to make education as simple and easily

accessible as possible, even by providing school uniforms for the students at a

point in time, and providing them with some of the textbooks needed for core

subjects like English Language & Mathematics, yet some parents still find it

difficult to provide other important courses/subject textbooks, one of which is

chemistry. When the government even stopped providing uniforms for students

on a free basis, many of the students whose parents could not afford the school

uniform at the right and due time felt inferior compared to their fellow students,

and as such, some decided not to go to their school with tattered uniforms

amidst their colleagues. These reactions and analysis contribute to the failure of

students to perform brilliantly in their school works.

2.4.3 Culture & Society

Culture in its simplest definition is considered the way of life of an

individual society. Mansarya (2001) in Adewumi (2016) defines culture as “the

aggregate of the customs, arts, beliefs, and way of life and social organization of a

country or group of people.

Page | 57
 Haralamboo and Holborn (2000) in Adewumi (2016) say, “Culture is the

collection of ideas and habits which they not only learn and share, but which is

transmitted from one generation to another.”

Page | 58
 From the definitions given above, it could be inferred that culture is very

much dependent on the society, and the society dictates the up-standing of its

culture. However, the society (group of people who live together, share, decide,

reason and work things, ideology or goals together) is the implementer of its

cultural values.

Some societies like in the case of the East part of Nigeria so much believe in

their potential to make business innovations and are committed to the art of

entrepreneurship, so they tend to have their children and wards trained and built

with the inclined mindset that learning business skills is the best way of making

their living. On this basis, many students tend to focus more on business

development when they can actually focus more on many lucrative educational

courses such as office management and many science courses. Many that tend to

focus more on education in the Northern region of Nigeria are considered

exceptional and as such do not feel any push, motivation or challenge to do better

in their academic pursuit. This actually may cause a kind of degeneration in the

performance of the students in the school. Since Haralambos and Holborn (2002)

state that “culture is not just the way of life a society but that which is transferred

even to another generation”, then, there would be a transfer of the same mentality

from one generation to another. Meanwhile, this results into the deterioration of

the academic potential and value of the students in a sequential format

2.4.4 Peer Group/Foundational Education

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8th Edition) defines peer group as a

group of people of the same age range or social status. This refers to the fellowship

Page | 59
of two and mostly more than two people who are of the same age, similar

ideology, same environment and social status.

According to Cookey (1990), peer group formation arises through the

inborn urge in human being to realize themselves in the society and the basic and

potent human needs

Page | 60
to relate with other people in various social organizations. Therefore, with the

above statement it would be agreed upon that the formation of peer group is not

limited to a particular age that is it comes naturally in individuals regardless of

their age, but it mostly and majorly towards other individuals of same age group,

social views, way of life and outlook.

Spillman, (1998) says, “The peers that infants have are of relatively less

importance in their immediate development; parents, family and the immediate

environment have more or greater influence on them.”

Adeola et al (1993) adds that, “At the adolescent stage, that is at secondary

school age, an individual spends more time in a formal school environment away

from home, he will therefore spend more time with other school children not only

in the classroom, but also in other types of activities football, discussions,

handcraft works, and other social involvements; by these, important attitudes and

values are formed in other words, the child in school not only learns from his/her

teachers but also from his peer group.

From the quotations and citations made earlier on above, it could be

inferred that the exposure of individual student right from childhood to

adolescence would contribute not only to his/her academic orientation and

knowledge make-up alone, but to all other areas of his/her life including his/her

character set-up. It is often being said that “a bad association corrupts good

manners.” Another saying is that, “If you show me your friend, I will tell you who

you are.”

Hullen (1997) states that through peer group influence, adolescents are

Page | 61
always anxious to do what their peer group members do. Reading, joining societies

like Boys Scout, Girls Guide, and Choir groups etc., all these could help in

boosting their academic performance. Also, the peer interest may be sniping out

of school to watch films,

Page | 62
indulging in sexual acts, etc. - an act which would have negative effects on

students’ academic performance.

It is to be noted that the performance of all the peer group members will be

the relative ratio of the best members among them all. For example, if the best

student in a particular group of peers always come up with an aggregate of 68% in

his or her academic results, there is a very high tendency that the academic

performance of the other members of that same group will never be higher than

that 68%. So, if the performing ability of the group to which an individual student

belongs is high, there would be a challenging effect on him/her to meet up with the

standard of his/her group, lest he/she conceives the feeling of inferiority.

Just as these effects are in the peer group, many effects lie in the coverage of

the school an individual attends as his/her foundational school. The phrase

‘foundational school’ here refers to the elementary, basic or primary school that an

individual student attends before reaching the secondary school levels. Previous

researchers have shown that the problems many students have as touching their

ability to read, speak and study English Language correctly is based on their poor

elementary school experience.

This inability extends to the level of their inabilities to understand other

subjects such as chemistry, physics, Geography and even Mathematics. This is

considered factual because, for an individual to perform well in anything

whatsoever, there is a need for such to have a clear understanding of such thing.

Bundled with the above identified problem is the poor scientific background

of the Junior Secondary Schools that many students of chemistry attended. Many

Page | 63
of the schools (as stated in section 2.1.6 – “The Learning Environment &

Facilities”) lack proper science facilities such as a standard laboratory for making

the chemistry – related subjects such as Basic Science & Introductory

Technology, and Integrated Science, pragmatic

Page | 64
 enough for the students to develop interest and proper knowledge of the

rudimentary aspects of chemistry.

Conclusively, just like the words of the Psalmist in the Bible (Psalm 11:3)

that, “If the foundation be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?” The foundation

of many has been wounded academically, and this has made knowledge and

expertise development of students in chemistry so cumbersome and difficult.

Hence, there is a need for every concerned personnel, parents and teachers to help

offer the best elementary education to their students and wards in order to prevent

a faulty future.

2.4.5 Parental Influences/Level of Education

Wole Ibikunle & Femi Oke (2015) stated in their work -“Psychology of

Child Development”, that a child’s immediate environment, the first known

place at the post- natal development stage is the greatest determinant of a child’s

orientation. This is found on the basis of the philosophy that says “a child’s brain

is like a black slate” at that stage of life. So whatever it is that is paddled therein

will certainly stay glued therein. This goes along with the understanding and

orientation of the parents in breeding their young ones. Educated parents can

provide such an environment that suits best for the academic success of their

children, based on the kind of understanding, orientation and regards that

they have about education, generally.

Marzano, (2003) in Nyandwi (2014) opined that the school authorities can

provide counseling and guidance to parents for creating positive home

environment for improvement in students’ quality of work.

Page | 65
 Many scholars pointed out that the academic performance of students

heavily depend upon parental involvement in their academic activities to attain

the higher level of quality in activities in order to attain a reasonably high level of

academic quality and success (Barnard, 2004; Shumox and Lomax, 2007).

“Students with high level of socio-

Page | 66
economic status have a better achievement in their academics due to their parents’

or family members’ involvements in their education” – (Kahlenberg, 2006;

Kirkup, 2008) in David Melack (2014).

Beyond all the aforementioned effects is the fact discovered that many

parents with low education standard blended with poor financial status and societal

orientation do not even stop at the level of nonchalant attitude towards their

children’s education alone, but also go on to the level of discouraging and badly

hurting them even when the children themselves seek to achieve their best

capability academically.

However, some or few of the lowly educated parents who have the proper

orientation of how important education is in the world of these days seek eagerly

to help their children and wards attain their maximum academic performance.

Some of these parents who have enough financial standard go on to the extent of

hiring or sponsoring teacher/their children respectively for extra classes such as

home or after – school/weekend tutorials when they seem they themselves could

not fit in for that role. But this fraction of parents is too small and scarce

compared to others.

Krashen (2005) in Nyandwi (2014) concluded that “students whose parents

are educated score higher on standardized tests than those whose parents were not

educated. Educated parents can better communicate with their children regarding

the school work, activities and the information being taught at school.” They can

better assist their children in their homework and participate at school,” says –

Trusty, (1999) in Nyandwi (2014).

Page | 67
 With all being said and reviewed, it could be inferred that better educated

parents help their children by facilitating everything related to their academics,

such as the provision of study materials/textbooks, workbooks, exam series and

many more, just to aid the performance of their children. This is much related to

section 2.2.2 of this same thesis, but it combines the reaction of some uneducated

parents and the educated ones and

Page | 68
how their separate entities affect students’ performance, not just in chemistry as a

subject alone, but in every academic course of study.

Page | 69
 CHAPTER THREE

3.1 Research Design

This study employs descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The design

shall be used since it enables the researcher collect data across the sampled

population using the same instruments at the same time. The survey design also

enables the researcher obtain information concerning the determinant factors for

students’ and teachers’ performance with the assessment of their opinions on how

each of these factors contribute to their performance in chemistry (Best and Khan,

1992 in Ogembo J.O, 2012). Descriptive technique gives a vivid description of the

factors identified and how they contribute to achievements in chemistry (Robson,

2002; Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003, in Ogembo

J.O. 2012).

It is also designed to show the relationship between the factors and

performance, and attempts to advance an explanation for poor performance in

chemistry based on the data to be collected.

Page | 70
 The diagrammatic illustration below gives the picture of the whole research

design and processes of the study right from the stage of research instruments

construction to the final stage of report writing and presentation. The process

includes the process of preparation of the research instruments, pretesting and

validation of the instruments, the sampling process to identify the respondents for

the study from the target population, the process of data collection, data analysis
Stratified Sampled Schools: Research Instruments Construction:
and finally, report writing.
Methodist High School - Students’ Questionnaire
Ogedengbe School of Science
-Chemistry Teachers’ Questionnaire
Saint Margaret High School
Reality High School
Ilesa Government High School
Ijesha Muslim High School
Christ the King High School
Holy Vessels High School Pilot Study:

Respondents:
Reality High School

Chemistry Students
Chemistry Teachers
Revised Research Instruments:
Data Collection - Students’ Questionnaires
- Teachers’ Questionnaires

Data Analysis and Report Writing, Conclusion and

Interpretation Recommendation

Page | 71
A Diagrammatic Illustration of the Research Design and Processes of Study

Page | 72
3.2 Area of the Study

The study area or location is Uyo West and Uyo East Local Government

Areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Students from eight (8) of the Local

Government Areas’ Schools would be selected randomly from S.S.S 1, 2 and 3 for

the purpose of this research work, viz:

1. Methodist High School, Oron

2. Science college, Ididep

3. Saint Brian School, Uyo

4. Reality High School, Uyo

5. Government High School, Eket

6. Adiaha Obong Secondary School, Uyo

7. Christ the King High School, Uyo

8. Holy Girls Child School, Ikot Ekpene

3.3 Population of the Study

The population of students for this study includes 25 chemistry students in

each of the 8 stated schools with 1 Chemistry Teacher from each.

