INFLUENCE OF FEEDBACK ON IKPOBA OKHA SENIOR SECONDARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS` ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ECONOMICS.

Dr. Jackson Joseph NKEKI

Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology
University of Benin, Benin City
07031638612, 08158733358.
jackson.nkeki@educ.uniben.edu
&
Dr. Judith Hannah OSARUMWENSE
Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology
University of Benin, Benin City
08025992106
hannahjudith@yahoo.com

Abstract
The study examined the Influence of feedback on students’ achievement in Economics in
Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. To guide the study, three (3) research
questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated for the study. The survey
research design was adopted. The sample for the study consisted of 200 senior secondary
school II (SSII) students from both Public and Private schools. The simple random sampling
technique was used to select the sample. The research instruments for the study were 4 point
likert scale questionnaire and 50 multiple choice item achievement tests (MCIAT). The
instruments were validated by experts in the field of Measurement and Evaluation in the
Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The reliability of the questionnaire was
determined using Cronbach Alpha while the reliability of the achievement test was
determined using test retest method. The data obtained from the instruments were analysed
using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Fisher`s Z statistics. The findings
revealed that there was a significant relationship between feedback and students’
achievement in Economics as well as a significant difference in the relationship between
feedback and students` achievement by sex. However, there was no significant difference in
relationship between feedback and students` achievement by school ownership. From these
results, it was recommended that in order to ensure that students` perform better
academically; teachers should provide timely and immediate feedback to the students after
test or assignment by giving them their test scripts to know their performance and also
revising the questions with them.
Keywords: Feedback, Students` Achievement, Economics, Revision of Questions &
Assignment

Introduction

Economics is one of the senior secondary school subjects that require effective
learning. It deals with the scientific study of human behaviour in the aspect of production,
exchange and distribution of scarce resources. It is a subject that most students in Nigeria

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offers in school and enrols in Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) every year
and the main subject for studying social science courses in tertiary institutions. It is therefore
important that students effectively study it for better academic achievement. Better academic
achievement is associated with the quality of feedback received by students after assessment.

Feedback refers to the information provided by a teacher, peer, reading materials,

parents or even a learner regarding aspects of one`s performance or understanding. A teacher
could provide corrective information; a peer could provide an alternative strategy; reading
materials such as book could provide information to clarify ideas; a parent could provide
encouragement; and a learner could look up the answers to evaluate the correctness of a
response. Feedback according to Hattie and Timperley (2007) is a “consequence” of
performance.

Feedback indicates to learners where they are in relation to the learning objective and
contributes to strategies on how they could improve in their learning experience. Learners
need feedback in order to learn effectively. If learners do not receive feedback from their
teachers after test or assignment, they might not be able to identify or know the aspects where
they have shortcomings and areas of their strengths. Nicol (2007) noted that when students
stopped having their problem sheets marked; they stopped getting feedback and their
performance decline. Feedback is meant to improve outcomes which include better learners’
academic achievement. Onuka and Oludipe (2004) found that feedback given to students on
their performance can remediate poor performance in Economics. Effective teaching does not
only involve imparting information and enhancing the understandings of students (or
providing constructive tasks, environments and learning), but also involves assessment and
evaluation of students` understanding of the information, so that the next teaching act can be
matched to the present understanding of the students.
Assessment is the only means through which teachers can measure learners` gain in
knowledge after they have been exposed to course of instruction. It serves as means of
controlling the quality of education, its product and progress. The term assessment, in its
broadest meaning, connotes a method of collecting and interpreting data about learning and
students` performance that are used to provide information to students and their parents about
the progress in acquiring knowledge and skills. Assessment is also used to give support to
teachers to modify their instruction and learning activities of their students. Similarly,
assessment provides information to other stakeholders in the educational field that makes

