INFLUENCE OF CLASS SIZE ON STUDENT’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the influence of classroom size on academic performance of secondary school students in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State. Four research questions were raised to guide the study and one hypothesized.

 The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 30 principals from the 30 public senior secondary schools with their principals in Ovia North East Local Government Area.The sample size for this study comprised six (6) public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government, Edo State representing 20% of the population of schools and Principals. The schools were randomly selected with simple selection sampling technique.Three instruments were used to elicit information from the study. The Student Enrollment Checklist (SEC), the Teaching Staff Checklist (TSC) and Academic Performance of Students Checklist (APSC). Average class size was determined based on the approved bench mark of 1:40 as stipulated in the National Policy on Education. The Academic Performance was classified into three levels; Above 70% as High, between 50-69% as Moderate and below 50% as Low.

The findings revealed that most of the senior secondary schools in the Ovia North East Local Government Area have high compliance with that of the National Policy of Education with the benchmark of 1:40 for senior secondary schools. It was revealed that the level of students’ academic performance in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State is not encouraging and is low. It revealed a significant relationship between classroom size and the academic performance of secondary school students in Ovia North East Local government of Edo state