The purpose of this study is to draw a comparison of public and private schools students performance in shorthand in Enugu matroplist in Eight selected schools in Enugu Education zone, Enugu state, Nigeria,  the following schools were studied.

Public schools

Idaw river girls secondary school, Enugu

Army day secondary schools Enugu

Girls high school, awkunanaw Enugu

Union secondary school, Awkunanaw Enugu

Private schools

Immaculate commercial college Enugu

Niger school of commerce Enugu

Queens comprehensive school Enugu

Salvation vocational college Enugu

            The students of the two different schools were given a test on shorthand at it speed rate of 60 words per minute to determine their performances.  In addition, teachers at the subject in the selected schools were interviewed on the factors responsible for either better or poor performance of students in the subject.

            From the data collected, the researcher was able to assess the performance of both schools in the comparative study.  These were treated in details in chapter four, but some of them are; that constant practicing, dedication to studying the subject and having interest on the subject enhances performance, while poor performance emanate as a result of lack of interest, irregular attendance to class etc.

            Based in the data, it established that students in private schools are poor.  Among the recommendations preferred shorthand theory should in incorporated in the production work from the beginning to the end of students graduation and adequate facilities be provided in relative to lecturers.

            In addition, business English should be effectively integrated into the day to day teaching of shorthand.

LIST OF TABLE

Table 1:           Performance of private schools students and public schools students

Table 2:           Extant of private schools students better than public schools student

Table 3:           Factors responsible for better or proper performance of students in shorthand

Table 4:           Responsible for students in shorthand performance in shorthand

Table 5:           Impact has shorthand played in our society

Table 6:           Shorthand is blind’s man languages that should not be encouraged

Table 7:           Technical changes in the country

Table 8:           Students lack interest in shorthand.

