Assessment of Factors that Influence Academic Performance Of Students in Mechanical Trade Subjects in the Senior School Certificate Examinations in Lagos State, Nigeria,
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Date
2019-03
Authors
Akanni, O.O.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Multi- Disciplinary Journal and Learning(MDJL) Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt.
Abstract
The study investigated factors that influence students’ academic performance in mechanical trade subjects in senior secondary school certificate examinations in Lagos State, Nigeria. Mixed research design was adopted for the study. The study sample consisted of 133 participants: 117 students and 16 teachers in educational districts 1,2 and 4 of Lagos State. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to obtain the sample size. Three research instruments were used for the study: students’ close-ended questionnaire, titled Students’ Low Candidature and Students’ Attitude in Mechanical Trade Subjects (SLCSAMTS), teachers’ open-ended questionnaire titled Teachers’ Low Candidature and Students’ Attitude in Mechanical Trade Subjects (TLCSAMTS) and Students’ Achievement Tests in Mechanical Trade Subjects titled Mechanical Trade Achievement Test (MTAT) .The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability analysis was employed (with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences-SPSS) to determine the reliability coefficient of the research questionnaires, which were 0.729 (Students) ,0.669 (Teachers) and the Spearman Brown reliability coefficient for the MTAT was 0.555.Four (4) hypotheses were formulated and tested to guide the study. Three (3) of the hypotheses were accepted (hypotheses 1, 2, and 4) while one hypothesis was rejected (hypothesis 3). The empirical findings from this research revealed that: quantitatively, there is no significant influence of gender, students’ age groups, and parental employment status on students’ academic performance in mechanical trade subjects respectively; however, students’ specialization/course exerted the influence. There is no significant influence of gender, students’ age groups, and parents’ employment status on students’ low candidature in mechanical trade subjects. Low candidature does not significantly influence students’ academic performance in mechanical trade subjects but Students’ attitude towards mechanical trade subjects significantly influences their academic performance. Qualitatively, students’ attitude towards Mechanical Trade Subjects significantly influences their academic performance. The possible rationales includes lack of teachers’ competence in teaching the trade subjects, students’ preference for white collar jobs, unavailability of learning materials, uninspiring teachers who are forced to xteach the subject, poor remuneration, government policies, the subjects were not basic requirement for entering higher institutions among others. Some of the recommendations made was to the Nigerian government who were encouraged to ensure that adequate funding is given to the programme of mechanical trade subjects, and that in collaboration with Private Industries they should create public awareness on the dividends of mechanical trade subjects through the social media.
Description
Scholarly Article
Keywords
Meachanical trade subject , Low candidature , Academic performance , Attitude , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES
Citation
AKANNI,O.0.(2019).Assessment of Factors that Influence Academic Performance Of Students in Mechanical Trade Subjects in the Senior School Certificate Examinations in Lagos State, Nigeria, Multi- Disciplinary Journal and Learning(MDJL) Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt. 9(1) 27-47.