Assessment of Students’ Text Possession and Utilisation as Predictors of Achievement in Literature-in-English in Senior Secondary Schools in Osun State

Abstract

This study examined the predictive contribution of students’ textbook possession and utilisation on achievement in Literature-in-English in senior secondary schools in Osun State. It determined the composite contribution of students’ textbook possession and utilisation to the prediction of achievement in Literature-in-English; and assessed the relationship that existed among the students’ textbook possession, utilisation, and achievement to Literature-in-English. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all senior secondary school students taking Literature-in-English in public schools. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed. Seven hundred and fifty senior secondary school students II (SSII) were randomly selected. Two research instruments were adapted, namely: Questionnaire on Students’ Possession and Utilisation of Literature-in-English Texts (QSPULT) and Literature-in-English Achievement Test (LAT). Data collected were analysed using appropriate inferential statistics. The multiple regression results yielded a co-efficient of R= 0.601a. This indicated that an increase in the independent variable might lead to increase in the variation of dependent variable (achievement in Literature-in-English). The R Square = 0.361 revealed that 36.1% (Adj. R2=.357) of the variance in students' achievement in Literature-in-English can be explained by the combination of the two predictors (Textbook possession and Text utilisation). The results showed that text utilisation (β=.142, t=4.369, p= .000) had significant and positive predictive contributions on achievement in Literature-in-English. Textbook possession (β =-.065, t=-2.221, p=.027) was significant but had a weak predictive contribution. Also, students’ textbook possession and utilisation had significant composite contribution on achievement (F=262.703, P<0.00).  Finally, there existed a positive and significant relationship among text utilisation (r=.360, p=.000) and achievement in Literature-in-English, while textbook possession showed a negative and significant relationship (r=-0.297, p=.000). The study concluded that text utilisation had strong and positive predictive contribution on achievement, while textbook possession had negative predictive contribution on achievement in Literature-in-English in senior secondary schools in Osun State.