: Academic Performance

State of Sexual Harassment Among Senior High School Students and Academic Performance in Ghana: A Call for Policy Direction (Published)

This research aimed to investigate the state of sexual harassment of senior high students: and school performance in Ghana – a call for policy direction. The study used descriptive survey design approach. Using a random sampling method, 4,600 students were selected as participants from 46 senior high schools. The data collected using questionnaies was analysed in descriptive statistics and multiple regression froms with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Thematic analysis was done for the interview data. The study found that more than a third (32.1%) of students had experienced any form of sexual harassment and majority of the perpetrators were male (90%) and peers (33.4%). The study found that unhealthy sexual touch significantly (p<.001) predicted school social behaviour. Also, indecent exposure (p <.05), unhealthy sexual touch (p <.001) and sexual exploitation (p <.05), significantly predicted academic performance and school retention rate. Based on the findings, the study concludes that unhealthy sexual touch, indecent exposure and, sexual exploitation are among the key factors that predicted academic performance of students and their ability to recall what taught in school. This brings to the fore that sexual harassment still predates on students thereby having and influence on their academic ability at the pre-tertiary level. The study recommended awareness campaigns, training of teachers, inclusion of sexual violence in school curriculum, empowerment of victims, encouraging easy reporting of sexual violence in school curriculum, empowerment of victims, encouraging easy reporting of sexual harassment and appriopriate reporting systems, parental involvement, conducive and safe school environment, strict law enforcement and, challenging cultural beliefs as policy interventions to mitigate or address the prevalence of sexual harassment in Ghana.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Policy direction, School retention rate, Senior High School, Sexual harrassment

Effect of Intelligent Tutoring Systems On Academic Performance and Interest of Physics Students in Makurdi Metropolis (Published)

The study investigated the effect of Intelligent Tutoring Systems on the academic performance and interest of physics students in Makurdi Metropolis. Two research questions and two hypotheses were answered, formulated and tested. A quasi-experimental design was used for the study. The population of the study made up of all the physics students in government approved secondary schools in Makurdi metropolis. The sample size consisted of 120 physics students. Physics Performance Test (PPT) and Physics Interest Inventory (PII) with the reliability coefficients of 0.80 and 0.86 respectively were the instrument used for data collection. Simple Mean was used to answer the research questions. While ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that, students taught physics concepts using Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) performed better than those taught with Conventional Teaching Methods (CTM). Students taught Physics concepts using Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) were more interested in the subject than those taught with conventional Teaching Method (CTM), among others. It was therefore recommended that the government through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology should ensure that; (ITS) should be used by teachers to enhance academic performance and interest of students in physics.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, intelligent tutoring systems, interest and teaching methods., physics

Comparative Effects of Positive and Negative Academic Emotions on Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary School Physics in Odeda Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria (Published)

Students’ academic emotions are feelings or perceptions associated with students’ experience during teaching-learning sessions, which could be positive or negative. This study examines the level of students’ positive and negative academic emotions, relationship between positive and negative emotions with regards to academic performance, and predictive strength of positive and negative emotions on students’ academic performance in secondary school Physics. The study adopted a descriptive-quantitative design with 300 physics students as study samples, using simple random sampling. Data were collected using Physics academic performance sheets and students’ academic emotion scale with reliability coefficient, α = 0.81, analyzed using descriptive, correlation, and regression statistics. The results revealed that: (i) students exhibited moderate positive academic emotions (enjoyment, interest, confidence) and low negative academic emotions (anxiety, boredom, frustration); (ii) positive emotions significantly and positively correlated to students’ performance (r = 0.54, p<0.05), while negative emotions significantly and negatively correlated to students’ performance (r = −0.49, p<0.05); (iii) positive and negative academic emotions jointly and significantly predicted students’ performance, F(2, 297) = 66.25, p<0.05, R² = 0.398, with positive emotions having a stronger positive predictive power (β = 0.51, t = 8.95, p<0.05) on students’ performance than negative emotions (β = −0.33, t = −6.20, p<0.05). This study concludes that positive academic emotions were stronger in predicting academic performance than the negative academic emotions. It is therefore recommended that teachers should undergo training workshops on strategies for creating emotionally supportive classrooms and its effective application.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Secondary School, academic emotions, negative emotions, physics, positive emotions

