ABSTRACT

          This study was set to investigate the performance of senior secondary schools students in geography in some selected secondary school in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun  State.

          And in achieving this, four major hypothesis were formulated for testing, based on the following variable interest in the study.

Family Background: The teachers’ attitude and qualification, Attitude of Senior Secondary School Students’ themselves and the available of material and facilities.

          The researcher made use of the descriptive survey research method in carrying out the study. One hundred sample elements were randomly selected among the Senior School Students in the three (3) Secondary School used for the study.

The study made use of the questionnaire as the main instrument in gathering information needed for the study. The data collected was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics of frequencies, percentages and Chi-square (x2).

The result indicated that:

The family background of the Senior Secondary School Students would definitely influence their performance in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun-State.

The teachers’ attitude and qualification world also to a greater extent affect the performance of Senior Secondary School Students in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area  of Ogun – State.

The attitude of the Senior Secondary School Students themselves towards geography would definitely affect their actual performance in the subject.

Lastly that the availability of adequate and modern materials and facilities (including textbooks) would influence the performance of Senior Secondary School Students in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Based on the results and findings of the study certain salient recommendation were made.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

        Secondary School is seen as a center for a living in a modern age of science and technology. It was on the basis of this that Sofolahan’s Committee (1971) recommend geography as one of the core subject and this was agreed upon.

          This emphasis on geography came as a result of advances in sciences and technology in the developed countries and their diffusion to developed countries which Nigeria is one Fafunwa (1971) accepts this when he writes “we are in a world of science and technology have become an integral part of the world.

          At the Senior Secondary School Level geography is taught, this is in a response to the would wide move towards curriculum integration. An implication to this statement is that new trends should not be accepted unquestiongly and that teachers should understand the nature of geography and the need to integrate the components that make up geography and relate geography or nature to man which in this case is the study of GEOGRAPHY.

          The nature of geography on National Policy on Education Stipulated that geography should be one of the core subject taught in Secondary School Level.

          The choice of geography is based on sound pedagogical standing point. It present the whole of science and social science as the intricately, interwind and intellectually, integrated, enterprise that it is.

          A curriculum that is subject centre does not foster the development of view of the life which, education has as its major objective. Besides students at this level have psychological deposition which makes them see event or phenomena, in a unified manner.

          Furthermore, if the principal function of geography instruction on the Senior Secondary School is general education for the majority few of whom may become geography major this function is best serves by renewing social science in as a broad scope as possible hence according to the are curriculum for geography when the term social science is applied, it means that the course is devised and presented in such a way that the child:-

(a)          Gains the concepts of the fundamental unit of geography.

(b)         Gains the communality approach to problems of scientific nature.

(c)          It helped to gain an understanding of the function of science and technology and social science in everyday life and the world in which he/she lives so geography occupies a special position in the Secondary School curriculum it represent the foundation stones for subsequent instruction in the social science in later life for a student  who wish to pursue a social science related career and a general introduction to the sciences for the other who may wish to purse either. Humanity based on vocational inclined studies the success or failure of geography instruction at the stage of Senior Secondary, is therefore of importance.

A solid foundation of geography would equip Millions of Senior Secondary School Students for successful social science career, thereby indirectly contributing to the much needed science and technological advancement of the Nigerian society.

A poor foundation may have negative consequence. It is for these reasons that geography should be properly and effectively taught to students in Senior Secondary School to do this all aspects of geography curriculum must be taught to students in senior secondary school to do this all aspect of geography curriculum must be taught to student lf they are to have a balanced introduction of science and social science

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

        The academic performance of pupils in Senior Secondary School Examination in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State has been very poor for instance the final examination (WASSCE) results for S.S.S. III geography for the past three year indicated a high rate of failure.

          The table below show the failure rate in geography in some selected Secondary Schools. In Odogbolu Local Government  Area of Ogun State.

TABLE 1

GROSS FAILURE RATE IN S.S.S. 3 GEOGRAPHY EXAMINATIONS FROM 2005-2007

Year

No

Passed

Failed

% failed

% passed

2005

1,500

600

900

60

40

2006

2,400

1,000

1,400

58.3

41.7

2007

2,800

1,000

1,800

64.2

34.2

N = Total no of candidates who sat for the examination.

Many people have wondered what could be responsible for this, could this be in. anyway related to factor such as:

1)   Teacher’s qualification.

2)   Family Background of the students.

3)   Socio-economic, status of parent 

4)   The school environment.

5)   The curriculum itself.

6)   The textbooks.

7)   Laboratory facilities.

8)   Teachers condition of services.

9)   Interest attitudes and ability of student a some other  salient factors.

1.3   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

        The objectives of the study are:

v To determine the performance of the students in the selected schools.

v To identify the effects of teacher’s attitudes and qualification on the performance of the student in geography.

v To identify the effects of student’s attitude on their performance in geography.

v To bring out the effect of socio-economic status of parents on the performance of the student in geography.

v To identify the environmental factors which affects the performance of the students in geography.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

        This project shall be of valuable importance to the federal government and the Ogun State Government in general.  But it will be of great importance to Odogbolu Local Government to determine how far they have gone in achieving their Educational aims and objectives with particular references to science and social science.

          Furthermore, it will help in solving pupils difficulties. In science are as and hence ensuring that our future scientists have solid foundation. This project has been able to identify some problem that affect the performance of students in geography and has been able to recommend lasting solutions to those problems and the factors causing them

1.5   SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

        Specially, the appraisal was a correlational study of the above tested variable or factor in 1.2 or a sample of Senior Secondary School Students achievements in geography in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun-State.

          The inference drawn from the study were therefore limited to the precise sample in question. The main limitation is in the fact that only Six of the multi various identifiable variables that might have influence the performance of the students in geography are consider in this study.

1.6   OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

(1)     Appraisal: This means an investigation or find out. It can also be referred to as a guess to confirm.

(2)     Performance:    An Act or action of a person or somebody.

(3)     Data:                The analysis of the appraisal made in Arithmetical form or order.

(4)     Geography:  The word geography is coined from two Greek words geo-meaning the earth and graph meaning to describe so geography is the description of the earth it is also defined as the study of people their activities, places and physical things within the earth.

(5)     Discipline:  To Train and control the mind and character of some one or to produce self control habit of obedience.

(6)     Curriculum:  Brief written account of one’s past history or course of study in a school, college e.t.c.

(7)     Subsidiary:  Serving as a help or support but not as of first importance

(8)     Stratified: Arrange in strata.