CHAPTER THREE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BENUE STATE AND FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (FCT)

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

3.1     Introduction

This chapter describes the research design and method used to gather data for this research work. It discusses specifically the following: research design, population, sample and sampling technique, instrument for the research and methods of data analysis.

3.2    Research Design

This is a survey study. It involved the selection of a sample from a population scores from the examination body concerned to compare the performance of SS3 students in NECO oral French examinations in two states, namely, FCT and Benue State.

3.3    Population, Sample and Sampling Techniques

Population The population of this study is made up of all the SS3 students offering French language in all the schools in FCT and Benue State. Both male and female students were involved in the study. The students involved were from state schools, private schools and unity schools.

Sample and Sampling Techniques

Because it is impossible to study the performance of all the SS3 students offering French in Nigeria due to constraints imposed by time and money, this researcher had selected two states that are geographically contiguous. These states are FCT and Benue State. The study was also carried out in these states because the researcher conducted NECO Oral French examinations in the years 2000-2002 in the two states. The choice of SS3 NECO candidates for the study was because at this level, the students are expected to have learnt enough French language in the course of their study. It was therefore a purposive sampling technique.

In this study, all the schools offering French at SS3, and all SS3 students offering French in the states under study were used as sample. The decision to study the entire SS3 students that offered French language in those states is based on the fact that very few students offer French at SS3 level in these states. It is also worth mentioning that not all students who registered for the examinations actually sat for the examinations. Therefore, only those who registered and sat for the examinations during the years under study participated in the study. It is also observed that not all the schools registered students for three consecutive years.

3.4    Data Collection Procedure

The data for this study were simply the NECO examination raw cores during the years under study in F.C.T and Benue state. The students’ scores were collected from the examiners’ mark sheets of the examination body. This means that only one instrument was obtained for the collection of data, that is, NECO Oral French test for the years under study.

3.5    Pilot Tests

3.5.1 Reliability and Validation of Instruments

The NECO results/scores used in the study are standardized.

Therefore, the instrument was valid and reliable.

3.5    Data Analysis Techniques

The aim of this study was to compare the students’ Oral French performance in NECO examinations ¡n FCT and Benue State in the years 2000 – 2002.

The t-test statistic was used to test hypothesis 4a, 4b, 5,6,7 while ANOVA was used to test hypothesis 3a and 3b to determine the difference in the students’ Oral French performance according to gender, state and year. The data collection were analysed and the results discussed.