Perceived Difficulties in Business Statistics and Business Education Students’ Performance in Business Statistics in Colleges of Education in South-South, Nigeria.

Abstract

Some of the learning difficulties that people interested in Business Education are eager to know are those that are associated with Business Statistics.  Perhaps, because Business Statistics is perceived by most students as a course that requires thinking in abstraction. This study therefore investigated perceived difficulties in Business Statistics and Business Education students’ performance in Colleges of Education in South–South, Nigeria.   Three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. The population of this study comprised 860 third year Business Education students offering Business Statistics in six Colleges of Education out of which a randomized sample of 430 was selected.  A-25 item questionnaire structured on a four-point scale was used for data collection.  A 50-item Business Statistics Performance Test (BSPT) was also used to collect the required data.  Both instruments were subjected to face and content validity by three validates.   Split-half method was used to determine the reliability of the BSPT.  In applying the above method, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Spearman Brown Prophesy Formula were also used to compute the correlation coefficient and reliability index of r-0.77 and 0.87 respectively. The obtained data was analyzed using t-test for the null hypotheses. The analysis of the null hypotheses indicated among others that:Business Education students differed significantly in their performance in Business Statistics based on difficulties in problem representation.  Business Education students differed significantly in their performance in Business Statistics based on difficultiesin statistical calculations. Based on these findings, the study recommended among others that: Business educators should ensure that statistical problems are adequately represented during instruction.Students should intensify efforts towards acquiring procedural and conceptual knowledge pre-requisite for solving simple and complex problems in Business Statistics.

Key words: Perceived Difficulties, Business Statistics,Business Education Students’ Performance.