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Research Paper | Education Management | Nigeria | Volume 5 Issue 5, May 2016 | Popularity: 7 / 10

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Students Engagement Variables as Correlates of Academic Achievement in Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria

Ohamobi Ifunanya N., Ezeaku Stella N.

Abstract: Evidence of poor academic achievement of senior secondary school students abounds in literature and can be seen in the rate of failure of students in the national examinations organised by WAEC, NECO and JAMB. Achievement is likely to be enhanced if students are engaged. Student engagement, which is the students psychological investment in an effort directed towards learning, understanding or mastering the knowledge, skills or crafts that academic work is intended to promote, has been identified as one of the few factors that consistently and positively influence educational outcomes for adolescents. The more engaged a student is, the better he performs at school. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of engagement of students with their cognitive (academic) achievement in Economics in secondary schools in Anambra State. Guided by three research questions and three hypotheses, the study adopted a correlation Survey Design. The population for the study comprised 4, 937 students of senior secondary schools in Anambra State. Out of this, a sample size of 200 students in 10 boys schools and 10 girls schools was taken. The Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ), measuring the three engagement types and as well as Economics Achievement Test (EAT) were used for data collection. The reliability index was determined using Factor Analysis. Data were collected and analyzed using aggregate scores and mean to answer the research questions and the regression analysis to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed among others that there is a high engagement among senior secondary school students in the state. Since the three engagement types had mean scores above 2.50, it is therefore concluded that the more engaged a student is, the better he/she achieves in school. Out of the three engagement types measured, the students reported moderate in cognitive but high in behavioural and emotional engagements. One can therefore conclude that moderate engagement may be sufficient for a good academic achievement. It was thus recommended among others that a campaign which focuses on the importance of school and the consequences of disengagement from school be carried out regularly by the government agencies and other stakeholders in education. If students can be made to see the link between working hard at school and being successful in life, engagement levels will be significantly raised and academic achievement be greatly enhanced.

Keywords: Engagement, Variables, Academic Achievement, Economics, and Senior Secondary Schools

Edition: Volume 5 Issue 5, May 2016

Pages: 473 - 478

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.21275/6051602

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