Perceived Influence of Family Conflict and Interpersonal Relationship on Academic Performance of Peacock College of Nursing Sciences, Akure (Published)

This study investigated the influence of family conflict and interpersonal relationships on the academic performance of undergraduates at Peacock College of Nursing Sciences, Akure, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design of the ex-post-facto type was employed, and a total enumeration technique was used to include 116 Nursing students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and four hypotheses guided the study. The data were analyzed using Multiple Regression Analysis and Pearson Product Moment Correlation at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed significant interrelationships among the study variables. Family conflict and interpersonal relationships jointly accounted for 18.3% of the variance in students’ academic performance (R = .431; R² = .186; Adj. R² = .183; F (1,115) = 76.752; p < .05). Family conflict (β = .284; t = 9.249; p = .000) was found to be the stronger predictor of academic performance compared to interpersonal relationship (β = .185; t = 5.856; p = .000). Furthermore, gender was found to moderate these influences, with a higher impact observed among female students (R = .371; R² = .137; F (1,68) = 9.041; p = .011) compared to males (R = .332; R² = .110; F (1,46) = 5.893; p = .007). The study concluded that family stability and healthy interpersonal relationships are crucial to students’ academic achievement. It recommended implementing counselling and family support programmes to mitigate the effects of negative home environments on students’ educational development.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Family Conflict, Undergraduates, interpersonal relationship

Team -Pair- Solo, Computer Simulation, Guided Discovery Teaching Approaches and Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Cell Structure in Biology (Published)

This study examined the effects of the team-pair-solo, computer simulation, and guided discovery teaching approaches on students’ academic performance in Biology in secondary schools in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest, non-randomized design was adopted for the study. The study population comprised 1,964 Biology students enrolled in the 16 public secondary schools in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area during the 2023/2024 academic session. A sample of 267 Senior Secondary One students, from three intact classes, was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was the Biology Performance Test on Cell Structure. The reliability of the instrument was determined using the Kuder–Richardson formula–20, with a coefficient of 0.81. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance.The findings showed a statistically significant difference in the mean performance scores of students taught the concept of cell structure across the three teaching approaches, with the team-pair-solo and computer simulation teaching approaches proving significantly more effective than guided discovery teaching approach. There was no significant difference in the performance mean scores between male and female students taught the concept of cell structure using team-pair-solo, computer simulation and guided discovery teaching approaches. Based on the findings, it is concluded that computer simulation teaching approach is the most effective in improving students’ academic performance on the concept of cell structure in Biology, followed by the team-pair-solo and guided discovery teaching approaches. It is recommended, among others that Biology teachers should adopt computer simulation as well as team-pair-solo approaches in teaching the concept of cell structure in Biology in secondary schools.

 

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Team-pair-solo teaching approach, cell structure, computer simulation teaching approach, guided discovery teaching approach

Effect of Flipped Learning Approach on Academic Performance and Retention of Undergraduate Students in Trigonometry in Kebbi State Nigeria (Published)

This study investigated the effect of the flipped learning approach on the academic performance and retention of undergraduate students in trigonometry in Kebbi State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 140 students divided into an experimental group (taught using flipped learning) and a control group (taught using traditional methods). The Trigonometry Achievement Test (TAT) was administered as a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest (after four weeks) to measure performance and retention. Results indicated that the flipped learning group significantly outperformed the control group in both academic performance (mean difference) and retention (mean difference). No significant gender differences were found in either performance or retention. The findings suggest that flipped learning enhances trigonometry learning outcomes and retention more effectively than traditional methods, supporting its adoption in undergraduate mathematics education.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Nigeria, Retention, Undergraduate Students, flipped learning, trigonometry

The Role of Flipped Classroom Approach on Students’ Knowledge Retention in Biology Concepts (Published)

