Tertiary Matriculation Examination Research Articles

Predicting Students’ First-Year Academic Performance Using Entry Requirements for Faculty of Science in Kaduna State University, Kaduna – Nigeria

The study aimed to determine if any of the entry requirements such as Ordinary Level (OL) results, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores or Post-UTME (PUTME) scores could predict an outstanding academic performance of first-year undergraduate students admitted into the Faculty of Science in the Kaduna State University, Kaduna. The study adopted the descriptive research design. A purposive sample of nine hundred and forty-three (943) first-year students constituted the population for the study were drawn from Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics undergraduate degree programmes from the Faculty of Science of the university who were admitted from the 2010/2011 to 2014/2015 academic sessions. The instruments for data collection were OL, UTME and first-year Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) results, which were coded and analysed with the aid of Computational Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) Coefficient and Multinomial Logistics Regression (MLR) were the statistics used to answer the four research questions used. The results revealed that with a weak correlation, OL is a good predictor on the CGPA, a dependent variable, for academic performance which holds true for students who are in the CGPA category of '1st class' and '2nd Class Lower' respectively. It concluded that the use of OL and UTME as instruments is not enough to select candidates for admission and therefore recommended that other instruments such as senior secondary school mock examinations need to be included as part of the entry requirements in the admission criteria.

Effect of age, premedical academic performance, and entry bias on students' performance in final preclinical examination at the University of Nigeria Medical School

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: There is a strong correlation between admission requirements and students' academic performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of age, premedical academic performance, and entry bias on students' performance in final preclinical examination at the University of Nigeria Medical School. METHODS: Data were obtained from files of students admitted into the medical school in the 2010/2011, 2011/2012, and 2012/2013 academic sessions. SPSS (version 20.0, IBM computer USA) was used to analyze the data, and statistical tests such as ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis were used to analyze the observations. RESULTS: The younger students performed significantly better than their older counterparts in the final preclinical examination, determined by one-way ANOVA (P CONCLUSION: Age is an important criterion in the admission process. O-level grades, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) post-UTME are reliable criteria for admission; however, of these, only 100-level CGPA can be used to predict students' performance final preclinical examination.

Admission into real estate undergraduate education in Nigerian universities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a compulsory pass in physics on undergraduate admission into estate management programme and the requisite skill for practice.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from students in selected Polytechnics and a University in South-western Nigeria. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data. Also, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to test the difference between the means of the independent variables and application for admission. The mean plot was used to analyse the different groups of students seeking direct entry admission into the university.FindingsAnalysis shows that 18 per cent of the students seeking admission through direct entry would be denied because they have no credit score or a pass in physics in their Ordinary Level (“O” level) result. Remarkably, high school physics is a compulsory requirement for admission. Findings show that the subject is unacceptable in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). An annual average of 10 prospective students who wrote physics in the UTME, but with a pass in it in the Senior Secondary School (“O” level) examination were denied admission at the point of registration. Findings from the hypothesis test show that there is no significant relationship between the rate of application for university admission into Real Estate programmes and students who took physics and had at least a pass in it. Also, the mean plot shows that more Art students would apply for admission compared with science and commercial students. Finally, analysis shows that 83.3 per cent of the students who have gone for Industrial Work Experience Scheme were of the opinion that physics has no role to play in their acquisition of the requisite job skills in Real Estate.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may be limited by the sample size of the universities selected for data collection. The impact of the requirement of a compulsory pass in physics for admission into real estate programme in other universities with a similar requirement is not covered.Practical implicationsThe findings implied that a compulsory pass in physics constitutes a clog in the wheel of admission of prospective estate management students. This may affect career progression and the number of the Estate Surveyors and Valuers that are expected to render professional service to real estate investors in Nigeria.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to examine the impact of variation in admission requirement into the real estate undergraduate programme in Nigeria. The novelty is in the analysis of a compulsory requirement of pass in physics for admission and the requisite skill for real estate practice in Nigeria.