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decisions about educational policy related to students. Assessment focuses on two main
points, namely collection and analysis of data as well as using its reports for decision-making.
Assessment has been defined in various ways by researchers; Assessment according
to Okoro in Ifeanyieze and Aneke (2013) implies an evaluation that involves the collection of
data to evaluate the quality of a programme. National Teacher Institute (2006) asserted that
assessment is perceived as the process of developing and organizing test data obtained from
observation, examinations, test or questionnaire into interpretable forms on a number of
factors that include a variety of techniques to determine achievement in the cognitive,
psychomotor and affective domains. Onuka and Akinyemi (2012) opined that assessment is a
means of determining the extent to which education has achieved its goals and objectives
while Rust (2002) , sees it as appraisal of students’ learning outcome. According to him,
assessment involves making judgement about student’s performance as well as recognizing
the strengths and weaknesses of students in a certain subject.
With the help of assessment the teacher constructs a comprehensive picture of the
short-term and long-term needs of the students. The reason for assessment is mainly classified
into two categories, namely, ‘formative assessment’ and ‘summative assessment’. Formative
assessment helps the teachers with information with which to modify the teaching and
learning processes in which learners are engaged. This has come to be known as:
“Assessment for Learning”. Assessment for learning is not just about helping teachers to
teach more effectively but about encouraging and enabling learners to take more
responsibility for their own learning. Teachers can help bring this about by teaching in a more
interactive way and modelling ways to question, give and receive feedbacks. Formative
assessment refers to all those activities endorsed by teachers, and/or by their students, which
provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in
which they are engaged (Black & William, 2009). It emphasizes the learning process and it is
often conducted on a daily basis. Formative assessment is concerned with assessing the quality
of students` responses in various class works to shape and improve the student’s competence.
Therefore, Formative assessment refers to a practice of eliciting, interpreting, and using
students` achievement to make decisions about the next step in instruction (Black &
William, 2009). It starts from the time the programme commences. Formative assessment is
expected to help students comprehend the content of the subject and other topics using
facilitation and related pedagogies with the aim of achieving learning goals (Black &
William, 2018).

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 On the other hand, summative assessment is the practice of collecting information that
summarizes how much learning has taken place. It focuses on the learning achievement and
often takes place at the end of teaching and learning period. Summative assessment involves
assessing students’ performances at the end of given period through testing or examination. It
is an assessment at some logical and terminal points. It usually comes at the end of course of
instruction. Performance assessment is the most common term for summative assessment. It
focuses on achievement. It is defined as performance-based with no reference to authentic
nature of the task (Rust, 2002).
One of the key components of engaging students in assessment of their own learning
is providing them with descriptive feedback as they learn (Buttler & Winnie, 2005). They
also stated that descriptive feedback is the most significant instructional strategy to move
students forward in their learning. Descriptive feedback provides students with an
understanding of what they are doing well, links to classroom learning, and gives specific
input on how to reach the next step in the learning progression. Studies have shown that
feedback provides reinforcement effect and correctional information (Bardwell, 2008;
Gronlund & Linn, 2005).

Generally, sex has been assumed to be an affecting factor in the process of teacher-
student interactions in the classroom. Sadker and Sadker (1992) stated that teachers`
treatment toward male and female students in schools and colleges is unequal and that school
teachers have been found to ask male students higher-order questions demanding critical
thought and feedback. Thorne (1992) added that teachers allow their classrooms to be male-
dominated by calling on males more frequently. Sadker and Sadker (1992) added that
teachers of both sexes frequently give male students more interaction time than female
students. Kelly (2014) concluded that teachers tended to interact more with boys than girls
both in teacher and student initiated interaction and that teachers ask boys much more
questions and provide them with feedback and response opportunities. Chavez (2000) found
that the difference between male and female students` utterances in the classroom was
significant. This means that the patterns of students-teacher talk were also affected by the sex
of students. Chavez (2000) also found that, in mixed-sex classes, male students initiated more
exchanges with their teachers, made more humour and gave more feedback to their teachers.
Muhammad (2017) carried out a study on teachers` feedback and students’ achievement by
sex. The result revealed that feedback significantly influence male and female students`
achievement. Also, Ersebet (2009) also carried out a study to examine sex differences in

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relation to students` achievement through feedback. The result revealed that student feedback
on achievement brought about a significant increase in achievement in boys and girls. He
concluded that, if feedback was withdrawn, the boys lost interest in the task significantly
more than the girls. Ersebet (2009) interpreted this as being due to the greater social
inclination and empathy typical of females, in contrast with males' typically greater
inclination towards facts and higher motivation to achieve.

