LANGUAGE IN INDIA

AN ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENTS POOR PERFORMANCE
IN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA
A.U. Osunde, Ph.D.
S.E Aduwa Ogiegbaen, Ph.D.

Over the years in Nigeria, there has been a consistent decline in students' performance in the senior school certificate Examination (SSCE) in English Language. This sordid situation has caused teachers, parents, curriculum experts and evaluators a serious concern. This study therefore was set out to assess factors associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language.

To carryout this investigation, data were collected from 600 English Language teachers randomly drawn from the six Geo-political Zones in Nigeria. Analysis of data revealed that poorly trained English Language teachers, poor instructional delivery, lack of infrastructural facilities, teachers' attitude towards innovation, the traditional content/knowledge oriented curriculum and general students' apathy in English language were factors associated with students poor performance in SSCE English Language. Based on these findings, recommendations were made on strategies that will improve the quality of instructional delivery and learning of English Language geared towards enhancing students' performance in the subject at the Nigerian secondary schools.

INTRODUCTION

The modern trend in education and the complex nature of learning and instruction have made the role of the teacher more challenging. This new role does not just involve the mere transmission of information to students but it involves looking at the problems associated with learning and instruction.

The National Policy on Education (NPE, 1981 revised in 1988) in Nigeria emphasized that our children should be properly taught so that they can acquire skills and competencies that would enable them function well and solve problems in the society. The accomplishment and realization of these important educational goals in Nigeria lie in the new trend in educational approaches. To this end, different ways of learning and teaching have emerged. Emphasis tends to shift from teacher centred to student's centred educational approaches.

These new approaches to learning and instruction expose the students to conceptualize and effectively manage their own learning and thus reinforce their learning and transfer their training in practical situations. Despite the new approaches to learning and instruction, English Language subject at the senior secondary school in Nigeria has been plagued with poor results and low achievements. Annual results from West African Examinations council (WAEC) reveal woeful performances from the students who have made enrolment for English language examinations a yearly ritual. It is worrisome to note too, that the performance of these students has continued to deteriorate year after year.

It is believed that if the situation in English Language remains like this, it will affect both the economic and technological growth of Nigeria. This is because a good mastery of English language is required by students in order to do well in other secondary school subjects. Students who are handicapped in English Language are therefore likely to be handicapped in the acquisition of skills in arts and technological related subjects. The report from the West African Examination Councils (WAEC) chief Examiner in English Language for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (2001) reads thus:

Candidates' answers revealed an ignorance of the rudiments of the English Language. Most candidates lost all the marks allocated to spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sequence of tenses because they were unable to handle these aspects of the language completely. (P. 2)

Enrolment and Performance in English Language

Table 1 Enrolment of Students and Performance in WAEC SSCE English Language in Nigeria between 1992 - 1994

Source: West African Examinations council, Ogba-Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

Note:

A1 - A3 = Distinction
C4 - C6 = Credit
P7 - P8 = Pass
F9 = Fail

From the table above, over 50% of the students who sat for English Language examination for three consecutive years failed English Language.

Table 2: WAEC Enrolment and Performance in five Nigerian States

Source - The West African examinations Council, Ogba-Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Out of a total number of 252,343 students who sat for the English Language 2001 May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, about 35% of the candidates had credits. Thirty four percent (34%) failed woefully and 33.1% had passes.

The situation of general poor performance in English Language spreads through all the levels of Nigeria's educational ladder - primary, secondary and the post secondary institutions.

The awareness about the poor performance of Nigerian students in English Language has been on since the early 1960s. As early as this time, attempts aimed at addressing issues in English language learning and instruction was made. For example, various commissions and reports such as the Grieve report (1964) and Banjo's commission (1977) were all attempts made by the government to find out how best to improve the teaching of English Language.

Banjo (1977) and Wring (1993) spelt out four important skills for measuring proficiency in English Language. They included reading, speaking, comprehension and the ability to express oneself clearly both in speech and in writing.

This trend of general poor performance in English Language is not peculiar to Nigerian students and schools. It is a worldwide problem existing even in developed countries like America. For example, Graves (1977) complained about the poor state of English Language in American schools. Harwood (1980) in acknowledging the problem in English went further to explain that the English situation in American schools was a gloomy one. The three critics of the American English situation complained about poor mastery of skills in English Language.

With the performance of students in English Language declining steadily in the Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria, teachers, parents, curriculum experts and evaluators are worried. Against this backdrop, this study was set up to assess factors associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language in Nigeria. Methodology

The study utilized survey research design. Six hundred English Language teachers at the Senior Secondary School were randomly drawn from the six Geo-political zones in Nigeria namely south-west, south-east, south-south, north-west, north-east and north-central. The questionnaire which sort responses on factors associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language was the major instrument used for data collection. Data collected from the 600 English Language teachers were analyzed using mean score. All items with a mean rating of 3.00 and above were regarded as factors associated with poor performance in SSCE English Language, while items with mean ratings ranging from 1.00 - 2.99 were not regarded as factors associated with poor performance in SSCE English Language.

Results

Table 3: Factors Associated with Students poor Performance in SSCE English Language

Results in the above table show that all the items were regarded by English Language teachers as factors associated with students' poor performance in the subject. Poorly trained English Language teachers had the highest mean rating of 4.15. This is followed by poor instructional delivery with a mean rating of 4.06. Others are lack of infrastructural Facilities, Teachers' attitude towards innovation, the traditional content/knowledge oriented curriculum and general students' apathy in English Language with mean ratings of 3.94, 3.88, 3.62 and 3.08 respectively.