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background of the study

1.2              Statement of the problems

1.3              Objective of the study

1.4              Importance/significance of the study

1.5              Research questions

1.6              Scope/limitation of the study

2.0              LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Introduction

2.1.1 The use of shorthand in the dark ages

2.1.2. Early modern use of shorthand

2.1.3.      Early use of American Colonies

2.1.4.      European system of shorthand

2.2.            Isaac Pitman’s shorthand system and invention

2.3.            Machine shorthand and invention

2.4.            Modern shorthand and requirement (Thomas Gurney system)

2.2.1        Uses and requirement of modern shorthand Pitman

2.2.2        Present modern uses of shorthand

2.2.3        Uses of shorthand in an office

2.3              The constrains of shorthand

2.3.1        Description of previous research works based on general constrains of shorthand performance

2.3.2        Mastery in the transcribing of shorthand

2.3.3        Acquisition of basic skill

2.3.4        Extensive and intensive reading

2.3.5        Effective communication skill

2.3.6        Intelligence

2.3.7        Aptitude development

2.3.8        Persistence

2.3.9        Poor educational foundations

2.3.10    Motivation

2.4              Private schools objectives and obstacles militating against it’s academic excellence in shorthand

2.4.1        Objectives

2.4.2        Public secondary schools

2.5              Process of achieving the aims of shorthand.

2.5.1        Wider aims

2.6              Method of teaching shorthand

2.8.1The need for intensive training

2.8.2.      The first lesson

2.8.3.      Word frequency

2.8.4.      Teaching by induction and deduction

2.7              Procedure to enhancing programme of students in shorthand

2.7.1        The rational of shorthand

2.7.2        The importance of basic principles

2.7.3        Enhancing students performances in shorthand and by correlation within the commercial courses. 

2.7.4        Correlation in shorthand

2.8              Teaching transcription

2.8.1        Stages in typed transcription

2.8.2        Styles writing

2.8.3        Repetition dictation

2.8.4        A more elaborated speed forcing technique speed up speed method

2.8.5        Condition determining transcription rate.

2.8.6        The use of sound tape

2.8.7        Audio class organization

2.8.8        Advantages of audio manual

2.11.        Marketing student work

2.11.1Process records

2.11.2    Summary of literature

3.0              DESIGN/METHODO;OGTY FOR THE STUDY

3.1       Research design

3.2              Area of study

3.3              Population of study

3.4              Instrument for data collection

3.5              Validation of research

3.6              Reliability of the study

3.7              Method of data collection

3.8              Administration of research

3.9              Methods of data analysis

4.1              Presentation and analysis of data

4.2              Summary of results and findings

5.0       DISCUSSION, IMPLICATION, RECOMMENDATION

5.1       Discussion of results

5.2              Conclusions

5.3              Implication of the results

5.4              Recommendations

5.4.1        Government

5.4.2        Institution

5.4.3        Lecturers

5.4.4        Students

5.5              Suggestion for further research

5.6              Limitation of the study

Bibliography

Appendices

Questionnaires

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The parameter or yardstick in the measurement or determine into of ones achievement, success or failure on an assigned duty, specific task, education and or, in a business endeavour is by the evaluation of his/her performance in their various subjects of study in Nigeria is a thing of long time origin.  And the appraisal of students performance in shorthand is not an exemption.  The importance of shorthand as a subject taught in secondary school in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized.  This is because a secretarial arising trained without equipping him/her with the rudiments, basic principles and a well led down foundation of shorthand would be compared to a soldier without “shooting knowledge”.  It is in this vain that many researchers have studied our school system to identify the various means, channel and or, procedure of impeaching this knowledge to our students especially secretaries.

            Along the same line, too, a lot of them in the recent past hare tried to compare the performance of students in shorthand in our private and public schools without any specification of the particular level of education. Today, it has become of vital importance that a study be carried out critically, taking the public and private secondary and commercial schools into consideration to draw a comprise at their different students performance in shorthand.

            This performance of students is a far cry based on the expected success of institutions of these kinds or nature.  A lot of reasons has been adduced for this inspite of the preparediness of teachers of those schools to deliver.  Some of the students absent themselves from schools for a long time.  This affects their performance because they have lost touch of the essence of regular practice and continuity in shorthand studies.

            Secondly, the students do not avail themselves with the use of books white suppose to enhance their performance this is further caused by poor reading habit of some of them and loads of domestic work which their parents engaged them in.

            In educational background that effect the public and private schools students in shorthand, it effect public schools students performance in shorthand very poor in the instance that public cannot know how to read and write shorthand faster because they are not interested on the shorthand and some of teacher that is taking them do not know it in a work place you can see that for advertisement of secretary’s many of them are required commercials schools students rather secondary schools students, but in private schools students performance they perform very well in shorthand  work is very easy for them to get, example institutions of higher learning and university some are not doing shorthand because it is very expensive to learn.

1.2              STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The subject, shorthand is one of the major subject taught in comprehensive secondary and commercial secondary schools in both public and private institutions.  As a result, it constitute a big obstacle to the success of the students.  There is the persistent problem of high failure rate and attrition in shorthand classes.

            Like mathematics, it is expected to have particular method and special problem among other things.  It is on the realization of this problem that the researcher compared the performance of the students in the school system in the subject.

1.3              OBJECTIVE OS THE STUDY

The researcher primary purpose of embarking on the study.

1.                  to investigate into the students performance in shorthand of private and public secondary schools.

2.                  to compare their degree of academic excellence in the subject.

3.                  to make recommendation for future improvement in the teaching and learning, of shorthand.

1.4              IMPORTANCE / SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is significant in the sense that it aims at comparing the academic performance in shorthand of both private and public secondary schools students in Enugu educational zone, Enugu state of Nigeria.

            The study may also enable educational planners to find out problems hindering excellent academic performane in shorthand and also, help find lashing solutions to the problems that contribute to the students failure in shorthand in secondary schools.  It will also, help to improve performance in the subject and create more positive attitude to it, on the side of students and populace.

            The study also will be of help to subsequent researchers that may be interested in doing more work in this area of study with the aim of improving any performance in the subject.

            And again, it will help to disabuse the mind of male folks in studying the subject by comprehending that none of the fainders of shorthand is a woman and therefore the subject is not for a particular sex.

1.5              RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.                  Do private schools students perform better than public schools students in shorthand?

2.                  what are the factors responsible for either better or poor performance of students in shorthand?

3.                  what impact has shorthand created in our public and private schools?

4.                  to what extent do public students lack interest in shorthand.

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