Note: The total number of targeted populace planned and expected for each of the

out listed schools is 25 as stated earlier. However, the ones that responded to the

structured questionnaires are as shown in the following table. The variations in the

number of student respondents is due to some unforeseen circumstances which are

better explained in chapter four of this thesis. E.g. Uyo Government High School

was divided into 3, but within the same school compound and under the same

school name, but with different Principals and administrations due to the

largeness of the student populace in the school:

Page | 73
School Students Principal Chemistry Teachers

Page | 74
 1 Methodist High School 25 1 3

2 Ogedengbe School of 16 1 2

Science

3 Saint Margaret High 25 1 2

School

4 Reality High School 14 1 4

5 Uyo Government High 30 3 3

School

6 Ijesha Muslim High 24 1 1

School
7 Christ the King High 25 1 1
School

8 Holy Vessels High School 16 1 1

196 10 17

Total Population

Table X: Population Index of the Schools Selected for Study

Research Assumptions

During this study, it was assumed that:

1. The syllabus coverage for the schools concerned in the local government

areas chosen for this study was uniform.

2. Both government and private schools involved met the required standards

necessary according to the nation’s Policy of Education about Science subjects and

Chemistry in particular.

3. The respondents, both students and teachers were honest in answering all

questions.
Page | 75
Criteria for Selection of Schools

The following were considered before choosing the selected schools for the

purpose of this study: that

1. They have been offering Chemistry since the past 5 years and

have been participating in WAEC and NECO since not less than

year 2012.

2. They have, at least, a standard general science laboratory, if not a

separate one for Chemistry.

3. They have at least one Chemistry teacher whose tenure with the

school was not less than one year ago.

3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedures

A sample is any number of cases less than the total number of cases in the

population from which it is drawn (Ingule & Gatumu, 1996, in Ogembo J.O.

2012). Sampling saves time and expenses of studying an entire population

(Robinson 2002).

S.S.S 1, S.S. 2 and S.S 3 students from the stratified sample of Private and

Government Secondary Schools are considered for this study. The sample size

therefore goes by 25 chemistry students per school and one of the chemistry

teachers of the schools mentioned, making the number of administered students’

questionnaires 196.

3.5 Research Instruments

The instrument used in this study to obtain information from the respondents

is basically a questionnaire:

Page | 76
 Questionnaire: A list of structured questions was given to the respondents

to answer. The questions were structured to address the specific objectives of the

study. Questionnaires were found appropriate in enabling the researcher gather a

large volume of data from many subjects economically (Orodho, 2009 in Ogembo

J.O 2012). There were two categories of these questionnaires, viz: students’ and

teachers’ questionnaires.

Page | 77
 NOTE: The questionnaires used in carrying out this research work has its

variables including students’ performance (as the dependent variable) and others

as the independent variables including students’ attitude, teachers’ characteristics,

teaching strategies, availability and list of resources and facilities, students’

characteristics, learning conditions in the school, parents’ factors and background;

each of which stands under either of the two core factors stated in chapter 2 of

this study as: (1) School Factors and

(2) Extrinsic factors responsible for poor performance of Senior Secondary School

Students in chemistry.

Students’ Questionnaire

This was made of closed and open-ended questions targeted at getting the

opinions of students about the factors considered responsible for their poor

performance from all facets and angles clear to them. There were thirty three (33)

items in the questionnaire having two (2) sections. Section I is designed to get

introductory information about the students with a total of 5 items, while

section II consists of 28 items which focus on getting the objective information

of the research work. Some of the statements of the questionnaire were rated on a

5-point likert type scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” with a score of 1 to

“Strongly Agree” with a score of 5. Reverse is the case for negative questions i.e.

“Strongly Agree” carries a score of 1 while “Strongly Disagree” has a score of 5.

The students were required to tick in the box corresponding to their option. A

sample of this questionnaire is attached.

Teachers’ Questionnaire
Page | 78
 This consists of 25 statements. Section A consists of 11 introductory

statements while section B consists of 14 statements, some of which were rated on

a 5 – point Likert Scale similar to the students’ questionnaire. The questionnaire

was developed to obtain

Page | 79
information on the opinions and attitude of teachers toward chemistry students,

their approach in teaching, and the governments’ interventions implemented. A

sample of this questionnaire is attached.

3.6 Validity of Instruments

According to Kothari (1985) in Ogembo J.O (2012), validity refers to the

degree to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure. Content

validity can be determined by using a panel of persons who shall judge how well

the measuring instruments meets the standards. For this thesis, content validity

was measured by the research supervisors, right from the supervising lecturer and

guide to the Head of Department, Chemistry, to the Deans of the School of

Science and Education, Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Uyo, Akwa Ibom

State , Nigeria. The experts analyzed the instrument’s suitability in line with the

research questions. The experts’ comments helped to improve the validity of the

questionnaires. The pilot test conducted also helped to improve the students’ and

teachers’ questionnaires.

3.7 Data Collection Procedure

Having gotten the permission to go on with the research work in line with

the identified problems of poor performance of students in chemistry, and to seek

probable solutions to them, the study was undertaken in two (2) stages as follow:

1. The researcher visits the participating schools in order to be introduced, to

familiarize and to gain the respondents’ consent for involvement in the study.

2. The researcher administered questionnaires to the students and

chemistry teachers, with an assurance of confidentiality to respondents as per the

Page | 80
given information. In the course of administering these questionnaires, the

researcher observed the manner of both students and staff personnel of the

schools, especially chemistry classes.

3.8 Data Analysis Procedure

Page | 81
 After collecting all necessary data, data analysis was carried out to show

how each variable contributed to students’ performance in chemistry. The data was

analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively using percentages, means, and

frequency distribution statistically. The data was descriptive, therefore invariants

such as percentages, means and frequencies were used. Chi-square and correlation

coefficients measure of association were used to justify the relationships between

every factor of the study been collected.

Page | 82
 CHAPTER FOUR

Data Analysis, Results and Discussion.

4.1 Data Analysis

Data analysis and report findings were done using descriptive statistics in

the form of tables, frequencies and percentages. For analyses of the relationships

between independent and dependent variables inferential statistics were used.

4.2 Quantitative Data

Quantitative data analysis was done based on descriptive and inferential

statistics. Data analysis began by arranging the data according to the designed

research questions. Frequency tables, mean/average values, and percentages were

used to present the information. Chi-square table and correlation coefficients

(CC) were computed in order to determine the relationship between the

dependent and independent variables – a form of inferential statistics.

4.2.1 Quantitative Data

Coding and assigning labels to variable categories was done for qualitative

data. Common themes were then obtained from the data collected and clustered in

a patterned order so as to identify variables that depicted general concepts and

differences. Inferences

Page | 83
 were then drawn from the analyses under each theme so as to arrive at

conclusions that are valid as derived from the findings.

4.3 Background Characteristics of the Students

4.3.1 Sex/Gender of Respondents

School Margar Hol Realit C. Ilesa Ogede Ijes Met Total

et y y K. Govt. ng a h
Vess High be Musl odi
els im st F %

Girls (F) 20 5 14 8 13 16 17 18 111 56.6

Boys(M) 5 11 11 17 17 9 7 8 85 43.4

Table 4.3: Gender Distribution

From the table 4.3 above which gives the analysis of the respondents’ gender, it

could be seen that a total of 111 females which amount to 56.6% of the total

sampled population responded to the questionnaires, while a total of 85 male

students which equals 43.4% of the total population responded to the

questionnaire; meaning that there were less boys than girls in the sampled

population for this study.

4.3.2 Age Index and Class

Table 4.4: Respondents’ Age Range per Class

Class SS1 SS2 SS3

Frequency 48 72 76

Range (yrs) 12-15 13-18 13-18

Percentage % 24.5% 36.7% 38.8%

From the table 4.4 above, it could be inferred that there are more SS 3

Page | 84
students involved in the research work compared to other classes’ respondents as

they constitute 38.8% of the total population with their age range between 13

and 18 years old. SS 2

Page | 85
 students also have their age range as those of the SS 3 students. This shows that

the average age of the SS 2 and 3 students who responded to the questionnaires of

this research work is 15 while that of the SS 1 students ranging from 12 to 15 has

an average of 13 years old. From this analysis, it could be drawn out as a statement

of fact that the ideal age for a student in this century to have been in his/her last

level of secondary/high school education is 15 or thereabout. This finding also

shows that the students in SS 2 are of relatively equal age with those in SS 3, and

this could mean that students in Ilesa West and East Local Governments Areas are

becoming more progressively faster in their school entering age rate, as the SS 1

students’ age bracket of 13 – 15 overlaps that of the SS 2 (13-18), meanwhile the

latter has already met up with those in SS 3. This is an indication that there is a

tendency for the age range of student who would be in SS 3 in the next few

generations to come to be below the maximum age of 18 since the maximum age

of those in SS 1 now is 15, making the highest age of their set that would be in

SS 3 in the next 2 years to be 15+2 which is 17, and the minimum (13+2) to be 15.

This in turn shows that boys and girls of the next few generations might be of a

sharper mind compared to now, hence improving the performance of the

generation in Chemistry, even at a much younger age.

4.3.3 Type of Primary School Attended

School Freq. F %

Public 78 39.8

Private 118 60.2

Table 4.5: Respondents type of primary school

Page | 86
From the table above, 78 of 196 students, that is, 39.8% attended

public/government primary school, while 118, that is, 60.2% of the overall

population sampled attended private primary schools, showing that a higher

percentage of the respondents in this wise

Page | 87
 are graduates of private primary schools which are mostly believed according to

many findings to be better in equipping young minds for fundamental education

than many public schools in Ilesa West and East Local Government Areas of the

State.

4.3.4 Junior Secondary School Result Statistics in Basic/Integrated Science

The table below shows the frequency distribution and percentage of the

respondents with their results in Basic or Integrated Science in their Junior

Secondary School Certificate Examination, basically WAEC.

Grade Freq. (F) Perc. %

A 82 41.8

B 42 21.4

C 60 30.6

D 5 2.6

Total 189 96.43

Table 4.6: Respondents’ Basic/Integrated Science Results Analysis.

The analysis reflected in the table above shows that a gross total of 184 out

of the 196 respondents, that is 93.88% are qualified for science courses according

to their assessment results in Basic Science which constitutes the major

rudimentary subject for building/preparing students in the JSS classes for science

subjects including Chemistry in their SSS classes while 5 of them (2.6%) are

actually not supposed to be in the Science department, according to the standard of

evaluation. However, 7 of the respondents (3.57%) did not specify what their

results in the JSSCE Basic or Integrated Science was, therefore making only a

total of 96.43% of the population accessible.

Page | 88
 It should however be noted that only 124 (A and B graders) have very good

qualifications per results to be in the Sciences, however, the remaining 65

(32.2%) (C &

Page | 89
 D graders) might have been considered worthy of being in the Sciences based on

their performance in their Basic Science/Integrated Science related subjects like

Introductory Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Mathematics and Computer

Studies without much emphasis laid on their projection for Chemistry in the SSS

levels.

NOTE: From the table of Age Index and Class (Table 4.4) given in session 4.3.2,

it would be noted that the highest percentage of respondents to the questionnaires

presented are in the most senior class level of the high school. This is to make sure

that their responses to each of the statements put forward for this research thesis

are from a reasonable level of experience about the operations of Chemistry as a

subject.

4.3.5 Chi-Square Analyses of the Collected Data on the Effects of Students’

Background Characteristics on Their Performance

The following background characteristics as afore-analyzed in the previous

sections have been subjected to Chi-Square analysis in order to test for their

significance and level of correlation to the poor performance of the sampled

population taken to represent the whole population of their individual schools in

the area of this study.

