Factors that affect the performance of students in Senior Secondary School Biology Examination: a case-study in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State

Abstract

Background: Biology which is the fundamental science subject has been known to continuously record low students’ enrolment, interest and poor achievement levels in all examinations – both internal and external. Objectives: The research work was designed to investigate the contributory factors responsible for the performance of students in Senior Secondary School Biology Examinations in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. Methods: The research adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprises all secondary school leavers especially those who have attempted biology examination in Abeokuta south local government area. 120 respondents were carefully selected using a simple random sampling method with sex as the stratum. Using a convenient sampling method, 20 respondents were selected each from 6 continuing educational coaching centers across the Local Government Area (L.G.A.). Questionnaires were administered to 120 participants; only 109 of the questionnaires were retrieved. The data collected were subjected to simple descriptive statistics ,especially percentile. Results: It was observed that student’s attitude, inadequate resource materials, inadequate qualified biology teachers, availability of laboratories and frequency of practical classes significantly affected the performance of students. However, the teacher’s attitude had no significant effect on their performance.  

Keywords: Students, Teachers, Biology, Performance, Examination