STUDY HABITS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OGUTA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page i
Approval page ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table of contents v
Abstract viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 2 1.3 Scope of the Study 3 1.4 Purpose of the Study 3 1.5 Significance of the Study 4 1.6 Research questions 4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The concept of Study Habits 6 2.2 Defective study Habits 8 2.3 Factors Affecting Academic Performance 10 2.4 Study Habits in relation to Academic performance 13 2.5 Need for Orientation of Students on study Habits 18 2.6 Criteria for Good Study Habits 22

CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Design of the Study 28 3.2 Area of the Study 29 3.3 Population of the Study 29 3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 29 3.5 Instrumentation 30 3.6 Validation of Instruments 31 3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 31 3.8 Method of data Collection 31 3.9 Method of data Analysis 32

CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Data Analysis and Presentation 33

Chapter Five
5.0 Discussion and Interpretation of Result 38
5.1 Discussion of Result 38
5.2 Education Implication of the Findings 42
5.3 Recommendation 43
5.4 Limitation to the Study 44
5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 44
5.6 Conclusion 45
Bibliography 47 Appendix 55

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to determine the nature of the study habits possed by the secondary school students in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State and to ascertain whether there existed any relationship between such study habits and academics performance of the students. Random sampling was used to select the schools and the streams to work on. Using literature as a base, the researchers assembled a list of 15 statements of study habits and sent to those in measurement and evaluation unit. From their responses to statements of good study habits were finally selected. These selected questions were administered on the students. Out of 280 questionnaires distributed to respondents only 132 questionnaires were returned. The researcher also made use of academic records of students got from the various schools. Percentage was used in analysis this data. It was found that secondary school student in Oguta local Government Area of Imo State Possessed different study habits and that students with good study habits achieved better academically.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Each year the government of the federation commits heavy resources to the secondary school education. Yet the academic achievements of students as evidenced by their performances both in their internal and public examination seems to be getting poorer and poorer. This state of affair must be remedind and urgently too if the commitment of the scarce human and material resources to education were to have any justification. Remediation to be effective with depend on the careful identification and manipulation of at least some of the strategic variables that influence academic performance.
Verrom, Adamson and Verrom (1979), have suggested that one of such variables is students study habits. Usually students adopts various study habits but the strategic question is how do these study habits relate to their academic performances.
Effective study, simply put is the application of one’s mind to the acquisition of knowledge with indeth and methodical thinking reflection, attentive observation and careful detailed investigation. Parents have a right to know how their children are doing in school. Naturally, they expect grades that can reflect their children abilities, little wonder that school grades constitutes a major levels of education. Grades can mean the difference between graduating and being left behind, between obtaining a well paid job and getting only a minimum wage. Between receiving their wrath.
Again, many fresh entrances into the institutions of higher learning are posed with extensive reading tasks. While some many explore and acquire useful study techniques that would enable them cope appropriately with any given task, yet some others may devise force and unorthodox methods culminating in examination mal-practices, to sorting etc, and thus they leave the institution without acquiring any useful knowledge.
The student is effective in his student is he achieves the aim and purpose for which he sets out to study.

1.2 Statement of the Problems
In spite of the prolonged campaign for independent study habit, the provision of library and information services still remains a youth affair. This has created a big communication gap among students of Oguta local Government Area. It is imperative that a child who pays action to study gets current information.
This research project therefore attempts to determine the academic performance of students in their study habit. It also tries to identify and discuss the influence of certain factors on the effective academic performance of students study habit.

1.3 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the study habits and academic performance in Oguta local Government secondary schools. The studied will also look at the hours the students study on their own, whether they follow their private study time table, whether they do their home or class work. It also investigates the study habits of all the students and seek to relate them to their performances in school achievement test.

1.4 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study are: (a) To purpose the nature of the study habits possessed by the group of students under study. (b) To ascertain whether there exist any relationship between such study habits and the academic performance of the students.

1.5 Significance of the study The finding of the study will be useful to the classroom teacher and counselors in their guidance of the students learning efforts. It will also help administrators and parents to provide suitable learning environments for students.
It will reveal to students the proper method of approaching their studies. It will also lead to improved academic performance that might justify the commitments of huge portion of the nations scarce resources to secondary education.

1.6 Research Questions i. What are different study habits in Oguta local Government Area? ii. What is the average score of the students who have good study habits? iii. What is the performance of those who have good study habits on school achievement test over those that do not have good study habits. iv. When they are studying and final word they do not know the meaning, do they look out for the meaning from the dictionary? v. How many loners do they spend in extra – curricular activities in a week…

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A STUDY OF THE PRONUNCIATION PROBLEMS OF UNDERGRADUATES: IGBO – ENGLISH BILLINGUALS; A CASE STUDY OF IMO STATE UNIVERSITY.

ABSTRACT
The existence of two languages in the speech system of an individual is one of the major causes of pronunciation problem because bilinguals tend to transfer the rules guiding the production of the speech sounds of a dominant language in a speech community to the sound system of a target language. This is exactly what this research shows about Igbo-English bilinguals at the Imo State University. In a bid to unravel what the pronunciation problem among undergraduate Igbo-English bilinguals at Imo State University, an attempt was made to explain some concepts crucial to this research work. These concepts cut a cross phonetics, English phonology, Igbo phonology, the features of Igbo Phonology, timing bilingualism etc. Furthermore, the Igbo – English bilinguals at Imo State University were tested to reveal the pronunciation problem that existed among them. The causes were found out and the most predominant ones were effect of teaching most of which have been fossilized. Four research questions were posed for the study which resulted in seeking answers through data collection by the use of questionnaire, it is obvious that bilingualism contributes to pronunciation problems, but this could be handled if the government, teachers and students pay their part as suggested in the recommendation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi

Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 3
1.3 Purpose of the Study 4
1.4 Scope of the Study 5
1.5 Significance of the Study 5
1.6 Research Question 6

Chapter Two Review of the Relation Literature/ Theoretical Framework
2.1 Phonology a Level of Linguistic Description 7
2.2 Pronunciation 10
2.3 The English Phonology 13
2.4 The Consonant Sounds 24
2.5 The English Supra-Segmental 29
2.6 Stress 30
2.7 Pitch 34
2.8 Language Timing 38
2.9 Allomorphs/Homophones/Partial Homophones 39
2.10 Bilingualism 48
2.11 The Functional Classification of Languages in a Bilingual Speech Community 56
2.12 Theoretical Framework: Error Analysis 58

Chapter Three: Research Procedure and Design
3.1 Research Design 63
3.2 Area of the Study 63
3.3 Population of the Study 63
3.4 Sample/Sampling Technique 64
3.5 Instruments for Data Collection 64
3.6 Development and Validation of the Instrument 65
3.7 Method of Data Collection 66 3.8 Method of Data Analysis

Chapter Four
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis 68
4.2 Discussion 71
4.3 Summary of Results 74

Chapter Five: Discussion and Interpretation of Results
5.1 Discussion of Findings 80
5.2 Suggestion for Further Studies 82
5.3 Summary of the Study 82
5.4 Limitations of the Study 84
5.5 Recommendations 84
5.6 Conclusion 86
References 88
Questionnaire 91

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study
As human beings, one cannot overlook the primacy of speech in human communication. It is an acknowledged fact that human beings speak before they write and that more time is spent speaking than writing in a life-time. This is the case all over the world where there are thousands of languages. A normal human being will at least be able to speak one language and in fact individuals are endowed with the ability to speak more than one language but may have varying degree of the command of the different repertoires .
What operates in Nigerian is not too different. Several individuals can speak more than one language, more so, when we have several ethnic groups each with its own language. In addition to that, is the fact that Nigerian is a previously colonized nation and there was the introduction of the English language which is the language of the colonialist most people have been compelled to learn English based on the prestige that accrues to those who speak it and the numerous functions it performs. One of those functions is that it unities Nigerians because it bridges the communication gap which would have arisen among the multifarious communities when they have to communicate.
Since the inception of the English language in Nigeria it has been considered the second language, as most Nigerians have their native languages. As such, the English language in Nigeria according to Adetugbo (2004) is the language of education, banking, national politics and government, commerce, most written communication and a virile literature.
It is however important to note that the consequence of bilingualism which is the direct or indirect influence of one language on the other is already rearing its head in Nigeria (Markey 1968 in Akindele and Adegbite 1999). This is because it has been observed that most Nigerian speakers of English mispronounce so many English words which sometimes interfere with the communication process. Interestingly, this abnormality is not restricted to the uneducated; it is also rampant among the so-called elite or the educated could this problem be as a result of ignorance, lackadaisical attitude or purely an influence which those affected have no control over? Whatever the cause, these research works hope to seek and find out.
In a bid to finding out both the phonemes and the prosodies of English as produced by Nigerians, this research is carried out. These shall be compared with the actual way the sounds ought to be pronounced and based on the findings; recommendations shall be given as necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
It is a well known fact, that the pronunciation of a second language(s) poses problems of a different kind from those that come our way when our first language is being learnt. Despite the conscious effort made by teachers, parents and government to impact good speaking habits in students from the primary school level to the tertiary institutions, most students have failed to meet up with the expectations of articulating the English sound well. This problem has continued to rear its ugly head particularly when those that are expected to impart the knowledge fail to practicalise what they teach. Fakoya (1998) confirms that:
Even in situations where training is done, we should consider the linguistic capability of training Personnel. Quite a number of them lack the requisite technical Knowledge and competence that can demonstrate how the language should be used, especially in differing social, official, technical and non- technical contexts. The result: an enlargement of the high basilectel membership. (Pg. 12).

It is in the light of this that this study has decided to find out how much of the pronunciation problems exist among the tertiary school students with particular reference to undergraduate Igbo , English bilinguals at the Imo State University.

1.3 Purpose of the Study The objectives of this research are as follows: (a) To study the English pronunciation of a selection of undergraduate students (b) By so doing to identify the pronunciation errors and other peculiarities present, (c) To classify those errors into types; (d) To account for these errors linguistically, (e) To determine the incident of each error types (f) And to suggest ways of tackling these errors.

1.4 Scope of the Study
Considering the time constraints, this study may not be able to cover every undergraduate at the university (Imo State University), it will only take samples at random and generalization will be made based on that. Also, with regards to sounds, this study is limited only to the phonemic transcription that is those enclosed in slant lines and not the phonetic realization that is those enclosed in square brackets. With regards to the prosodies, only pitch, intonation and stress will be examined out of the numerous supra-segmental that are available.

1.5 Significance of the Study
Furthermore, the significance of this study clearly shows those that stand to gain from the study and how. They are:
1. The teachers of English language especially those teaching the Igbo speaking tribes. This study will help them know what to do and how.
2. The pupils and students being taught this study will help them understand their errors and mistakes and also provide solution for them.
3. The curriculum planners in the school, state and or federal ministry of education. This study will help them know how to plan properly so as to avoid errors.
4. The public or any other individual outside the case study also stand to benefit from this study as he / she will properly understand the dos and don’ts in pronunciation.

1.6 Research Questions
1. Identity the errors in English pronunciation of some undergraduates at Imo state University.
2. Carefully classify the errors into types
3. Linguistically account for these errors properly.
4. What are the ways of tackling these errors?
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