Aptitude Tests as a Co-Relate of Students’ Performance in Achievement Tests in Senior Secondary School Biology

Abstract

Literature revealed that there was poor enrolment of students in Biology related courses such as medicine, pharmacy, radiography, nursing, medical laboratory science, dentistry as a result of poor performance of students in Biology and consequence of inadequate method of evaluation. The purpose of the study was to find out the relationship between the students performance in achievement and aptitude test scores in biology. The design of the study was correlation and the population was all the 1056 students that wrote the SS1 biology and entrance examination into senior secondary II examinations in biology in the 2012/2013 academic session. Simple random sampling (battling without replacement) was used to sample 650 students from 14 secondary schools in Enugu East Local Government area of Enugu Slate. The method of data collection was documentary information of students' scores on achievement and aptitude in biology examinations. Pearson ‘r’ and t-test were used to correlate and test the hypothesis at 5% level of confidence. Based on the analyzed data, it was found out that out of the 10 schools studied, the relationship between achievement and aptitude scores was positive, high and significant.

Key words: Relationship, students’ performance, achievement and aptitude, senior secondary and Biology examination.