Quantitative and Verbal Aptitudes as Predictors of Senior Secondary School Students’ Performance in Economics

Abstract

This study examined the predictive power of quantitative and verbal aptitudes on the performance of senior secondary school students in Economics. The study arose from the poor performance of students in the Senior School Certificate Examination and the General Certificate in Education Economics. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting a total of three hundred and thirty senior secondary two Economics students from ten schools comprising of five private and five public schools. Data were gathered with three test instruments, namely the Economics Achievement Test, the Quantitative Aptitude Test and the Verbal Aptitude Test. The reliability coefficient was established using Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient and was found to be 0.86 for the first test, 0.81 for the second and 0.93 for the last. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and multiple regression of the SPSS. The findings revealed that quantitative and verbal aptitudes have predictive power on the performance of senior secondary school students in Economics. However, quantitative aptitude has more predictive power (B = 0.339) than verbal aptitude (B = 0.206). Based on the findings, it is recommended that school authorities should provide learning materials that will promote the acquisition of quantitative and verbal skills; teachers should use appropriate teaching methods and promote high-order thinking and logical reasoning in the students; and government should recruit adequate and qualified teachers to teach Economics, quantitative and verbal related subjects.

Students’ Academic Achievement in Secondary-School Quantitative Economics: Effect of Feedback with Remediation

“…Accordingly, it is in line with an earlier conclusion drawn by The Understood Team (2017), which stated that remediation helps the low achievers to bridge the gap concerning what they should know and what they already know Feedback together with remediation can help economics students develop their skills in quantitative economics prior to external examinations as suggested by WAEC Chief Examiners in their reports. It then means that for an increased achievement in economics examinations conducted by WAEC, economics teachers should endeavor to administer feedback together with remediation in teaching, learning and evaluation of quantitative economics, since evaluation methods adopted by the teacher in the teaching and learning of quantitative economics is one of the factors for poor achievement in economics (Anazia, 2019;Chudi, 2013;Ugan, 2017).…”

“…As averred by Anazia (2019) and Ugan (2017), the poor achievement of students at WAEC causes a lot of curiosity to the general public as to the prospect of education in these West African countries. Different researchers (Adu et al, 2009;Chudi, 2013;Ugan, 2017) have identified so many factors as accountable for the low achievement of WAEC candidates particularly in economics.…”

“…Different researchers (Adu et al, 2009;Chudi, 2013;Ugan, 2017) have identified so many factors as accountable for the low achievement of WAEC candidates particularly in economics. These factors include among others a lack of skills in quantitative economics (Adu et al, 2009;Anazia, 2019;Chudi, 2013). Quantitative economics is the aspect of economics that involves mathematical/statistical analysis.…”

Cognitive and personality test as a predictor of religious education achievement among students of religious program of Islamic schools in Indonesia

“…In addition, Giofrè, Donolato, & Mammarella, (2018) assumed that verbal tests are able to predict academic achievement. Similarly, Burton, Welsh, Kostin, VanEssen, & Service (2009) and Anazia (2019) showed that verbal tests are strong predictors of academic achievement.…”

The instrument development to measure the verbal ability of prospective high school students

“…According to Oyetunde [21], the items used in the aptitude test measure specific abilities such as verbal and numerical abilities to predict academic performance in educational programs. Verbal and numerical abilities are also predictors of student performance, namely learning outcomes in the field of economics for junior high school students [28].…”