AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WASSCE AND NECO EXAMINATIONS

ABSTRACT

This research work is a correlational study of students’ performance in NECO and WAEC in two core subjects of English Language and general Mathematics in Public Secondary Schools in Owo metropolis. Five schools were selected from dierent parts of Owo Metropolis with 16 students randomly picked from each of the schools. The results of the students in both NECO and WASSCE 2008/09 academic session were collected with the aid of a proforma.

Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to test the relationship between NECO and WASSCE. Frequency counts and percentage were also used to determine the general performance of students as well as male versus female students’ performance in the three core subjects.

However, it has been found that there exists a relationship between students’ performance in NECO and WASSCE in English Language but little or no correlation exists between students’ performance in NECO and WASSCE in Mathematics, although female students performed better than the male students It is recommended that the government should however make frantic efforts at standardizing NECO and bridging the variation gap between students’ performance in NECO and WAEC.