Residential Status and Academic Performance in Mathematics

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the academic performance of boarders and day students in Mathematics in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to examine academic performance of boarding and day students in Mathematics in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria: implications for counselling specifically the study sought to investigate whether academic performance in Mathematics is higher among boarders than day students in Calabar South Local Area. Investigate whether male day students differs from female day students in academic performance in mathematics. Investigate whether male boarding students differs from female boarding students in academic performance in mathematics. The study employed the descriptive research design. Thus 525 boarding 845 day students in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria and 274 were randomly sampled from a population 1370. To guide the study three research questions and three hypotheses were raised and formulated respectively. Data obtained were analyzed using independent t-test which involved mean, frequencies, and simple percentage. The analysis yielded the following findings among others: that boarding students perform better in mathematics than day; and male day students perform better than female day students in mathematics. However, there is therefore a significant influence in academic performance in mathematics between male and female day students; and female boarding students performed better than their males’ counterparts in mathematics. These findings were discussed and it was recommended among others, that all relevant stakeholders – parents, teachers, government and school counsellors should take special interest in encourage boarding school for both genders; that there should be adequate parental involvement in the academic activities of day students by ensuring proper study reading pattern in the children and equally monitor their activities and the kind of friends they keep. Boarding school is recommended to parents who can afford it. The school counsellors should try to focus more on day students by way of strengthening the academic activities.