EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MIDDLE-BASIC LEVEL OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION IN EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This study examined the Evaluation of the Implementation of Middle-Basic Level of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in the Edo-South Senatorial District of Edo State. Specifically, the study set out to determine the extent of the implementation of the middle-basic level of UBE in Edo State. To achieve the objectives of the study, fifteen research questions were raised to guide the study from which two hypotheses were formulated. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of all Middle-Basic Pupils in Edo-South Senatorial District from eight hundred and twenty (820) public primary schools from which Forty-five (45) public primary schools with three hundred and sixty (360) respondents comprising of one hundred and thirty-five (135) teachers and two hundred and twenty-five (225) middle-basic pupils in Edo- south Senatorial District in Edo State, were sampled using the multi-stage sampling procedure. The instrument used to collect data for the study was designed in accordance with Daniel Stufflebeam's framework for evaluation, that is, (CIPP). This consisted of four types of tools: a teachers’ questionnaire, a checklist, an observational schedule, and a proforma for collecting basic 6 pupils’ scores. The questionnaire was validated by three measurement and evaluation experts, and the Cronbach alpha formula was used to obtain a reliability coefficient of 0.93 for the teachers’ questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and percentages to answer the research questions while independent sample t-test was employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that the free-education policy for MBL pupils is partially done with no free notebooks and other personal needs for pupils , there is under-supply  of instructional materials in the middle-basic teachers seldom use the available instructional materials and stipulated teaching methods, school adherence to the mode of pupil schools transition of pupil to upper basic through transferring of continuous assessment to upper basic head of schools was found to be quite low. However, the study revealed a good performance in basic 6 sessional assessment results and there is no significant difference in academic achievement in Mathematics and English Studies between boys and girls respectively. Based on the findings, the recommendations include, effective supervision of activities in the middle basic level to ascertain strict adherence to the stipulated guidelines for the implementation of MBL, sufficient supply of instructional materials and organising of workshops and seminars for teachers especially in the aspects of re-learning how to effectively teach their pupils employing innovative teaching methods while using the provided instructional materials.