Lower Primary School Pupils Research Articles

Influence of Self-Regulation and Social Competence on Academic Achievement of Lower Primary School Pupils in Osun State, Nigeria

This study determined the prevalence of se1f regulatory skills (behavioural, emotional,verbal) and assessed the level of social competence of primary school pupils in Osun State. The study further examined the influence of self-regulatory skills and social competence on primary school pupils’ academic achievement. These were with a view to providing information on the association between Self-regulation and Social Competence in relation to lower Primary School Pupils’ academic achievement in Osun State Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational survey research design. The population for the study comprised primary III pupils in Osun State. Sample size consisted of 418 Primary III pupils selected using the multistage sampling procedure. Firstly, from the three Senatorial districts in Osun State, nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) were selected using simple random sampling technique (three from each senatorial district). Secondly, in each LGA, two primary schools were selected using simple random sampling technique. Thirdly, eighteen intact classes of primary Ill pupils were selected from each of the selected schools using the simple random sampling technique.The three instruments used for this study were: Sell-Regulation Observation Scale (SROS) Teachers Rating Scale (TRS); and Pupils’ Achievement Test (PAT). Data was analyzed using percentage and chi-square. The results showed that the level of primary school pupils’ behavioural self-regulatory skill was low (30%), emotional self-regulatory skill was at average (43%) while the verbal self-regulatory skill was low (27%). Overall, the level of self-regulatory skills of primary school pupils’ was low (39%). The results also indicated that the level of’ manifestation of social competence was high (64%). Results further showed that there was a statistically significant influence of self-regulatory skills and social competence on primary school pupils’ academic achievement (x2= 873.532, p<0.05). The study concluded that whilst Self-regulatory skill contributed little to pupils‘ academic achievement, Social Competence greatly influenced primary school pupils’ academic achievement in Osun State.

INVESTIGATING THE LEVELS OF READING SKILLS AMONG GRADE THREE PUPILS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Reading skills are vital to lower primary school pupils because it is the foundation for learning. However, studies worldwide indicate low levels of reading skills in schools and little has been done to find out how different instructional strategies used in lower grade schools influence learners’ acquisition of reading skills. The purpose of this study was to establish levels of reading skills among the Grade Three Pupils The research was guided by Holdaway’s Theory of Literacy Development and supported by Instructional Theory by Robert Gagne. The study established that 50% of the pupils were below average in reading of letter and letter sound recognition, 57.1% in sentence and paragraph reading, 53.6% in story reading and a mere 60.7% in comprehension skills. Article visualizations:

EXAMINING THE TEACHERS USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING READING WITH THE GRADE THREE PUPILS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Reading skills are vital to lower primary school pupils because it is the foundation for learning. However, studies worldwide indicate low levels of reading skills in schools and little has been done to find out how different instructional strategies used in lower grade schools influence learners’ acquisition of reading skills. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to establish the use of instructional strategies and resources on acquisition of reading skills among Grade Three Pupils in Embakasi, Nairobi County, Kenya. The research was guided by Robert Gagne Instructional Theory. The study results imply that instructional resources being scarce, the acquisition of reading skills in the study county could not be possible. The study recommended that MoE should provide refresher courses to teachers on teaching methodologies that would improve reading skills among the Grade Three pupils. Article visualizations:

THE CONSTRUCT, INTRODUCTION AND SITUATE OF RUDIMENTARY NUMBER SKILLS FOR CHILDREN IN NUMERACY LEARNING OUTCOMES

The competence and positive disposition development toward mathematic subject has been observed an uphill task to learners across educational endeavors despite its need in life at home, paid work, participation in community and civic life. The Nigerian Education Policy (2013) made numeracy an important aspect of the specific objectives of primary education in Nigeria. However, the teaching-learning processes lithely attend to specification(s) of utilities. In Nigeria, most schools lack instructional materials; the available were mainly ready-made - majorly imported. Information and communication technology has greatly improved teaching and learning yet, observations revealed domination of foreign tongued instructional materials – uneconomical, alien, distractive and inadequate. This study constructs and investigates the effect of a locally produced, customized numeracy package, the Rudimentary Number Skills for Children (RuNS-K) on academic achievement of pupils in computer mediated environment with a view to improve pupils’ performance in numeracy. Pre-test, post-test, quasi experimental research design was adopted. The population consist lower primary school pupils in southwest Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was employed to select study sample. One senatorial district, one of the five major cities in the district, three of the eighty-four public primary schools having functional computer laboratories were purposively sampled. An intact class in each school was randomly assigned into two experimental (ICT-integrated Learning Cycle and ICT-integrated Learners-self-controlled) and a comparison groups. Study instruments include the Rudimentary Number Skill for Children (RuNS-K) and the Test of Numeracy Achievement (TNA). The study found localized, customized packages needful for numeracy improvement. It also found significant improvement in numeracy performance in learners in ICT-integrated Learners-self-controlled (ICT- LSC) situation. The study further revealed customized ICT- LSC learning strategy as best influence for retention in pupils. It concludes that, interventions with customized, ICT-integrated learners-self-controlled situation improve learners’ cognition both in performance and retention. Study recommends localized, improvised educational materials development and usage as aid to improving teaching-learning process and the entire education system in Nigeria. Article visualizations:

