University of Nigeria Virtual Library

Serial No

ISBN: 978-2702-30-7

Author 1

NWAGU, Eric K. N.

Author 2 Author 3

Title

Content Validity of Junior Secondary School

Certificate Social Studies Examinations in Anambra State: Implications for Curriculum Implementation and Continuous Assessment

Keywords

Description

Content Validity of Junior Secondary School

Certificate Social Studies Examinations in Anambra State: Implications for Curriculum Implementation and Continuous Assessment

Category Education Publisher

Meks Publishers (Nig.)

Publication Date

Signature

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ada. 28. G. C. Nduka Ph.D. Ag. Provast. Ansmbm State Col@ 9f:

- Educatro~~ Nsugbe. 29. I. E. Ugrm, Ph.D. Dolbic Fiwrcc c&npany Lfd. 0nitshs;Fwmdy

1 I Leckrer, P k m S ; n , %:t CoEcge tf l$iii&wz iicssgve. . . 30. G. C. Unachukwu, Ph .D. Dean, Dept. of StslOents' % i s N d

; '' Azikiwe University, Awka. 3 i. : R. U. Uroezie, M.A. Dept. of AN, Faculty of Social Sci- & ~ m .

. Nrmdi M i w e University, A d a . _ , 32.; 'Ayotunde E.'Yoloye, (Prof) Faculty of E d u d o n , -UeIvc&ty of

Ilsadan, Ibadan. + . - .. - . - ' - v . ' . r 1 l I - . I.

-

-swG-z .%-.aF - 2- -: , --A -7 - -r--*

306 f i m i o l ~

- - -

Conlent Validity of JSSC S o c i d . ~ d i e z ~ i 0 ( 1 ~ in 307 I

-(external) Anambra State JuniorSecondary School Certificate Social Studies -,Examination:VSCE) - tokalvage-the,pupiIs from the ..-!tyrannyv of poor qualityevaluation instruinenti fiat jield unreliable results. The two evalua- tion system (internal and external) c h o t afford to be fiulty, .otherwise the well-planned and good intent programme o f social studies with its laudable

.. objectives'had bettcr be scrapped from schools' schedules. . . . .. ;_ - .. _I . ..... .......... . . . . . . . ...,,, .:..:--:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y,.y,!.,..r.-..,,7 --. :;-* z.-. y.;.-,:," .A? .?.- .!.,

. . . ...... THE :PROBLE~. .. - . . . . . . . . I ..*. .-... .':,... ,-: : . : .~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .:L: ,The problem for this study, th&fo&is the determination ofthe content

vdidity >of the ' Anantbrzi .State Junior- Secondary school &ial studia . . . . . . . .., . . - . -Emin i t i ons . (~sC~) . .+ : 1.:. ;: :. .;:-; ::::,:.. .. :- .,.. ' . . . .

. . . . . -1: Specifialiy, the purpose of this siudy.is to::. :.. ..:J,::- . . , .

(a) : And out the ortent &d pattern of JSCE item coverage ofthe sock1 -studies topics;, - - : - . . - . .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . ' .,': - . . . . .

@) !-find out &~~prcadofsheJSCE items across ~loont's (1956) taxonomic . . . . . . ' ~ 2 'levels of cognition;, .-. 1 . - :.: ... : ... ;:;::..?. :.-' - . . ~ , e

(c) identie the inlplications of the quality (i.e. content validity) of the - .,. JSCE ior effective social studies cumculum implementation;

(d) identie he-in~plication .of the quality (content validity) of the JSCEs for the continuous assessment of the outcomes of pupils' social studies . . in Anambn State Junior Secondary Schools (JSSs).

. . . . . . . .. ? . . . . . . . . . . - r - . ;?:, '; :. . . . , , . . . . . -:, . - .. _. . I METHODOLOGY . , :.. .. . . . . . . , ,. , . . . Sources of Data: ' , _ _ _ I . _ . . . _ . (i) , ::-The Nations; Curriculunl for Junior Secondzty School Sosial Studk

' (SSC). This curriculum package has three separate sections in respect . , .So the three levels (or classes) of~unior ~econdary School (JSS). Eadi

section contains eight.topic6 agaicsi each of which are specified the ;...behavioural objectives, the contents to be covered;some important

;.:.issues to note and sonle usehl suggestions about possible instructional ,.- , . . . - .. nlethods and materials.. : . : . : . - .: . . ,

(ii) - -,The Anambn State Junior Secondary Schod Certificate Social StuF ies Examination (JSCE) question ?apers for 1985 .(JSCE - 5); 1985

