{"id":1158,"date":"2020-12-08T09:19:57","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T08:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ensovoort.com\/?p=1158"},"modified":"2020-12-08T09:19:57","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T08:19:57","slug":"comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparative analysis of academic performance of students in external examinations in Ondo State, Nigeria from 2008 to 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Title: Comparative analysis of academic performance of students in external examinations in Ondo State, Nigeria from 2008 to 2012<br \/>\nFirst author and student: Margaret Toyin Aboginije <a href=\"mailto:abogtoyin@yahoo.com\">abogtoyin@yahoo.com<\/a><br \/>\nCo-author: Dr Noorullah Shaikhnag <a href=\"mailto:Noorullah.Shaikhnag@nwu.ac.za\">Noorullah.Shaikhnag@nwu.ac.za<\/a><br \/>\nId orcid.org\/ 0000-0002 1423 7696<br \/>\nSenior lecturer \u2013Deputy Director, North West University, Faculty of Education- Mafikeng campus<br \/>\nB Com (UDW-UKZN), BEd, MED, PhD (Educational Psychology, NWU).<br \/>\nCo-author: Prof Anna-Marie Pelser ampelser@hotmail.com<br \/>\nCo-author: Professor Anna-Marie (AMF) Pelser \u2013 anna.pelser@hotmail.com<br \/>\niD orcid.org\/0000-0001-8401-3893<br \/>\nResearch Professor, North-West University, Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences- Entity Director \u2013 GIFT, Mafikeng Campus.<br \/>\nHED (Home Economics, PU for CHE), B Com (UNISA), B Com Hons (PU for CHE), M Com (Industrial Psychology, NWU), PhD (Education Management, NWU)<br \/>\nCorresponding author: Prof A.M.F. Pelser \u2013 ampelser@hotmail.com<br \/>\nCo-author: Dr Shanae Naidoo <a href=\"mailto:Shantha.Naidoo@nwu.ac.za\">Shantha.Naidoo@nwu.ac.za<\/a><br \/>\nID ORCID:https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8107-6493<br \/>\nNorth-West University, South Africa: Potchefstroom, North West, ZA<br \/>\nLecturer: Life Orientation, Sub Area Leader: Edu-HRight (Bio-Psychosocial Perspectives)<br \/>\nMED (Learner Support), PhD (Educational Leadership and Management, UJ).<br \/>\nCorresponding author: Prof A.M.F. Pelser \u2013 ampelser@hotmail.com<br \/>\n<i>Ensovoort, volume 41 (2020), number 12: 1<br \/>\n<\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_45_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents | Inhoudsopgawe<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" area-label=\"ez-toc-toggle-icon-1\"><label for=\"item-69e35f3fd4c51\" aria-label=\"Table of Content\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69e35f3fd4c51\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Abstract\" title=\"Abstract\">Abstract<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#_Introduction_and_background\" title=\"\u00a0Introduction and background\">\u00a0Introduction and background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Hypotheses\" title=\"Hypotheses\">Hypotheses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Research_design\" title=\"Research design\">Research design<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Population_and_sample\" title=\"Population and sample\">Population and sample<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Instrument\" title=\"Instrument\">Instrument<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Data_Analysis\" title=\"Data Analysis\">Data Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Results\" title=\"Results\">Results<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#_Discussion_of_findings\" title=\"\u00a0Discussion of findings\">\u00a0Discussion of findings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Recommendations\" title=\"Recommendations\">Recommendations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#Declaration_of_conflicting_interest\" title=\"Declaration of conflicting interest\">Declaration of conflicting interest<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/#References\" title=\"References\">References<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Abstract\"><\/span>Abstract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This study investigated the performance of students in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) in Ondo State, Nigeria from 2008 to 2012. The researchers, being concerned about the declining academic performance of candidates in public examinations such as WASSCE and NECO SSCE, undertook a quantitative analysis of the performances of candidates in the SSCE in selected subjects &#8211; English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economics and Agricultural Science, to establish their comparability and to account for the level of their performance. The research design was Causal- Comparative. A sample of 3,011 participants was drawn from a population of 115,373 using stratified-random and purposive sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was a result collection form titled \u201cAcademic Performance in WAEC and NECO SSCE.\u201d Eight hypotheses were tested using correlated samples t-test and descriptive statistics set at .05 alpha levels. Findings showed a statistically significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in all the subjects, except for English Language. It established also the poor performance of candidates in hard sciences. The recommendation is that the two examination bodies should draw questions from the same syllabus to assess comparatively the students\u2019 cognitive domains as candidates performed better in WAEC SSCE than in NECO SSCE. Government should provide adequate facilities such as laboratory equipment to all the schools to enhance teaching and learning. Teachers, parents and school administrators should adequately prepare candidates for both examinations.