ABSTRACT
The
study attempted to examine the mode of entry into the university and students'
academic performance at University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. In this study, the
literature was reviewed in sub headings. The descriptive research survey was
applied in the assessment of the students' opinions with the use of the
questionnaire, and the sampling technique. A total of 200 (two
hundred) respondents were selected and used for information gathering in this
study to represent the entire population of this study. A total of four (4)
null hypotheses were formulated, and tested using the Pearson Product
Correlational coefficient statistical tool at 0:05 for hypothesis one, while
hypothesis two, three and four were tested using the independent t-test
statistical tool at 0.05 level of significance. At the end. of the exercise,
the results that emerged showed that: There is a significant relationship
between mode of entry and students' academic performance in school There is a
significant difference between the academic performance of students who entered
the university through JAMB and those who entered the university through
Foundation Programme. There is a significant difference between academic
performance of students who entered the university through foundation programme
and those who entered through Direct Entry. There is a significant gender
difference in the academic performance of students due to mode of admission. It
was recommended that 4t- is recommended that both the entry foundational
programme should be retained and strengthened to become more effective.
University of Lagos should bring the cost of being educated through the foundational
programme which is meant for the only, to be also affordable to the poor.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the
problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research
Questions
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the study
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the study
1.8 Definition
of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Education System in
Nigeria
2.2 Mode of Admission
of Education Undergraduates and their Academic Performance
2.3 Mode of Entry and Degree Performance of University of Lagos
Undergraduates
2.4 Gender and
Students’ Academic Performance at University of Lagos
2.5 Indicators of
Students’ Academic Performance
2.6
Summary of Review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Population
of the Study
3.3 Selection
of Sample
3.4 Research
Instrument
3.5 Description of Instrument
3.6 Administration
of Instrument
3.7 Validity of Instrument
3.8 Reliability of
Instrument
3.9 Method
of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Description of
Bio-Data of Respondents According to Sex, Age, Studentship and
4.2 Description of Research Questions and The
Questionnaire Resources.
4.3 Testing of
Hypotheses
4.4 Summary of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction
5.1
Summary of the Study
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendations
5.4 Suggestion
for Further Studies
REFERENCE
APPENDIX
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background to the Study
This study investigates the
mode of admission of Education undergraduates and their academic performance in
a Nigerian University using the students’ scores in the two semesters of the
2006/2007 academic session. These scores were subjected to a t-test analysis.
It was concluded that most JAMB candidates unlike their pre-degree counterparts
are not good materials for degree programmes. It was therefore, suggested that
the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) be scrapped in Nigeria and
the higher school certificate programme be reintroduced in addition to
encourage each university to run the school of basic or pre-degree studies
(Adeduro, 2004).
A country’s educational
objectives as are usually spelt out in its national policy on education,
reflect those aspects of the national objectives that are deemed realizable
through formal schooling. For more than three decades now, Nigeria has come to
realize that the educational institutions in the country have been failing in
the performance of their statutory roles. The intellectual attainment as well
as the acquired skills of the products of the universities and other
educational institutions have been abysmally below expectation (Okpitike,
(2001); Ihebuzor, (2007); Frazen, (2003). It is the discouraging state of
affairs that gave rise to the phrase “falling standard of education” which has
now become a household slogan among Nigerians today.
The situation has become so
deplorable that a couple of years ago, an international organization in rating
the intellectual standard of Nigerian undergraduates intimated that for about
one and a half decades to that time, most Nigerian universities had not been
producing graduates that are of the
world standard (Bulus and Garara, 2007).
This assertion was further
corroborated by the National University Commission’s (NUC) executive secretary
in a T.V programme while justifying the Post-JAMB examination for university
bound candidates. The Post-JAMB examination is an innovation to ensure that
only good materials are offered university admission since there are doubts on
the scores of candidates at JAMB examination. (Okoye, 2009)
It was also indicated by the
NUC’s executive secretary that beginning from the 2006/2007 admission exercise,
only first degree holders would be eligible to apply for university admission
to read certain courses, e.g. in some developed countries medicine, law,
engineering which hitherto have been open to senior schools certificate holders
(Duro, 2010).