1. Gender of Respondents

The table below shows how the gender of the respondents affects their

performance in comparison with their aggregate score range in their last end of

term Chemistry examination. However, the population used for this purpose are

the SS 2 and 3 students alone, with the exception of SS 1 students. This is due to

Page | 90
the fact that none of the SS 1 students have undertaken any examination in

Chemistry. This also is due to the fact that this study was carried out in the first

term of the 2017/18 academic session.

Female 13 32 20 6 7

Aggregate >75 74-60 59-45 44-40 <40

Page | 91
 Male 16 29 10 2 13

Table 4.7 Gender of Respondents vs Aggregate Scores in their Last End of

Term Examination

>75 74-60 59-45 44-40 <40

Gende O E O E O E O E O E Tota

r l

Female 1 15.2 3 32.1 2 15.8 6 4.2 7 10.5 78

3 8 2 5 0 1 2 4

Male 1 13.7 2 28.8 1 14.2 2 3.7 1 9.46 70

6 2 9 5 0 1 8 3

Total 2 6 3 8 2 148

9 1 0 0

Where the formula for calculating the Chi-Square

value is X2 = Σ(O-E)2

Where X2 = Chi-Square

Σ = Symbol of

summation O =

Observed frequency E =

Expected frequency

E= Column total X Row

total Grand Total

For Females For Males

Page | 92
E1 = 29 x 78 E1 = 29 x 70
148 148

Page | 93
 = 15.28 = 13.72

E2 = 61 x 78 E2 = 61 x 70

148 148

= 15.28 = 28.85

E3 = 30 x 78 E3 30 x 70
=

148 148

= 15.81 = 14.12

E4 = 8 x 78 E4 8 x 70
=

148 148

= 4.22 = 3.78

E5 = 7 x 78 E5 20 x
= 70
148 148

= 10.54 =
9.46
X2 = (13 – + + (32 –
15.28)2 (16 – 32.15)2
13.72)2

15.28 13.72 32.15

+ (29 – + (20 – + (10 – 14.12)2

28.85)2 15.81)2

28.85 15.81 14.12

+ (6 – 4.22)2 + (2 – 3.78)2 + (7 –
10.54)2

4.22 3.78 10.54

+ (13 –
9.46)2
Page | 94
 9.46

X2 = 0.3402 + 0.3789 + 0.0007 + 0.0016 +1.1104 + 1.2022 + 0.7508

+0.8382 + 1.1890+1.3247

Page | 95
X2 = 7.1367

Degree of Freedom ‘df’ = (No of columns – 1) (No of Rows – 1)

= (k – 1) (r – 1)

= (2 – 1) (5 – 1)

=1x4

df = 4

Level of Significance, ‘LoS’ = 5% =0.05

Calculated Value Table Value Df LoS

(X2 cal.) (X2 tab) - -

7.1367 9.488 4 0.05

Decision Rule 1: If the calculated value is greater than the table value, then such

hypothesis shall be considered invalid and unacceptable, vice-versa.

However, since the calculated value is lower compared to the value given on the

standard table, then the null hypothesis made against the influence or effect of

gender on students’ performance in Chemistry as follows: “Gender of students

does not affect their performance in Chemistry” shall be declared valid and

acceptable.

In other words, gender does not actually affect the performance of students

in Chemistry.

2. Age Index & Class

With a measurement of age in class made against students’ performance in

Chemistry, the following null hypothesis is formulated, viz: “The age of students

in a particular class does not affect their performance in Chemistry.”

Page | 96
>75 74-60 59-45 44-40 <40

Page | 97
 Class O E O E O E O E O E Tota

SS 2 1 6.39 3 35.4 1 17.4 2 4.6 1 11.6 86

1 8 5 8 3 5 7 2

SS 3 1 12.1 2 22.5 1 12.5 6 3.3 3 8.38 62

8 5 3 5 2 7 5

Total 2 6 3 8 2

9 1 0 0

Table 4.8 Age range per class measured against performance in the last

end of term examination

NOTE: From the table of data collection given (Table 4.4) in the previous

session 4.3.2, it could be inferred that the age ranges of the SS 2 and SS 3

respondents are the same, (12

– 18years) then, the class difference with reference to this same agree range

shall be considered against their performance.

From the table above, the calculated value, X2 cal. is 16.18 with the

degree of freedom, df =4 at 0.05 level of significance; meanwhile, the table

value by standard, X2 tab= 9.488.

Therefore, following the decision rule as earlier stated in section 1 above,

the null hypothesis for the relationship between students’ age per their class and

performance in Chemistry shall be rejected that is, since the calculated, X2 value is

greater than the standard table value of X2, then the statement that “students’ age

in a particular class does not affect their performance” shall be rejected for the

alternative; that is, “students’ age in a particular class affect their performance in
Page | 98
Chemistry.”

3. Type of Primary School Attended

Page | 99
 As a core component of the background entity of any student, the type of

primary school as to either private or public attended by the student was analyzed

to know of it affects the students’ performance in Chemistry as against their

aggregate score in the last end of term exam and also by the percentage –by-

frequency of the respondents according to their level of satisfaction on so far with

their performance in Chemistry.

Table 4.9 below gives the Chi-Square analysis of this finding viz:

V.S S N.S S.S F.S

School O E O E O E O E O E Tot

al

Public 8 21.3 1 22.1 5 34.1 4 3.5 5 5.8 87

1 8 9 2 8 5 8

Privat 4 26.6 3 27.8 2 42.8 4 4.4 8 7.2 109

E 0 9 2 1 5 2 5 3

Total 4 5 7 8 1 196

8 0 7 3

Table 4.9:Primary School attended tabulated against students’ level of

satisfaction with their performance in chemistry so far
NOTE: This tabulation includes the SS 1 students in the questioned population

whose answers were collated and sums up to 196 students in all. The X 2 calculated

equals 33.40 with 4 degree of freedom and Los 0.05. Meanwhile the standard X 2

on the table is 9.4888. The null hypothesis stated in this respect as: “The type of

primary school (private or public) attended by the students does not have any

effect or contribution to the performance of students in Chemistry.”

However, following the decision rule, since the X2 calculated is more than the
Page | 100
X2 on standard table, then the hypothesis is rejected for its alternative which shall

be stated thus, that:

Page | 101
 “The type of primary school attended by the students do affect their

performance in Chemistry.”

More so, it was observed that students with private school background were more

vocal and successful in their level of comprehension of questions put forward to

them in the questionnaire.

Page | 102
4. Basic/Integrated Science Junior Secondary School Certificate

Examination Result.

The analysis used in testing for the validity of the null hypothesis put forward used

in this wise is the correlation coefficient method of analysis.

Null Hypothesis: “The performance of students in their JSSCE Basic or Integrated

Science does not have any correlation with their performance in chemistry.”

V.S S N.S S.S F.S Total

Grade O E O E O E O E O E F %

A 29 20.39 27 21.69 13 33.41 6 3.47 7 3.04 82 41.8

B 12 10.44 16 11.11 14 17.11 0 1.78 0 1.78 42 21.4

C 6 14.92 7 15.87 45 24.44 2 2.54 0 2.54 60 30.6

D 0 1.24 0 1.32 5 2.04 0 0.21 0 0.19 5 2.6

Total 47 50 77 8 7 189 96.4

Table 4.10: Grades of the respondents in Basic Science, JSSCE

NOTE: Only 189 of the total 196 respondents supplied an answer, to the question

about their grades, having 7 respondents not providing answer in this respect, and

the 96.4% include students of SS 1 to 3.

Key:

N.S. = Not satisfied S = Satisfied V.S. = Very Satisfied

S.S. = Slightly Satisfied F.S. = Fairly Satisfied

Using correlation coefficient, δ = nΣXY –ΣXΣY

√ (nΣX2 – Σ (X)2)(nΣY2 –Σ (Y)2)

Page | 103
Where,

δ = Correlation coefficient

Page | 104
 n = Total number of

terms E = Summation

X = Observed frequency

Y = E = Expected frequency

Grade X Y XY X2 Y2

A 29 20.39 591.31 841 415.75

A 27 21.69 585.63 729 470.46

A 13 33.41 434.33 169 1116.23

A 6 3.47 20.82 36 12.04

A 7 3.04 21.28 49 9.24

B 12 10.44 125.28 144 108.99

B 16 11.11 177.76 256 123.43

B 14 17.11 239.54 196 292.75

B 0 1.78 0 0 3.17

B 0 1.56 0 0 2.43

C 6 14.92 89.52 36 222.61

C 7 15.81 111.09 49 251.86

C 45 24.44 1099.80 2025 597.31

C 2 2.54 5.08 4 6.45

C 0 2.22 0 0 4.93

D 0 1.24 0 0 1.54

D 0 1.32 0 0 1.74

D 5 2.04 10.20 25 4.16

Page | 105
 D 0 0.21 0 0 0.04

D 0 0.19 0 0 0.04

E 189 188.99 3511.64 4559 3645.13

n= 20

δ= (20)(3511.64) – (186)(188.99)
[(20)(4559) – (189)2][(20)(3645.13) – (188.99)2]

34519.69

55459 x 37185.38
=

34519.69

= 2062263989

= 34519.69

45412.16

= 0.7601

δ= 0.76

Decision Rule 2:

1. +0.5 to +0.9 connotes high positive correlation or relationship between X and Y,

i.e the observed frequency and expected frequency have a positive association

with each other.

2. -0.5 to -0.9 means a high negative correlation, meaning there is an inverse

association between X and Y.

Page | 106
3. If the value is close to zero, ranging from 0.4 downwards, the linear

relationship between X and Y is weak

Page | 107
 – Otunmidia, 2014 in Oguntayo (2007).

Since the calculated value is +0.7601, it shows that there is a direct

relationship between the performance of students in the JSS Basic/Integrated

Science and their performance in Chemistry at the Senior Secondary School

level. The interpretation of this, therefore, is that “the level of students’

performance in Chemistry is directly proportional to their performance in

Basic/Integrated science while in the Junior Secondary School level.”

4.4 Student’s Perception about Chemistry

From the data collected for the purpose of this study in respect of students’

perception about Chemistry as a subject in the Sciences, the following analysis

was developed and tested for its effect on students’ performance in the subject.

The first Table, 4.11 reflects the frequency distribution of the data, while Table

4.12 reflects the Chi-Square analysis of the collected data derived from the

respondents’ responses to the statements put forward before them in the

questionnaire.

Table 4.11: Perception of Students

S/N SA A NS D SD Total

F % F % F % F % F % F %

1 132 67.3 61 31.1 _ 0.0 3 1.5 _ 0.0 196 100

2 2 1.0 12 6.1 11 5.6 66 33.7 105 53.6 196 100

3 79 40.0 89 45.4 9 4.6 18 9.2 1 0.5 196 100

Page | 108
4 63 32.1 98 50.0 17 8.7 5 2.6 13 6.6 196 100

5 87 44.4 94 48.0 10 5.1 3 1.5 2 1.0 196 100

6 101 51.5 81 41.3 9 2.0 4 2.0 1 0.5 196 100

Page | 109
Following the recorded analysis in the table above; 67.3% of the respondents (196

in all), that is 132 of them agreed strongly that Chemistry is of importance to them,

while 61 (31.1%) of them agreed. Meanwhile, only 3 out of all, constituting just

1.5% are of the opinion that Chemistry is not of importance to them, by ticking

the “Disagree” box.

