Table of Contents

Differential Item Functioning of National Examinations Council (Neco)

Agricultural Science Questions For 2015

Kelechi Joshua Princewill Ihechu & Adolphus Onuabuchi Madu                                            1 – 17

Communication Skills in an Organizational Setting with Emphasis on Report

Writing, Briefing and Recording of Minutes of Meetings

Ewulo Maria Olanrewaju                                                                                                         18-31

Effects of Case-Based and Observational Learning Strategies on Students’

 Achievement in Chemistry in Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria

Okediji Adejare Alabi & F,A. Adesoji                                                                                       32-59

Teacher-Student Relationship: A Correlate for the Realization of Teaching-

Learning Objectives in Physics

Bada, Abiodun A.                                                                                                                    60-72

Conflict Management Proficiency among Tertiary Institutions Administrators:

The Predictive Roles of the Big Five Personality Factors

Kubiat M. Ineme, Mfon E. Ineme, Bolapeju M. AgboolaRoseline J. Akpan                               73-93

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PROFICIENCY AMONG TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS ADMINISTRATORS: THE PREDICTIVE ROLES OF THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY FACTORS

¹Kubiat M. Ineme, ²Mfon E. Ineme, ¹Bolapeju M. Agboola ¹Roseline J. Akpan

¹Department of Curriculum Studies, Educational Management and Planning, University of Uyo

²Department of Psychology, University of Uyo, Uyo

Email: mfonineme@yahoo.com;

Abstract

The Nigerian school system has been ravaged by recurring conflicts. Efforts to solve or curb such conflict often prove abortive. This study investigated the roles of the Big-5 Personality Traits in conflict management proficiency among administrators of tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State. It was a survey, utilizing ex-post facto design. Multi-stage sampling method was used. A total of 299 administrators participated in the study. Results showed that personality factors (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) jointly predicted conflict management proficiency [R= .411, R²=.088, F(1,295) =3.751, p<.05], accounting for 88% of the variance observed. Openness to experience [ß=.223; t=3.54, p<.05], conscientiousness [ß=.341, t=4.11, p<.05], and neuroticism [ß=-.453, t=-6.11, p<.01] independently predicted conflict management proficiency among the administrators studied. However, extroversion [ß=.067, t=1.23, p>.05] and agreeableness [ß=.012, t=1.10, p>.05] were not independent predictors of conflict management. It is recommended that recruitment and deployment of administrators in tertiary institutions in Nigeria should take into consideration the personality traits of such employees vis-à-vis the conflict proneness of the area or department/units. Experts in personality assessment and educational management should be involved in the selection, employment, and deployment processes. 

TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP: A CORRELATE FOR THE REALIZATION OF TEACHING- LEARNING OBJECTIVES IN PHYSICS

Bada, Abiodun A.

Special Education and Curriculum Studies

Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo.

kunle_biodun@yahoo.com

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of teacher-student relationship on the career commitment of senior secondary school Physics teachers. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. 85 senior secondary school Physics teachers in Ondo central senatorial district of Ondo State were involved in the study. A researcher questionnaire (teacher-student relationship, r = 0.90 and career commitment scale, r =0,76) was used to obtain data for the study. Two research hypothesis were raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance. t-test statistics was used to analysis the data obtained from the study. Result from the study revealed that there was a significant difference in the career commitment of senior secondary school Physics teachers with high and low teacher-student relationship. Again, there was no significant difference in the career commitment of senior secondary school Physics teachers’ base on gender. Recommendations from the study include that teachers should endeavour to improve on their relationship with their students. Also, teachers should create a stimulating, enriched and creative oriented working environment that will be beneficial to promoting and enhancing career commitment among physics teachers.

EFFECTS OF CASE-BASED AND OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Okediji Adejare Alabi & F,A. Adesoji

Department of Integrated Science, Federal College of Education (Tech.) Akoka, Lagos.

Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan.

Email: adejare.okediji@yahoo.com, francisadesoji@yahoo.com

Abstract  Students’ achievement in Chemistry in Lagos State seems not to be encouraging, a trend attributed partly to persistent usage of teacher-centered instructional methods. This necessitates the adoption of students-centered instructional strategies such as theCase-based and Observational learning strategies. The effectiveness of these two instructional strategies in the teaching of Chemistry has however not been properly documented. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of Case-based and Observational learning strategies on students ‘achievement in Chemistry in Lagos State. The moderator effects of gender was also examined. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group, quasi experimental design. The study sample consisted of three hundred and sixty eight students (188 males, 180 females)Senior Secondary School two (SSII) students which are from purposively selected nine different public schools in Educational District I, Educational District II and Educational District VI which were randomly selected from the six Educational Districts of Lagos State. Three schools were used in each of the experimental groups (1and11) and three schools were used as the control groups. Trained Chemistry teachers were used as research assistants for the purpose of this research. In all, a total of nine (9) Chemistry teachers and three hundred and sixty eight (188 male and 180 female) students participated in the study. However, intact classes were used and randomly assigned to treatment. The five instruments used were Students Chemistry Achievement Test, and instructional guides for Case-based, Observationalandmodifiedconventional strategies. Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance and Tukey post-hoc test. Treatment had a significant main effect of treatment on students’ achievement in Chemistry (F _{(2,349) =} 21.12: P<0.05; η² = 0.108). Case-Based learning strategy had the highest posttest mean score followed closely by those exposed Observational learning and modified

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING WITH EMPHASIS ON REPORT WRITING, BRIEFING AND RECORDING OF MINUTES OF MEETINGS

Ewulo Maria Olanrewaju

Institutional Seminar

Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Ogun State

Abstract

The crucial need to upgrade professional ethics in various businesses; organizations and institutions call for effective communication skills in the daily operations of the employees and the management. To address the situation, this paper has delved into the following concepts of organizational communication, which are: types, purpose and factors that influence communications; the communication skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and their application in an organizational setting; report writing, types, characteristics of a good report and report format, briefing, and recording minutes of a meeting. The overriding conclusion is that the acquisition of communication and interpersonal skills make for better services and greater productivity.

DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING OF NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL (NECO) AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE QUESTIONS FOR 2015

Kelechi Joshua Princewill Ihechu & Adolphus Onuabuchi Madu

                                                      College of Education

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture

Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

Email: donsignor4ray@yahoo.com & Adolphus4god@yahoo.com

Abstract

Differential item functioning is meant to find out items that are biased. This study investigated items that are functioning differently in relation to school type (private and public schools), school location (urban and rural schools) using National Examinations Council (NECO) Agricultural Science questions for 2015. The research design employed in this study was a comparative research type of design. The study sample comprised students in Imo State, Nigeria. Four hundred and forty seven (447) students were used. And the test contains 60 items which was administered to the students. Logistic regression was used to analyse the data. The research findings showed that out of sixty items in NECO Agricultural Science questions 11 items were biased in relation to school type and 9 items in relation to school location. The implication of these findings is that NECO Agricultural Science examinations questions have items that are biased along school type and location dimensions. From the result of the findings, it was then recommended that test experts and developers should explore the use of logistic regression in detecting items that are biased before administering them.

Keywords: Differential Item Functioning, Logistic Regression, Item Biased, Latent Trait