English

The need for educational managers and policy makers to design and implement pedagogical and instructional interventions necessitates the development and validation of a predictive model for analyzing the academic performance of students before gaining admission into university. This study adopts feed-forward neural network to establish and analyze the complex nonlinear relationship that exist between cognitive and psychological variables that influence the academic performance of secondary school students. The sample space comprises of 120 students selected from four randomly selected secondary schools in Ibadan-North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Students’ performances in five science subjects at 2015 West African Examination Council (cognitive factor) and psychological factors (age, gender, status of school and parent occupation) were used as inputs to the proposed model while the performance at Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) served as the target output. Simulated results from the study showed that artificial neural network (ANN) is efficient at clustering students into different categories according to their predicted level of performance. Study of this type will enable educational planners and curriculum developers provide better educational services as well as customize assistance to students when they gain admission into universities. Key words: ANN, students’ performance, university admission, predictive model, Ibadan.  &nbsp

Item level diagnostics and model - data fit in item response theory (IRT) using BILOG - MG v3.0 and IRTPRO v3.0 programmes

Item response theory (IRT) is a framework for modeling and analyzing item response data. Item-level modeling gives IRT advantages over classical test theory. The fit of an item score pattern to an item response theory (IRT) models is a necessary condition that must be assessed for further use of item and models that best fit the data. The study investigated item level diagnostic statistics and model- data fit with one-and two- parameter models using IRTPROV3.0 and BILOG- MG V3.0. Ex-post facto design was adopted. The population for the study consisted of 11,538 candidates’ responses who took Type L 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Mathematics paper in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The sample of 5,192(45%) responses was randomly selected through stratified sampling technique. BILOG-MG V3.0 and IRTPROV3.0 computer software was used to calibrate the candidates’ responses. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. Pearson’s χ2 and S - χ2 statistics as an item fit index for dichotomous item response theory models were used. The outputs from the two computer software were used to answer the questions. The findings revealed that only 1 item fitted 1- parameter model in BILOG- MG V3.0 and IRTPRO V3.0. Furthermore, the findings revealed that 26 items fitted 2-parameter models when using BILOG-MG V3.0. Five items fitted 2-parameter models in IRTPRO. It was recommended that the use of more than one IRT software programme offers more useful information for the choice of model that fit the data.KEYWORDS: Item Level, Diagnostics, Statistics, Model - Data Fit, Item Response Theory (IRT).

A comparative analysis of pre-equating and post-equating in a large-scale assessment, high stakes examination

Statistical procedure used in adjusting test score difficulties on test forms is known as “equating”. Equating makes it possible for various test forms to be used interchangeably. In terms of where the equating method fits in the assessment cycle, there are pre-equating and post-equating methods. The major benefits of pre-equating, when applied, are that it facilitates the operational processes of examination bodies in terms of rapid score reporting, quality control and flexibility in the assessment process. The purpose of this study is to ascertain if pre- and post-equating results are comparable. Data for this study, which adopted an equivalent group design method, was taken from the 2012 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) pre-test and 2013 UTME post-test in Use of English (UOE) subject. A pre-equating model using the 3-parameter (3PL) Item Response Theory (IRT) model was used. IRT software was used for the item calibration. Pre- and post-equating were carried out using 100-items per test form in an UOE test. The results indicate that the raw-score and ability estimates between the pre-equated model and the post-equated model were comparable.

