Evaluation of Performances of Senior Secondary School History Students in External Examination in Plateau State

Abstract

This study focused on evaluation of the performance of senior secondary school history students in external examination in Plateau State. The study made used of survey research design in evaluating the performances of history students in external examination in Plateau State. The population for this study comprised of all senior secondary school History students and teachers in the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau State. It also comprised of all history students that sat for NECO examinations from 2008 to 2012, totaling 6,656 for the period of five years. The sample size of 105 senior secondary school history teachers and the 6,656 history students that sat for NECO in the state from 2008 to 2012 were used for the study. Using all the history teachers and the NECO examinations documents was manageable as they are not many. Purposive sampling technique was used for selecting the sample of history students that sat for NECO examination between 2008 and 2012. This is because not all schools offer History. The instrument used for the collection of data for this study is History Students' Academic Performance Results in Plateau State (HSAPR). The instrument is made up of two sections; section A is the summary analysis of NECO History results based on percentage from all the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau State. While section B is the analysis of NECO History students' results based on grades from all the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau State. The instrument was extracted from the students' results at the Educational Resource Centre, Plateau State, Jos. To establish face, construct and content validity of HSAPR, the instrument was given to three experts in the Departments of Arts Education, Science and Technology Education and Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education University of Jos respectively. Data collected for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools of frequencies, percentages and mean. The results of this findings indicated that there was poor performance of History students in external examinations in Plateau State from 2008 to 2012. The study equally recommended among others that; the current History curriculum should be reviewed so that more emphasis will be placed on practical application of what is taught and learned by students; History rooms or laboratories should be established in all our educational institution where history is being taught and Plateau State Government through the Ministry of Education, Supervisors, Teachers teaching History and other stakeholders should each play their complementary roles in order to improve the performances of History students in external examinations in the State.