ABSTRACT
This
study investigated the relationship between study hours utilization and academic
performance in senior secondary school students in Edo Central Senatorial
District, Nigeria. In furtherance of this investigation, seven (7) research
questions were raised out of which three that were not hypothesized, were
answered while four (4) hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of
significance. The study adopted a correlational design. The population for this
study consisted of 5, 380 students in public and private senior secondary
schools in Edo Central Senatorial District, Nigeria. A sample of 294 students
from the public and 244 students from private senior secondary schools were
used making a total of 538 students. The teachers responded on behalf of the
students. The checklists titled “Study Hour Utilization Checklist (SHUC)” and
“Students Academic Performance Checklist (SAPC)” were used to gather relevant
data. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentage and
Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The result of the analysis showed that:
academic performance of students in senior secondary schools in Edo Central
Senatorial District was average, study-hours allocated for academic exercise in
senior secondary schools was 6 hours, study-hours utilized for academic
activities in senior secondary schools was 5hrs. 30mins and study-hour
utilization in public senior secondary school was more than that of private
secondary schools. It was recommended based on results that principals of
secondary schools should ensure that supervision of teachers is carried out so
that study-hours allocated for academic activities can be judiciously utilized
for that purpose and that teachers must ensure they are committed to their
duties by effectively utilizing time allocated for academic exercises in
schools in order to enhance academic performance of students.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
In this era of globalization and technological revolution,
education is considered as a first step for every human activity. It plays a
vital role in the development of human capital and is linked with an
individual’s well-being and opportunities for better living (Battle &
Lewis, 2002). It ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable
individuals to increase their productivity and improve their quality of life.
This increase in productivity also leads towards new sources of earning which
enhances the economic growth of a country (Saxton, 2000). This improvement in
performance cuts across all fields of human endeavour and most importantly in
the education sector where students’ academic performance is a “
sine-qua-non” for assessing the quality
of the education system.
Students’ academic performance has remained a top priority
for educators. It is meant for making a difference locally, regionally,
nationally and globally. Educators, trainers, and researchers have long been
interested in exploring variables contributing effectively for quality of
performance of learners. These variables are inside and outside school that
affect students’ quality of academic achievement. These factors may be termed
as student factors, family factors, school factors and peer factors (Farooq,
Chaudhry, Shafiq & Berhanu, 2011). Generally, these factors include age,
gender, geographical location, ethnicity, marital status of parents,
socioeconomic status (SES), parents’ education level, parental profession,
language, income, time management, teacher supply, teacher quality, class size,
teacher work load among others. Adepoju and Oluchkwu (2011) further outlined
the following as factors affecting students’ academic performance as poor
location of the school, incessant changes in government policies, closure of
schools, which is contingent upon teachers’ strike action, home-school
distance, high student teacher ratio, lack of supervision, monitoring and
evaluation machinery, lack of good textbooks, poor content and context of
instruction, poor and non conductive learning environment among others. This
present study however will look at time management as a factor affecting
students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
Time is a universal phenomenon which
application knows no bounds. It is so important that everybody, irrespective of
race, level of educational attainment, social-economic status are affected by
it. Time is fair to all, as it has neither fear nor favour for any individual
or corporate bodies. It is in this regards, time has been described as “no
respecter of person”. Agabi (2010) defined “time as a continuum in which events
succeed one another from the past through the present to the future”. By this
definition, time is defined based on series of similar, indispensable events
taking place one after another both in the past, the present and even in the
future. However, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) English Dictionary
defined time as what we measure in hours, days and years. It further defined it
as the period that something happens. Here, the definition of time is based on
duration or periods, which are in hours, days and years.
From the foregoing, time can be seen as the duration or
period similar or different events do occur, either in succession or not. In the
school, time is an indispensable asset. According to Agabi (2010), “time is an
educational resource that is highly limited in supply and critical but often
taken for granted by the providers of education. It is so important and useful
that each school activity is regulated by it”.
Time is also seen as one of those
limited resources used in the achievement of life goals. Time as a resource is
fixed in the sense that one person has only 24 hours a day. For this reason, it
cannot be accumulated for another day’s use as material resources. Activities
postponed to the next day therefore become an infringement on the next day and
this can lead to accumulation of work. Many students are victims of this
because due to procrastination, they allow work to be so accumulated that they
get overwhelmed, stressed and overcome by the work and the resultant effect is
failure (Olubor & Osunde, 2007). The quality of life of an individual
depends on his use of the human and non human resources at his disposal. It was
also confirmed that time is limited and scarce in its use. It is however one of
the most important human resources available to individuals and families
irrespective of their socio-cultural, economic and intellectual backgrounds.
Therefore, students should consider resource allocations and decisions
affecting the limited amount of time available to them to carry out their daily
activities which include personal study, assignments and leisure effectively.