<br \/>\n<strong>Keywords:<\/strong> comparative, examinations, NECO, performance, students, SSCE, WAEC,<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Introduction_and_background\"><\/span>\u00a0Introduction and background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Education in Nigeria is no more a private venture, but a huge Government project that has witnessed a progressive development of Government\u2019s dynamic intervention as well as active participation (Afolayan, 2014). The Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education characterised by excellence for effective national development (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004). Nigerian education development was restructured in 2006 and shifted focus from the colonial system of education that emphasised vocationalization to entrepreneurship and skills training. This was effectively achieved through repositioning curricula to meet the emerging needs of a global and knowledge economy (UNESCO, 2007; Okorafor &amp; Nnajiofo, 2017). This restructuring introduced the 9-3-4 system of education which was conceptualised as the nation\u2019s operationalisation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) Strategy. \u00a0The former 6-3-3-4 system of education which had four stages was compressed to three (i.e. the 9-3-4) and the first two stages of the former policy merged into one.<br \/>\nThe first 9 years were regarded basic as well as compulsory (primary and junior secondary education); the next 3 years referred to the senior secondary school while the last was the four years in tertiary institutions (Yekini, 2013). The curriculum was designed to address the Education for All (EFA) agenda of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The agenda aimed at eradicating illiteracy by the year 2010 and increasing the adult literacy rate from 57% to 70% by 2006 (FGN, 2000). As a result, a considerable share of the nation\u2019s income was invested in education. For example, in Ondo State, in the year 2006, a significant 28.03% was allocated to the education sector, out of the total budget for the year, 17.88% in 2007, 24.60% in 2008, 21.97% in 2009, 19.92% in 2010 (Ministry of Education, Akure).<br \/>\nAccording to Kpolovie et al (2011), candidates\u2019 performance in their final examinations after these investments has since been a matter of concern to Governments, society, concerned citizens, institutions and organizations. Students in various secondary schools in both private and public schools in Nigeria have to sit their final examination conducted by either the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO) to determine their performance which in turn qualifies them for entry into higher institutions of their choice (Kpolovie et al., 2011).<br \/>\nNigeria has been participating in WAEC\u2019s examination since its establishment in 1952, until 1993 when the Federal Government under decree No 69 of August 1993 established another examination body known as the National Examination Council (NECO) in order to scale down WAEC\u2019s work load and having an examination body that is purely national in character. The promulgation was based on a series of panel recommendations such as the Angulu panel 1992 and the Osigele Task Force 1991 (Ukwuije, 2012). The NECO Act was passed into law in 2001 with offices in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).<br \/>\nThe fallen standards of education in Nigeria have generated sharp criticism in public and in the media. There has also been criticism that NECO questions are tougher than those of WAEC (Kpolovie, et al 2011). The poor performance in external examinations, especially in Secondary Schools Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by WAEC and NECO has become a source of concern for stakeholders in the education sector, especially in view of the nation\u2019s goal to be one of the world\u2019s top-20 economies by 2020.<br \/>\nIt is not an overstatement that secondary education is unique in the educational development of a child, being the link between primary and tertiary education. It is aimed at developing a child beyond the primary level, considering that primary education is insufficient for children to acquire literacy, numeracy and communication skills (Ige, 2011; Yusuf, 2009). Certification at the end of senior secondary school education depends on the performance of a student in the Continuous Assessment (CA) and Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), coordinated by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). The aims of secondary education as stated in National Policy on Education are to prepare a child for higher education of learning and for useful living within the society (UNESCO, 2007).<br \/>\nA child must obtain a minimum of five credits in two sittings, including English language and Mathematics, to proceed to university education in the country.<br \/>\nAcademic performance of students in examinations, particularly, the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), is currently affected by various factors (Waters &amp; Marzano, 2006). A number of variables have to be considered in efforts to identify the factors affecting academic performance of students. Identifying the most significant variables in academic performance is complex and challenging, considering that performance depends on a range of variables such as the socio-economic status of the child, school variables, jurisdictional variables, student variables and others. Adepoju (2002) established that about 93% of secondary school leavers in any given year fail to qualify for university education. Similarly, Ajayi and Osalusi (2013) report that the performance of students in English Language and Mathematics in the May\/June West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) showed an unpredictable trend of mass failure for some years. They further reported that 19.26% had at least five credit passes in English and Mathematics in 2003, 18.26% in 2004, 27.53% in 2005, 15.56% in 2006 and 25.54% in 2007.<br \/>\nIn a comparative study of students\u2019 academic performance in public Examinations in secondary schools in Ondo and Ekiti States, Nigeria, by Adeyemi, (2011), findings indicate that the performance of students in the Junior Secondary Certificate (JSC) and the Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examinations was low, especially in the hard science subjects. Similarly, Kpolovie, et al (2011) also carried out\u00a0 research on the performance of secondary school students in WAEC and NECO SSCE from 2004 to 2006 in selected subjects &#8211; Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Literature-in-English, Economics, Government, Agricultural Science, Food and Nutrition, and Geography, to establish their comparability and discovered a statistically significant positive relationship between candidates\u2019 performance on WAEC and NECO SSCEs in all the subjects.