ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXTROVERSION, INTROVERSION AND EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

 

The study determined the relationship among extroversion, introversion and academic performance of senior secondary school students, Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State. Correlational design was used for this study. Three objectives were raised, research questions, and null hypotheses were in line with the objectives. The population of the study was 1487 SS II students, proportional sampling technique was employed in selecting three hundred and fifty (350) SS II students from six selected senior secondary schools in Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State. Eysenck Personality Inventory was adapted to collect data for this study, objectives test in Mathematic and English was constructed to collect data on academic performance. The biodata were analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage, means and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistic was used to test the null hypotheses one and two, while hypothesis three was tested using t-test. The results showed that, there is no significant relationship between extroversion and academic performance (r=.057, p=.235). However, introversion is correlated with academic performance (r=-.123, p=.047). There is significant difference between academic performance of extrovert and introvert students (t-cal = 50.195). From these findings, discussion was made and the researcher recommended that, extroverted students should be counselled on how to reduce social activities and pay more attention to their academics in order to improve their performance.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1          Background to the Study

Academic performance is an outcome of education and is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment through grading of students‟ scores or marks. The rate at which students achieved educational goals is measured by the academic performance attainment. The failure in examination of senior secondary school students‟ results has been pathetic and should compel government authorities, schools and parents to start thinking about an intervention measure to arrest the decline in academic performance. The National Policy on Education has been designed by the federal government as a way of achieving its educational objectives. This emphasized the preparation for useful living within the ‘society and the preparation of students for higher education‟ (NPE, 1981, p16). Unfortunately, these may not be achieved if the present poor academic performance of senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari, Zaria persists. The increasing rate of poor academic performance has led the researcher to attribute these causes to extroversion or introversion in students.

 

Extroversion and introversion are typically viewed as personality traits. The extroversion and introversion traits are the central dimension of human personality theories. Introversion and extroversion were popularized by Jung (1995). Extroverted person feels energized in the midst of other people, and is more prone to boredom when he is alone. People who are high in extroversion tend to seek out social stimulation and opportunities to engage with others, also manifested in outgoing, talkative and energetic behavior.

Introversion on the other hands, manifested in more reserved and often takes pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. Jung (1995) defined introversion as an „attitude-type characterized by orientation in life through subjective psychic contents‟ (focus on one’s inner psychic activity) which has type A and B; and extroversion as „an attitude type characterized by concentration of interest on the external object‟ (the outside world).

 

The poor academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari, Zaria needs counselling attention because, some of them do not know the relationship between their personality traits (extroversion or introversion) with academic performance. Due to their ignorance, they do not really belief that personality traits have any relationship with the academic performance. This is a vital aspect that the counsellor should look into, in order to improve students‟ academic performance. The researcher consider it as an important aspect for counsellor to enlighten the students through organization of counselling/career programme in various secondary schools and ensure that the students understand themselves in such away that will help personal growth and development.

 

Academic performance and success rates of students revolve around the question of extroversion and introversion types that such student have. The increased in low academic performance of the students becomes a burden that has been the researcher‟s concerned, which led her to embark on this research to investigate, the relationship of extroversion, introversion with academic performance among senior secondary school students.

 

 

1.2          Statement of the Problem

The researcher had been worried, what could be the cause of students‟ low academic performance. Could it be they were not well taught, or is it the result of unqualified teachers‟ effort which is not enough? In Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, many senior secondary school students who wrote their final year examinations in 2012 and 2013 failed in mathematics and English which are the general subjects and as a result of this, several of them rewrite more than two or three times before getting the requirements grade for entering university or any other tertiary institution.

 

The problem of poor academic performance of senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Zaria, poses a great concern to parents, the nation and the society at large, due to huge investment on education, particularly on senior secondary education. This pathetic situation in low academic performance is a problem in Sabon Gari, Zaria. It is of necessity to understand that, there is a need to examine the relationship of extroversion, introversion traits with academic performance. Despite all the various efforts by parents, teachers, Federal and State Governments to improve academic performance, the results still remain poor. For example, the 2012 examination results were very poor, 80 percent of the candidates who sat for SSCE failed Mathematic and English (Adejor, 2012).

