RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY SCORES IN MATHEMATICS AND LEARNERS` PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS IN ACADEMIES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY SCORES IN MATHEMATICS AND LEARNERSPERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS IN ACADEMIES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA  </strong>
<h1>ABSTRACT</h1>
The study investigated the relationship between entry grades in mathematics and students‟ performance in business mathematics in colleges of education in North-west zone, Nigeria.  Four research questions were raised for the study and four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance in order to determine the relationship between the entry grades in mathematics and the students‟ performance in business mathematics at the federal colleges‟ education in Nigeria.  This study used ex-post facto design.  The population was seven hundred and ninety-nine (799); this was made up of students with entry grades in mathematics.  The whole population was used for the study and therefore, no sampling was made for the study.  The instrument used for data collection was documentary records of students
performance in business mathematics of NCEI in colleges of education.  The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation.  The null hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) at 0.05 level of significance.  The findings of the research reveals that there is a positive relationship between students with credit and above entry grades in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics at NCE I. Based on this, conclusion was made that good entry grades in mathematics are the appropriate measures that could improve the performance of the students at the tertiary institutions as well as the provision of one year Pre-NCE Programme for the students with Pass in mathematics 0level entry grades should enable them to perform better in their business mathematics semester examinations. The research recommended that emphasis should be put on credits entry grades in mathematics for any student admitted to the business education

programmes         in         federal         colleges         of         education         in         Nigeria.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

                  1.1       Background to the Study

A successful completion of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) with good grades in five subjects including mathematics and English language coupled with good pass mark in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) normally qualifies a candidate for admission into any Nigerian Tertiary Institutions (colleges of education or technology, polytechnics or universities).  The grades and scores obtained by the candidates that are given admission into tertiary institutions are expected to be a measure of their cognitive or academic performance that each candidate will exhibit in their chosen discipline in the tertiary institutions.  In other words, a high performance in

S.S.C.E and UTME as a measure of the candidates‟ previous background knowledge in the subject matter ought to serve as a pre-requisite to the intended course of study by a candidate at the tertiary level in learning a subject such as mathematics (Ajogbeye and Borisade, 2006).

Mathematics is an essential subject and knowledge of it enhances a person‟s reasoning, problem-solving skills and general ability, and ability to think logically; hence it enables an easy grasp of most subjects, whether science or technology, medicine, the economy of business and finance.  (Mathematical tools and techniques such as the theory of chaos used for mapping and forecasting market trends). Learning mathematics has been recognized by many as important. It does not only develop students‟ ability to think in quantitative terms but it also enhances skills such as analytical and problem solving.

However, to enable the lecturers to tell their students how important mathematics is, we have to understand students‟ background in learning mathematics so as to find ways to improve studentsperformance in mathematics.  The term ``students performances`` is the determination of level of success and failure in learning experience which could be qualified as a measure of child‟s academic standing in relation to those of other children of his age.  Academic performance of a child, as the learning outcomes of the child, includes the knowledge skills and ideas acquired and retained through their course of study within and outside the classroom situations.

Studentsperformance continues to be a major concern amongst academics, researchers, and policy makers.  The persistently poor performance, especially in mathematics related courses is alarming.  The students performances in mathematics examination depend on their level of interest in the subject.  Close examination of students‟ attitude and the influence of their environment on their performance in mathematics depend on how much interest they have in the course.  Clearly, all students across all disciplines in higher institutions take business mathematics courses either in the first or second year.

Business mathematics is mathematics used by commercial enterprises to record and manage business operations; business organisation use mathematics in accounting, inventory management, marketing, sales forecasting and financial analysis.  Mathematics typically used in commerce includes elementary, arithmetic, elementary algebra, statistics and probability. Business mathematics is a compulsory subject for Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in business education department.