Method of ~ata~&&tion and Data Analysis . . :- . - .. - .., 7 . . ,There a r e ~ ~ f r , seventeen topics in the^^^. Someofthem appear -

in more than on&:%?&-ee sections-afthe SSC. .The topics were pooled . togct hzr (as sllonfi& Table I ) irrespective of the sectionsin which they fall,. " .- .- - . > . < and~rumbcrcd 1 to 7 p , ..- .- . . - & . _ .,-. I,, - .,% .I: ;,A,. ?-- .r"

-.incorporates ..-. two specific tasks, nan1cly:'the identi- fication of tlic C;~ij7g@0f leadership and the identification of thefypes of

. .:, . . Icadcrsliip. .,: :;;;1-1=;1.~:;-;.. - .. , . . ..:I . .. . .. - ,,- ,. .: 2 L:...b;l2 - . .

, . . . , - ,

Content Validity ofJSSC Social Studies E m i n d o n s in A m b r a State 309 - .-

TABLE 1:

Percentage Weights of Curriculum Emphasis (P WCE) and the Per-

centage Weights of Testing Emphasis (PWTE) on the Social Studies

Social Enviromir.~it' Physical E~iviroiunait ~ o - o p e r k o ~ i h d cot; ' licts Civic Rights and Respoiis~hil ilies. k d r r s l u p , Follower- ship and ~or isc~~;ences CuIture and Idait~fy Institutions Socialim!ion: Its Agencies and Proccssrs {igzrian Cultiird Pattenis and their l-I~.;tonwl ihigin Conimon Mcritage and Na~ional Symbols Devdopiiicnt bcietal Chnngcc Over Tiin\: National Economic Life Scieacc, Tccli;~o!cgy a id Society TheOrigiti of Man ' The World and Its P q A e World Transport mid Co~tuiiunication

P U'CE --.- .

JSCE- - TOTAL - 8.67

11.00 - --

0.67

1.67

4.67 4.33 18.66

3.67

0.G;

0.67

3.33

13.00

.5.00 7.33

15.66

1.00 - '1 00.00

.--:-- .?-.-.L= ' . . . -, - . -- :-- .- !. , , , , . , , . 2 4 ' - .. -7 - .. . , . :-..- ... . . . . . 3 10 Dinlcnsions o fC~ .&~; i~~Z&an Education Systan ,. .r: - . -. . - ~C- . :. . . .: :-: - - .

. ... . ~ . . - ,. .- --.- . .~ -- . . . I' ' . ... : . TABLE 2 :+,: . :,,---rz.,-. . -..-z7- - P -. -t-, . ,=.-.-.. -- . '..,.~.' : . ,,L . . . . . m : . . - ' . ~ < .'..,. ;.-:."'; . . . .- . , - - - , . . . -. : . , . -

. ~e~c~nf~gc:':~?~i~~rk'i;~f . -,. .. ,. ~ u i & ~ r i m .. Emphasis (PWCE) ividihe.,l.:i.~., - , -.: ,.. . - . . -'i- .-.-/.-; ;. Percentage Wd@i{$x:~es t in~ ~ m ~ h a s i s PWTE) on the Cognitive

s;-..+: .-,.. - .- 2., : -...A .m: ' -

- ,-. --. -- Lev& for t / ~ e Three JSCE Years. . --..--, - .-- ..-. - -- *-*g&&>*. ; , , ' , ! - .~ . ~ #.,

! C O : I ' ~ I Validity ofJSSC Social Studia Eminations in Anambra State 3 I 1 . . :. - .. -Lk . : ......... , , I . . - . 1 respectively. I r k ,the subsequent year, 1937, the . . . . degree of relationship (r = , , - . . 1 ' 0 .15) ,~& &t.fbulld significavt 0j'< 0.05). ' . - . . . . . .-., A - - . i:;;;:,. w,, . . . ........ ". [ . . . . . - - . . . . . . . --T~eanalysis byinspection rehaled that ~ ~ C ~ ~ O ~ ' ~ ~ ~ Y S C E - S ; J S C E - . - . ~ ~ . - I . . . >.-. . J s . . - ., -- . 1 - . . . 6. . ind ;ISCE-7. same -.*, topics. . . . . which 'have h & v - ' ~ ~ ~ ~ * i . e i t h e f n ~ t ,:-,:

% eQaluated at all or given very light PWIE. ~okve r se l~ , st ;heiopi~~ 6f iight - or average PWCE .were given disproportionate heavy PWTE. - - 7 , 'p :A 1. . . . . . . .