2 respondents (1.0%) strongly agreed to the statement that they do not like

Chemistry, 6.1% agreed to that same statement, 11 (5.6%) were not sure.

However, 33.7% and 53% disagreed and strongly disagreed respectively to this

statement. This means that a larger percentage of the respondents actually like

Chemistry, summing up to 87.3% of the total population.

40.0% strongly agreed to the statement that they enjoyed chemistry theory

lessons, and 45.4% agreed to that statement, these make up a total of 85.4% of the

total population where the rest are either not sure, disagreed or strongly disagreed

to that. This shows that most students do enjoy chemistry theory lessons.

32.1% and 50% of the respondents’ perception of chemistry is that it is not a

difficult subject, making a total of 82.1% of the total population. The rest either are

not sure, disagreed or strongly disagreed to this statement, according to the

analysis given in the table. This shows that to a much higher population of

students, chemistry is not a difficult subject for them to handle.

44.4% and 48.0% strongly agreed and agreed respectively with the statement

that chemistry practical is enjoyed and preferred compared to its theory. These

sum up to 92.40% of 100% population, indicating that so many of the students

Page | 110
prefer the practical aspect of chemistry, unlike just 2.5% which either disagreed or

strongly disagreed to this statement, while 5.1% of them were not sure.

51.5% and 41.3% strongly agreed and agreed to the statement of fact that they liked

Page | 111
their Chemistry teacher. These constitute 92.8% of the total population. This generally

S/N SA A NS O SD

Grade O E O E O E O E O E F

1 132 77.3 61 72.5 - 9.3 3 16.5 - 20.3 196

2 2 77.3 12 72.5 11 9.3 66 16.5 105 20.3 196

3 79 77.3 89 72.5 9 9.3 18 16.5 1 20.3 196

4 63 77.3 98 72.5 17 9.3 5 16.5 13 20.3 196

5 87 77.3 94 72.5 10 9.3 3 16.5 2 20.3 196

6 101 77.3 81 72.5 9 9.3 4 16.5 1 20.3 196

Total 464 435 56 99 122 1176

portray that the highest percentage of the population factually liked their teacher.

From the Table 4.12a above, the calculated X2 equals 692.30, meanwhile

the table value for X2 is 31.410

Degree of freedom, ‘df’ =(c – 1) (r-1)

= (6 – 1) (5 – 1)

=5x4

= 20

Level of significance, LoS = 5% = 0.05

X2 cal. X2 tab df Los

692.30 9.488 20 0.05 Table 4.12b

Since X2 calc. is greater than X2, then the null hypothesis that, “Students’

perception about chemistry affects their performance in it”, shall be accepted

Page | 112
based on the decision rule 1 in a simple statement, it can be put that students’

negative perception of the

Page | 113
 subject would affect them negatively while their positive perception of it would

affect performance positively.

Students’ Attitudes toward Chemistry

The formulated null hypothesis in this respect states thus: “There is no direct

relationship between students’ attitudes toward chemistry and their performance in

SA the subject.” A NS D SD To
S/N
O % E O % E O % E O % E O % E O
7 11 5.6 27.75 41 20.9 58.25 12 6.1 21.25 73 37.2 48.0 59 30.1 40.75 19
6
8 33 16.8 27.75 39 19.9 58.25 29 14.8 21.25 64 32.7 48.0 31 15.8 40.75 19
6
9 44 22.4 27.75 11 58.7 58.25 19 9.7 21.25 14 7.1 48.0 4 2.0 40.75 19
6

Table 4.13: Students’ Attitude Frequency Distribution and Chi-square Analysis

The table 4.13 above shows the analysis of the data collected in regards to testing

for students’ attitude in terms of how frequent they study, how they do their

studying and some others toward chemistry as a subject. The table consists of the

observed frequency, ‘O’, percentage (%) of the observed frequency, and the

expected frequency, ‘E’ of the statement.

X2 calc. was gotten to be 204.89, while X 2 tabulated on the standard chi-

square table gives 21.026 under 12 degree of freedom ‘df’ and 0.05 level of

significance.

However, since the X2 calculated is far much greater than the tabulated

value, x2 tab, then the stated null hypothesis sated in this regard is rejected,

following the decision rule 1. This means that the alternative hypothesis to that

shall be considered accepted and valid. That is:

Page | 114
 “There is a direct relationship between students’ attitudes toward chemistry

and their performance in the subject.” Simply put, if chemistry students’

attitude towards

Page | 115
 chemistry is positive, then their performance would be positively affected. But if

otherwise, their performance would be negatively affected

Teachers’ Attitudes (as perceived by students)

Null Hypothesis: “The attitudes of chemistry teachers toward their students do

not have anything to with students’ performance in chemistry.”

SA A NS D SD Total

S/N O % E O % E O % E O % E O % E O

16 103 52.6 58.50 65 33.2 40.0 10 5.1 11.0 13 6.6 35. 5 2.6 5 196

50 1.

17 14 7.1 58.50 15 7.7 40.0 12 6.1 11.0 58 29.6 35. 97 49.5 5 196

50 1.

Total 117 80 72 71 102 392

Table 4.14: Teachers’ Attitudes’ Frequency and Chi-square Data

In testing for how teachers’ attitudes toward students affect the latter’s

performance in chemistry, the data shown in the table above gives the frequency

distribution and percentages of the respondents to that effect.

The X2 calculated equals 210.63 with a degree of freedom 4 and level of

Page | 116
significance 0.05, meanwhile, the table value of X2 is 9.488.

Page | 117
 By obeying the decision rule 1, the null hypothesis formulated here shall be

rejected for its alternative which states that “The attitudes of chemistry teachers

toward their students do have a very significant effect on their students’

performance in chemistry.

This connotes that a positive attitude would produce a positive effective on

their performance, while negative attitude has negative effects on their

performance.

Learning Environment and Facilities

Null Hypothesis: “Learning Environment of students and their school facilities

for learning do not affect or influence the performance of students in chemistry.”

Using chi-square method of data analysis, the table below was formed in

respect of the collected data.

SA A NS D SD

S/N O % E O % E O % E O % E O % E

18 117 59.7 47.33 71 36.2 41.67 3 1.5 17.33 2 1.0 32.00 3 1.5 57.67 1

20 23 1.2 47.33 38 1.9 41.67 25 1.3 17.33 41 2.1 32.00 69 35.2 57.67 1

21 2 1.0 47.33 16 8.2 41.67 24 1.2 17.33 53 27.0 32.00 101 51.5 57.67 1

Total 142 125 85 96 173 5

Table 4.15: The Effect of Learning Environment and Facilities

From the table above, the calculated X2 value is 225.07 with its degree of

freedom, “df” as 8 and 0.05 level of significance. Meanwhile X 2 tab is 15.507. By

obeying the decision rule 1, this null hypothesis was considered invalid and

Page | 118
rejected for its alternative hypothesis stated thus: “Students’ learning environment

and facilities available for the learning process have a strong effect and influence

on their performance in chemistry.”

Page | 119
 Students’ Assessment and Achievement

Null Hypothesis: “The effectiveness of students’ assessment and achievements in

their academics do not affect their performance in chemistry.”

To test for the validity of the null hypothesis stated above, the following data

was collected and analyzed using chi-square method of analysis, and it also shows

the frequency of the observed frequency.

SA A NS D SD

S/N O % E O % E O % E O % E O % E

10 97 49.5 25.30 80 40.8 28.20 5 2.6 6.89 2 1.0 45.67 3 1.5 81.56 1

11 5 2.6 26.30 7 3.6 29.56 4 2.0 6.89 51 26.0 47.87 129 65.8 85.49 1

12 4 2.0 26.30 14 7.1 29.56 13 6.6 6.89 57 29.1 47.87 108 55.1 85.49 1

13 19 9.7 26.30 22 11.2 29.56 5 2.6 6.89 57 29.1 47.87 93 47.5 85.49 1

14 6 3.1 26.30 19 9.7 29.56 6 3.1 6.89 62 31.6 47.87 103 52.6 85.49 7

15 25 12.8 26.30 34 17.3 29.56 8 4.1 6.89 56 28.6 47.87 73 37.2 85.49 7

Total 156 176 41 285 509

Table 4.16: Students’ Achievement and Assessment Frequency and Percentage

distribution.

From the analyses put up in the table 4.16 above, the following table of

X2 value was derived:

X2 cal. X2 tab df Los

556.76 31.410 20 0.05

In obedience to the decision rule 1, the null hypothesis stated as touching

this was invalid and rejected, hence the alternative hypothesis to this which states
Page | 120
that “The effectiveness of students’ assessment and achievement do affect

(strongly) their

Page | 121
 performance in chemistry ” was accepted. The implication of this therefore is that

when there is an effective assessment and check of students’ achievement in

chemistry as a subject, there would be a positive development of students’

performance; but if otherwise, it would have a negative effect on their

performance

Evaluation Frequency and Strategies

Statement Always Often Occasional Rarely Never Total

S/N ly

F % F % F % F % F % F %

1 Beginning of 37 18.9 28 14.3 97 49.5 19 9.7 12 6.1 193 98.5

Term Test

2 Weekly 21 1.1 45 23.0 95 48.5 16 8.2 9 4.6 196 94.9

Tests

3 End of Term 120 61.2 33 16.8 20 10.2 13 6.6 10 5.1 196 100

Tests

4 Inter-School 31 15.8 22 11.2 54 27.6 34 17. 55 28.1 196 100

Tests 3

5 Past 38 19.4 20 10.2 90 45.9 13 6.6 35 17.9 196 100

External

Exam

6 Past 104 53.1 34 17.3 23 11.7 11 5.6 24 12.2 196 100

National

Exams

Table 4.17: Frequency of Evaluation and Method used

Page | 122
 The table above shows the entries of the frequency of how the stated forms

of evaluation [self-evaluation] is being undergone by students individually or via

the strategy/plan of the school.

98.5% of the total respondents gave their answers to the statement according to

how often each form of evaluation is undergone by them. The highest among them

that is 49.5% stated that they occasionally have beginning of term tests while 48.5

% also said they occasionally have weekly tests. From the findings, the highest

percentage so far that do undergone End-Of-Term Tests is 61.2%. 21.8% said they

had never undergone any inter- school test. 45.9% did occasionally under take past

external examination and only 53.1% did always undertake a revision of their part

national examination.

With all these aforementioned and tabled analyses, it could be seen that the

highest form of evaluation that most of the respondents do take frequently is end

of term tests followed by past national examination.

Statement/ Always Often Occasionally Rarely Never Tot

Test/Revision al

O E O E O E O E O E F

Beginning of 37 58.5 28 30.3 97 63.17 19 17.67 12 24.17 196

term
0 3

Weekly test 21 58.5 45 30.3 95 63.17 16 17.67 9 24.17 196

0 3

Page | 123
End of term test 120 58.5 33 30.3 20 63.17 13 17.67 10 24.17 196

0 3

Page | 124
Inter-school Test 31 58.5 22 30.3 54 63.17 34 17.67 55 24.17 196

0 3

External 38 58.5 20 30.3 90 63.17 13 17.67 35 24.17 196

Examination 0 3

National 104 58.5 34 30.3 23 63.17 11 17.67 24 24.17 196

Examination 0 3

Total 351 18 37 106 14 1176

2 9 5

Correlation coefficient analysis of the evaluation frequency of students using

each of those aforementioned tests and revision Table 4.18a gives the following

results as derived from tables 4.18a & b.