Furthermore, considering the influence of school ownership on feedback, Darling-

Hammond (2000) reported that smaller schools are often found to be associated with frequent
assessment, timely feedback and higher school performance. In most cases, private schools
tend to have small class-size than public schools. As a result of this, the data from the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), schools and staffing survey indicate that, on
the average, private school teachers have fewer students than public school teachers. Darling-
Hammond (2010) carried out investigation on how teacher performance assessment can
measure and improve teaching in public and private schools. The result revealed that
feedback on students` achievement was not influence by school ownership. Darling-
Hammond (2010) stated that frequent assessment and timely feedback can lead to higher
school performance.

Statement of the Problem

The learning process is the responsibility of the students. The role of teachers is to
give assistant to the students, which they do through variety of means like assessment and
feedback during the course of their learning. Feedback indicates to students where they are in
relation to the learning goal and contributes to strategies for how students can move forward
in their learning. This periodic assessment of students based on set standards to obtain
relevant information to facilitate judgement and decision concerning their academic
achievement in Economics is imperative, coupled with the fact that Economics is a
compulsory social science subject in senior secondary schools. The subject being an
important one, it is supposed to be taught in the way that students will effectively learn,
assessed and results of assessment being discussed for better classification of concepts.
However, most schools do not have what it takes for teachers to put in their best as most
schools in Benin City are overcrowded. Overcrowded classrooms impact negatively on both
the teachers and students and putting students learning at risk, making it easier for struggling
students to fall through the cracks instead of helping to eliminate the number of students who

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under-perform in school. Overcrowded classroom does not give teachers time to provide
immediate feedback to the students after test or classwork. Some students do not receive
enough feedback from their teachers as a single teacher would not be able to have one-on-one
time with the students that need help due to large class size. Teachers would not be able to
mark assignment or classwork, even if they do, students might not be able to get timely
feedback. Large class sizes do not give teachers time to accommodate for special needs of
students that are struggling to keep up with the curriculum. Reductions in class size are
associated with improvements in students’ achievements (Krueger & Hanushek, 2000).

Teachers` laziness, attitude and lack of knowledge about the role of feedback on
assessment can also make teachers not to provide feedback to the students even in a small
class size. Despite the role feedback plays in improving students` performance, some students
still perform very well in school subjects even though they are not provided with feedback
from their teachers. In view of these, it is necessary to examine the influence of feedback on
secondary school students` academic achievement in Economics in Ikpoba Okha Local
Government Area of Edo State.

Research Questions

The following Research Questions were raised to guide the study:

1. Is there relationship between feedback and students achievement in Economics?
2. Is there difference in relationship between feedback and students achievement by sex?
3. Is there difference in relationship between feedback and students achievement by school
ownership?
Hypotheses
All the research questions were hypothesized
1. There is no significant relationship between feedback and students achievement in
Economics.

2. There is no significant difference in the relationship between feedback and students

achievement by sex.
3. There is no significant difference in the relationship between feedback and students
achievement by school ownership.

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Methods

The survey research design was adopted in the study. The population comprised all
the senior secondary school two (SSII) students in public and private schools in Ikpoba Okha
Local Government Area of Edo State. The sample size was two hundred (200) Senior
Secondary School two (SS2) Students. Simple random sampling technique was used to select
twenty (20) students from ten (10) secondary schools using balloting.
Two instruments used for data collection, were; Questionnaire and Achievement test.
The questionnaire was divided into two sections- Section A comprised the personal data of
the respondent which include the name of the school, sex and school ownership while Section
B comprised 20 items rated on a 4 point likert scale in the order of SA=Strongly Agree, A=
Agree, D= Disagree and SD= Strongly Disagree. The achievement test was used to categorize
students into low and high achievers. It comprised 50 multiple choice items based on Public
Finance and Fiscal Policy. The total score for each student was 50 marks.
The instruments were validated by experts in the field of Measurement and
Evaluation, Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The reliability of the questionnaire
was determined using Cronbach Alpha while the reliability of the achievement test
instruments was determined using test retest method. Hypothesis 1 was tested using Pearson
Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) while hypotheses 2 and 3 were tested using Fishers` Z
statistics. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Findings

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between feedback and students

achievement in Economics.
Table 1: Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) showing Relationship between
Feedback and Students Achievement in Economics.
Variables N Ⴟ SD r df Critical value Decision

