STUDENTS’ PERSONALITY TRAITS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ITU L.G.A, AKWA IBOM STATE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

      PAGE

Title Page    –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        i

Declaration –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        ii

Certification         –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        iii

Acknowledgements        –        –        –        –        –        –        iv      

Dedication  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        v

Table of Contents –        –        –        –        –        –        –        vi

List of Tables       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        ix

Abstract      –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        x

CHAPTER ONE:         INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study        –        –        –        –        –        1

1.2     Statement of the Problem                  –        –        –        –        5

1.3     Purpose of the Study     –        –        –        –        –        6       

1.4     Research Questions       –        –        –        –        –        7

1.5     Research Hypotheses     –        –        –        –        –        8

1.6     Significance of the Study         –        –        –        –        –        9

1.7     Scope/Delimitation        –        –        –        –        –        10

1.8     Definition of Terms       –        –        –        –        –        11

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1   Theoretical Framework  –        –        –        –        –        12

2.1.1  Hierarchical theory of Personality    –        –        –        12

2.1.2  The Social Cognitive Theory   –        –        –        –        15

2.1.3  Relevance of the theories on the Study       –        –        17

2.2     Conceptual Review        –        –        –        –        –        18     

2.2.1  The Concept of Personality     –        –        –        –        18

2.2.2  Friendliness Personality Quality and Academic

Achievement        –        –        –        –        –        –        23

2.2.3  Tolerance Personality Quality and Academic

Achievement        –        –        –        –        –        –        25

2.2.4  Openness Personality Quality and Academic

Achievement        –        –        –        –        –        –        27

2.2.5  Influence of Leadership Personality Quality

and Academic Achievement    –        –        –        –        28

2.2.6  Influence of Ambitious Personality Quality

and Academic Achievement    –        –        –        –        30              

2.3     Empirical Review –        –        –        –        –        –        30

2.4     Summary of Literature Review         –        –        –        –        34

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1     Research Design   –        –        –        –        –                  37

3.2     Area of Study       –        –        –        –        –        –        38     

3.3     Population of the Study –        –        –        –        –        39

3.4     Sample and Sampling Technique      –        –        –        39

3.5     Instrument  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        40

3.5.1  Validity of Instrument   –        –        –        –        –        40

3.5.2  Reliability of the Instrument    –        –        –        –        40

3.6     Source of Data Collection       –        –        –        –        41

3.7     Method of Data Collection      –        –        –        –        41

3.8     Method of Data Analysis        –        –        –        –        –        42     

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

   OF FINDING

4.1     Hypotheses Testing       –        –        –        –        –        43

4.2     Summary of Major Findings   –        –        –        –        48

4.3     Discussion of Findings  –        –        –        –        –        49

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

                             RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1     Summary of the Study   –        –        –        –        –        53     

5.2     Conclusion –        –        –        –        –        –        –        55

5.3     Implications of the Study        –        –        –        –        –        55

5.4     Recommendations         –        –        –        –        –        –        56

5.5     Suggestions for Further Studies        –        –        –        –        57

References 

Appendix

LIST OF TABLES

         PAGE

Table 1:      Summary of Dependent t-test Analysis

of Influence of Friendliness Personality

Trait on Performance in Government         –        –        43     

Table 2:      Summary of Dependent t-test Analysis

of Influence of Openness Personality

Trait on Performance in Government         –        –        44     

Table 3:      Summary of Dependent t-test Analysis

of Influence of Tolerance Personality

Trait on Performance in Government         –        –        45     

Table 4:      Summary of Dependent t-test Analysis

of Influence of Leadership Personality

Trait on Performance in Government         –        –        46

Table 5:      Summary of Dependent t-test Analysis

of Influence of Ambitious Personality

Trait on Performance in Government         –        –        47     

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the influence of personality traits on academic performance in Government among secondary school students in Itu local government area. It uses personality traits such as friendly, tolerance, openness, leadership and ambitious qualities to determine their influence on students’ academic performance in Government. In the study, five research hypotheses tested using the dependent t-test at a .05 level of significance. A survey research design was used in the study and an instrument known as Personality Traits and Academic Achievement Test (PTAAT) were used to measure the variables. The findings of the study reveal that friendly personality traits significantly influenced academic performance in Itu L.G.A. The study concluded that personality traits should be regarded as one of the major determinant factors of academic achievement of students at secondary level. It recommends that school authorities should regularly organize talk shows where students are exposed to various personality traits and how they affect academic achievement. It however suggests that further studies should be conducted on the role of parents and teachers in students’ personality development. 