δ= nΣXY –ΣXΣY

(nΣX2 – Σ(X)2)(nΣY2 –Σ(Y)2)

δ = Correlation

Coefficient n= Number of

terms

Σ = Summation

O = Observed

frequency E =

Expected frequency

Meanwhile,

Σ= Column Total X Row Total

Grand Total
Page | 125
On the Correlation coefficient

table, Y = E

Y2 = E2 etc.

Page | 126
X Y XY X2 Y2

37 58.50 2164.50 1369 3422.25

21 58.50 1228.50 441 3422.25

120 58.50 7020.00 14400 3422.25

31 58.50 1813.50 961 3422.25

38 58.50 2223.00 1441 3422.25

104 58.50 6084.00 10816 3422.25

28 30.33 849.24 784 919.91

45 30.33 1364.85 2025 919.91

33 30.33 1000.89 1089 919.91

22 30.33 667.26 484 919.91

20 30.33 606.60 400 919.91

34 30.33 1031.22 1156 919.91

97 63.17 6127.49 9409 3990.45

95 63.17 6001.15 9025 3990.45

20 63.17 1263.40 400 3990.45

54 63.17 3411.18 2916 3990.45

90 63.17 5685.30 8100 3990.45

23 63.17 1452.91 529 3990.45

19 17.67 335.73 361 312.23

16 17.67 282.72 256 312.23

13 17.67 229.71 169 312.23

34 17.67 600.78 1156 312.23

Page | 127
13 17.67 229.71 169 312.23

11 17.67 194.37 121 312.23

12 24.17 290.04 144 584.19

9 24.17 217.53 81 584.19

10 24.17 241.70 100 584.19

55 24.17 1329.35 3025 584.19

35 24.17 845.95 1225 584.19

24 24.17 580.08 576 584.19

1163 1176.10 54542.17 73128 55374.17

Table 4.18b

Using δ= n ΣXY –ΣXΣY

nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Where,

n= 30

ΣX=1103 ΣXY=54542.1
7
ΣX2=73128
ΣY2=55374.17
δ= 30(54542.17) – (1163)(1176.10)

(30(73128)– (1163)2)(30(55374.17) – (1176.10)2

δ= 1636265.10–1367804.00

(2193840.00– 1352569.00)(1661225.10– 1383211.21)

δ= 268460.80

2.3389X1011
Page | 128
δ= 268460.80

483616.61

Page | 129
 δ= 0.5551

δ= +0.56

Following the decision rule 2 stated in section 4.3.5 (4) that when the

correlation coefficient, δ, equals +0.5 or above to +0.9, it connotes that there is a

high positive correlation between X and Y, i.e., the observed and expected

frequencies have a positive association with each other.

Hence, the null hypothesis that could be stated in this regard as follows:

“There is no significant level of relationship between students’ performance in

chemistry and their evaluation frequency” shall be considered invalid and rejected

for its alternative which states thus: “There is a significant level of relationship

between students’ performance in chemistry and the evaluation frequency.”

Based on the decision rule, it could be concluded by the correlation

coefficient value calculated that students’ infrequent evaluation either by

themselves as individuals or b their teachers is a significant factor contribution to

their poor performance in chemistry.

Teachers’ Questionnaire Analysis

Background Characteristics of Teachers

Eight (8) teachers of chemistry, one from each school selected for the

purpose of this study, responded to the questionnaires prepared to make an

examination into the factors responsible as the analysis of students’ poor

performance in chemistry. The following gives a brief highlight of the teachers’

background information:

Gender

Page | 130
Male = 6 =75%

Female = 2 = 25%

Term of Service

Page | 131
Temporary = 2 =25%

Contract = 1 = 12.5%

Permanent = 5 = 62.5%

Level of Education

NCE = 0

ND/HND = 1 = 12.5%

B.Ed = 1 = 12.5

B.Sc = 3 = 37.5%

Post Grad = 3 = 37.5%

Teaching So Far

1 – 3 years = 3 = 37.5%

4 – 6 years = 1 = 12.5%

7 – 10 years = 2 = 25.5%

Above 10 years = 2 = 25.5%

Years in Service at Current School

Below 5 years = 4 = 50%

5 -10 years = 2 = 25%

11 – 15 years = 1 = 12.5%

Above 15 years = 1 = 12.5%

NOTE: These analyses are to buttress and affirm the data collected & analyzed

on the part of the students in the previous sections, and also to test for the effects

and validity of some other factors and hypotheses respectively.

Page | 132
 The above information given about the teachers who responded to the

questionnaires is to give insight about them in terms of their experience,

qualification,

Page | 133
professionally, gender, and term of service, each of which are believed to

likely have effect on how they teach and consequently affect the output of their

students.

Students’ Interest in Chemistry

From the collected data, 3, that is 37.50% of the respondents (teachers)

strongly agreed to the statement that their students genuinely have interest in

chemistry, and 5 (62.50%) opined on the basis of score point (4) (that is “Agree”)

on the Likert scale to the same statement. This is in concordance with the data

collected from question 1 on the students’ questionnaire which has it that 132

(67.35%) and 61 (31.12%) of the student respondents strongly agreed and agreed

respectively to the statement that chemistry is of importance to them. To test

further what their interest in chemistry looks like in question 2, 105 (53.57%) and

66 (33.67%) of the students strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively to the

negative statement that chemistry is not a subject they liked. This, on the contrary,

means that 105 and 66 of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed respectively

to the statement that they liked chemistry. In the comparison of the teachers’

opinions with those of their students about chemistry, it could be inferred that

the most of the student have interest in chemistry as a subject.

Page | 134
Rudimentary/Fundamental Understanding of Chemistry

To know about how students’ performance is being affected in chemistry by their

understanding of its rudiments as expressed in their level of its understanding and

the ease with which they understand it, the following data was analyzed and tested

on its effect in their performance using correlation coefficient analysis

Question SA A NS D SD Total

Number O E O E O E O E O E 0

13 0 1.00 5 3.50 0 0 3 3.00 0 0.50 8

14 2 1.00 2 3.50 0 0 3 3.00 1 0.50 8

Total 2 7 0 6 1 16

δ= nΣXY –ΣXΣY

(nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2)(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Σ = Y= Column Total x Row Total

Grand Total

E 1 = 2 x 8 = 1.00 E4 = 6 x 8 = 3.00

16 16

E 2 = 7 x 8 = 3.50 E5 =1x8 = 0.50

16 16

E3 = 0 x 8 =
0.00
16

Page | 135
 X Y XY X2 Y2

0 1.00 0.00 0 1.00

2 1.00 2.00 4 1.00

5 3.50 17.50 25 12.25

2 3.50 7.00 4 12.25

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

3 3.00 9.00 9 9.00

3 3.00 9.00 9 9.00

0 0.50 0.00 0 0.25

1 0.50 0.50 1 0.25

Σ 16 16 45.00 52 45.50

Using, δ= nΣXY – ΣXΣY

nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Where,

n=10

ΣX= 16 ΣY=16

ΣX2=52 ΣY2=45.50

ΣXY= 45.00

δ= 10(45) – (16)(16)
(10(52)– (16)2)(10(16) – (16)2

Page | 136
δ= 450–256

(520 – 256)(160 – 256)

Page | 137
δ= 194
264 x -96

= ± 194
25344

= ± 1.2186

δ= ±1.22

According to decision rule 2, the fact that the calculated value of the correlation

coefficient, δ, is lesser than zero (0) shows that there is a very weak correlation

between the understanding of the basic rudiments of chemistry and students’

performance in it. Hence, it could be so stated that the level of students’

rudimentary understanding of chemistry is not really a determinant factor to their

performance. So, poor understanding or even a lack of knowledge of chemistry

rudiments does not out rightly produce poor performance as its effect.

Influence of Parental Background

Five structured questions were put forward to teachers in order to know

about how their students’ parental background affects their performance in

chemistry. However, from students’ questionnaire, the following analysis was

derived as touching their parent’s profession which in the way or the other depict

their levels of education and financial status as may be reasonably observed.

Father Mother

Profession F % F %

Civil Service 34 17.3 21 10.7

Apprentice 24 12.2 38 19.4

Trading/ 54 27.6 100 51.0

Page | 138
Business

Page | 139
 Transport Work 10 5.1

Farming 24 12.2

Professional 50 25.5 37 18.9

Total 196 100 196 100

Table 4.19: Profession of Respondents’ Parents

From the table above, the likes of Medical Doctoring, Engineering, Nursing

and Teaching are the ones categorized under professional professions while others

are as directly stated, both for fathers and mothers. However, the highest

percentage of the professionals so mentioned are teachers either in primary or

secondary schools with few as Principals and Head Teachers.

From questions 21v and 24(i – v) of teachers’ questionnaire, the

following table was developed to measure the inputs of the parents toward the

provision of their children’s needs and how it affects their performance.

Table 4.20a

Q Num. SA A NS D SD

O E O E O E O E O E Total

21v 1 1.33 6 2.67 0 1.33 0 1.67 1 1.00 8

24bi 2 1.33 4 2.67 1 1.33 0 1.67 1 1.00 8

Ii 0 1.33 1 2.67 1 1.33 5 1.67 1 1.00 8

Iii 2 1.33 1 2.67 4 1.33 0 1.67 1 1.00 8

Iv 1 1.33 2 2.67 1 1.33 3 1.67 1 1.00 8

V 1 1.33 2 2.67 1 1.33 2 1.67 1 1.00 8

Total 8 16 8 10 6 48

Page | 140
E1 = 8 x 8 = 1.33 E4 = 10 x 8 = 1.67
48 48

E2 = 16x 8 = 2.67 E5 = 6 x 8 = 1.00

48 48

E3 = 8 x 8 =
1.33
48

X Y XY X2 Y2

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

2 1.33 2.66 4 1.77

0 1.33 0.00 0 1.77

2 1.33 2.66 4 1.77

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

6 2.67 16.02 36 7.13

4 2.67 10.68 16 7.13

1 2.67 2.67 1 7.13

1 2.67 2.67 1 7.13

2 2.67 5.37 4 7.13

2 2.67 5.37 4 7.13

0 1.33 0.00 0 1.77

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

4 1.33 5.32 16 1.77

Page | 141
 1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

1 1.33 1.33 1 1.77

0 1.67 0.00 0 2.79

0 1.67 0.00 0 2.79

5 1.67 8.35 25 2.79

0 1.67 0.00 0 2.79

3 1.67 5.07 9 2.79

2 1.67 3.34 4 2.79

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00

Σ 48 48.00 85.43 137 86.76

Using δ = nΣXY –ΣXΣY

nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Where

, n=30

ΣX= 48 ΣY=48.00

ΣX2=137 ΣY2=86.76

ΣXY= 85.43
Page | 142
δ= 30(85.43) – (48)(148)

(30(137)– (48)2)(30(86.76) – (48)2

δ= 2562.90 – 2304.00

(4110.00 – 2304.00)(2602.80 – 2304.00)

δ= 258.90

1806 x 298.80
= 258.90

539632.80

= 0.3524

δ= +0.35

In obedience to decision rule 2, it could be inferred that the relationship existing

between parental background and students’ performance in chemistry is very

weak.

