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This study is a tracer survey research. According to Kerlinger and Lee (2000), survey research studies large and small populations by selecting and studying samples chosen from the population to discover the relative incidence, distribution and interactions of sociological and psychological variables.

3.3 Variables in the study The variables in this study are:

a) Independent

i) Learner Factors (age, gender, study habit, test anxiety, perceived adherence to exam instruction, perceived legibility of handwriting, coverage of exam syllabus).

ii) Teacher Factors (provision of CA feedback to students, prompt attendance at classes, coverage of syllabus, teaching/examining experience, qualification, gender).

iii) Ownership Factors (school type, school location, sufficient teachers and availability of learning resources).

iv) Examining Body Factors (Monitoring of WASSCE conduct, Objectivity of WASSCE assessment).

b) Dependent: Performance (result) of candidates in WASSCE English Language and Mathematics in Imo State.

58 3.4 Population

The target population for this study comprised Senior Secondary School Principals, English Language and Mathematics teachers and past WASSCE candidates in continuing education centres within Imo state such as Busy-Brain Academy, Eastern Institute of Continuing Education, Sam Njemanze Institute etc. and undergraduates in their first year from Imo State University, Owerri; Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri who sat for the WASSCE between 2010 and 2013 in Imo State, Nigeria.

3.5.1 Sampling Procedure

This study adopted a multi-stage sampling technique. The researcher purposively selected Imo State from the existing cluster of five states in South-East geo-political zone for the study because the researcher is experienced in the culture and language of the environment.

Hence, the following steps were taken: a) To identify the participants from continuing education centres, (i) the researcher did a mapping of these centres in the state; (ii) the researcher requested for the enrolment records of students from the managers. When it was not made available, he interacted with them to find out students who to the centres due to their inability to obtain credit pass in English Language and Mathematics during their May/June attempt as well as the time the students usually come to attend classes; (iii) the researcher also interacted with the identified students and acquainted them with the purpose of the study; (iv) during the interaction, the researcher collected the names of the students, assigned numbers to them and agreed on a date the instruments will be administered on them.

b) To identify undergraduate participants, the researcher sort approval from the heads of departments, who then introduced the researcher to the Course Leaders of the first year students. With the assistance of the Course Leaders, the researcher was able to interact with the students to identify those who were admitted without credit pass in either English Language or Mathematics. The instruments were then administered on the identified students.

c) To identify the team leaders, researcher went to WAEC office at Aladinma to collect the names and phone numbers of their examiners who were of the rank of team leaders. With the phone numbers, the researcher contacted the team leaders and booked appointments for interview with them on the procedure of assessment and personnel involved at each stage of assessment.

d) To trace the teachers and principals of the students, i) the researcher used the name of the schools provided by candidates of the research instruments (School names were removed from this thesis because of confidentiality); ii) The researcher and his assistants went to the

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schools with the lists of the names of students obtained during the informal interaction with the students at the continuing education centres and higher institutions involved in the study;

iii) The researcher and his assistants interviewed the teachers orally to ascertain if they could identify the affected students. Majority of the teacher were able to identify the affected students while some could not. The teachers who were unable to remember some of the affected students were removed from the study. Hence the reduction in the original sample size of the study from six hundred (600) to four hundred and eighteen (418).

Selection criteria: Only candidates who wrote the examination between 2010 and 2013 and did not make credit pass in English Language and Mathematics were purposively selected for the study.

Reason: The choice of 2010-2013 was to ensure that a reasonable number of the teachers were still in the secondary schools where the candidates sat for WASSCE and that the candidates could still remember what happened when they were in senior secondary school, especially during their final year. Tertiary Institutions were chosen because some students have deficiency in their O‟ Level results. Note: Most Tertiary Institutions do not insist on credit passes in English Language and Mathematics for all courses. Some make credit in Mathematics compulsory for science related courses and English Language compulsory for art related courses. So, students in the sampled institutions who do not have credit passes in English Language and Mathematics were sort to explain the reasons why they did not obtain credit pass in the subjects. The reason is to make the study robust.

3.5.2 Sample

The sample for the study comprised Senior Secondary School Principals and their English Language and Mathematics teachers in Imo State. It also involved past WASSCE candidates in extra-mural centres and higher institutions within Imo State as well as English Language and Mathematics WASSCE Examiners who are of Team Leader rank. The total sample size is shown on table 3.1.

Table 3.1: Sample and Sampling Frame

S/N RESPONDENTS NUMBER

1 Principals 53

2 Teachers 109

3 Past WASSCE Candidates

1. Extra-Mural Centres

300 2. First Year Undergraduates 118

4 Team Leaders 6

TOTAL 586

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Table 3.2 Educational Zones in Imo State and number of schools covered in each zone Educational Zones No. of Schools in each

Educational Zone

No. of Schools Covered in the Study

No. of

students traced to their schools.

SEMB WAEC

Okigwe 1

Isiala-Mbano LGA Okigwe LGA

Onuimo LGA 30 56 6 41

Okigwe 2

Ehime-Mbano LGA Ihitte-Uboma LGA

Obowo LGA 34 51 8 66

Orlu 1

Ideato North LGA Ideato South LGA Isu LGA

Njaba LGA Nkwere LGA Nwagele LGA Orlu LGA

Orsu LGA 61 75 6 49

Orlu 2