COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PUPILS’ BASIC SCIENCE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ILORIN METROPOLIS, KWARA STATE

Abstract

The study investigated pupils’ academic performance in basic science among public and private primary schools in the Ilorin metropolis of Kwara State. Descriptive research design was used for the study. The study population was comprised of all sixty-four (64) public and fifty-eight (58) private primary schools that fell within the three (3) local governments that form the study area. The stratified random technique was used to select twelve primary schools, and twenty (20) primary four pupils were randomly selected in each of the schools, yielding a total of two hundred and forty (240) respondents. A 20-item basic science test (0.83) was administered to primary-four pupils in the selected schools for the purpose of gathering data for the study. Three research questions and three null hypotheses were tested using the t-test. The findings revealed that the academic performance level of male and female pupils in basic science in public primary schools is low, while that of private primary schools in Ilorin metropolis is high. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that there should be adequate retraining programs for all the class teachers on improvisation of instructional materials and appropriate teaching strategies in basic science, and there is also the need to employ qualified science teachers for the teaching of only basic science in primary schools, as it is done in some subjects like religion, French, etc., for effective learning of the subject. Also, there should be adequate and proper monitoring of teachers and school administrators by relevant educational agencies for them to live up to their responsibilities, especially the science teachers.