FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE IN SOME SELECTED COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN GHANA (Published)
Academic performance is affected by a number of factors including admission grade, social economic status, school background and many more. Students’ personal factors and school based factors are the focus of the study described in this paper. The study was a descriptive study in which a survey research design was adopted. Three Colleges where randomly selected for the study. A total of 50 students from these Colleges participated in the study. Data for the study was collected through student’s questionnaire. The findings revealed that inadequate teaching and learning materials as well as lecturer method of instruction are some of the factors which affect students’ performance. The study also revealed that teachers and students’ self-motivation also influence mathematics performance. On the basis of the findings, the following recommendations were made; interactive method of teaching which are core to improving students’ holistic understanding of mathematical concepts needs to be used by mathematics teachers. Also stake holders need to provide adequate teaching and learning resource to the Colleges of education.
Keywords: Factors, Mathematics, Performance
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN THE NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (Published)
The study stresses the urgent need for the regular training and development of the Senior Administrative Staff in the University of Nigeria. This will contribute significant in the production of high quality manpower as well as provide the assistance to academic by specialization. Most of them have stayed on their jobs for 20years or more without attending a single training and development course or workshop. They have risen to their respective levels of incompetence. Invariably, they are redundant hence the colossal wastage as waves of fashion or new skills pass them over without notice. They rely heavily on their past or obsolescence knowledge and display old fashioned skills that contribute minimally to the attainment of the organizational goals, their zone-of-indifference becomes very narrow and survive on the basis of political membership or solid protection racket. Their style of membership gives them ‘immunity’ from any disciplinary action. They pass as time-serves and still move fast through the ranks by way of promotion or favour. This class of staff lack commitment to contribution or effectiveness. They cheat other staff they work with. The few who stick to the rules but do not belong experience the fact that good performance on their part will not merit them good evaluation by their bosses. They merely complain of inefficiency to mask their envy against employees who have pull. To upturn this obvious disservice and contribute effectively staff members have to be recruited on the basis of merit or technical qualification and regularly trained and developed to apply current skills and techniques to increase the ratio of output/input, towering cost and improving quality as well as expected revenue and also increasing profit.
Keywords: Development, Nigerian University System, Performance, Training