COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
CHAPTERS: Chapter 1-5
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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The current standard of Education in Nigeria points to the fact that the educational system in Nigeria leaves much to be desired. In fact, there has been a drastic drop in the quality of Nigerian educational system. Many years ago, Nigerian educational system was ranked among the best in the world (Egwu, 2009). This decline in the quality of education system calls for immediate research and subsequent solution. Identifying factors influencing students’ achievement and academic performance is a quest for most teachers and a primary goal of most educational researchers (Eggen & Kauchak, 1999). Consequently, much concern is being expressed over the continuous poor academic performance of students in Enugu state, especially in Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE). The quality of students’ school achievement is influenced by a wide range of factors like environmental factors (Aremu & Sokan, 2003); teacher factor, (Wool & Hogan, 2003), and psychological factors within the student (Ngwoke, 2006). Such psychological factors encompass the individual’s cognitive variables such as motivation, anxiety, adjustment and study skills.
Many students are unable to attain mastery in learning because they do not have good study habits or skills. Studying is a process of learning. In
schools, effective studying is the most important avenue to effective learning. It is a key to success in school. According to Okeke (1990), studying is an important part of learning because achievement in school depends greatly on the students’ study skills and habits.
Study skills, simply put, are strategies learners employ to attain learning objectives. According to Ezeani and Ibegbulem (2009), study skills are critical to success in schools; are considered essential for acquiring good grades and are useful for learning throughout one’s life. Study skills refer to those things that individuals do when they have to locate, organize, and remember information (Tuner, 1991). It has been observed that the most important learning is “learning to learn’ (Apeji in Mole, 2007). Developing in students the skills or ability to read, locate and use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision has become a major theme of modern education.
Study skills are discrete techniques that can be learned, usually in a short time, and applied to all or most fields of study. They should therefore, be distinguished from strategies that are specific to a specific field of study and abilities inherent in the student (Gruber, 2011).
Though there may be no generally agreed upon method of studying, every learner approaches learning uniquely. However, Dunn, (1991) sees study skills as the way in which each learner begins to concentrate, process, and retain difficult information. It is a combination of many biologically and experientially
imposed characteristics that contribute to effective learning. Broadly, any skill which boosts a person’s ability to study and pass examinations can be termed a study skill.
There are ways a student can study to increase his ability to retain information and to think critically. They are classified into mnemonics, effective note taking, effective time management, summarizing, use of key words and others. There are also several other methods of studying. Such methods are based on memorization, communication skills, flashcard training, condensing information, summarizing, use of keywords, acronyms and mnemonics, exam strategies, effective time management, organization and life style changes (Parker, 2010).
Some researchers have attempted a grouping of the various methods students have approached learning tasks. Dodgson (2001) grouped these methods to include employing one of those procedures known as “SQ3R’and others. The SQ3R method includes a series of five steps designated by the initials S-Q-R-R-R.
The first step is to survey the material by reading the parts of the chapter that give an overview of the topics covered. The next step is the “Q’ in SQ3R which represents question. Formulate a question either aloud or in writing- before actually reading a section of the material. The next step is to read the materials. This involves reading carefully and even more importantly, reading
actively and critically. The next step is the second “R’ which stands for “recite’ meaning to look up from the book and describe to one or ones reading partner. The final “R’ refers to review. This will involve looking over the information and re-reading the features in one’s textbook that provide one with an overview of the chapter.
Research efforts have not found any one study skill that is best for all students in all learning tasks (Devin, 1991). There are many useful study skills and the ones that a particular individual uses will depend on the individual and the learning situation (Anderson, 1984). Some other skills that researchers have found particularly effective in helping students include summarizing (Brown, 1992); outlining and the use of graphic organizers such as mapping, (Devine, 1991); self questioning (Anderson, 1984); and SQ3R, Brown (1984). Kizlik (2007) also identified study skills to include Advance Organization, Directing Attention, Selective Attention, Self Management, Advance Preparation, Self Monitoring, Delayed Production, Self Evaluation, Self-Reinforcement and working alone or with other people depending on the material being studied.
Operationally, study skills can be defined as strategies, methods and techniques which learners employ to attain learning objectives. The term study skills is used for general approaches to learning and skills for specific courses of study. It is pertinent to note, therefore, that every individual has a number of unique ways or skills to learning. When an individual is equipped with a good
number of study skills, it undoubtedly predisposes such individual to better academic achievement but when the individual lacks the basic facilitating study skills, it may result in poorer academic achievement.
Consequently, study skills can be said to be a crucial factor in academic achievement. According to the Haber (2009) students who are very successful in their desired career have good study skills. However, many students experience some nervousness or apprehension before, during or after an examination which affects memory. Some students might study hard to pass tests but might not possess the basic study skills to be able to overcome the anxious conditions in which they find themselves during examinations.
Anxiety is one of the emotional components of human life. Anxiety occurs when the individual has too many fears and feels unable to control one’s life. Therefore, anxiety is regarded as a common psychological problem among human beings with its physical, emotional and social manifestations.
Patel in Nwimo (2006) conceived anxiety as the sensation of feeling, fearfulness and nervousness. Anxiety is the state of being uneasy, tense or troubled in mind about some uncertain events (Okeke, 1990). It manifests itself in an individual when an unpleasant present or past experience registers in the memory system. Anxiety related behavours include feelings of inadequacy, and loss of self confidence (Hurlock, 1985); withdrawing into a fantasy world, (Lansdown, 1984); forgetfulness, (Grasha, 1995); and impaired concentration,
(Kagan and Haveman, 1980). This could be why Hart (1992) submitted that anxiety experience may create a psychological state that endures and affects memory and behaviour for some time. Goudey (2002) and Goliszek (2004) outlined characteristics of anxiety to include worry, tension, nervousness and being ill at ease.
Generally, anxiety may be said to have some identifiable features. Denga (2009) classified features of anxiety to include widespread discharge of the autonomic nervous system, raised blood pressure, hyperpnoea, sweating, and dryness of the mouth, tachycardia and fear. He postulates that the persistence and severity of those characteristics or reaction depend on the severity and duration of anxiety. Heightened or intense anxiety may impact unpredictably on any learner’s achievement or performance in a task. Mandler & Sarason as cited in Nurmi & Wright (2010) found that highly anxious subjects tend to produce self oriented responses in stressful situation, which distracts their attention from learning/recall task. Haber (2009) found that highly anxious learners lose their capacity for processing task relevant information because they focus on task unrelated information. Regrettably, these results suggest that anxiety may also have adverse effects on students’ achievement in examinations. Test anxiety is common among students at all levels. It is normal to feel some level of anxiety and stress regarding upcoming examinations or presentations.