PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION SCORES IN MATHEMATICS ON ECONOMICS STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA
Maikudi Kwanza Allahnana, PhD and Bashiru Abdul
Volume 14 Issue 2
Abstract
This study investigate the Predictive Validity of Basic Education Certificate Examination Scores in Mathematics on Economics students achievement in West African Senior School Certificate Examination in Niger State, Nigeria from 2015-2020. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design. The population of the study consisted of secondary school students in Niger State who sat for the BECE Mathematics between 2015 and 2017 and their corresponding WASSCE Economics examinations between 2018 and 2020. A sample of 532 students was selected from five public secondary schools using a stratified sampling technique. The sample comprised 532 students. But for the purpose of this study, only male students were used as moderator variable. Data for the study were obtained from students’ BECE Mathematics and WASSCE Economics scores. Regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which BECE scores in Mathematics predicted students’ achievement in WASSCE Economics. The findings revealed that BECE Mathematics scores significantly predicted students’ achievement in WASSCE Economics, although the predictive strength was relatively weak. The study also found that BECE scores in Mathematics significantly predicted male students’ achievement in WASSCE Economics. The results indicated that while previous academic achievement at the junior secondary school level contributes to male students’ future achievement, it does not solely determine success at the senior secondary school level, as other educational and environmental factors may influence male students’ achievement. The study concluded that BECE scores in Mathematics serve as a useful indicator for predicting male students’ achievement in WASSCE Economics but have limited predictive power. It was recommends that teachers and school administrators should use BECE Mathematics results to identify male students’ academic needs and provide appropriate support, while educational stakeholders should improve teaching quality, learning resources and the school environment to enhance students’ achievement in Economics. Keywords: BECE, WASSCE, Achievement, Predictive Validity, Reliability
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