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\nThe literature indicates that over the years, there have been controversies over which of the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) is better suited for candidates in terms of academic performance (Ali &amp; Enyo, 2016). One school of thought is that the SSCE conducted by WAEC is preferable to the examination administered by NECO. The other school shares the view that the NECO SSCE is more robust than the WAEC SSCE (Ige, 2011).<br \/>\nMany stakeholders are convinced that NECO SSCE questions are more difficult than those of WAEC SSCE (Bamidele &amp; Adewale, 2013), while others are swayed to the conviction that the syllabus of both examinations have a different scope. Previous investigations show that many students do not exhibit much interest in science subjects despite the fact that they are aware of the benefits accruing from a STEM-focused curriculum (Ali &amp; Enyo, 2016).<br \/>\n<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Against this background the overall aim of this study is to analyse the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) in some subjects taken by science students in Ondo State, from 2008 to 2012, and compare the results of the two examination bodies.<br \/>\nSpecifically, the objectives of the study are to determine:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If there is a difference in the performance of candidates in the two examinations during the period 2008-2012 in eight selected subjects: English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Geography, Agricultural Science and Economics.<\/li>\n<li>The extent of performance of students in these major subjects.<\/li>\n<li>The percentage of students who passed and failed each subject in the two examinations during the period of study.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hypotheses\"><\/span>Hypotheses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The following hypotheses guide this study:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in English Language from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Mathematics from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Physics from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Chemistry from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Biology from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Geography from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Economics from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<li>There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Agricultural Science from 2008 to 2012.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Research_design\"><\/span>Research design<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In this study, a Causal-Comparative design was employed within a post-positive research paradigm (Kpolovie et al, 2011) to investigate the difference that exists between the students\u2019 academic performance in WAEC and NECO SSCE in eight subjects in Ondo State between 2008 and 2012. The Causal-Comparative research design focuses on making group comparisons and one independent variable (Maheshwari, 2018) because both the cause and the effect have already happened. The data utilised in this study were used as they were collected from the source without any manipulation (Hussain, 2019).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Population_and_sample\"><\/span>Population and sample<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One hundred and fifteen thousand, three hundred and seventy-three (115, 373) candidates from 304 public secondary schools from eighteen (18) Local Government Areas of Ondo State that sat for both the NECO and WAEC SSCE from year 2008 to 2012 constituted the population. The sample size for this study was 3,011 participants. A stratified-random sampling technique was used to select 30 out of 304 public secondary schools based on the existing three senatorial districts in the State (i.e. Ondo North, Ondo South and Ondo Central).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Instrument\"><\/span>Instrument<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The instrument used was a special Results Collection Form entitled \u2018Academic Performance in WAEC and NECO SSCE\u2019 designed by the researchers to gather the data and information required for this study. The form was used to collect the WAEC and NECO results of the selected students from the examination records. Each candidate\u2019s performance in both examinations was compiled on the relevant instrument for ease of coding, conciseness and comparison. The scoring in terms of relative performance of secondary school students on the WAEC and NECO SSCE was rated thus: the highest grade in both examinations, A1, was given a score 9, the second highest grade B2 was given the score 8, B3 was scored 7, C4 scored 6, C5 scored 5, C6 scored 4, D7 scored 3, E8 scored 2, and F9 scored 1. The researchers adopted correlated samples t-test and descriptive statistics to analyse data using SPSS at 0.5 level of significance. This study does not integrate reliability and validity, as the data used are already in existence (secondary data) and cannot be manipulated (Kpolovie et al, 2011).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Data_Analysis\"><\/span>Data Analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The data for the study were analysed with SPSS using correlated samples t-test to test for the hypotheses and descriptive statistics to determine the percentage passed and failed in the two examinations.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Results\"><\/span>Results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The results of the data analysis are presented in Table 1 to 8 based on the study\u2019s hypotheses.<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis one:<\/strong> There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in English language from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 1: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE<\/strong><strong>performance of candidates in English language.