ASSESSING THE TREND IN HOME ECONOMICS STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1      Background to the Study
Home Economics is one of the compulsory prevocational subjects taught at the Secondary Education level in Nigeria educational system. According to Anyakoha (2007), Home Economics is a skill oriented field of study that is expected to equip learners with survival skills that make for self-reliance, employment and paid employment. Occupational skills are best understood as competency on resourceful skills capable of steering an individual to be self-reliant, independent and productive in meeting lives challenges. Creese, A. (1976) said occupational skills are life survival skills which an individual needs to function effectively and face the challenges of life. Occupational skills in Home Economics include food and nutrition skills, home management skills and clothing and textile skills. By teaching occupational skills Home Economics Education Program enables an individual to learn, explore and prepare for a job or trade. Thus Home Economics could play a significant role in achieving the goals of the National Economic and Development strategy (NEEDS). These goals include wealth creation, employment generation, reduction of poverty, elimination of corruption and the general reorientation of values.
The fundamental basis for economic and social well-being of a country lies in the understanding by its people the basic home and technological knowledge.  There are number of different forces that have led to strong concern about the low quality of home economics knowledge, skills, values and performance among students over the years. Secondary school education is regarded as the foundation towards higher knowledge in tertiary institutions. It is an investment as well as an instrument used for achieving economic, social, political technological and scientific development in the country. However, people at times blame the students on their negative performance in secondary school their low retention, parental factors and poor attitudes toward learning. Aremu&Oluwole(2001) believed that the falling level of academic achievement is attributable to teacher own use at verbal reinforcement strategy. Others found out that the attitude of some teachers to their job has a significant impact in their poor attendance to lessons and lateness to school which can negatively affect the students’ performance.
The differential scholastic achievement of students in Nigeria has been and is still a source of concern and research interest to educators, government and parents. This is as a result of the great values that education has on the development of such country. It is crystal clear to everyone in the country that the standard of our educational system has considerably fallen. Parents are of the opinion that their huge investment on the education of their children is not producing the desired result. Teachers as well are concerned about the fall in their students’ academic performances at both internal and external examinations. The annual releases of Senior Secondary Certificate Examination results (SSCE) conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) justified the problematic nature and generalization of poor secondary school students’ performance in different school subjects. 
Poor academic performance has been observed in school subjects especially in Home economics among secondary school students. Academic failure is not is a concern for both the students and