;. -,Moreover,.,it was found out that the low cognitive levels (kn&ledge ' and_~on,~rehensibn) wire nlostly ernphaiized in both the ~ ~ C a n d t h e J S ~ ~ s . .. - . ~orhstanc~,.:,~hilethesum of the PWCE on-low cognitive Ieqels w& 83.62, - ' ,. '. * its PWTE countcvarti were,86,89 aid 89,-re~~&tive!~ ~O~JSCE-~, 'JSCE- - . 6 and JSCE-j (sce Table 2). 1n ~eneral,'.there'~s~ere no a t .the evaluation,md s j n t ~ l e ~ s lcvils' of cognitio~: .' ' ' ' . ' . ' . .,. ' g. d . . . . . . . . , , , . . . . . . -:,- . - . . . . . ,... .~ . ; - - i . ..:.,:.!:.*.. ';' z - y-; ! ' . . . . . i : : . . : . . . - 7 ; J . . . . . . . . . .::r,: '. DIsCUSSIOIV~~ ' ' . ' ' ', " .' . .', ;< " - . . ' :J.C ,. - , . ; , - . . ' . - - . . , .

,-. ,Thc significant relatio~~ship between the composite weights ofernpha-. sis given,to thc topics by both the curriculum objectives (OSTs) and the I985 and 1986 JSCES, ; 3 the 6ne hand and the ap'parent a~reenient betweeithe conlpasite rveialits of ~ i l ~ ~ i i n s i s given to the low'and high cbgnitive levels by both the ~urricu!unl'objectives (OSTs) a d the 1985 and 1986 JSCEs on the ~ t h e r hands, scems to connote high content validity for the two esanlinations. . This is just as much as the 1oiv dkree of relationship (r = 0.15) between the emphasis y:l;ich thc curriculum and the JSCE-7 place on the seventeen topics whit!? also signi'f\;lio\\l ccntcnt validity foi the 3SCE-7. These are as far 3s

' statistical analysis inn takc us in this studi.'3t h& to be noted here that tlle , int~r~rctation . . . . . . and use oftlic relationships evidence^ ir! thevarious correlation

. . cocfficicnts cjmputcd in t!lis study should be done'with'caution. '....""' - . , ;. . .Acri t ia l study ofthe distribution of questions across the topics and

' tasks d l o ~ s il;&o& topics and bski f a ~ o k d more than others in testing. Five out of.tlx'sk\m:ccn . . . . . . topics were nbt evaliated in the 19S5 3SCE.The topics containabout ? .~.4%ofthe~sks $xifie. in the&&c"lum. Sin~iIarly, some-otl,cr t?pics,\vhich are highly weighted . in the . curriculh received very ' . . . . . . - .

/ .. . ' . . :, -1.- . ,- -. . . . . . . . . . n~ininuitestin~'il~~phasis. .,

.,--r,In.the.same )-ear (1985), hvo i~pics. "1nstitutions''ind "National Economic ~ifc":svh~cl~ togetllcr hai~c 18.4%\veight-of curnc!:!um emphasis \yere giver1.65'%, Gtcntion in ivaluation. n e impli&tii.n of-&is-is tht any pupil n.ho had mastercd onljv the L o topics and their tzsks &d llad &en the

. . . . - . , .. , . . . . . . . . . . -..

,- - >:-= I . _. examination along$iItii5$er pupils who dissipated their energy studyingthe seventeen top~cs-~O.;fiif'i:~ve had a better chance of higher achievement in the exercise. One amc;. . . &&$fore, &rt-c&sidering suchtestias being content valid when it is of proyen bias in item distribution across the instructional

. - . - - -. . ~. - - - -. , topics. - . . . - . . j : 3 , r - ,, The above observation -- . - ? + - is consistent with the other tests (JSCE-6 and

- JSC-E-7). In the JSCE-6, f i r instance, five topics (namely: Co-operation and Conflicts; ~ ~ c n c i c ; - ~ d . * a ? - - 7 Processes of Socialization; Common Heritage and National S~mbols~Qcy3oj>rnent; and World transport and communicatibn) -' were left in thc da?Fo"$aiuation. These topics account for about 22.4% of . the tasks prescnteh the objectivks (OSTs). The main trust (i.e.'67% emphasis) of the eid&tic:l that year was directed to five topics which accounted for X.2%&f the Social Studies Curriculuni (SSC) tasks. The test therefore lacks contint validity. .