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"604\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"92\">ENGLISH LANGUAGE<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"76\">r<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">Df<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"92\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"76\">.244(.000)<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">-.013<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">1.718<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">-.424<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">.671<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 1 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is -.013, a standard deviation of 1.718. The computed paired samples ratio is -.424 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .671. Since the <em>p<\/em> value (sig. 2-tailed) of .671 is greater than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in English language\u2019 is retained. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is not statistically significant as t (3010) = -.424, p &gt;.05, 2-tailed. Also, the table shows that the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO SSCE in English Language was correlated at r = .244(.000), which is significant.<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis two<\/strong>: There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidate in mathematics from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 2: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Mathematics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"627\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"138\">MATHEMATICS<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"62\">r<\/td>\n<td width=\"74\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"69\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"138\">WAEC &amp; NECO<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"62\">.369(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"74\">.297<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">1.850<\/td>\n<td width=\"69\">8.814<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 2 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is .297, a standard deviation of 1.850. The computed paired samples ratio is 8.814 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the p value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Mathematics\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t <\/em>test is statistically significant as t (3010) = 8.814, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. It was observed in the table also, that there is significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO SSCE in Mathematics as r = .369 (.000).<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis three<\/strong>: There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidate in physics from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 3: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in physics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"600\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"86\">PHYSICS<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"82\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"84\">r<\/td>\n<td width=\"72\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"69\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"54\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"86\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<\/td>\n<td width=\"82\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"84\">.313(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"72\">.596<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">1.871<\/td>\n<td width=\"69\">17.494<\/td>\n<td width=\"54\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 3 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is .596, a standard deviation of 1.871. The computed paired samples ratio is 17.494 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the p value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Physics\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t(3010) =17.494, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. Table also shows the result of paired samples correlations of candidates in physics WAEC and NECO SSCE. The <em>r<\/em> = .313 and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000, which is significant.<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis four:<\/strong> There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidate in chemistry from 2008 to 2012<br \/>\n<strong>Table 4: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in chemistry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"612\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">CHEMISTRY<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">r<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"67\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"55\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<\/td>\n<td width=\"68\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">.285(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">-.290<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">1.925<\/td>\n<td width=\"67\">-8.263<\/td>\n<td width=\"55\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 4 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is -.290, a standard deviation of 1.925. The computed paired samples ratio is -8.263 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a p value of .000. Since the p value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Chemistry\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t (3010) = -8.263, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. It also is clear in the table that there is a significant relationship in the candidates\u2019 performance in Chemistry WAEC and that of NECO SSCE as r = .285(.000).<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis five:<\/strong> There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidate in Biology from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 5: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Biology.