Experience has also shown that
people including university lecturers tend to believe that although most of the
undergraduates seem intellectually inadequate generally, the education
undergraduates in particular seem to be more intellectually sub-standard than
the others (Shuiabu, (2004); Ihebuzor, (2007); Okpilike, (2001); Conkline,
(2006). This assumption seems justified because of the low cut-off score for
education courses in the universities.
Therefore, this study was
aimed at comparing education undergraduates admitted through the Pre-Degree
(PD) programme and those admitted through the Joint Admission and Matriculation
Examination (JAMB) in their academic performance.
In the study, the researcher
is advocating the abolition of the JAMB, reintroduction of the higher school
certificate programme and establishment of the school of basic/pre-degree
studies. All of these will help in bridging the yawning gap that currently
exists between the senior secondary school and university curriculum contents.,
These recommendations are being made in the light of the fact that the
importance of relevant previous advanced knowledge cannot be overemphasized
(Glasserfeld, 2009). Moreover, the findings have shown that most of the JME
candidates are not good university materials. (Uzomah, 2008)
Education is universally recognized
as one of the instruments for social, political, scientific and technological
development. This is the reason why no society can afford to toy with the
education of its citizenry as this will result in a snail speed deve1opment
(Azikiwe, 2000). in the 1960s very few people were seeking for admission into
higher institutions and those who were admitted got it through hard work. Any
person who found himself/herself there was therefore considered intelligent and
academically superior to his/her peers (Erigha, 2001).
Although there are basically
two modes of entry into Nigerian Universities; that is Universities
Matriculation Examination (UME) and Direct Entry (DE), a third mode exists as a
way of running away from the Universities Matriculation Examination conducted
by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. Some universities in Nigeria
call the third mode Pre-degree Programme (Onuoha, 2005).
There is a conception that the
University Matriculation Examination (UME) candidates perform better than the
Direct Entry, and Pre-degree candidates in their University Examination. Yet
others believe that pre-degree candidates perform better than the UME and
Direct Entry candidates in their university examination. Yet another group
believes that Direct Entry candidates are supervior to both the pre-degree and
UME candidates. The people who hold this view argued that the pre-degree and
direct entry candidates cannot pass the UME conducted by JAMB, hence they opted
for the pre-degree programme or institutions that enable them to get the Direct
entry requirement (Adekoya, 2006).
This belief of people over
which mode of entry is better in terms of university performance is different
from one group to another, hence this study was undertaken to examine the mode
of entry and performance of Nigerian university undergraduates.
The academic performance of
students admitted into the universities in Nigeria has been an issue of great
concern to lecturers and all those who are interested in the education
industry. There are minimum entry requirement that candidates must posses
before they can be admitted into degree programme in the universities.
University of Lagos is not an exception. The requirements are met for both the
pre-degree, UME and Direct entry candidates. Candidates are expected to possess
NECO/WAEC SSCE or its equivalents with credits in five (5) subjects (including
English and mathematics) relevant to their course(s) at not more than one
sitting (Adeleke, 2006).
It is assumed that all those
admitted into the University of Lagos irrespective of the mode of entry will be
able to cope with the academic rigours but contrary to this expectations, some
drop out on the way without graduating from the university, yet some change
their courses and others spend extra year(s) before graduating as can be seen
with the extension students and even some end up with pass and third class
degrees. This scenario shows that performance may be a function of the mode of
entry, hence, the problem of this study is to determine the relationship
between the mode of entry and performance of Nigerian undergraduates in our
universities, especially the University of Lagos (Nwosu, 2005).
1.2 Statement of the
problem
No doubt, the mode of entry
into the nation’s Universities by students, affects the academic achievement of
the learners. There are many students who gained admission through the Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) who do not have high academic standard
in their subject areas. Many students today who are admitted into the higher
institutions of learning, especially the university of Lagos perform poorly in
their academics. Most of them are advised to withdraw from their studies simply
because they fail to cope with the vigorous academic work loads in their
courses, while majority barely get the required Cumulative Grade Point Average
(CGPA) to continue to the next level until graduation. Not only that, the
admission criteria of cathment areas, educational disadvantaged areas and quota
system, are issues that have bedeviled our education system, and if care is not
taken, can assist in the collapse of educational standards in Nigeria,
especially at the tertiary level.