This study was conducted to examine the role of flipped classroom approach on students’ knowledge retention on biology concepts. A pretest, posttest non-equivalent control design was adopted for the study. The sample comprised of fifty-eight (58) level 300 biology students. 28 students constituted the control group and the experimental group was also made up of 30 students. The control and experimental groups were taught using conventional method and flipped classroom approach respectively. The instruments used for data collection were pretest, posttest and retention test. The reliability of the instruments was determined using test-retest reliability coefficient. The reliability coefficients were found to be 0.75, 0.74, and 0.78 for the pretest, posttest, and retention test, respectively. The data was analysed using t-test. The results of the study proved that there was statistically significant difference between the posttest and pretest mean scores of students taught using flipped classroom approach (p=0.00, p<0.05). The results also revealed a statistically significant difference in knowledge retention between students taught using flipped classroom approach and those taught using conventional method (p=0.00, p<0.05). The results also indicated a statistically no significant difference in knowledge retention between male and female students taught using flipped classroom approach (p=0.06, p>0.05). Flipped classroom was more effective than conventional method in enhancing student’s academic performance and knowledge retention in biology concepts. It was therefore recommended that biology lecturers should adopt flipped classroom approach in teaching biology concepts.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Flipped classroom, biology concepts, conventional method, knowledge retention

Self-Regulated Learning as a Predictor of Student Academic Motivation and Self-Efficacy (Published)

In education, the learner is central and the process through which he or she learns is paramount.  To this end, various methods have been designed as to ensuring that the learner is at the best when it comes to academic performance and survival in the wider society.  One of these methods is to assist students have full control of their behaviors, emotions and thoughts with viewing to successfully go through their learning experience and this is , what self-regulated learning (SRL) is all about. This chapter therefore, takes a look at SRL as a predictor of student academic motivation and self-efficacy with emphasis on self-regulated learning as a concept, student motivation, self-efficacy, SRL as a predictor to motivation and self-efficacy and by extension student academic performance.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Education, Learning, Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulated Learning, Students

Students Perception of the Impact of Gender on Students’ Academic Performance at Post-Secondary Education: The Case of Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Kaduna (Published)

The research examined student perception of the impact of gender on their academic performance at the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Kaduna from 2021 to 2022. One research question and questionnaire named the Gender and Academic Performance Scale (GAPS) guided the study. This is an ex-post-factor research design with a target population of 2089 AFIT degree undergraduates in four faculties where proportionate sampling techniques were used in drawing 210 students (respondents) based on a convenience approach, and only 145 of the GAPS were retrieved. The reliability and validity of the GAPS were ascertained with internal consistency Cronbach alpha values of 0.88. Statistical methods used were frequencies and independent t-tests. The results showed that female students outperform male students in AFIT. One of the recommendations was that AFIT should adhere strictly to an inclusive and diverse screening merit-based admission policy of students rather than on “gender biases”.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, AFIT, Gender, post-secondary education

Effect of Community of Inquiry on Polytechnic Undergraduates’ Performance in English Language: A Case Study of Delta State Polytechnic (Published)

The study investigated effect of Community of Inquiry (CoI) on polytechnic undergraduates’ performance and interest in English Language: A case study of Delta State Polytechnic. Three objectives of the study, three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of all the National Diploma II students who are offering the course Use of English 2 (GNS 102.1) for the 2022/2023 academic session in School of Engineering which is one hundred and eighty (180) students. The sample size of this study consisted of one hundred and eighty (180) students using census sampling technique. The instrument for the study was English Language Performance Test (EPT). Mean, standard deviation and z-test were the statistical tools used for the study. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference in theeffect on the students’ pre-test and post-test mean performance in English Language. There is a significant difference in the performance of students taught English Language using Community of Inquiry (CoI) and those taught with conventional method of teaching. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the mean performance scores of male and female students when taught English Language using Community of Inquiry (CoI) instructional strategy. Based on these findings it was recommended that lecturers should adopt the use of Community of Inquiry instructional strategy in teaching English Language in the polytechnics for improved academic performance by students. Polytechnic lecturers should be trained on how to use the current and innovative teaching strategies in the field of education for self-efficiency in the profession. Also, that students’ gender should also be considered by lecturers since the study has revealed it as a factor that can predict performance among learners before adopting any teaching strategy for maximum academic productivity.

Keywords: : Academic Performance, Community of Inquiry, English Language, students’ interest