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"602\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"90\">BIOLOGY<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"48\">R<\/td>\n<td width=\"78\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"78\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"90\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"48\">.289(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"78\">-.522<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">1.817<\/td>\n<td width=\"78\">-15.780<\/td>\n<td width=\"87\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"65\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 5 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is -.522, a standard deviation of 1.817. The computed paired samples ratio is -15.780 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the <em>p<\/em> value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Biology\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t (3010) = -15.780, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. It was also observed that there is a significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO SSCE in Biology as r = .289 (.000).<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis six:<\/strong> There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Geography from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 6: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Geography.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"619\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"94\">GEOGRAHPY<\/td>\n<td width=\"62\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"85\">R<\/td>\n<td width=\"59\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"117\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"75\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"94\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<\/td>\n<td width=\"62\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"85\">.293(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"59\">.382<\/td>\n<td width=\"117\">2.171<\/td>\n<td width=\"75\">9.645<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 6 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is .382, a standard deviation of 2.171. The computed paired samples ratio is 9.645 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the p value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Geography\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t (3010) = 9.645, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. Table 6 also shows the result of paired samples correlations of candidates in Geography WAEC and NECO SSCE. The r = .293 and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. This means a significant relationship exists between the two sets of scores.<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis seven<\/strong>: There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidate in Economics from 2008 to 2012.<br \/>\n<strong>Table 7: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Economics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"626\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"109\">ECONOMICS<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"63\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"54\">R<\/td>\n<td width=\"72\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"83\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"71\">t<\/td>\n<td width=\"63\">Df<\/td>\n<td width=\"111\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"109\">WAEC<br \/>\n&amp; NECO<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"63\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"54\">.319(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"72\">.728<\/td>\n<td width=\"83\">1.894<\/td>\n<td width=\"71\">21.087<\/td>\n<td width=\"63\">3009<\/td>\n<td width=\"111\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 7 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is .728, a standard deviation of 1.894. The computed paired samples ratio is 21.087 with 3009 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the <em>p<\/em> value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Economics\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t (3009) = 21.087, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. Also, it can be observed in the table that a significant relationship exist in the candidates\u2019 performance in WAEC SSCE Economics and that of NECO SSCE Economics. The r = .319 and the <em>p<\/em> value significant at .000.<br \/>\n<strong>Hypothesis eight<\/strong>: There is no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in agricultural science from 2008 to 2012<br \/>\n<strong>Table 8: Correlated samples t-test results of difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Agricultural Science.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"133\">AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE<\/td>\n<td width=\"91\">N<\/td>\n<td width=\"58\">R<\/td>\n<td width=\"74\">Mean<\/td>\n<td width=\"81\">Standard deviation<\/td>\n<td width=\"79\">T<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">df<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">Sig.(2-tailed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"133\">WAEC &amp; NECO<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"91\">3011<\/td>\n<td width=\"58\">.423(.000)<\/td>\n<td width=\"74\">.555<\/td>\n<td width=\"81\">2.005<\/td>\n<td width=\"79\">15.182<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">3010<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\">.000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Table 8 shows that the mean difference in the two sets of scores is .555, a standard deviation of 2.005. The computed paired samples ratio is 15.182 with 3010 degrees of freedom and a <em>p<\/em> value of .000. Since the p value (sig. 2-tailed) of .000 is less than the chosen alpha of .05, the null hypothesis of \u2018no significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Agricultural Science\u2019 is rejected. In summary, the correlated samples <em>t<\/em> test is statistically significant as t (3010) = 15.182, p &lt; .05, 2-tailed. It was also observed that there is significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO SSCE in Agricultural Science as r = .423 (.000).<br \/>\nHow does the percentage of candidates that passed and failed each subject in WAEC differ from those candidates that passed and failed each subject in NECO SSCE from 2008 to 2012?<br \/>\nIn order to answer this research question, the descriptive statistics of percentage of candidates that passed and failed each subject in WAEC and NECO SSCE from 2008 to 2012 were determined. The results obtained are presented in Table 9 below:<br \/>\n<strong>Table 9: Percentage of candidates that passed and failed each subject in WAEC and NECO SSCE from 2008 to 2012.