 

The numbers of candidates with their percentages who sat for WAEC examinations and obtained five credits including mathematics and English from 2011 to 2016 are: In May/June 2011 SSCE WAEC examinations, only 30.70% out of 472,906 candidates got the required credit grades. In 2012 only 20.04% out of 62,295 candidates, 38.30% out of

639,760 candidates in 2013, 31.28% out of 529,425 candidates in 2014, 38% out of 616,370 candidates in 2015 and 52% out of 878,040 candidates in 2016 got five credits and above including mathematic and English (Adejor, 2015).

 

This poor academic performance could be linked to attitudinal variables of introversion or extroversion which may constitute a vital input that may have direct relationship with academic performance of students. It is on this note that a research of this kind becomes imperative. This burden has been the researcher‟s concern, which led her to embark on this research to investigate, the relationship among extroversion, introversion and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local

Government Area, Kaduna State.

 

1.3          Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to determine: 

1. the relationship between extroversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
2. the relationship between introversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State. the differences between academic performance of extrovert and introvert students among senior secondary schools in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna

State.

 

 

 

 

 

1.4          Research Questions

The following research questions are raised.

1. What is the relationship between extroversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State?
2. What is the relationship between introversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State?

• What is the difference between academic performance of extrovert and introvert students among senior secondary schools in Sabon Gari Local Government Area,

Kaduna State?

 

1.5          Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.

1. There is no significant relationship between extroversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
2. There is no significant relationship between introversion and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

• There is no significant difference between academic performance of extrovert and introvert students among senior secondary schools in Sabon Gari Local

Government Area, Kaduna State.

 

1.6          Basic Assumptions

The following assumptions are raised:

1. Extroversion may have significant relationship with academic performance, ii. Introversion may have significant relationship with academic performance.

iii.     It is assumed that academic performance of extrovert and introvert students differ.

 

1.7          Significance of the Study

This research is significant to the teachers, students, counsellors, principal of secondary schools, parents, SUBEB and curriculum planners for the following reasons:

This research study will help teachers to understand why there are differences in academic performance among the students and also identifies the variables that relate to the success and failure in academic performance of the students, it will help them to plan and employ the appropriate teaching methods. It will also eliminate the problems or obstacles that will be on the students‟ way as they learn in school. This will facilitate the task of the teachers in their preparation for teaching.

 

Increasing personal integrity is another significance of this study. Self awareness that comes from self study could help most of the students to discover who they are through this study. Therefore, understanding the relationship between introversion and extroversion in an individual will help the students being prepared to take their place in the world of work.  It will also increase tolerance and understanding of others in the sense that, when students understood who they are and people‟s motives, perceptions and values with their traits, it will help them to relate easily.

The research results can also be used by counsellors as an integral part of counselling to improve on students‟ academic performance. This could be done by enlightening the students through organization of counselling programmes in the school premises.

 

Again, the identification of extroverted or introverted students will enable the principals of secondary school authorities to determine a line of action, in guiding the students on what subjects to choose/select based on their personality type in order to improve their academics performance. It is hoped that, the knowledge gotten from this research will create a link between the parents and the schools more than it has ever been, in the sense that the knowledge of these traits (extroversion or introversion) will enable the school principal to sensitize the parents of their wards.

 

This study is significance to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) because, at the primary/secondary school level, if the students/pupils have the knowledge of the relationship of extroversion or introversion traits on academic, they can easily adjust themselves and starts working towards how to improve their academic performance.

 

The study will enable the curriculum planners to inculcate the awareness of extroversion and introversion into the curriculum, which will help the teachers to plan ahead of each lesson.

 

Another significance of this research is that, it would give the nation an insight on the relationship among extroversion, introversion and academic performance on how to identify the person with any of these personality traits (extroversion or introversion) and assigned them on what they could do to attained their goals in life.

 

Furthermore, to formulate intervention measures and counselling objectives, results of this study results can be taken as one of the input. It may further help to develop an awareness and insight among senior secondary school students with regard to their extroversion and introversion traits and its relationship with academic performance. This could be done through organization of counseling programme in the schools.

 

1.8          Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The scope of this study is Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Zaria in Kaduna State and it covered six selected senior secondary schools both public and private schools. The study is delimited to only SS II male and female students of senior secondary schools. This research focus on SS II students because, they have already had the cumulative records that can be used to determine the level of their academic performance. Its excluded SS I and III because the major study is being done in SS II, when the students finished SS II and entered his/her final year (SS III), the only thing is just to prepare for the final examination and in most cases, the questions that usually comes out during final examination is from SS II work.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXTROVERSION, INTROVERSION AND EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

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