Effectiveness of Advance Organizers Learning Strategy on the Comprehension Ability of Lower Primary School Pupils in IFE Central Local Government Area, Osun State

Effectiveness of Advance Organizers Learning Strategy on the Comprehension Ability of Lower Primary School Pupils in IFE Central Local Government Area, Osun State

A Study of Cognitive Abilities of Lower Primary School Pupils, in Igembe Central Division of Igembe District, Kenya

The learning environment and childhood experiences of children from rich and poor families are never the same. This is because they come from different home environments and attend different schools that have different facilities, and therefore exposed to quite different experiences. The children from rich families attend private primary schools whose learning environment is conducive and stimulating, while those from poor families attend public primary schools, which are often crowded and with poor facilities. At home boys and girls are exposed to different activities due to the dictates of the culture and their gender roles. Researches done by developmental psychologists on the cognitive abilities of children of different cultures and environment sometimes give different results. Kiminyo (1988) conducted such a study among Akamba children in Kenya, of ages between 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12 years. It involved deforming one plasticine ball, and then children were asked if the mass of the deformed “ball” was the same as that of an un-deformed one. The results that the younger children did not notice the contradiction posed by the question, but the older children were quick to point out that there was nothing added or subtracted, therefore the mass remained the same. His study aimed at establishing the age at which Akamba children conserve the cognitive task of mass. The study aimed at finding out whether the environment, gender, and age difference of two years among concrete operational children of Meru of Kenya play any role on conservation of cognitive tasks of length, mass, substance and volume. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n5p175

Simple vision screening in lower primary school children in Port Harcourt city

Background: Vision disorders are significant causes of morbidity worldwide and in children, can lead to life long visual impairment or blindness. Thus, the impact on a child's education and life if not detected and ameliorated on time, can constitute a huge socio-economic burden to the child, family and community. Aim: To determine the prevalence of reduced vision in lower primary school children in Port Harcourt city. Methods: A multi-staged sampling technique was used to select 1,234 lower primary school pupils from 12 schools in Port Harcourt for visual screening. Visual acuity (VA) measurements using Snelling's charts, and a basic eye examination using a pen torch was carried out in all the pupils. Vision was regarded as reduced if VA is < 6/18, in which case a pinhole was presented to the affected eye and VA repeated, to check for presence of refractive error. Results: A total of 1,234 school children were screened, 73 pupils had reduced vision in one or both eyes giving a prevalence of 5.9%. Refractive errors accounted for 72.6% of cases of reduced vision. Gross external eye abnormalities accounted for 9.6% of cases of reduced vision, with corneal opacity and nystagmus being the most commonly seen. Conclusion: Reduced vision is an important cause of visual disability in primary school pupils in Port Harcourt city, mostly due to correctable refractive errors. There is therefore a need for routine vision screening of all pupils, especially on commencement of school for early detection and treatment, to prevent life long visual disability. Key words: Reduced vision, Primary school children, Port Harcourt city

Investigating Language Learner Strategies among Lower Primary School Pupils in Singapore

To date, very few empirical studies can be found on primary, especially lower primary school pupils’ use of language learner strategies. The few studies that exist often employ research techniques such as questionnaires and think-aloud protocols as studies on adults do. However, we know very little whether the research methods commonly used with adult learners can be applied to lower primary school pupils (grades 1–3). Practically no published study in this area reports the problems associated with eliciting language learner strategy data from children. In addition, not much is known about whether children as young as primary one can be differentiated in terms of learner strategies they use in completing language tasks. This paper shares the problems that we encountered in eliciting strategies from lower primary school pupils in Singapore and presents some preliminary findings on these learners’ use of language learner strategies.

Language learning

Language learning