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"688\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"176\"><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\" width=\"202\"><strong>WAEC SSCE<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\" width=\"198\"><strong>NECO SSCE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">S\/N<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Subjects<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">% Passed<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">% Failed<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">% Passed<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">% Failed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">1<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">English Language<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">39.4<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">60.6<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">28.9<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">71.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">2<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Mathematics<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">37.3<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">62.7<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">27<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">73<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">3<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Chemistry<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">32.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">67.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">35<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">64.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">4<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Biology<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">39.1<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">60.9<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">46.9<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">53.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">5<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Physics<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">51.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">48.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">32.1<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">67.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">6<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Geography<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">41.2<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">58.8<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">26.9<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">73.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">7<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Agricultural science<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">50.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">49.5<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">33.1<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">66.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"52\">8<\/td>\n<td width=\"176\">Economics<\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">44.6<\/td>\n<td width=\"97\">55.4<\/td>\n<td width=\"60\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"105\">23.3<\/td>\n<td width=\"94\">76.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Discussion_of_findings\"><\/span>\u00a0Discussion of findings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Findings derived from hypothesis one (Table 1) show\u00a0 that there\u00a0 was no\u00a0 significant\u00a0\u00a0 difference\u00a0 in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance\u00a0 of candidates in English language\u00a0 from 2008 to 2012 at .05 alpha level. This verifies that the difference in the performance of candidates in WAEC and NECO SSCE English Language were so small to be of significance. In spite of this, there was a statistically significant relationship between the performance of candidates in English Language WAEC and NECO SSCE as the same candidates that performed well in WAEC SSCE equally performed well in NECO SSCE English Language and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in English Language.<br \/>\nFindings of hypothesis two (Table 2) revealed a\u00a0 statistically significant\u00a0 difference in\u00a0 WAEC and\u00a0 NECO\u00a0 SSCE\u00a0 performance of candidates in\u00a0 Mathematics\u00a0 from\u00a0 2008\u00a0 to\u00a0 2012\u00a0 at .05\u00a0 alpha\u00a0 level. This difference means that the performance of students in Mathematics in WAEC were not the same in NECO when their grades were compared. There was also a significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and that of candidates in NECO SSCE in Mathematics. This means that the candidates that performed well in WAEC SSCE Mathematics also performed well in NECO SSCE, while those that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Mathematics.<br \/>\nIn testing hypothesis three (Table 3), it was discovered\u00a0 that \u00a0statistically a\u00a0 difference existed between WAEC\u00a0 and\u00a0 NECO SSCE performance\u00a0 of candidates\u00a0 in\u00a0 Physics\u00a0 from\u00a0 2008 to\u00a0 2012 at\u00a0 .05 alpha\u00a0 level. This difference means that candidates\u2019 performance on WAEC\u2019s physics were not the same performance on NECO\u2019s Physics in terms of grade. There was a statistically significant relationship between the performance of candidates in Physics WAEC and NECO SSCE as the same candidates that performed very well in WAEC SSCE equally performed very well in NECO SSCE Physics and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Physics.<br \/>\nFindings of hypothesis four (Table 4) showed that there was a statistically significant difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Chemistry from 2008 to 2012 at .05 alpha levels. This difference means that there were variations in the candidates\u2019 performance in the two examinations. There was also a statistically significant relationship that existed between the performance of candidates in Chemistry WAEC and NECO SSCE as the same candidates that performed very well in WAEC SSCE equally performed very well in NECO SSCE Chemistry and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Chemistry.