Ordinary Level as Results Predictors of Students’ Academic Performance in Chemistry in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

This paper examined ordinary level result as predictors of students’ academic performance in chemistry in South-west Nigeria universities. It also examined the relationship between the academic performance of students in each level of the university examinations and their corresponding secondary school certificates examination. The sample of the study is made up of 312 chemistry students randomly selected from three universities within South-west Nigeria based on the (proprietorship status) federal, state and private universities. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. The grades of all the chemistry students sampled were selected from the directorate of admission and statistics while the cumulative grade points were selected from chemistry department of the sampled universities. The results revealed that the ordinary level chemistry results related poorly with their respective universities results. The results of the study also showed that there is little or no influence of the mode of entry on the academic performance at all levels and the two examining bodies were equivalent. Based on this finding, it was recommended that both West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) should be used as mode of entry into chemistry department.