ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of private lesson on academic performance of students in J.S.S classes. The sample for the study comprised of one hundred students who were randomly selected from four schools. data collected were analyzed with the use of simple percentage counts. Findings revealed that private lessons have positive effects on students performance. 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 

Developing country policymakers recognize that education is a key determinant of individual productivity and economic growth. Many parents believe that the crowed environment in regular classrooms can have a negative impact on the academic performance of students.

Hence they send them to private tuitions where the teacher can individual help them to study their lessons more effectively and perform better at school. However, others believe that private lesson outside school hours are burdensome to children and it can have a negative influence on their academic developments. Because of the constrains of time, the size of the syllabus and the number of students, school teachers may not be able to cater to the individual needs of all children who have different intellectual capacities.

For instance, in regular classrooms weaker student find it hard to grasp the formulas of mathematics and science which makes these subjects difficult for them whereas, the teacher at a private tuition follows the pace of the student and makes sure that he is thorough with the lesson.  

This means that the teacher has sufficient time to re-teach the lesson in case the student does not understand it, the first time this gives greater confidence to such students and helps them to get superior grades in examinations. On the other hand, private lessons outside school hours is considered, by many parents as an intrusion into the time that children should engage in sports or other extracurricular activities. They believe that students are already stressed out after regular school hours and should be given time to relax, instead of taxing them again with more lessons.

If they are forced into private tuitions they may develop a negative attitude toward studies, which would have detrimental effect on their academic performance. Moreover, private lessons outside school hours is very expensive and many parents would not be able to afford it. Although it may be financially burdensome for many parents, it is believed that intellectually weak, students would greatly benefit from private tuitions. In many countries, private lesson has arisen as a parallel education sector that provides supplementary instruction to students enrolled in the public school system. Substantial private lesson industries can be found in countries as economically and geographically diverse as Cambodia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Japan, Kenya, Morroco, Romania, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Hai-Auh Dang F. Halsey Rogers (2008) as cited evidence on the prevalence of lesson in 23 developing and developed countries. In almost all of them 25-90 percent of students at certain levels of education are receiving  or recently revived private lesson. According to Roger (2008). In some countries, such as the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) and Turkey, Spending by households on private lesson new rivals public sector education expenditures. Private lesson has elicited mixed response from policymalcers. In some countries it is ignored in others it is actively controlled and regulated.

Private lesson has been banned at various times in Cambodia, Korea, Manritius and Myanmer According to Bray (1999) out of concern that it exacerbates social inequalities disrupt the public education system, and fails to  increase academic performance or build human capital. Private lesson is defined here as fee-based lessons that provides supplementary instruction to children in academic subjects, they study in the maistreem education system.

1.2              STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Against the background of the proliferating growth of private lesson centres and increasing trend of parents and students interest, the researcher seeks to find out the effects of private lesson on the academic performance of J.S.S Students. 

1.3              RESEARCH QUESTION

This research was therefore conducted to find solution to the following main research question. 

i.                    What effects does private lessons have on student academic performance.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The study will test this hypothesis

i.                    student who attend private lessons do perform significantly better than those who do not.

1.4              SCOPE OF STUDY

The study was restricted to four secondary schools in Yewa-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

1.5              SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The purpose of the study is to examine critically the effect of private lesson on the academic performance of the students.

The study also has implication for policy makers towards private lessons.

1.6              DEFINITION OF TERMS

Private lesson is defined as fee-based lesson that provides supplementary instruction to children in academic subjects they study in the mainstream education system. It may be inform of any of the following.

Student Visit: This is a situation where by the student goes to meet the teacher at home for lesson as agreed upon by the parents and the teachers.
Organized Private Lesson Centres: These are centres in which the students were gathered together in a formal setting and employ a number of teacher to teach them.
Extra Coaching Organization: This is a situation whereby the students were gathered after the school hours and set of student apart from those taught in the morning or working hours session.