, 1n general,@frh&of ex&ination questions distribution for the three years had been the &casiokl or regular favour of five topics and the partial or total ncp&ct of-@& iopics Thc neglected topics are by no means less

.I

important than ihe favourcd topics. They are the topics that actually give the subject ;he citlze~isliip education orientation it has or it is supposed to have. Such ncglectcd topics as avic rights and responsibilities; co-operatio'i md conflict; Nigerian cultural patterns and thcir historical origins; common .

heritage and National s p b d l ; aid Development, can be found inva!uable in ;..-,.I,-,,+;..,, fiIIVUI-CfiAI5 v.mt.,,,.,-. a k U I ; u I I c L ! an,. ~ ~ ~ ~ S C ~ ~ G S X S S , j ; ~ t : i ~ t i ~ : ~ , s~cia! :cspons!!i!it;., s ~ k !

tolerance, respcii for othef ctiltures and the need for national unity and , - -

development in the srudcnts; Thcsc are some of the values and virtues which Social Studies arc dcsigned to inculcate and sustain ii students and also project in the suci :.y at large..Eut when the topics which directly bear these values are neglected in evnlvition, the tendency ~vould be for the teacher to ' ignore the topics du;in2 instructio:t, and that would n m k the failureofSmial -. Studies progrrunnic in the State. + s . ,,

One is very much aware of the inipossibility of evaluating all the SSC tasks in oiie examinntion (test). The ccnsidcntion of all the topics and afkir,, representation ofthe tasks presented in eich topic is the point ofmy advocacy hcre. Situations abound in the three JSCE in \\hidl only few tasks within la topic is inte!isl\dy tested, \vlde-jinny other tasks in the same topic are n@ givcn due attwtion. For ins'm'ce, the topic, "Leadership, Followership and

. :: &tent Vslidnv of JSSC Social S w d i a Examiiryions in ARambrr Stlc 3 13

the ofa.gobd follower and the consequences ofgoodlbad leadership '' or followership. Perhaps, the'examiner feels that all the &dents are being " prepared for leadership roles at all times, and not for followership or for lawfit1 correction of the excesses of a bad leader. What is being suggested

'

here,,therefore, is that different aspects of a topic should be considered for - examination at different times rather than evaluating one or two of the many ' .' . - objectives and tasks in a topic at all times.

3 - h the case of the deyt!! of the examinations, the result has shown that ' most of the questions requirepypils to operate at thelow levels of cugniticin. _ ' In short, most of the questions seek pupils' howledge of (or ability to recal!) facts ,and infomiation about their social environment. This should ,not be interpr&d as a weakness of the examinations. Ideally, the complexity of achievement exanination questions should not deviate much from the com- plexity implied in the objectives of instruction. In the prese~t w e , the OSTs in themselves are nla~nly oflow cognitive levels. In effect, it is not out ofplace to have the JSCE qitcstions at the low levels of cognition as is evident in the three e'sa~ikations under consideration.

.. 4 - % IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION

In L!e words of Ndubisi (198i j, "fie type of evaiuaiion devices or instruments used to measure and judge the learning that has taken place affects irmnensely the type of texhing and learning to be engaged in by teachers and pupils". Cronbach (1963) maintains that "... the learner's goals depend on what evaluation he anticipates. Goals not reflected in evaluation proce$ms will be neglected".

T h e finding from this study that some Socia! Studies topics are neglecfed in xilustion is an indication that a st&e is being set for the devaluation of Social St~die

. - Cot1:mt Vnlidity of JSSC Social Studies Exm~imtions in Anambra S w 3 15

- REFERENCES. - . - r - 1 -

2 u-.'; :-, .... L--- ............-.... ---,. r . . . . . - Bloom, B. S. 1956 (ed.) Taxonomy of Educational ~bjecTves, Handbook

I: Cognilivc! Domain, New York: David Mckay Group. . . Cronbach, L. J., 1563 ''course Improvement Through Evaluation'!. Teacher

Colleg$ Record, Vol. 64, pp. 672 - 683. . I ,

Deighton, L. C . 1 97 1 (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Educafion, Vol. 9, New i t - - York: Macmillan Company and the Free Press. -- , - .

~ i a g u , E. K. N., 1985 "Validity ofTeacher-madeGeography Test Used in Secondary Schools in Anambra State". Unpublishd M.W. Thesis, Department of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsu3kka.

Okunrotifa, P. O., 1977 Evaluation in Geography, ibadan: Oxford Univer- sity I'rcss.

Ndubisi, A. F., 1 % 1 "Curriculum Evaiuation", In Onwuka, U. (ed.), Czrrrictibrnr Devrlopmenf for Africa. Onitsha: African Publishers, pp. 118 - 152.

I

Uzoamaka, A. 1983 "Content Validity of Teacher-Made Questions in - Econotnics Used in Secondary Schools in Imo State", University of

Nigeria, 7J ,ukka.

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