EFFECT OF FURTHER MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE-BASED SUBJECTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION IN IKERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, EKITI, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of further mathematics curriculum on students’ performance in science-based subjects in senior secondary certificate examination in Ikere Local Government. The study adopted ex-post-facto research design which involves collection of information from records off our selected secondary school in the study area using stratified random sampling technique. An Inventory was used for data collection and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation)and inferential statistics (t-test and correlation) at 0.05 level of significance .The result showed that there was significant difference between further mathematics and non-further mathematics students’ achievement in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, there was also a significant difference between further mathematics and non-further mathematics students’ overall achievement in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics and there was positive and significant relationship between each of the subjects (Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and other science subjects. The authors recommend that Mathematics teachers should be encouraged to teach further mathematics in the school in order to develop students’ scientific skills right from secondary schools, Further Mathematics, if possible, should be made compulsory for both science and commercial students in secondary schools as majority of them will still take up a related course in further mathematics when they get to tertiary institution, government should provide enable facilities and environment that can assist teachers to teach further mathematics with ease. Facilities such as relevant textbooks, instructional materials and so on and science teachers should incorporate the knowledge of further mathematics in their teaching to compliment students’ knowledge. The School authorities should invite or employ specialist for the teaching of Further Mathematics where they are not available.

Key words: Further mathematics, curriculum,  Pearson product-moment correlation, ex-post-facto research design