Study Habits and Academic Achievement among Senior Secondary School Students in Physics

Study Habits and Academic Achievement among Senior Secondary School Students in Physics

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Education has been identified as the mainstay of societal development through the production of human resources to occupy the various institutions that makes up the society. As an institution, it provides platform for transmitting the required skills, knowledge and norms to citizens and therefore ensure societal continuity. Education in a broad sense is a process by which an individual acquires many physical and social capabilities demanded of him by the society in which he is born to function. In an ideal sense, it is an agent of change, the single most significant complex of socio control tools for national development is found in the educational system be it formal or informal.

Many studies have been carried out by researchers like Abisola(2017) on effective study habits. They argue that study habits have strong relationship with the academic achievement of students. A student who cultivates certain study habit will perform differently from a student who has another set of study habit. It is believed that student who lacks effective and efficient means of studying would be building on shaking foundation and consequently have weak foundation. The teachers teach all the students collectively but all the students do not have the same grades, here we see underachievers and high achievers in physics. With these the teachers get puzzled with the sight of such situations and then try or push too much (Riaz, Asma& Niaz, 2002).

According to Hills (2010), a very good and conducive learning environment encourages students study habit and might have positive impact on their academic achievements but students reading in an unfavorable environment might find it difficult to study which may affect their academic achievements. Students with financial constraints might also find it difficult to perform excellently well in their academics. However, students study habit should contribute to their academic achievement. Some students do not attend classes, do not take down notes, do not do their assignments, do not read their books or make use of the library. These attitudes may negatively affect their academic achievements especially in physics.

Mark and Howard (2011) are of the opinion that the most common challenge to the success of students in all ramifications is to look for effective or positive (good) study habit. They further maintain that if students can develop a good study habit and with good discipline, they are bound to perform remarkably well in their academic pursuit.  Hasian (2012) stresses that lack of effective or a good study habit is a critical study problem among students at all levels. Grace (2013) maintains that the process of learning is still a title mysterious but studies do show that the most effective process for studying involves highly active behavior over a period of time. In other words, to study effectively, one must read, draw, compare, memorize and test himself over time.

However, students can study for hours and end up retaining very little. The more appropriate question is how students should study more effectively. Developing good time management skills is very important. Students must realize that there is a time to be in class, a time for study, time for family, time to socialize and time just to be alone. The critical issue is recognition that there must be an appropriate balance. Students should also have vision. A clearly articulated picture of the future they intend to create for themselves is very important and contributes to students’ success in school. This will promote a passion for what they wish to do. Passion is critical and leads to an intense interest, dedication and commitment to achieving careers goals and objectives.

Marc (2011) explained that students with learning problems, however, many still have generally inefficient and ineffective study habits and skills. Becoming aware of your learning habits or styles will help students to understand why they sometimes get frustrated with common study methods. He observes that good study habits are essential to educational success, as they contribute to a successful academic future. Good study habits lead to good grades while good grades lead to admissions into secondary schools, possibly with scholarship thrown in. this in turn, will lead to a great career. Developing good study habits is very crucial for every pupil irrespective of his level of education. It boosts students’ ability to be self-disciplined, self-directed and ultimately successful in their certificate examination.

The sooner a student starts practicing and developing good study habits, the better chance he will have that he will continue with them procrastination can be overcome with proper study habits and improving one’s study habit is the key to better studying. Being organized and having home work routines are the most important things in helping a child/students develop good study habits for life. Developing good study habits help spell success and a pupil will find himself working more efficiently and experiencing lesser stress in the process. He adds that having effective study habits creates a more efficient academic environment. Planning your schedule as a student in advance and faithfully sticking to it serves time.

Students who are anxious on exam day are typically the procrastinations who come unprepared. Students who organize their lives and stick to their established study schedule are confident and relaxed at test taking time (Michael, 2011). Archibong (2013) opines that if students must ensure academic success throughout the entire year, it is important to ditch bad study habits and establish good ones. He further maintains that no matter what age or academic level, employing effective study strategies can make all the difference between acing a class barely passing or worse and failing miserably. He admits that many of today’s most common study methods or habits can lead to utter disappointment despite best efforts and intentions.

In the view of Agba (2013) unserious students do study anyhow without specific techniques and he submits that such students are most likely to perform below average. Thus, he concludes that good study habits help students to attend classes very often and do so on time. It also helps them to submit their assignment on time read or prepare very well for tests and exams take down not and develop the points independently, ask relevant questions in class, thereby having good grades at the end of the term. Monday (2011) writing on bad study habits maintains that developing good study habits in school will help students succeed in class and achieve educational goals.