This shows that the parental background of any student has a very weak

effect on such students’ performance in chemistry. Hence, regardless of students’

parental background, they are expected to be able to do reasonably well. However,

good parental background will aid students’ performance in chemistry while their

performance would be affected negatively if otherwise.

Effect of Learning Facilities

The learning facilities so referred to here include the laboratory for

practicals/experiments, adequate teaching resources, chemicals and apparatus

Page | 143
needed for experimental exercises, and even trained personnel needed to facilitate

the teaching- learning process of chemistry.

Question 23 of the teachers’ questionnaire has 5 subs under it channeled to

check for its relationship with the performance of students as observed by

teachers.

Page | 144
Table 4.21b: Correlation Coefficient Table for the Effect of Learning

Facilities on Chemistry Students’ Performance

Q Num. SA A NS D SD

O E O E O E O E O E Total

i 1 1.80 2 2.20 0 0.00 5 3.60 0 0.40 0

Ii 4 1.80 4 2.20 0 0.00 0 3.60 0 0.40 8

Iii 2 1.80 2 2.20 0 0.00 3 3.60 1 0.40 8

Iv 2 1.80 1 2.20 0 0.00 5 3.60 0 0.40 8

V 0 1.80 2 2.20 0 0.00 5 3.60 1 0.40 8

Total 9 11 0 18 2 40

E1 = 9 x 8 = 1.80 E4 = 18 x 8 = 3.60
40 40

E2 = 11x 8 = 2.20 E5 = 2 x 8 = 0.40

40 40

E3 = 0x 8 =
0.00
40

Using correlation coefficient to test for the relationship existing between learning

facilities unavailability and poor performance of students in chemistry, the

following calculation was carried out:

δ = nΣXY –ΣXΣY

(nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2)(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Wher

Page | 145
en=

25

Page | 146
X Y XY X2 Y2

1 1.80 1.80 1 3.24

4 1.80 7.20 16 3.24

2 1.80 3.60 4 3.24

2 1.80 3.60 4 3.24

0 1.80 0.00 0 3.24

2 2.20 4.40 4 4.84

4 2.20 8.80 16 4.84

2 2.20 4.40 4 4.84

1 2.20 2.20 1 4.84

2 2.20 4.40 4 4.84

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00

5 3.60 18.00 25 12.96

0 3.60 0.00 0 12.96

3 3.60 10.80 9 12.96

5 3.60 18.00 25 12.96

5 3.60 18.00 25 12.96

0 0.40 0.00 0 0.16

0 0.40 0.00 0 0.16

Page | 147
 1 0.40 0.40 1 0.16

0 0.40 0.00 0 0.16

1 0.40 0.40 1 0.16

Σ 40 40.00 106.00 140.00 106.00

Table 4.21c

ΣX= 40.00 ΣY=40.00

ΣX2=140.00 ΣY2= 106.00

ΣXY= 106.00

Therefore,

δ= 25(106) – (40)(40)

(25(140) – (40)2)(25(106) – (40)2

δ= 2650 – 1600

(3500 – 1800)(2650 – 1600)

δ= 1050.00

(1900.00) x (1050.00)

= 1050.00

1995000.00

= 0.7434

= +0.74

In obedience to decision rule 2, the calculated correlation coefficient value being

+074 depicts the fact that there is a positive association or direct proportionality
Page | 148
between the availability of learning facilities and chemistry students’ performance.

This shows that if there is sufficient and appropriate availability of needed

facilities to aid teaching learning

Page | 149
 processes, then there would be a positive effect, i.e. improvement on the

outputs of students as there are facilities to aid teaching.

Effect of Teaching Method

Question 24a is a set of structured questions prepared to know the type of

teaching methods employed by teachers per time in their teaching processes. The

following table shows the data analysis of the methods as given by teachers:

Teaching Method Always Often Occasionally Rarely Never Tot

al

O E O E O E O E O E O

Practical 2 2.86 3 2.29 2 1.86 1 0.71 0 0.29 8

Projects 0 2.86 2 2.29 4 1.86 2 0.71 0 0.29 8

Demonstration 7 2.86 0 2.29 1 1.86 0 0.71 0 0.29 8

Lecture 2 2.86 1 2.29 1 1.86 2 0.71 2 0.29 8

Problem Solving 6 2.86 2 2.29 0 1.86 0 0.71 0 0.29 8

Group Discussion 1 2.86 5 2.29 2 1.86 0 0.71 0 0.29 8

Tutorials 2 2.86 3 2.29 3 1.86 0 0.71 0 0.29 8

Total 20 16 13 5 2 56

Table XY

E1 = 20 x 8 = 2.86 E4 = 5x8 = 0.71

56 56

E2 = 16x = 2.29 E5 = 2x8 = 0.29

8

Page | 150
 56 56

E3 = 13 x 8 = 1.86

56

Page | 151
Using Chi-square method of analysis to see if there is any effect in the actual

sense of poor teaching method on the performance of students in chemistry, the

following calculations were carried out and table XYZ below shows the results

obtained

X2 = (2 – 2.86)2 + (0 – 2.86)2 + (7 – 2.86)2 + (2 – 2.86)2 + (6 – 2.86)2

+ (1 – 2.86)2 + (2 – 2.86)2
2.86

+ (3 – 2.29)2 + (2 – 2.29)2 + (0-2.29)2+ (1 – 2.29)2 + (2 – 2.29)2

+ (5 – 2.29)2 + (3 – 2.29)2
2.29

+ (2 – 1.86)2 + (4 – 1.86)2 + (1 – 1.86)2 + (1 – 1.86)2 +

(0 – 1.86)2 + (2 – 1.86)2 + (3 – 1.86)2

1.86

+ (0 – 0.29)2 + (0 – 0.29)2 + (0 – 0.29)2 + (2 – 0.29)2 +

(0 – 0.29)2 + (0 – 0.29)2 + (0 – 0.29)2

0.29

X2 Calc. 0.74 + 8.18 + 17.14 + 0.74 + 9.86 + 3.46 + 0.74

=
2.86

+ 0.50 + 0.08 + 5.24 + 1.66 + 0.08 + 7.34 + 0.50

2.29

+ 0.02 + 4.58 + 0.74 + 0.74 + 3.46 + 0.02 + 1.30

1.86

+ 0.08 + 1.66 + 0.50 + 1.66 + 0.50 + 0.50 + 0.50

0.71
Page | 152
+ 0.08 + 0.08 + 0.08 + 2.92 + 0.08 + 0.08 + 0.08
0.29

Page | 153
X2 calc. = 14.29 + 6.72 + 5.84 + 7.61 + 11.72

X2 calc. = 46.18

Degree of Freedom ‘df’ = (c – 1) (r – 1)

= (5 – 1) (7 – 10)

= (4) (6)

= 24

Los = 0.05

X2 X2tab df Los
Calc.
46.18 36.415 24 0.05

Table XYZ

In obedience to the rule of decision-making 1, since the calculated value for X 2 is

greater than that of the tabulated value, then the null hypothesis which could be

stated in this respect was rejected and considered invalid.

Null Hypothesis: “There is no significant effect of a poor learning facility on

the performance of senior secondary school students in chemistry.”

The null hypothesis stated above is rejected for its alternative which states

thus: “There is a significant effect on the performance of senior secondary school

students in chemistry when the learning facilities are poor.” It therefore could be

stated conclusively, that there is a direct relationship between learning facilities

and performance of students in chemistry.

Page | 154
English Language Comprehension Ability and Mathematical Competence of

Students

In testing for how the English Language comprehension capacity of students

and their mathematical competence may affect their performance in chemistry, the

following analysis was developed from few questions put up, before their

teachers:

Q SA A NS D SD

Num. Total

O E O E O E O E O E

16 1 1.00 4 3.33 0 0.00 1 1.67 2 2.00 8

21(ii) 0 1.00 2 3.33 0 0.00 3 1.67 3 2.00 8

Iii 2 1.00 4 3.33 0 0.00 1 1.67 1 2.00 8

Total 3 10 0 5 6 24

Table 4.22a

Using correlation coefficient method of analysis:

X Y XY X2 Y2

1 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00

0 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00

2 1.00 2.00 4.00 1.00

4 3.33 13.32 16.00 11.09

2 3.33 6.66 4.00 11.09

5 3.33 16.65 25.00 11.09

Page | 155
0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Page | 156
 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1 1.67 1.67 1.00 2.79

3 1.67 5.01 9.00 2.79

1 1.67 1.67 1.00 2.79

2 2.00 4.00 4.00 4.00

3 2.00 6.00 9.00 4.00

1 2.00 2.00 1.00 4.00

Σ 24 24.06 59.98 75.00 56.64

Table 4.22b

Using δ= n ΣXY –ΣXΣY

nΣX2 – Σ(X) 2(nΣY2 –Σ(Y) 2)

Where,

n=15

ΣX= 24.00 ΣY=24.06

ΣX2=175.00 ΣY2= 75.00

ΣXY= 59.98

δ= 15(59.98) – (24)(24.06)

(15(75) – (24)2)(15(56.64) – (24.06)2)

δ= 889.70 – = 322.26
577.44
(549) x (270.72) (1125–576)(849.60-578.88)

Page | 157
δ= 322.26

148625.28

Page | 158
 δ = 0.8359

δ = +0.84

Following decision rule 2; having the correlation coefficient, δ, value as +0.84

signifies that there is a directly proportional relationship between students’ English

Language comprehensive capacity, mathematical competence and their

performance in chemistry.

The implication of this effect is that, the better the ability of any student to

comprehend English Language and handle mathematical operations, the better his

performance in chemistry as a science subject.

4.10 Curriculum Content, Syllabus & Workload

In a way to know if the content of the syllabus was usually worked on

completely before the end of each term, question 22 was put forward before the

responding teachers to know if they did finish it. 7 of them responded positive to

it, stating that they did finish it. 3 did do by having extra classes with their students

on weekends. 1 stated she did finish up the syllabus by giving them home

assignments, and 3 others said they did finish it up with them by cutting off

irrelevances, focusing on the major parts of the syllabus and making sure that they

started very fast and ended very fast in about two weeks before examination and

then making revision of what had been taught so far.

In terms of workload per week and class size, the following tables give a light:

Table 4.23a: Class Size

Number of Number of Teachers

Students involved
1 – 10 1

Page | 159
11 – 20 -

21 – 30 2

31 -40 3

Page | 160
 41 – 50 2

>50 -

Table 4.23b: Workload/Week

Number of Number of Teachers

Periods involved
1–5 1

6 – 10 2

11 – 15 3

>15 2

However, to test for how these affect the outputs of students in terms of their

performance in chemistry under those workloads and class sizes, the following

analysis was carried out:

Table 4.24

Q Num. SA A NS D SD

O E O E O E O E O E Total

21(i) 1 0.50 4 2.00 0 0.50 3 3.50 0 1.5 8

(iv) 0 0.50 0 2.00 1 0.50 4 3.50 3 1.5 8

Total 1 4 1 7 3 16

X2tab = 9.488

From table 4.24 above, X2 was calculated and found to be 9.14 at 0.05 level of

significance and degree of freedom 4; meanwhile X2 tab= 9.488 following the

Page | 161
decision

Page | 162
 rule 1, it could be stated that the null hypothesis to this effect would be

accepted and considered valid. That is:

“There is no significant negating effect of curriculum content, syllabus, and

teachers’ workload on the performance of students in chemistry”

Summary

This chapter outlines the views of both teachers and students about what the

likely factors behind the poor performance of students in chemistry could be, and

from findings and data analyses, it could be concluded that all of the mentioned

factors here in this chapter are indeed analysis of students’ poor performance with

the exception of:

i. Gender difference

ii. Curriculum content, syllabus &

workload iii Rudimentary understanding,

and

iv. Parental background

…..which were rejected as being parts of the factors causing students poor performance.