   

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

  1. Background to Study
1  

Investigation of the factors basic to academic achievement has been at the centre of most researches in education and psychology. The trend has become notable especially considering their implications for both learning and teaching. According to Alda,Barrack, andBroomley(2014) “understanding the variables can influence success in the educational setting and may also permit rapid recognition of particularly able students and potentially problematic students and contribute to the development of effective strategies aimed at refining teaching and learning performance. Accordingly, Moyosola (2013) argues that identifying the factors determining academic success can help in developing a curriculum aimed at improving levels of academic performance and examination of individual differences in students’ academic achievement.

Although, the characteristics of the academic experience and the relative achievement are described as the products of the dynamic interaction of a hierarchy of factors, academic performance may be attributed to cognitive ability, motivation to succeed, family socio-economic status, parental involvement in academic activity and class group composition, amongst others. Alda et’ al, (2014) observe that there is considerable evidence describing the influence of personality on academic achievement of students. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th edition) (2005) defines personality as the various aspects of a person’s character that combine to make them different from other people. Ekpenyong (2003) postulates that personality refers to the persisting products of learning that shall the nature and consistency of an individual’s responses to particular kinds of situation. In other words, personality is the individual’s unique personal organization and internal states of readiness to respond or behave in patterned ways. It includes a person’s attitude, values, beliefs about the world, conceptions of self and various kinds of skills for coping with physical objects and social life.

          According to Ambreen and Jan (2015) the greatest degree of connection between personality and academic achievement has been around the big five personality traits. The Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits are consistently studied because, they are believed to encompass the entire domain of more narrow personality traits that fall at lower levels of the hierarchy, (Moyosola, 2013). However, Ambreen and Jan (2015) argue that in order to portray the personality factors, we commonly to them as neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. They are used to measure personality traits in order to find possible solutions to the problems of achievement differences among secondary discipline students”.

          Moyosola (2013) identify extraversion personality as characterized by sociability, assertiveness, emotional expressions and excitability. Those who are high in this trait are often described as being outgoing and talkative. While those who are low are described as quiet and reserved. People with neuroticism tend to have more depressed moods, anxious, angry and vulnerable. On the other hand, people with agreeableness personality tend to be pleasant, compassionate, cooperative and accommodating in social situations rather than being antagonistic and suspicious of others.

Moyosola (2013) argue that people with conscientiousness tend to show self-discipline, act dutifully and aim for achievement amidst various challenges. While people with openness personality reflect degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and a reference for novelty and variety.

          In Itu Local Government, students in public secondary schools who offer government as a subject have been observed to possess certain attributes and personality traits that directly or indirectly influence their academic achievement. This study is particularly interested in the investigation the five personality dimensions that influence students’ performance in public secondary schools in Itu Government Area.

1.2     Statement of Problem

          Despite increasing emphasis on students to choose science related subjects, greater numbers of students are interested in the study of Government in Senior Secondary Schools. However, over the years, students’ academic achievement has become worrisome not because, there are acute lacks of learning materials or inadequate and unqualified teachers but the negative students’ characteristics that have interfaced with their academic tasks which consequently have affected their academic achievement. Academic failure has often been blamed on infrastructural deficit, learning environment, socio-economic status and teacher’s teaching method without considering students’ personality like their learning curiosity, self confidence, fear and anxiety.

          Students in public secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area are often anxious, afraid of Government examinations and tests. They often lack self-confidence and learning curiosity. These have often contributed to their academic failure thereby affecting the standard of education in public secondary schools within the local government area and indeed the entire state. Against these background, the study attempts to evaluate the influence of these variables on their academic achievement.

STUDENTS’ PERSONALITY TRAITS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ITU L.G.A, AKWA IBOM STATE