Relationship between learning resources and student’s academic achievement in science subjects in taraba state senior secondary schools

Abstract

The study investigated relationship between learning resources and student‘s academic achievement in science subjects in Taraba State Secondary Schools. A total of 35 science teachers and 18 science head of departments from 6 schools from three geopolitical zones of Taraba State were involved in the study. Three different research instruments were employed in collecting the data: (i) Bio-data of science teachers for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. (ii) Laboratory equipment inventory checklist (LEIC) for Biology (BLEIC); Chemistry (CLEIC) and Physics (PLEIC) for the 18 science laboratories of the schools selected. (iii) Students‘ Academic Achievement scores collect data on students‘ scores in WASSCE from 2003 – 2007. Four null hypotheses were raised and tested using Pearson‘s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and student‘s t-test statistics. The results of data analysis showed that laboratory equipment and the number of qualified teachers were inadequate for Biology, Chemistry and in Physics where there were no qualified teachers at all. The result also revealed that availability of qualified science teachers had no significant relationship on academic achievement of students in science subjects at p<0.05. The results also indicated that there was no difference in the academic of schools with adequate laboratory equipment and those without them. The results also showed that there was no difference in the academic achievement of students in science subjects of students who attended pure science schools and those who attended non–pure science schools. On the basis of these findings it was recommended that more learning resources be provided in the secondary schools in Taraba State.