Career Choice: Social Studies to Be or Not to Be Among Candidates of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Akwa Ibom State

The paper took a look at the contributory factors to the dwindling enrolment of Akwa Ibom State candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) into the social studies education programme of the University of Uyo, Uyo. The sample of the study was one thousand and sixty-six respondents selected from thirteen preparatory study centres in Uyo Local Government Area. The researchers used Hat and Draw method to carry out the selection. Any candidate who picked ‘Yes’ from a small container was drawn and ‘No’ was rejected. The questionnaire/checklist entitled “Career Choice Questionnaire (CCU)” had parts A and B, with four and ten test statements respectively. The data were coded and simple percentage was used for analysis. The study revealed that interest, parental influence, peer influence, job expectation, admission requirement, role model, status of parent, coping, inspiration and motivation are contributory factors to the dwindling enrolment of candidates into the social studies education programme. Recommendations were made based on the findings of this study. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v4n1p417

VIEWS OF UNIVERSITIES AND TERTIARY MATRICULATION EXAMINATION CANDIDATES (UTME) ON FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR CHOICE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

This paper examines the perceived factors affecting the secondary school students’ choice of Business Education in University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Nigeria. The factors investigated are the profession, nomenclatures of the programme, parents, peer groups, mentors/role model, student’s interest, job prospects and admission intricacy. The study had eight objectives and eight null hypotheses. The design used in the study was descriptive. The researchers distributed two hundred (200) copies of questionnaire to candidates registering for University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination in 2011/2012. Two rating scale structured questionnaire titled UTME Candidates and Business Education (UTMECBE) was the instrument used to gather data from the field for analysis. One hundred and eighty-nine (189) copies of questionnaire were properly filled and subjected to statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Science version 16. Chi-square was used to test all the 8 null hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. The results show, among others that, the teaching profession has a significant effect on student’s choice of Business Education at Universities and Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Nigeria. Based on this, the researcher recommended that government should organise public orientation programme to correct the misconception given to teaching profession (Business Education inclusive) as a programme meant for slow learners and misfits should be corrected.

Computer Anxiety and Computer Knowledge as Determinants of Candidates’ Performance in Computer-based Test in Nigeria

Aims: To examine the influence of computer anxiety and computer knowledge on candidates’ performance in Computer-Based Test. Study Design: The study used descriptive survey and ex-post facto designs. Place and Duration: Prospective candidates for 2013 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Nigeria and chose to write in CBT mode. Methodology: Sample comprised 100 candidates (50 males and 50 females) in 2 purportedly chosen universities in Nigeria. A 20-item Computer Knowledge Test (CKT), a 20-item Computer Anxiety Scale (CAS) and a proforma to collect the UTME scores were used to collect data. Regression Analysis, ANOVA and t-test statistics were used to test hypotheses. Results: Findings showed that computer knowledge and computer anxiety significantly combined to predict performance in CBT. They jointly accounted for 9.7 percent of the total variance in CBT performance (R = 0.097, F(2,99) = 5.208, P<0.05). Computer knowledge is the only significant predictor of performance in CBT. It accounted for 29.2 percent of the total variance in CBT performance (t = 3.019, p<0.05). Original Research Article British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 4(4): 495-507, 2014 496 Conclusion: Computer knowledge and computer anxiety jointly influenced candidates’ performance in CBT in Nigeria. Recommendations: It is therefore recommended that Government should provide secondary schools in the country with adequate computers and internet facilities. CBT training centers should as a matter of urgency be set up to train candidates on CBT before their examinations.

Evaluation Of The Admission Characteristics That Predict Students’ Final Year Academic Performance: Abuad Experience

The mandatory requirement for admission into the first year degree programmes for all Nigeria universities and tertiary institutions are the combination of: Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) or equivalent and Universal tertiary matriculation examination (UTME). The validity of these examinations have been subjected to scrutiny because of the poor performance of many of the students at their final year examinations. Hence most universities had introduced the Post UTME examinations to further assess their prospective students. Afe Babalola is one of them. There exist varied findings on the relationship of the various entry qualifications in the universities with students’ final year performances. This work examined the academic admission scores of; SSCE, UTME, PUTME and WAITAV as predictors for the performance of the pioneer graduating students. Descriptive statistics, scatter plot, bi-variate correlation matrix and regression analysis were employed using the SPSS V 16 software. The SSCE, PUTME, WGHT and gender had positive significant correlation values of 0.183, 0.132 0.115 and 0.10 respectively with performance. The female performed better. Age and UTME had negative correlation. Since UTME is a bad predictor, yet a government compulsory requirement for admission, universities should continue to combine the UTME and PUTME but assign less weight to the UTME value in the computation WGHTAV. The managers of the UTME must re-evaluate the reliability and integrity of the examination. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p221

