Influence of Text Message Abbreviations on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State

ABSTRACT The study was designed to examine “Influence of text message abbreviations on Academic Performance of Secondary school students in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. Three purposes of study and three research questions guided the study. The design of the study is descriptive survey while The population of the study consisted of all the senior secondary class two (SSII) students in the (9) public secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Areas. These fifteen (9) public schools contain One thousand and one (1001) SSII students The sample size for the study comprised hundred (100) SSII student respondents which represented the ten percent (10%) of the entire population of SSII students. An instrument titled “Text Message Abbreviations and English Language Examinations Questionnaire (TMAELEQ)” developed by the researcher was used for the data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts: two from English Language Department and one expert from measurement and evaluation Department, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). The internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha Statistic and it yielded 0.73, 0.77, and 0.76 respectively while the overall score yield 0.75. This was considered high enough for this study. The researcher, along with two research assistants administered the instrument to the respondents. Direct Delivery Technique (DDT) collection method was adopted in data collection. A total of one hundred (100) questionnaires were distributed to students, the instruments were properly returned at 100% rate. Mean was used to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that that to high extent (HE) secondary school students in Enugu North Local Government area understand text message abbreviations, to high extent (HE) text message abbreviations influence reading comprehension in English language examinations and that to high extent (HE) text message abbreviations influence essay and letter writing in English language examinations among secondary school students. Based on the findings of the study, researcher recommended among others that more effort should be made on sensitizing the student by both teachers and parents on the proper use of language in communication to enable the student understand the clear different between formal and informal communication.