It is noteworthy, however, that 183 out of the total 196 students who

responded to this study’s questionnaire stated that they wished to go further to

study chemistry or related courses in tertiary institutions, while the remaining 13

students who said they do not wish to continue in the line of chemistry said so

mainly because most of them want to study Engineering courses such as

Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. The essence of this note is to

prove that most of these students have a good liking and interest in chemistry and

Page | 163
would do brilliantly well if the appropriate help needed to have their various

ambitions in the line of chemistry as a course of study realized is provide right

from now.

Page | 164
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

From the data analysis in chapter 4, the study isolated some factors which

were found to be the ones responsible for the persistent poor performance of senior

secondary school students in chemistry. The analyses can be summarily given

thus:

1. Background Characteristics of Students

56.63% of the students were females while 43.37% of them were males and a

higher percentage of them (55.61%) were of private school background. The

average age of the respondents are 13 and 15 years in SS 1, 2 and 3

respectively. 38.78% of them were in SS 3, 36.73% in SS2, and 24.49 in SS 1.

41.84% of them had A in their JSSCE Basic or Integrated Science results, 21.43%

had B, 30.61% had C, and 2.55% had D, while 7 of them (3.57%) did not indicate

their grades in the results

2. Students’ Perception about Chemistry

Page | 165
 Majority of the respondents had good perception about chemistry as a

subject and even about their chemistry teachers.

Results from the chi-square analysis of students’ perception showed that

their positive perception of chemistry and its surrounding factors had a positive

effect on their performance. In other words, if they were having a negative

perception about chemistry, it would affect their performance contrary wise.

3. Students’ Attitude towards Chemistry

The result of the analysis carried out to know the relationship between

students’ attitudes toward chemistry as a subject and their performance in the

subject showed that both are directly proportional to each other. In other words, a

positive attitude produces positive performance, while a negative attitude

produces a poor performance.

4. Teachers’ Attitude (As Perceived by Students)

In testing for how this affects students’ performance, it was found out that

this factor directly affects the performance of students as the X2 calculated was

210.63, compared to the table value of X2 which was 9.488 showed this

relationship. If chemistry teachers have a positive attitude towards their

responsibility and duty of imparting their students with their right knowledge using

appropriate methods and skills, there would be good performance on the part of

chemistry students.

5. Learning Environment and Facilities

The null hypothesis stated in this respect that, “Learning environment of

students and their school facilities for learning do not affect or influence poor

Page | 166
performance in chemistry” was rejected for its alternative which states that “the

learning environment of students and their school facilities for learning do affect

their performance in chemistry.” This relationship was analyzed using chi-square

analysis, and X2 calc. was found to be

225.07 under, d.f. 8 with 0.05 LoS. Meanwhile the X2 tabulated is 15.507.

Page | 167
 6. Students’ Assessment and Achievement

It was found out also that the effectiveness of students’ assessment and

achievement test do affect, strongly, their performance in chemistry. The

implication of this is that when there is an effective assessment and check of

students’ achievement in chemistry, there would be a positive development of

students’ performance.

7. Evaluation Frequency & Strategies

This was found to have a very direct interdependent relationship with

students’ performance in chemistry. This was evident as a result of the correlation

coefficient, δ, used to test for this which showed that students’ infrequent

evaluation either by themselves (self-evaluation) or by their teachers is a

significant factor contributing to their poor performance in chemistry.

8. Students’ Rudimentary Understanding of Chemistry

From the teachers’ questionnaire analysis carried out using correlation

coefficient, it was found out that this factor does not out-rightly affect the

performance of students in chemistry. This was proved so as the calculated value

for the ‘δ’ was found out to be -

1.22 against the decision rule 2 which states that when the value so gotten is less

than 0, being -0.50- -0.90, then such indicates a negative correlation, meaning

there is an inverse relationship.

9. Parental Background of Students

This factor was considered both in students and teachers

questionnaires where the profession of parents and their inputs both as an

Page | 168
individual and as an organizational association in relation to teachers, called

Parents & Teachers Association (PTA) were used to determine what their status

might likely be. From findings, it was discovered through correlation co-efficient

analysis that this factor only has a very weak inter-relationship with the

performance of students in chemistry.

Page | 169
10. Learning Facilities & Resources

This has been tested for its effect on students’ performance earlier via

students’ questionnaire but was tested for again via teachers’ questionnaire. This

was to affirm the genuineness and validity of the fact that the facilities and

resources made available in the school in form of laboratory for experimental

works, apparatuses needed, and some other teaching resources have a lot to

determine in the performance of students in chemistry, and it was found as a core

determinant factor indeed.

11. Method of Teaching

Using chi-square analysis, X2 calculated was 46.18, X2 tabulated was

36.415, df was 24, and the LoS was 0.05, this simply indicated that the teaching

method employed by teachers during teaching-learning process determines how

knowledge is being transferred, and this in turn determines what the output of

students would be as exhibited in their performance. A poor method of teaching

gives a poor performance as its yield. However, the likes of practical’s,

demonstration and problem solving were the most commonly used methods by

majority of the teachers who responded to the administered questionnaires.

12. English Language Comprehension Ability and Mathematical

Competence of Students.

Using correlation coefficient, a strong value +0.84 was gotten from the

analysis, indicating that these combined factors are of significant effect on the

performance of students in chemistry. This is also buttressing why it is a stipulated

standard for entrance into the Science Departments that English Language and

Page | 170
Mathematics must be passed in not less than a credit pass grade.

13. Curriculum Content, Syllabus and Workload of Teachers

Page | 171
 These three (3) combined factors were found corroborative and were so

brought together to be tested using chi-square method of analysis, where X2

calculated = 9.14 under df. 4 and LoS 0.05, meanwhile X2 tabulated = 9.488. This

implies that there was no significant negating effect of curriculum content,

syllabus and teachers’ workload on the performance of students in chemistry.

5.2 Conclusion

From the foregoing summary, it can be concluded that the analysis of poor

performance of students in chemistry: a case study of Uyo North and South Local

Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria include the following:

1. Poor School Background Characteristics of Students

2. Wrong Perception of Students about Chemistry

3. Wrong Attitudes of Students toward Chemistry

4. Poor Learning Environment & Facilities

5. Poor/Inadequate Assessment of Students and Improper Achievement Test

6. Inadequate Evaluation

7. Poor method of Teaching on the Part of Teachers

8. Poor English Language Comprehension Ability and Mathematical Competence

NOTE: Under background characteristics of students, some factors such as:

1. The Type of Primary School Attended

2. Performance in JSSCE Basic/Integrated Science, and

3. Age per Class

…..were also found to be factors affecting their performance in chemistry in a

directly proportional manner

5.3 Recommendations
Page | 172
 Having successfully mapped out the factors responsible for poor

performance of senior secondary school students in Ilesa West and East Local

Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the following recommendations are

therefore given as derived from the observations made in the course of this study

to the following stakeholders in order to check the poor performance in chemistry.

1. The ministry of Education should directly or via agents:

 Enhance proper orientation of learners right from primary school levels about what

they need in order to become what they each desire to become in life, following

this process up in the Junior Secondary School levels and then to their Senior

Secondary School levels as well. This trend will enable students to know which is

which in the aspect of their life pursuit career-wisely and will also serve as a

motivation for them to perform superbly in every area where they need to

concentrate in their studies.

 Enhance primary school pupils’ chemistry background through inclusion of more

introductory chemistry concepts in the primary syllabus

 Improve the kind of foundation laid for students right from primary school levels

about English Language and Mathematics especially by primary school teachers of

Government schools as it was found out that majority of those student respondents

who attended Government primary schools have more English Language

comprehension and mathematical incompetence compared to their private school

contemporaries

 Systematically strategize and strictly standardize by compulsion for schools - both

Government and Private - possession of adequate facilities and resources such as

Page | 173
standard and well equipped laboratories (especially chemistry lab) for practical

teaching and learning process to frequently take place.

Page | 174
 Enhance strict and incorruptible supervision of schools to help improve students’

general secondary school entry behavior and particularly their background in

English Language and Mathematics as they are very important in explaining

concepts in chemistry

 Put up thorough supervision of teachers in their various schools especially in

Government schools as most of them are not very devoted to their responsibility

to their students.

 Facilitate and call for re-training of teachers in order to help them improve on their

teaching skills and upgrade their capacity to meet up with the standard of this

modern day teaching strategies

 Release education allocated funds in good time in order to facilitate the acquisition

of necessary teaching and learning materials and services needed for curriculum

implementation.

2. The School Management/Administration should:

 Expand existing facilities like classrooms and libraries to help improve teachers’

easy class control and facilitate an encouraging environment for students to study

as and when due.

 Always have thorough screening exercise for any teaching staff personnel before

employment as a giver of knowledge into the school system

 Put an end to the employment of untrained/unskilled teaching or operating staffs

personnel such as laboratory technician and tutors for academic activities within

the school system

 Hire more teachers in order to reduce workload on a singular tutor and to increase

effectiveness and efficiency

Page | 175
 Provide for innovative ways to motivate chemistry teachers like taking them

through capacity building trainings and encouraging them with incentives

Page | 176
 Organize motivational talks by chemistry professionals to help change the

negative attitude of students towards the subject

 Work closely with teachers and parents in counselling the students to help counter

any negative attitude and perception of students about chemistry as a subject

3. The Chemistry Teachers should:

 Present chemistry to students as a simple subject and not as a difficult one as

most of them did do. Presentation and referral of chemistry as a volatile

course/subject should be stopped.

 Use simple English grammars in presenting their teachings and utilize familiar

examples when explaining chemistry topics to students.

 Organize science clubs, seminars and quiz to help intrigue students and widen

their mindset towards science and chemistry in particular

 Use adequate and relevant charts, tables and other necessary materials which

would make chemistry more pragmatic and concrete to students when teaching

them in the class.

 Organize excursions to chemistry-based industries and chemistry symposia as a

way of widening the outlook of students & motivating them about what they can

make out of chemistry as a course of study.

 Set up every experiment under each topic in chemistry in the laboratory, using

adequate apparatuses and improvising where necessary with every individual

student being part of the exercise, in collaboration with the chemistry laboratory

technician.

 Enhance their testing policy by giving the students more chemistry tests, tasks and

home assignments apart from the school-controlled midterm and end of term tests.
Page | 177
 4. The Parents should:

 Devote and channel more of their inputs into providing for their children’s

academic needs in terms of study materials provision.

Page | 178
 Give sufficient time and freedom for their wards to study indepthly their textbooks

and workbooks at home.