The Presidency and Cost of Governance in Nigeria : A Case of Jonathan’s Administration

It is a big surprise that the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, says he is prepared to prune the growing cost of running public affairs. All the newspapers have reported that he is set to confront the challenge headlong by scrapping some government bodies, merging others and restructuring many. The details are still being worked out. All that has been released so far is that the National Examinations Council, National Poverty Eradication Programme and the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination are the fist casualties of the plan. By the announced plan, it is clear that the president and his men either do not appreciate the magnitude of the problem or he is again playing games with a deadly disease afflicting the country. How does scrapping NECO and directing WAEC to absorb the workers amount to cutting cost? Or how would changing the name of NAPP amount to enhancing the value of governance? What is he doing to ensure that every kobo that goes into the national treasury counts? What is he doing to ensure that public policy is tailored towards alleviating the suffering of the people? The paper examines the Cost of Governance under Jonathan’s presidency. It explores cost of governance in a thematic form, using concrete instances to drive home its major theses. The paper concludes by positing that rising cost of governance is unnecessary waste of public funds in payment of entitlements, due to overbloated administrative cost, but it has, above all, given rise to the current unhealthy rivalry and widespread bitterness between the so-called clause of “senior ministers and junior or ministers of state.”

Cognitive Entry Characteristics and Semester Examination Scores as Correlates of College Students’ Achievement in Mathematics

Aims: This study was designed (i) to investigate the relationship between cognitive entry characteristics (CEC), semester examination scores and student’s achievement in mathematics and (ii) to find out the predictive strength of CEC and semester examination scores on college students’ achievement in mathematics. Study Design: The study employed ex-post facto design. Place and Duration of Study: College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria between October 2012 and January 2013. Methodology: The sample, 415 full-time students admitted into a three-year National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 academic sessions were selected using purposive sampling technique. An inventory, “entry characteristics and academic achievement proforma” was used in collecting all the relevant data for the study. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of the study revealed that there is a positive and significant correlation between the criterion variable (Cumulative Grade Point Average CGPA), CEC (Senior Research Article British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science, 3(4): 478-489, 2013 479 School Certificate Examination SSCE, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME) and semester examination scores. There is a low correlation coefficient of 0.095 and 0.158 between CGPA and UTME as well as CGPA and SSCE respectively. Results also revealed that SSCE, UTME and semester examination results jointly contributed 64.3% to the prediction of college students CGPA. However, semester examination scores show a higher predictive strength than cognitive entry characteristics. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, there is the need to encourage teachers to regularly test their students’ ability since the use of formative tests (or semester examinations) for diagnostic purposes seems to result in better cognitive achievement than when given as summative test or examination.

Assessment of the Impact of Students’ Mode of Admission into University and their Academic Achievement in Nigeria

The purpose of this research work was to assess the impact of students’ mode of admission into university and their academic achievement in Nigeria. The design of the study was an ex post facto research design. To carry out the study four research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while four hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and t-test statistic. The sample for the study consisted of 253 students randomly selected from two universities in Benue State using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The results indicated that there was no statistical significant difference in the mean academic achievement of students who were admitted into the university through unified tertiary matriculation examination, remedial programme and direct entry admissions. There was statistical significant difference in the mean academic achievement of male and female students and that the academic achievement of male students was higher than their female counterparts based on the three modes of admission. The paper recommends that university authority should continue to admit students into the university through the three modes of admission at reasonable proportion to enhance academic excellence of the citizenry. Efforts should be made by the university authority to ensure that none of the categories of students is discriminated against so as to produce good quality graduates. Above all, attempt should be made to reduce the academic achievement gap between male and female students in the universities as a means of addressing issues of imbalance.