ACADEMIC ABILITY, GOAL ORIENTATION AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS IN ILORIN SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KWARA STATE

Abstract

The study examined Academic ability, goal orientation and Secondary School Students’ performance in Economics in
Ilorin South Local Government, Kwara State. Correlational research design was used to achieve the purpose of the
study. Simple random sampling method was used to select 12 Senior Secondary Schools and 420 SS II Economics
Students for the study. Research instrument tiled “Academic Ability and Goal Orientation Questionnaire” and
“Performance Test in Economics (PTE)” were used in obtaining information for the study. The reliability of the
Teachers Competence Questionnaire was ascertained using Cronbach Alpha while the Economics Performance Test
(EAT) was established using split-half method of testing reliability. The instrument has reliability coefficients of 0.82,
0.71 and 0.77 for academic ability, goal orientation and Performance Test in Economics respectively. The data collected
were analyzed using Multiple Regression Analysis.
The study showed that there was significant relationship among Academic ability, goal orientation and Secondary
School Students’ performance in Economics in Ilorin South Local Government, Kwara State; and that there was
significant relative contribution of Academic ability and goal orientation to Secondary School Students’ performance
in Economics in Ilorin South Local Government, Kwara State. This means that Academic ability and goal orientation
play important roles in the Academic achievement of Students particularly in Economics.
It was, therefore, recommended among others that School management, Guidance Counsellors and Teachers should
periodically organise programmes that will help the Students to improve on their Academic ability, so as to be goal
oriented.