Comparative Analysis of Mathematics Performance among Public and Private Senior Secondary School Students in Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State
Keywords:
Class Size, Mathematics Performance, Public Schools, Private Schools, Senior Secondary StudentsAbstract
The study examined the level of Mathematics performance of senior secondary students in public and private schools in Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State, Nigeria. Data from the mathematics midterm test scores of SS2 students in four purposefully selected schools-two public and two private- were used in an ex-post facto research design. An independent-samples t-test was performed using SPSS. Results indicated pupils in public and private schools differed significantly in mathematics (t (226) = -6.86, p<.001). Public-school students' average scores (M = 40.88, SD = 24.66) were significantly lower than those of private-school students (M = 70.26, SD = 12.78). The results show that class size has a considerable effect on senior high school Mathematics proficiency. The statistically significant and practically important differences in performance between children in tiny private classes and those in extremely packed public schools underscore the need to consider class congestion as an issue of educational justice and quality. The report advised that the government should promptly address classroom overcrowding in public schools by providing additional classrooms, hiring more trained mathematics instructors, and providing instructional tools equivalent to those in private schools.
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