Discussion

Findings of the study have pointed out that poorly trained English Language teacher and poor instructional delivery are most critical factors associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language. The awful poor performance in SSCE English Language has been a source concern to all stake holders in Education in Nigeria. This finding agree with the findings of Dabalen et al (2000) who in their World Bank report scored Nigerian graduates low in English Language. They stated that the 22% unemployment rate in the metropolitan areas in Nigeria is as a result of poor quality of the graduates, particularly in the communication skills. According to them, these graduates exhibit "poor abilities in the oral and written expression in English Language. The graduates are also inadequately prepared in English Language". Therefore, there is need for a serious concern as these poorly trained teachers are employed to teach and prepare secondary school students for the School Certificate Examination in English Language. Their poor training background also has serious implication for instructional delivery. What do you expect of the students' performance in English Language? your guess is as good as mine. Of course a woeful performance.

Lack of infrastructural facilities was also found to be associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language. Many of the students come from technologically advanced homes where all sorts of modern gadgets such as radios, television sets, films videos, satellites, etc exist. These same students find themselves in boring and rowdy traditional classrooms, which hardly have any facilities. The classroom are usually poorly equipped and in most cases dilapidated. It is not surprising, therefore, that these students perform poorly.

Teachers' attitude towards innovation has also been criticized. This is because they have failed to take into account, the dynamic nature of English Language Curriculum. One must also point to the fact that teachers have also continued to bore students with definition and drills in grammar, vocabulary and speech work. The traditional content/knowledge oriented curriculum is still very much practiced by them. These teachers have also clung fast to the old fashioned ways and have refused to embrace the new trend of the total curriculum experience of the modern teacher. Pring (1976) and Onwuka (1985) had criticized the content/knowledge - oriented curriculum like the one practiced by the teachers of English Language. Such a curriculum does not go beyond merely imparting knowledge to the students. Trifonovitch (1981) had also explained that students are usually placed in a disadvantageous position when they learn a second language. To crown it all, the general students' apathy in English Language may be occasioned and worsened by the poorly trained teachers in whose care they are entrusted in the classroom. The unchallenging classroom and teachers' poor attitude towards innovation in the instructional delivery process also contribute to the general students' apathy in the subject, and consequently poor performance in school certificate Examination in English Language.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The study has examined the factors associated with students' poor performance in SSCE English Language in Nigerian senior secondary Schools. The results of the study showed that all the respondents agreed that poorly trained English Language teachers, poor instructional delivery, lack of infrastructural facilities, teachers' attitude towards innovation, the traditional content/knowledge oriented curriculum and the general students' apathy in English Language were factors associated with students' poor performance in English language. In order to enhance students' performance in SSCE English Language, the following recommendations are hereby proposed:

1. English Language teachers should be well trained. In addition to pedagogy, teacher trainees should be exposed to more content areas in English Language.
2. A good teaching of English Language should be combined with the use relevant and adequate instructional facilities that will ensure mastery of English skills. Governments should provide conducive classroom environment that will stimulate teaching and learning of English Language in our secondary schools.
3. English language teachers should engage more in diagnostic approach to the planning of educational experiences and activities for their students. Such experiences and activities should match students' interest, motivation and level of understanding. Infact, teachers should make learning of English Language meaningful and vivid for the students.

REFERENCES

Banjo, A (1977) "The Goals of Language Education in Nigeria", Bamgbose, (ed) Language in Education in Nigeria (1) 16.

Dabalen, A. Oni, B and Adekola, O. (2000) Labour Market Prospects for University Graduates in Nigeria. (World Bank report). Nigeria university system innovation project.

Graves, R. (1977) In Search of Informing Principles for the Discipline of English focus: Teaching English Language Art (4) 1

Grieve, D. (1964) Report of An inquiry into English Language Examination. Lagos: African University Press Ltd.

Harwood, J. (1980) English for Every one. The teaching of English Social mobility and the ideology of merit. The English Journal 69 (4) 31.

National Policy on Education (1981). Revised, Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos.

National Policy on Education (1988). Revised, Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos.

Onwuka, I. (1985) Curriculum Development for Africa. Lagos: Academy Press.

Pring, R. (1976) Knowledge and Schooling. London: Open Books Publishing Ltd.

Trifonovitch, G. (1981) "English as an international Language. An Attitudinal Approach" Smith, L. (ed). English for cross cultural communication. Hong Kong: Macmillan Press Ltd.

The West African Examinations Council (2001) Chief Examiners' Report.

Wring, C (1993). The Effective Teaching of Modern Languages. London: Longman Publication Co.

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURAL TERRITORIES | THE ROLE OF VISION IN LANGUAGE LEARNING
- in Children with Moderate to Severe Disabilities | EARLY GANDHI AND THE LANGUAGE POLICY - OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS | AN ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENTS POOR PERFORMANCE
IN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA ... | ENGLISH PUN AND ITS CLASSIFICATION |A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON THE FORMATION OF COMPOUND VERBS IN TAMIL |LANGUAGE NEWS THIS MONTH - SINDH IN THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, FEDERAL POLITY, LINGUISTIC ISLANDS, ETC. |HOME PAGE | CONTACT EDITOR