<br \/>\nThe result\u00a0 of hypothesis five (Table 5)\u00a0 showed statistically a\u00a0 difference in WAEC and\u00a0 NECO\u00a0 SSCE\u00a0 performance\u00a0 of candidates in Biology from 2008 to 2012 at\u00a0 .05 alpha\u00a0 level. This difference means that the performance of students in Biology in both examinations were not the same. There was also statistically a significant relationship that existed between the performance of candidates in Biology WAEC and NECO SSCE as the same candidates that performed very well in WAEC SSCE equally performed very well in NECO SSCE Biology and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Biology.<br \/>\nThe test of hypothesis six (Table 6) showed a statistical difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Geography from 2008 to 2012 at .05 alpha level. This difference means that candidates\u2019 performance in WAEC\u2019s Geography were not the same performance in NECO\u2019s Geography in terms of grades. There was also a significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and that of candidates in NECO SSCE in Geography. This means that the candidates that performed better in WAEC SSCE Geography were the same candidates that performed better in NECO SSCE Geography and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Geography.<br \/>\nFindings of hypothesis seven (Table 7) indicated a difference in WAEC and NECO SSCE performance of candidates in Economics from 2008 to 2012 at .05 alpha level. This difference means that the candidates\u2019 performance in Economics in WAEC were not the same performance in NECO when their scores were being compared. There was also significant relationship between the performance of candidates in WAEC and that of candidates in NECO SSCE in Economics. This means that the candidates that performed better in WAEC SSCE Economics were the same candidates that performed better in NECO SSCE Economics and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Economics.<br \/>\nThe results of testing hypothesis eight (Table 8) showed a difference statistically in WAEC and\u00a0 NECO SSCE\u00a0 performance\u00a0 of candidates in Agricultural Science from 2008 to 2012 at .05 alpha level. This difference means that the candidates\u2019 performance in Agricultural Science in WAEC\u00a0 were not the same performance in NECO when their scores were being compared. There was also a statistically significant relationship that exists between the performance of candidates in Agricultural Science WAEC and NECO SSCE as the same candidates that performed very well in WAEC SSCE equally performed very well in NECO SSCE Agricultural Science and the same candidates that performed poorly in WAEC SSCE also performed poorly in NECO SSCE in Agricultural Science.<br \/>\nConsequent upon the comparison of candidates\u2019 performance in WAEC and NECO SSCE in each\u00a0 of the subjects selected from 2008 to 2012 (Table 9), it was\u00a0 observed that there was poor\u00a0 performance among the students on the whole.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Considering the findings of this study and the results obtained, the article concludes that there was a significant difference in the performance of students in WAEC and NECO SSCE in Ondo state in all the subjects under consideration, except in English Language. Also, it was established that candidates performed better in WAEC SSCE than in NECO SSCE. This implies that students might have prepared more for their WAEC examinations than NECO examinations. It also confirmed the attitude of students to their studies as there is implicit evidence of non-readiness for examinations in the hard sciences assessed in this article. Many students failed to prepare adequately for their studies before examinations.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommendations\"><\/span>Recommendations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are submitted:<br \/>\nPublic secondary schools students in Ondo state should be diligent in their studies, especially those offering hard sciences.<br \/>\nThere should be sufficient and experienced science teachers in all the public secondary schools in the state to teach students offering science subjects. Adequate facilities such as laboratory equipment should be made available by the government to all the schools to enhance proper teaching and learning.<br \/>\nThe two examination bodies should draw questions from the same syllabus to assess the students\u2019 cognitive domains as candidates performed better in WAEC SSCE than in NECO SSCE. Officers in the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Quality Assurance officers in the state, should intensify efforts in conducting regular visits and routine inspections of schools to monitor the teaching and learning processes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Declaration_of_conflicting_interest\"><\/span>Declaration of conflicting interest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and\/or publication of this article.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"References\"><\/span>References<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Adepoju, T.L. 2002. Locational factors as correlates of private cost and \u00a0 academic performance of secondary school students in Oyo State, Nigeria. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan.<br \/>\nAdeyemi, T.O. 2011. 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Dev. 4<\/em>(3), 63-68<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Title: Comparative analysis of academic performance of students in external examinations in Ondo State, Nigeria from 2008 to 2012 First author and student: Margaret Toyin Aboginije abogtoyin@yahoo.com Co-author: Dr Noorullah Shaikhnag Noorullah.Shaikhnag@nwu.ac.za Id orcid.org\/ 0000-0002 1423 7696 Senior lecturer \u2013Deputy Director, North West University, Faculty of Education- Mafikeng campus B Com (UDW-UKZN), BEd, MED, PhD &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/12\/08\/comparative-analysis-of-academic-performance-of-students-in-external-examinations-in-ondo-state-nigeria-from-2008-to-2012\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Comparative analysis of academic performance of students in external examinations in Ondo State, Nigeria from 2008 to 2012&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,3],"tags":[81,151,265,288,364,372,411],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}