Generally, study habits and bad study habits. Good study habits according to Kelvin (2013) are sometime referred to as positive or productive study habits, as the name implies, they are those pleasant study habits which have the tendency to improve the academic achievement of students or that seem to produce good results. They are the study habits which make students successful in their studies after developing and applying them throughout their academic career.

Good study habits occur as a result of practice and knowing what methods are most effective for you as a pupil. When studying, stay away from distractions such as the computer. Instead of studying in the might, lay to study in the day time. Review what you learned in class every day when you get home before starting homework. In the same vein, Oliver (2012) highlight good study habits as thus: study every day, attending all classes, reviewing four notes daily, studying in a quick place and spending more time on topics you find difficult.

However, bad study habits generally range from procrastination, truancy, not taking note selective reading, studying while watching television or what is generally regarded as distractive study etc. Nikki (2013) identifies bad reading habits to include studying with friends, listening to loud music while studying, studying in uncomfortable condition, cramming, etc.

According to Adeoku (2012), study habits can be affected by factors such as: age of a students, home environment, studying materials, television and computer games, social network (face book), students’ determination and aspiration, financial and economic status of parents, the teaching style of teachers and the nature of friends and peer group study habits are an important factors in learning, it against this background that the study sought  to examine the relationship between study habits and academic achievement among senior secondary school students in physics in Etinan local Government Area.

Study Habits and Academic Achievement among Senior Secondary School Students in Physics

 1.2      Statement of the Problem

There is public outcry on the standard of education system and poor academic achievement of students in Etinan Local Government Area. This is manifested in external examinations like West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and others external examination. This has drawn the interest of educationists and they tend to shift the blame on the teaching methodology adopted by the teachers and lack of fund from the government to provide quality textbooks. Poor study habit among students contribute to the massive failure recorded in Senior School Certificate Examination. As a result of poor study habit among students, the issue of examinations malpractice, failure, school drop- out etc are on the increase. Therefore, the main problem of this study is to examine the relationship between note-taking, use of library, time allocation and academic achievement of students in physics in secondary in Etinan Local Government Area of AkwaIbom State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between study habits and academic achievement among senior secondary school students in physics in Etinan local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Examine the relationship between notes taking and student’s academic achievement in physics.
2. Examine the relationship between use of library and students’ academic achievement in physics.
3. Examine the relationship between time allocation to study and student’s academic achievement in physics.

 1.4      Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between notes taking and academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area?
2. What is the relationship between use of library and academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area?
3. What is the relationship between time allocation to study academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

1. There is no significant relationship between notes taking and academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area?
2. There is no significant relationship between time allocation and academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area?
3. There is no significant relationship between use library and academic achievement among senior secondary schools in physics in Etinan local Government Area?

Study Habits and Academic Achievement among Senior Secondary School Students in Physics

1.6       Significance of the Study

The study was significant to students, parents, counselors, policy-makers and education planners in the following ways.

1. This study is channeled toward helping primary school students to improve in their study habit in physics object

ii..         To the parents, it is hope that this study will help them provide a conducive study environment for their children at home.

iii.         To the counselors, it yields a good basis for students counseling on self-motivation and right attitude toward academic work.

1. To the policy makers and education planners, it furnish them with a sound basis for effective supervision which will take cognizant of the effect of examination malpractice and motivate academic achievement of the students.
2. As a data bank, it will envisaged that this research will serve as repository of information for future researcher who may wish to        research further into the same topic or even closely related issues.

1.7       Limitation of the Study

The researcher encountered some limitation to the scope of the study

Availability of research materials:

The research material available to the researcher was insufficient, thereby limiting the study.

Time: the time frame allocated for the study could not enhance wider courage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

Finance: the finance available for the research work could not allow wider coverage as resources were very limited as other academic bills to cover.

1.8       Delimitation of the Study

The delimitation of the project is that the study was carried out to ascertain the influence of study habits’ on students’ academic achievement in social studies in Etinan Local Government Area. It do not extend its scope to any other Local Government Area.

1.9       Definition of Terms

The following terms was defined as conceptualized as follows:

Study: application of the mind to the acquisition of knowledge as by reading, investigation or reflection.

Habit: An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

Achievement: the accomplishment of a given task measured against present known standards of accuracy, completeness,    cost and speed.

Students: A person formally engaged in learning especially on enrolled in primary school.

Note-Taking: this is the practice of recording information captured from another source.

Time Allocation: This is the process in which time is being allocated or used by the pupil.