CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ LOW PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS IN ONDO-STATE, NIGERIA
The study investigated some factors responsible for Physics students’ low performance in external examinations. The study employed a qualitative, exploratory case-study design. The population of the study is three senior secondary school students preparing for external examinations in Ikale Local Government Area of Ondo State. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 students from two public secondary schools and two private schools, one from a rural area and one from an urban area, who participated in focus group discussions. In contrast, Two Physics teachers with over 5 years of teaching experience in urban and rural schools were purposively selected for key informant interviews. Braun and Clark's approach to thematic analysis was used to generate four themes: teachers’ factors, students’ factors, schools’ factors and government factors. MAXQDA version 20 was used in the analysis and data management. The findings revealed that school facilities such as laboratories and apparatus capable of improving students’ performance are unavailable. In contrast, the recruitment of unqualified physics teachers and the use of ill-equipped and obsolete physics apparatus in the laboratory are government factors that contribute to low performance. Finally, it was revealed that a lack of proper knowledge, laziness, examination anxiety, a lack of understanding, and distractions are the factors contributing to low performance among students. The study recommended that the government equip school laboratories with apparatus and prioritise recruiting qualified teachers.
Keywords: Low Performance in Physics, External examinations
Emmanuel Kolawole Orowole
CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ LOW PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS IN ONDO-STATE, NIGERIA
The study investigated some factors responsible for Physics students’ low performance in external examinations. The study employed a qualitative, exploratory case-study design. The population of the study is three senior secondary school students preparing for external examinations in Ikale Local Government Area of Ondo State. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 students from two public secondary schools and two private schools, one from a rural area and one from an urban area, who participated in focus group discussions. In contrast, Two Physics teachers with over 5 years of teaching experience in urban and rural schools were purposively selected for key informant interviews. Braun and Clark's approach to thematic analysis was used to generate four themes: teachers’ factors, students’ factors, schools’ factors and government factors. MAXQDA version 20 was used in the analysis and data management. The findings revealed that school facilities such as laboratories and apparatus capable of improving students’ performance are unavailable. In contrast, the recruitment of unqualified physics teachers and the use of ill-equipped and obsolete physics apparatus in the laboratory are government factors that contribute to low performance. Finally, it was revealed that a lack of proper knowledge, laziness, examination anxiety, a lack of understanding, and distractions are the factors contributing to low performance among students. The study recommended that the government equip school laboratories with apparatus and prioritise recruiting qualified teachers. Keywords: Low Performance in Physics, External examinations