The subject is taken in NCE I during the first and second semesters. The content of this subject are applied in business applications in real life.  For example, how to calculate simple and compound interests, simultaneous equations, computation of payroll and annuity values.  Unfortunately, student achievements in this important subject over the years have not been encouraging at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education in Nigeria.  Parents and other stakeholders are worried about the present situation of mathematics education in Nigeria.  This is because a credit level pass at the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) is required for most courses at the tertiary level of education in the country.

Obodo (2004) lamented that many students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria today are not studying the courses they wanted to study because of not making the required SSCE grades in mathematics to gain admission to courses of their choice.

Students‟ required entry qualifications and grades are assumed to predict their academic performances in higher institutions of learning - hence the reliance often placed on credit grades performance at the ordinary level entry requirement for admission also, lecturers of business mathematics in colleges of education are complaining about students‟ performance in business mathematics I and II in their NCE 1 results, it has been a worry for a long time.  It is on the basis of this background that the researcher is carrying out research work on the relationship between entry grades in mathematics and student performance in business mathematics in colleges of education, Northwest zone, Nigeria.

                  1.2       Statement of the Problem

In Nigeria, generally the study of mathematics and business mathematics at all levels of education is less fulfilling, as confirmed by Obodo (2004), who noted that there is generally low interest in the study of mathematics and mathematics-related disciplines at all levels of education in Nigeria.  This has serious implication for a developing nation  aspiring for scientific and technological advancement, studentspoor performances in internal and public examination in mathematics have been attributed to students‟ attitudes (National Mathematics Centre, 2009).In most secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Nigeria student absent themselves from mathematics lesson and Business mathematics, while those that stay pay little or no attention to their teachers. Students low success level in mathematics and business mathematics has been a worry for a long time in our colleges of education, as observed by the researcher`s experience and his colleagues‟ in teaching business mathematics in college of education over a long period of time as a result of the method  used by the lecturers.

The method of teaching business mathematics has been identified as ineffective and as one of the major factors responsible for the poor performance of students in Business mathematics, likewise the method used by business mathematics lecturers are traditionally ineffective.  Among various reasons pointed out by scholars, as reported by Amoo (2002), is poor learning interest and assimilation of business mathematics ideas, concepts, principles and processes and teacher failure to use appropriate and stimulating teaching methods in secondary schools are responsible for student poor academic performance in business mathematics in colleges of education in Nigeria as a result of student anxiety.

General factors affect the success of students in business mathematics among which is mathematics anxiety (Baloglu, 2001).  Students with high mathematics anxiety show negative attitude toward their success and their performance would be low in business mathematics (Anakpua & Okoli, 2012).  A comparison of examination results of the School of Business Education in Federal College of Education Bichi and Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto revealed that the results in business mathematics for the 2012 to 2014 sessions in (Appendix II in Table III) showed that 49% of the students for the two academic sessions passed business mathematics with A, B, and C grades, 43% scored D and E grades, while 8% failed business mathematics in FCE (T) Bichi, similarly, the results of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokot., revealed that 34% scored A, B, C grades 29% made D and E grades and 37% failing the course for the period covered., The analysis showed that 51% failed below merit grade level in Sokoto during the period 2012 to 2014.

The obvious conclusion one can draw from this information is that many students in these colleges score very low grades in business mathematics.  This prescription is based on the understanding that there is a correlation between a student`s performance grade at ordinary level and grade in higher education.  However, students‟ results in FCE (T) Bichi, Kano, and Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, have been observed by the researcher to be low when compared with other subjects like Economics and Commerce, The inability of entry grades in mathematics obtained by the students that qualified them to get an admission into federal colleges of education to predict their performance in business mathematics.  These are some of the problems which this study has intends to address using empirical evidence.

                  1.3       Objectives of the Study

The major objective of the study is to determine the relationship between entry grades in mathematics and students‟ performance in Business mathematics in colleges of education Northwest zone, Nigeria.  The specific objectives of this study are to:

1.establish the relationship between students with credit and above entry grades in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics at NCE 1 in colleges of education in Northwest zone, Nigeria.