Feedback 100 18.69 4.48

.962 18 0.4438 Rejected
Achievement 100 34.17 6.45
Total 200 52.86 10.93

0.05 level of significance

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 The results in Table I revealed a calculated value of 0.962 was found to be greater
than the critical value of 0.4438 at the .05 level of significance (2-tailed) with 18 degree of
freedom. The mean and standard deviation of the students` achievement in Economics is
34.17 and 6.45 respectively. The null hypothesis of no significant relationship is rejected.
This is because the calculated r –value (0.962) is greater than the critical value (0.4438). This
implies that there is a significant relationship between feedback and students achievement in
Economics.

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in the relationship between feedback and

students achievement by sex.
Table 2: Presentation of Fisher`s Z on Differences in Relationship by Sex

Sex No. of r Zr df Z-crit Z-cal Decision

Students

Male 102 0.97 2.0923

18 1.96 2.84 Rejected
Female 98 0.39 0.4118
0.05 level of significance

The results in Table 2 revealed a calculated value of 2.84 was found to be greater than
the critical value of 1.96 (2 tailed) at the .05 level of significance and 18 degree of freedom.
The null hypothesis of no significant difference in the relationship is rejected. This is because
the calculated value (2.84) is greater than the critical value (1.96). This implies that there is a
significant difference in the relationship between feedback and students achievement by sex.

Hypothesis 3: There is no significant difference in the relationship between feedback and

students achievement by school ownership.

Table 3: Presentation of Fisher`s Z on Differences in Relationship by School Ownership

School No. of r Zr df Z-crit Z-cal Decision

Ownership Students

Public 5 0.83 1.1870

School 18 1.96 0.57 Accepted
Private
School 5 0.32 0.3317
0.05 level of significance
The results in Table 3 revealed a calculated value of 0.57 was found to be lesser than
the critical value of 1.96 (2-tailed) with 18 degree of freedom at the .05 level of significance.
The null hypothesis of no significant difference in the relationship is accepted. This is
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because the critical value (1.96) is greater than the calculated value (0.57). This implies that
there is no significant difference in the relationship between feedback and students
achievement by school ownership.

Discussion of Findings

The finding from hypothesis one revealed that there is a significant relationship
between feedback and students` achievement in Economics. The finding is in agreement with
the findings of Shin, Lee and Seo (2017) who in their study determine the effects of feedback
on students` achievement goals. The results revealed that feedback significantly influence
students` achievement. The results provide implications about how to buffer the detrimental
effects of feedback on performance goal endorsement using promotion-focused feedback.

The finding from hypothesis two revealed that there is a significant relationship
between feedback and students` achievement by sex. The finding is in agreement with the
finding of Muhammad (2017) who in his study investigates teachers` feedback and students’
achievement by sex. The result revealed that feedback significantly influence male and
female students achievement. The result of the finding also relates with the finding of Ersebet
(2009) who in her study examine sex differences in relation to students` achievement
feedback. The result revealed that student feedback on achievement brought about a
significant increase in achievement in boys and girls, while, if feedback was withdrawn, the
boys lost interest in the task significantly more than the girls. She interprets this as being due
to the greater social inclination and empathy typical of females, in contrast with males'
typically greater inclination towards facts and higher motivation to achieve.

The finding from hypothesis three revealed there is no significant difference in the
relationship between feedback and students achievement by school ownership. The finding is
in agreement with the finding of Darling-Hammond (2010) who in her study investigated
how teacher performance assessment can measure and improve teaching in public and private
schools. The result revealed that feedback on students` achievement was not influence by
school ownership. She stated that frequent assessment and timely feedback can lead to higher
school performance.

Conclusion

The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study. A significant
relationship was found to exist between feedback and students` achievement in Economics.

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Also, there was a significant difference in relationship between feedback and students`
achievement by sex. There was, however, no significant difference in the relationship
between feedback and students` achievement by school ownership.

Recommendations

It was therefore recommended based on the findings that;

1. Teachers should score the students test and give the students their scripts latest three days
after test instead of waiting for 2-3 weeks.
2. Teachers should employ the use of promotion-focused feedback to safeguard the
detrimental effect of feedback on student performance.

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