Managing time effectively is key to
achievement of set goals. Time management is the art of arranging, organizing
and undertaking official businesses and personal affairs in such a way that things
are done according to plans for the attainment of set goals. It is the period
assigned in terms of seconds, minutes, hours and days to get certain things
accomplished as soon as possible and to facilitate getting things done as
quickly as possible with the least amount of other resources such as energy,
money, and people which are necessary for the attainment of set goals. In the
school system, a number of programmes are usually planned for to be
accomplished. All of such programmes are geared towards enhancing student
performances in academics and non-academic pursuits. In this study however, the
teaching hour covers the teaching periods within the school hours of 8.00am to
2.00pm or 4.00pm for some schools.
Time Allocated to academic exercise
in secondary schools is very important in determining the academic success of
the students. The time which is allocated for teaching and learning in the
schools especially in the public secondary schools is 5hrs.30mins (8.00am to
1.30pm) or 6hrs (8.00am to 2.00pm). Many schools have 35 minutes per period and
others 40 minutes. Time structure in many schools is such that 35 minutes or 40
minutes is allocated for instructions. And in many schools, instructions in the
classrooms and laboratories are 8 periods per day. This amounts to five hours
and 20 minutes or four hours and forty minutes per day excluding the break
periods and outside the normal school periods. Some schools open by 7.30am beginning
with morning devotion (Morning Assembly), classroom/laboratory activities, and
other out of classroom activities such as sports, gardening, labour, clubs and
societies and close by 1.30pm. Some secondary schools set aside 2 additional
hours for extra classes between 2.00pm and 4.00pm in non-boarding schools. This
practice is prevalent in privately owned schools and seldom practiced in public
secondary schools as observed by the researcher. Although some students attend extramural
classes in the evenings, this is outside the school hours and therefore not
covered in this study. Meanwhile, the time table for Mathematics and English
Language subjects in schools is designed in such a way that students are taught
the subjects on daily basis. Therefore the period allotted to these subjects
daily is 1hr.20mins or 1hr.10mins for 40mins or 35mins per period respectively
and 6hrs.40mins or 5hrs.50mins per week for 40mins or 35mins per period
respectively.
Time is also allocated for
non-academic exercise in schools. Usually, it is referred to as time for
extra-curricular activities. This has
become very important as; ‘all work and no play is said, makes Jack a dull
boy’. Many schools also observe some
break periods, this is to enable students enjoy some leisure. Other
non-academic work periods are therefore set aside for physical exercises. This
is necessary in order to keep the physical, mental ability and health alertness
of the student. However, this study
focused its attention on students learning hours in school.
Basically, there are two main types
of time; work time and non work time. Work time is the period or number of
hours and minutes students spend on
academic work (study hours) which is usually the periods before break time and
the periods after break time which is assigned for teaching and learning
activities that takes place in the classroom. Apart from these two periods
there is also the extra lesson period and the preparatory (prep) period which
is mostly associated with boarding schools. While on the other hand, non-work
time is the time students spend on non-academic activities carried out outside
the classroom for extra-curricular activities such as break (leisure time),
sports and labour (cleaning of the school compound) but this study did not
cover this latter.
The allocation of time and the uses into which such time is put in the
school system are in different aspect of the school life. It includes all
organized and controlled time expended in the affairs of a business or a sector
of the business. In the education sector, it is the number of hours and minutes
invested in the student’s education within the school for teaching and learning
activities. It is only necessary therefore that this study be carried out to
look at study hours utilization and academic performance in secondary school
students.
Statement
of the Problem
The academic performances of students
in secondary schools in the past five years as shown by West Africa
Examinations Council (WAEC) have not been very encouraging except in 2013. This
is because the result of the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE)
conducted by WAEC and the National Examinations Council (NECO) indicate that
the time applied for teaching and learning in the senior secondary school has
not yielded the expected results. For the avoidance of doubts; the result
released by the West Africa Examinations Council indicate that in 2010, the
number of students who had five credits and above in English Language and
Mathematics was 337,071 candidates or 23.36%, in 2011, 471,474 candidates
representing 30.9% had five credits and above, including Mathematics and
English language, 649,156 candidates representing 38.81% in 2012 and 1,085,472
candidates representing 64.26% in 2013. In the recently released 2014 May/June
Senior Secondary School Examination results conducted by WAEC, only 31.28%
(529,425) candidates out of 1,692,435 candidates who sat for the examination
had credits in five subjects and above including Mathematics and English
Language as against 38.81% and 64.26% in 2012 and 2013 May/June examinations
respectively ( WAEC, 2014).
The major question which arose is; why is the academic
performance of students poor? Observations have revealed that many students
spend their study hours doing things that have no academic benefit whatsoever
to them. This has adverse effect on the overall academic performance as time
lost may not be regained. Allison and Ojedapo (2011) in their study revealed
that time allocated and utilized for academic exercises were inadequate and
they emphasized that time allocated to completion of Mathematics syllabus is
not enough and this affects students’ academic performance in external
examinations. The need to investigate the relationship between study-hours utilization
and academic performance in senior secondary school students in Edo Central
Senatorial District becomes important.
Research
Questions
The
following research questions were raised to guide this investigation:
1.