  1. determine the relationship between students admitted through Pre-NCE with pass entry grade in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics in colleges of education in Northwest zone, Nigeria
  2. determine the relationship between credit and above entry grade in Mathematics on the performance of male students in business Mathematics in colleges of education, Northwest zone, Nigeria.
  3. determine the relationship between pass entry grade in mathematics on the performance of female students admitted through Pre-N.C.E in business mathematics in colleges of education, Northwest zone, Nigeria.

1.4       Research Questions

Based on the specific objectives, the following research questions are raised:

  1. What is the relationship between students with credit and above entry grades in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics at NCE 1 in colleges of education in northwest zone Nigeria?
  2. What is the relationship between students admitted through pre-NCE with pass entry grade in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics in colleges of education in Northwest zone Nigeria?
  3. What is the relationship between credit and above entry grade in mathematics on the performance of male students in business mathematics in Colleges of

Education Northwest zone Nigeria?

  1. What is the relationship between pass entry grades in mathematics on the performance of female students admitted through pre-NCE in Business

Mathematics in Colleges of Education Northwest zone Nigeria?

                  1.5       Null Hypotheses

In line with each stated research question the following null hypotheses are formulated for the study:

  1. There is no significant relationship between students with credit and above entry grades in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics at NCE 1in colleges of education Northwest zone, Nigeria.
  2. There is no significant relationship between students admitted through pre-NCE with pass entry grade in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics in colleges of education Northwest zone, Nigeria.
  3. There is no significant relationship between credit and above entry grade in mathematics on the performance of male students in business mathematics in colleges of education Northwest zone, Nigeria.
  4. There is no significant relationship between pass entries grades in mathematics on the performance of female students admitted through Pre-NCE in business mathematics in colleges of education Northwest zone, Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

 

1.6      Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected be of benefit to the lecturers, curriculum planners, college management, parents, policy makers, and students as shown below:

Lecturers should improve their methods of teaching business mathematics which include the following methods: demonstration, project, problem-solving, etc., while utilising this work for effective delivery in colleges of education. The curriculum planners in National Commission for Colleges of Education would benefit from the result of the study in developing curriculum for colleges of education in their effort to design policies on courses, skills, and knowledge relevant to the field of study.  The government should benefit from the result of the study because it shoulders their responsibilities in employing and training of its manpower, by sending the lecturers for conferences and seminars so that they would become competent and capable of teaching business mathematics effectively with expertness in our colleges of education.

The management of the colleges should benefit from the result of the study by the implementation of policies to improve the performance and quality of education by changing attitude of students and improving teaching procedure.  The result of the study would help parents to understand the strength, performance and weakness of their children in Business mathematics courses, so that they will provide solutions to their problems through organising extra mural classes or lectures to remedy the problems.

The policy makers will benefit from the study by using the strategies provided in the process of determining the possible required changes to improve students` performance in business mathematics which will lead them to be self-reliant as well as functional members of the society.  The findings of the study will mobilise and create awareness among students who are the recipients of the knowledge (business mathematics), and will help them in tackling the learning difficulties they are encountering in solving business mathematics problems in colleges of education.

1.7 Assumptions of the Study     

Based on the objectives of the study, the following assumptions were made:

  1. Students with credit in O‟ level mathematics will perform better in business mathematics at N.C.E Business Education programme.
  2. Students with good background in mathematics will be anxious to study business education.

1.8         Delimitation of the Study

This study focuses on relationship between entry grades in mathematics and students‟ performance in business mathematics and is delimited to five Federal Colleges of Education in the Northwest geo-political zone of Nigeria, offering business education programme, in the department of business education.  It is also delimited to NCE I students in the department of business education who offered business mathematics as a core course of study in NCE I.  The choice is made based on the understanding that these groups of students are admitted with different entry qualifications and with varied grades in mathematics at ordinary level, comparisons of result were made between students‟ entry grades in mathematics and their performance in business mathematics in the 2013/2014 session.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY SCORES IN MATHEMATICS AND LEARNERS` PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS IN ACADEMIES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA 

 

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