EFFECT OF COMPARATIVE GRADING IN MATHEMATICS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN ABA EDUCATION ZONE OF ABIA STATE

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of comparative grading on students’ mathematics achievement and self-efficacy beliefs in Aba education zone. Also, the study explored the influence of gender and interaction effect on comparative grading in mathematics achievement of students’ self-efficacy. Four research questions were asked and four hypotheses were formulated and tested at the (P<0.05) level of significance. The study adopted a non – equivalent control group quasi- experimental research design involving one experimental group and one control group. Four co-educational secondary schools in Aba North Local Government. Area of Abia State were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control group, and used for the study. A total of 200 SS One students (100 males and 100 females) in four intact classes were sampled and used for the study. Two instruments, Students’ Academic Self-efficacy Beliefs Questionnaire (SASEBQ), and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were used for both pre-test and post-test. Data collected using the instruments were analyzed using descriptive statistics in answering the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses. The result of the study showed that Students who were exposed to comparative grading achieved significantly higher than those exposed to criterion referenced grading. Also, there was no significant difference between the self-efficacy belief scores of male and female students on mathematics. Based on the findings, discussions implications and recommendations of this study, suggestions for further studies were mad.