What
is the study-hour allocated for academic activities in senior secondary schools
in Edo Central Senatorial District?
2.
What
is the academic performance of students in senior secondary schools in Edo
central Senatorial District, Nigeria?
3.
What
is the study-hour utilized for academic activities in senior secondary schools
in Edo Central Senatorial District?
4.
Is
there any difference in study-hour utilization by students in private and
public senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District?
5.
Is
there any difference in study-hour utilization by students in rural and urban
senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District?
6.
Is
there any difference in the academic performance of students in private and
public senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District?
7.
Is
there any difference in the academic performance of students in rural and urban
senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District?
Hypotheses
The
following hypotheses were formulated to help guide this study and were tested
at 0.05 significant level.
1. There is no significant difference in
study-hour utilization by students in private and public senior secondary
schools in Edo Central Senatorial District.
2. There is no significant difference in
study-hour utilization by students in rural and urban senior secondary schools
in Edo Central Senatorial District.
3. There is no significant relationship
in study-hour utilization and academic performance in public and private senior
secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District.
4. There is no significant relationship in
study-hour utilization and academic performance in urban and rural senior
secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District.
Purpose
of the Study
The study investigated the relationship between study hour
utilization and academic performance in senior secondary school students in Edo
Central Senatorial District, Nigeria.
The
study specifically investigated:
1.
study-hour
allocated for academic activities in
senior secondary schools in Edo Central
Senatorial District;
2.
the
academic performance of students in senior secondary schools in Edo central
Senatorial District, Nigeria;
3.
study-hour
utilized for academic activities in
senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District;
4.
the
relationship in study-hour utilization
by students in private and public senior secondary schools in Edo Central
Senatorial District;
5.
the
relationship in study-hour utilization by students in rural and urban senior
secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District;
6.
the
relationship in the academic performance of students in private and public
senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District;
7.
the
relationship in the academic performance of students in urban and rural
secondary schools.
Significance
of the Study
The results of this study would be of great help to teachers,
students, school administrators, educational planners, policy makers, and the
general public. The study would help to reveal the actual time spent by students
on their studies. This would help the school administrators in secondary
schools to come up with ways of engaging the students with their studies in
order to improve their reading habits for improvement of academic performance
of students. This study would in no doubt provide some insight for educational
planners and policy-makers by highlighting some important but neglected
educational services such as education resource centre services, library
services, in-service training, computer services and internal supervision of
instructions which can help to engage the students for a real time academic
exercise. Availability of these services may help increase the time spent by
students on their studies. The educational planners can therefore include them
in the academic programme of secondary schools for effective teaching and learning.
The results of this study would positively help teachers to
effectively manage individual students in terms of monitoring and counseling on
how to devote quality time for academic exercise for the achievement of
academic excellence by students. The results of the study would also be of
immense benefit to students who are the direct beneficiary by increasing their
pass rate in examinations when quality time is dedicated towards their studies
both in school hours and at home. It would encourage better reading habit which
can lead to improved academic performance of students in examinations. The
general public would also benefit from the quality product that might be
produced from the schools for meaningful development of the society. The results
of this study would also contribute to existing literature by extending the
stock of knowledge on the influence of time management on students’ academic
performance not only in senior secondary schools but in secondary schools
(junior and senior). It would also provide some useful reference materials for
future researchers who might be interested in conducting similar studies
elsewhere.
Scope
of the Study
The study covered all students in public and private senior
secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District of Nigeria. Only students in
senior secondary schools were used for this study. The study covered students’
time management within school hours, time management and students’ academic
performance, academic performance of students, time management by students in
public and private schools and urban and rural secondary schools.
Operational
Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined
operationally as they are used in this study.
Study-Hour: This is the time allocated and
utilized for teaching and learning in school. It is the actual time utilized by
students for learning i.e., 4hrs.40mins or 5hrs.20mins for schools that close
by 1.30pm and 2.00pm respectively. Study hours in this study excludes break
periods, time for labour and recreational activities. Moreover, the study-hours for Mathematics and
English Language is 1hr.10mins or 1hr.20mins for 35mins or 40mins per day and
per period respectively and 5hrs.50mins or 6hrs.40mins per week for 35mins or
40mins per period respectively
Time Utilization: This is the time actually applied or
utilized in the teaching and learning in the classroom. In this study, it
implies the real time spent in studying Mathematics and English Language in
school by students during the school hours calculated in minutes and hours.
Academic performance: This is measured in terms of
students’ scores in a standardized test measured in English Language and
Mathematics in promotion examinations in senior secondary schools in 2011/2012,
2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic sessions
Level
of Academic Performance: The level of academic performance in this study is graded into three as
High, Average and Low. Students who have “A” and “B” were seen as High,
students with “C” grades were seen as Average while “D” and “P” grades were
seen as low.
Student-Teacher
Ratio: This is the
number of students per teacher in the classroom for the purpose of teaching and
learning. The ideal students – teacher ratio is 40:1 but anything above this is
not ideal.
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