Comparative Study Of Private And Public Schools Student Engagement And School Effectiveness Indicators

Abstract

The expectation of government and tax payers increasingly expect the school system to report on a range of predetermined indicators designed to measure aspects of student engagement and school effectiveness. Despite this the utility and validity of indicators that make up the public accountability of schools is seldom questioned. Student perceptions of school engagement (i.e., sense of connection to school, teachers and peers), motivation to learn, self-esteem, and student safety are part of a range of public accountability indicators. This study examined differences between two groups of Senior Secondary three (SS III) students from public school (n1 = 90) and private school (n2 = 90) on a number of these accountability indicators. No significant differences were found between public and private schools on student connectedness to peers and school. However the differences in public and private school students\' perception of connectedness to teachers, measures of motivation to learn, self-esteem and student safety is significant. The finding from this study proves the suitability of these indicators as measures of student engagement and school effectiveness in Nigeria, but there is the need for further study that would involve more schools from more states. IFE PsychologIA Vol. 16 (2) 2008: pp. 36-46