The above problems gave rise
to the examination of the mode of entry on performance of University of Lagos
undergraduates.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study
is to examine the influence of mode of entry on academic performance of
undergraduates at University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos.
This study will also examine
the following:
(1) To
examine whether there is a difference between the academic performance of
students who entered the University through direct entry and those with JAMB.
(2) To find out whether mode of entry
influences the academic achievement of students at University of Lagos.
(3) To investigate whether there is any
difference between the academic performance of students who entered the
University through JAMB and through foundation programme.
(4) To
find out whether the academic performance of students differ due to their mode of
entry to the University.
(5) To
examine whether the academic achievement of undergraduate students differ due
to mode of entry into the university.
1.4 Research
Questions
The following research questions will be
raised in this study:
(1) Will
the mode of entry to the University influence undergraduate students’
performance?
(2) Will
there be any difference in the academic performance of undergraduates who
gained admission through direct entry and those through JAMB?
(3) Will
there be any difference in the academic performance of students who entered the
University through JAMB and the foundational programme?
(4) Will
the academic achievement of undergraduates differ due to the mode of entry into
the University?
(5) Is
there any difference in the academic achievement of undergraduate students due
to mode of entry into the University?
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
The following research
hypotheses will be formulated and tested in this study:
(1) There
will be no significant difference in the performance of undergraduate students
who entered the University through direct entry and those through JAMB.
(2) There
will be no significant influence of entry mode on undergraduate students’
academic performance at University of Lagos.
(3) There will be no significant difference
in the performance of students who entered the University through JAMB and
those through foundation programme at University of Lagos
(4) There
will be no significant gender difference in the academic performance of
undergraduate due to entry mode to the University.
(5) The
academic achievement of undergraduate students will not significantly differ
due to mode of entry into the University.
1.6 Significance of the study
This study will be beneficial to the
following individuals:
(1) Students – The students, especially the
undergraduates will find this study very important because its findings and
recommendations will serve as pieces of information to them concerning the mode
of entry to the University and the resultant academic achievement.
(2) Lecturers – Would be able to know the
more that, the academic performance of students depends majorly on their modes
of entry into the University. With the results and recommendation of this
study, lecturers will have more information on the University admissions mode
and their outcomes on students’ academic careers.
(3) The school Authorities – The school
authorities no doubt, would be in-the-know concerning admission modes and their
effects on students’ learning outcomes in the school, especially at University
of Lagos. With these information at the disposal of the school authorities,
they would be able to reformulate policies on admissions.
(4) Government/Ministry of Education - The
government and the ministry of Education both at the Federal and State levels,
would benefit from this because, it will enable them to know clearly the
effects of mode of entry of students, on their academic achievement especially
at the University of Lagos.
(5) The society – The larger members of the
society would be able to appreciate that the academic performance of student
cannot be separated absolutely from their mode of entry into the University.
With this, the members of the society would know the roles played by University
admission and students’ academic performance at schools.
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the study
The study will cover the
influence of entry mode on undergraduates’ performance at University of Lagos
Akoka, Lagos. Time, finance, sourcing of relevant materials would be hindrance
to the timely completion of this project.
1.8 Definition
of Terms
Operational terms will be
defined in this study accordingly.
(1) Entry Mode: This
means the type of admission a students gains in order to enter any University
in Nigeria. It could be Direct Entry (D.E); the Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board (JAMB) and or the foundational programme (F.P) organized by
various Universities in Nigeria.
(2) Academic Achievement:
By this, we mean the overall performance of students in the class tests,
continuous assessment and terminal examinations conducted for students at the
end of the academic session.
(3) Catchment Area:
This is a concessionary priority or grace in admission which is given to those
who live in the area the University is situated or built.
(4) Quota System: This
is a term used to denote the equal right given to some areas in Nigeria for
instance, the North and South of Nigeria, have a gap in education. This quota
system came to help the Northern Nigeria to square up with educational gap
given to them by the southern Nigeria.
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