FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT’S PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SCHOOLS CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION BUSINESS STUDIES IN AKURE ONDO STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The differential scholastic achievement of students in Nigeria has been and is still a source of concern and research interest to educators, government and
parents. This is so because of the great importance that education has on the national development of the country. All over the country, there is a consensus
of opinion about the fallen standard of education in Nigeria (Adebule, 2011). Parents and government are in total agreement that their huge investment on
education is not yielding the desired dividend. Teachers also complain of students’ low performance at both internal and external examination. The annual
releases of Senior Secondary Certificate Examination results (SSCE) conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) justified the problematic nature
and generalization of poor secondary school students’ performance in different
school subjects Poor academic performance according to Aremu (2011) is a
performance that is adjudged by the examiner and the tester and some other significant as falling below an expected standard. Poor academic performance
has been observed in school subjects especially mathematics and English language among secondary school students (Adesemowo, 2015). Aremu (2000)
stresses that academic failure is not only frustrating to the students and the parents, its elects are equally grave on the society in terms of dearth of
manpower in all spheres of the economy and politics. Education at secondary school level is supposed to be the bedrock and the foundation towards higher
knowledge in tertiary institutions. It is an investment as well as an instrument that can be used to achieve a more rapid economic, social, political,
technological, scientific and cultural development in the country. The National Policy on Education (2011) stipulated that secondary education is an
instrument for national development that fosters the worth and development of the individual for further education and development, general development
of the society and equality of educational opportunities to all Nigerian children, irrespective of any real or marginal disabilities. The role of secondary
education is to lay the foundation for further education and if a good foundation is laid at this level, there are likely to be no problem at subsequent levels.
However, different people at different times have passed the blame of poor performance in secondary school to students because of their low retention,
parental factors, association with wrong peers, low achievement, low retention, low achievement motivation and the likes (Aremu & Sokan, 2011; Aremu &
Oluwole 2001; Aremu, 2000). Morakinyo (2011) believe that the falling level of academic achievement is attributable to teacher’s non-use of verbal
reinforcement strategy. Others found out that the attitude of some teachers to their job is reflected in their poor attendance to lessons, lateness to school,
unsanitary comments about student’s performance that could damage their ego, poor method of teaching and the likes act students’ academic performance.
