Predictive Power of Selected Variables on Students’ Academic Achievement in Integrated Science

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive power of selected variables on academic achievement integrated science among College of Education students in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study employed ex-post- facto research design. A sample of 280 students in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 academic sessions was drawn from all the subject combinations in the Department of Sciences using stratified random sampling technique. The data used were collected from the college examinations and records division of the college through a format developed by the researchers. A questionnaire consisting of items seeking information on home background gender, school type, socio-economic status, birth order of the students was also used. Multiple Regression and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings showed that there were moderate and positive relationships among the selected variables and achievement of students in Integrated Science at National Certificate in Education level. The findings also revealed that only 42.5 percent of the total variance in the students achievement in integrated science is accounted for by the linear combination of the eight variables examined in the study. Result further showed that school type was the most potent predictor of students’ achievement in integrated science while chemistry showed the least contribution to the academic achievement of students in integrated science during the years of this study. It was therefore recommended among others that school proprietors and administrators should improve on their schools administrative strategies so as to make teaching and learning of science more effective.