 Supervise their children’s schoolbooks frequently in order to know their areas of

weakness and to assist them even if needs be that they have a home tutor or go for

extra classes.

 Enlighten their children about what they could become through chemistry in terms

of career and purpose fulfillment as an individual with successful feats in the

society.

 Encourage their children and motivate them through reinforcements and

reward when they have done well in their study and when need to improve

 Work hand in hand with their wards’ school management and administration

through PTA in necessary areas where their inputs are required.

5. All other stakeholders should:

 Work for targeted intervention mechanisms to improve students’ performance in

chemistry.

 Devise a system that would give more study time to students in such a way that the

students would still be in the school and help each other in areas of weaknesses

through group discussion.

 Enhance and organize programs that would give chemistry students the chance to

exhibit their potential understanding and knowledge of some concepts in

chemistry, such as quiz, debates and symposia. This would in turn stand to

challenge their fellow students who are audience to this whose levels of

knowledge might not be as those of their contemporaries whose potential in

chemistry was exhibited.

Page | 179
.

Page | 180
 .

Section 1: Background Characteristics

1. a. What is the name of your school? ……………….………………

b. Your Class …………………

2. Your Gender: Female Male

3. What type of primary school did you attend? Private Public

4. Your Age …………………………….

5. What was your grade in Basic Science/Integrated Science in your Junior Secondary

School Certificate? A B C D

Section II

 For this section, most of the statements require you to tick the right column
appropriately; where, SA = Strongly Agree
A = Agree

NS = Not Sure

Page | 181
 D = Disagree

SD = Strongly Disagree

S/N Statement S A NS D SD

1 Chemistry is of importance to me

2 I do not like chemistry

3 I enjoy chemistry theory lessons

4 Chemistry is not a difficult subject

5 I enjoy chemistry practical and prefer it

6 I like my chemistry teacher

7 I do not often study chemistry on my own

8 I enjoy doing other science subjects like biology

and

physics more than chemistry

9 I like studying chemistry most of my free time

10 Our chemistry teacher gives us assignment and

marks

them promptly
11 Our chemistry teacher do not usually do correction
for

us and re-explain when we do not understand a

topic
12 I do not usually understand our chemistry teacher
when

he teaches us
13 My teacher’s use of English Language for
teaching us

makes chemistry difficult for me to understand

Page | 182
 14 I do not understand the beginning of chemistry
as a

subject
15 There are too many difficult calculations in
chemistry
16 Our Chemistry teacher believes that I can perform
well

in chemistry
17 Our chemistry teacher is too harsh

18 Our school has a chemistry laboratory

19 I use to visit the school library for studies

20 The chemistry textbooks in our library are outdated

Our chemistry teacher always use charts, models

and other teaching aids during chemistry
22 lessons/classes

23 My teacher is not very sound in teaching chemistry

24. How often do you perform chemistry practical in the chemistry laboratory? Once per

week Once per month Non e Towards WAEC period

Once per term Once per year

25. What was your performance in the last chemistry end of term exam? (Tick One)

Above 74 – 59 – 44 – Less
75% 60% 45% 40%

than 40%

26. Are you satisfied with your performance in chemistry?

Very Satisfie Not Slightly Satisfied

satisfied d Satisfied

Page | 183
 Fairly Satisfied

27. How often do you undertake the following chemistry tests?

Page | 184
 Test Always Often Occasionally Rarely Never

Beginning of term
tests
Weekly tests

End of term tests

Inter school tests

Revision of past

external exams

Revision of past

national exams

28. How was the performance of your seniors in their last WAEC and NECO
results, according to reports?
Very Bad Fairly Bad
Good

Good Very Good

29. Does your Mum or Dad use to buy you textbooks, notebooks and other educational

materials? Yes No

30. What is your parents’ job or profession?

Daddy …………………………………..

Mummy ………………………………...

31. Who do you live with? Parents Grandparents

Relatives None

32. Do you still wish to continue studying chemistry or related courses like Medicine
and Surgery in the University? Yes No

If No, why? …………………………

33. To help improve the performance of students in chemistry, what do you
think the following should do?
i. Your fellow students ………………………………….

ii. The chemistry teacher ………………………………..

iii. The School Administration …………………………….

iv. Your Parents………………………………………………..

v. Yourself ……………………………………………………..

Thank you so much for the sincere information provided above. Together,
we can make chemistry a very simplified and highly desired subject for every
science student.
 Teacher’s Questionnaire
Section A: Background Characteristics

1. Your gender? (Kindly tick the appropriate box)

Male Female

2. Your level of ND/ B.Ed.

education? NCE HND

B.Sc. Post Graduate

3. Term of service? Temporary Contract

Permanent

4. How long have you been teaching chemistry? ……………………

5. Your year of employment as a chemistry teacher ………………..

6. Name of your school ……………………………..

7. Years of service in this school (Tick One): Below 5yrs

5 – 10yrs 11 – Over 15yrs

15yrs

8. Work load in terms of number of lesson periods per week………………

9. How many chemistry teachers are there in your school? ………………

10. Apart from teaching, do you have any administrative responsibilities?

Yes No

If yes, please specify ……………………………………..

11. How many students do you teach at a time in a class? …………

1 – 10 11 – 21 – 31 – 40
20 30

41 – 50 Above 50

Section B

Against some statements in this section are

abbreviations: SA = Strongly Agree
A = Agree

NS = Not
Sure D =
Disagree
SD = Strongly Disagree

Please provide appropriate answers to each of the statements by ticking the box
you feel is the most suitable as per your opinion:
S/N Statement SA A NS D SD

12 Most of my students have a genuine interest in

chemistry
13 Few of my students do quickly understand any topic
they

are being taught in the class

14 Many of my students do not actually understand the
basic

rudiments of chemistry
15 Most of them attended Public Junior Secondary
Schools
16 The students’ English Language competence affects
their
performance in chemistry
17. How do you classify the performance of your students in chemistry
examination, particularly in WAEC and NECO?
Very Good Goo Averag Poor
d e

18. What influences your choice of a teaching and learning method or

technique? (Please explain) ……………………………
19. In your opinion, what are the factors that contribute to poor performance in
chemistry? 1. …………………………….
2. …………………………….

…………………………….

…………………………...

20a. In your opinion, what is the ability of your students?

Very Above Average

Brilliant Average

Below Average

21. For the following items, indicate your preference

Statement SA A NS D SD

i The chemistry syllabus has too much content to be

covered

in short period
ii Students’ English Language comprehension
competence

does not affect their performance in chemistry

iii Students mathematical competence affects their

performance in chemistry

iv The workload does not allow me for adequate lesson

plan
 v Most students do not have study materials such
as

textbooks, workbooks, etc.

22. Do you use to cover chemistry syllabus adequately? If yes, what are the
strategies you do employ? ……………………………
If no, what are the reasons? ………………………………

23. In terms of facilities, kindly respond to the following:

Statement SA A NS D SD

i. Our school has adequate resources for teaching

chemistry
ii We have a separate chemistry laboratory in our school

iii The chemistry apparatus and chemicals are adequate

for

chemistry practical lessons

iv The administration does not involve chemistry
teachers in the acquisition of apparatus and chemicals
for the
laboratory

v The school has a committed and supportive

laboratory

technician

24a. Indicate your preference in usage during your teaching from the
following techniques
Teaching Method Always Often Occasionally Rarely Never

Practical
 Projects

Demonstration

Lecture

Problem solving

Group discussion

Tutorials

b. Indicate your preference in terms of parental influence on the

performance of your students in chemistry
Statement SA A NS D SD

i Many of the student’s parents or guardians are in

support of

their children’ or wards’ academic excellence

ii The Parents’ & Teachers’ Association has not been
so

supportive and encouraging

iii The societal or financial status of students’ parents
affect

their performance in chemistry

iv The level of students parents’ education affects
their

performance in chemistry
v Females perform better than male students in chemistry

25. To help improve the performance of students in chemistry in your school,

what do you think should be the role of the following:
i Your chemistry students …………………………..

ii. Your fellow chemistry teachers …………………..

 iii. Your school administration ……………………….

iv. The Government ……………………………………..

v. The Parents …………………………………………..

vi. Yourself ……………………………………………….

Thank you so much for your indulgence and patriotic contribution in answering
according to the statements of this questionnaire. Together, we can build a better
Nigeria through our coordinated efforts. God bless you.
 REFERENCES

Adewumi, O.D. (2016. Effects of extrinsic factors on the performance of

Secondary School Students in Economics: A case study of Uyo South
Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Unpublished B.Ed,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Akanmu, O.M, Aluko, K.O., Akinyeye C.O, Makinde F.B. (2015) Introduction to
general methods of teaching. Uyo: Gracious Gift Prints
Akinyele, B.A. (1997). Why our students fail practical chemistry examination
(Volumetric Analysis) at the ordinary level. Journal of Science Teachers
Association of Nigeria (STAN)
Beck & Earl, M. (2002). Key issues in secondary education continuum. New York:
MPG Books Ltd., Cornwall
Bhagwan, D. (2005). Educational uses of information & communication
encyclopedia of educational techniques and methodology. New Delhi:
Anmol Publications
Brener, K. (2004). Challenge your teaching. American Society for cell Biology
(ASCB).

Retrieved September 2, 2017 from www.nature.com/nsmblJournal/v/full

David N.M. (2004). Determinants of poor academic performance of secondary

school students in Sumbawanga District, Tanzania. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/12345678
Hornby, A.S. (8th ed.) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English.
United Kingdom: Oxford University Press Ltd.
Komolafe, J.K. (2009). An introduction to history of Nigerian Education. Uyo:
Busco Publishers
Komolafe, M.O., Akinsanya T.O., & Akanmu, O.M. (2010). Fundamentals of
teachers’ education. Uyo: Delegold Nigeria Enterprises
Laitos Blogspot (© 2017). Analysis of poor performance of students
 Nbina, J.B. (2010). Analysis of poor performance of senior
secondary schools students in chemistry in Nigeria.
African Research Review. Retrieved from
http://dx.dx.org/10.4314/afrrev.v614.22
Nwora, U.T. (2009) Influence of students’ perceptions of
chemistry classroom environment on their achievement
and attitudes toward chemistry. Retrieved from:
https://www.unn.edu.ng/publications/titles/images/NW
ORA%2520WORK%252 01.pdf
Ogembo, J.O. (2012). Determinants of students’ poo
performance in chemistry in public secondary schools
of Kwale Country, Kenya. Retrieved from:
http://ir-
library.ku.ac.kdhandle/123456789/189/browse%3fvalue
%3dogbembo%252c%2b

john

Ojukwu, M.O. (2016). School environment, insecurity, and

students’ behavior. Retrieved from:
http://independent.academia.edu/ojukwumo&sa=u&ved=2a
hukewihlzdxzc-
The Holy Bible, King James Version (© 2010). Psalms 11:3

Wole Ibikunle & Femi Oke (2015). Psychology of Child

Development. Uyo: Busco Publishers
Zechariah, K.M, Komes Kibet, George M.M., George R.N (2012). Factors contributing to
students’ poor performance in Mathematics at Kenya certificate of Secondary Education
(KCSE) in Kenya: A case study of Baringo County, Kenya. American International
Journal of Contemporary Research Vol 2, No 6.