AN EXAMINATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

AN EXAMINATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
            Since the commencement of the department of Vocational and Technical Education, it has been granting admission to a number of students on a yearly basis into various programmes; the department holds one of the larger numbers of students that are admitted yearly into the college of education. The continuous impression of the first year students of the school of Vocational and Technical Education therefore become a matter of concern, especially when the government of the day in our little measure has invested so much in Vocational and Technical Education and technology to make sure it gets to a high esteem. Thus the government will not be attained if performance by first year students continuous on the downward trend. 
            Infact, the economic effect of student’s failure will be better seen when considered in relation to a society like Nigeria that is still developing and hopes for a free education at all level for its citizens when a first year students start his academic career with poor performance, the journey becomes very tough. If such a students continues without any significant positive change in performance, he/she will certainly end up with a class of degree that will place him/her nowhere. Nwagwu (2000) identified a number of factors influencing academic performance of students or educational wastage. He saw the inability of poor families to provide money for books and other school materials. He said that free education could not prevent students from failing on account of financial handicap. After all, the government will not be responsible for things like clothing and feeding. According to recent research, it has been seen that a number of factors influence academic performance of first year students. To determine these a preliminary interview was carried out by the researcher on some education, students revealed that a number of students do not have interest being in college of Education due to various reasons adduced by them. The question now is, how did they come into an education system or programme? And what are the parameters used in admitting students? It has also been observed that universities rejected many because they performed below average. It therefore becomes very obvious that the performance of the first year students in general are those which are either mediocre level.
One could see a large number of students having thirteen carryovers; this persistent trend is quite disheartened. Now the questions are, the factors influencing vocational and technical education students performance? This apparently helplessness is an indication that new direction should be explored in seeking solution to the perennial problems, therefore the need to investigate the factors influencing first year of the school of vocation and technical education becomes imperative.  
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
            The study is intended to look into the factors that are responsible for the low performance of first year students of the school of Vocational and Technical Education in College of Education, Ekiadolor, Benin City.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
            Does student’s perception of teaching profession affect their performance?
What effect do societal values on Vocational and Technical Education have on the academic performance of the students?
What effect do environmental factors in the college of education have on first year student’s performance?
To what extent does availability of fund influence the performance of the first year students in the school of Vocational and Technical Education?
To what extent does the selective undergraduate admission influence the performance of first year student’s performance?
BASIC ASSUMPTION
            The course offered by first year students in the College of Education has little difference from what they have learnt in the post primary school. On this note, first year vocational and technical education students should be able to pass all their courses without a carryover. 
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
            This project will go a long way in contributing to the progress of first year students of the school of Vocational and Technical Education , the identification of those problem which influence first year students academic performance will in the first place re-orientates the selection process of students into the programme and also help in no little measure to lesson the number of failure, knowledge of the factors inhibiting first year students performance could make lecturers and the school authority to realize the role they play to enhance better performance of the research.
To raise awareness on the part of the student’s teacher, parents and those in authority as to the benefit of the subject under discourse.
            To raise awareness on the part of those in the authority about some factors that influence first year academic performance of school of Vocational and Technical Education students.
            To bring to focus areas which need to emphasized or de-emphasized for onward performance.
To recommend solution to some of the factors given rise to the factors influencing first year students performance and equally to secure as source of information to readers, researcher and educational bodies etc.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Performance: This is the carrying out of activities with a resultant effect of positive or negative.
Selective undergraduate admission: Selection of students into all level of higher education i.e. selective admission that influence entrance to a profession.
Stock-In-Trade: Student admitted to run a programme, everything needed for a trade or occupation.