EFFECTS OF VERBAL REINFORCEMENT STRATEGY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF POOR ACHIEVING PUPILS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF OLAMABORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,

This study sought to examine the effects of verbal reinforcement strategy on academic achievement of poor achievers in English language in primary schools. The study also examined the interaction effect between treatment and gender on achievement in English language. The design of the study is the non-equivalent control/group quasi experiment involving one treatment group and one control group. The sample of the study consists of 120 primary two pupils identified as low achievers. Sixty male and sixty female pupils were used for the study. Two researcher-constructed in instalments were developed; tested validated and used for the study. The instalment is the English Language Achievement Test (ELAT). Two of lesson plans with the verbal reinforcement strategy were used for teaching subjects in the treatment group while the lesson plans with the conventional methods were used for the control group. Three research questions and two hypotheses were analyzed and tested. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The data analysis shows that the use of verbal reinforcement strategy has a facilitative effect on the achievement of low achieving primary school pupils in the English language. Six recommendations were made based on the findings of the study. Introduction One of the seven goals articulated for primary education is to inculcate permanent literacy and numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively. In order to achieve this goal, the policy directs that Mathematics and the English Language should be part of the core curriculum of primary school education. The role of primary education is therefore, to lay the foundation of the school projects. If a good foundation is laid on the subjects at this level, there are likely to be no problems at subsequent levels. However, poor achievement has been observed in school subjects especially Mathematics and English the language among primary school pupils (AH, 1990; Habor-Peters, 1992; and Agwagah, 1993). The role of the English language in a society has been variously recognized and acknowledged. It is the key to effective communication, and very useful to man in his daily living (Crukkshrk and Johnson, 1984). It is therefore important to lay a solid foundation in English language at the primary school level. It has been observed that in spite of the importance of the English language and mathematics, as science and technology based courses and as the key to effective communication, pupils still perform poorly in them. Harbor-Peters (1988) pointed out that failure rates in both school and public examination have been distressingly high and students' performance at every level of education has continued to be low. This downward trend in the performance of pupils is blamed on teacher's inappropriate teaching method. According to Ford and Thomas (1997, Retrieved 2005) there is little consensus on how best to define underachievement, particularly among gifted students. A related issue concerns one's definition of underachievement. In general, underachievement is defined as a discrepancy between ability and performance. Yet, few studies have used the same definition of underachievement. After reviewing more than 100 publications on underachievemenl, Ford (1996) noted that this can be measured using any number of criteria and instruments. School A may use intelligence and an achievement test, school B may use an achievement test and grade point average, and school C may use an aptitude test and GPA. In these examples, the schools have adopted a psychometric definition of underachievement, which is problematic because minority students tend not to score well on standardized tests. Teachers must consider several questions regarding the nature and extent of students' under achievement: • Is underachievement chronic, situational, or temporary? • Is underachievement subject specific or general? • What factors are contributing to underachievement (e.g. poor intrinsic motivation, poor academic self-esteem, negative peer pressures, lack of family involvement, poor studentteacher relationships, low teacher expectations)? The lack of consensus on how best to define and measure underachievement-qualitative or qualitative, amount of discrepancy, nature and extent-all make it difficult to estimate the number of gifted students who are underachieving. With more (1980) estimated that at least 20% of gifted students underachieve, while the U.S. Commission on Excellence in Education (1983) estimated 50%. Ford (1995) found that 46% of the gifted Black students surveyed were underachieving. One of the biggest problems facing educators is that of student underachievement. Teachers and parents feel confusion, frustration, and disappointment when students fail to work to their potential. Gifted underachieving minority students perform poorly in school for many of the reasons that any student might. Yet, as described earlier, minority students may face additional barriers. In short, underachievement is not only a problem,-but a symptom of problems. To address this, educators must explore factors contributing to underachievement; these factors can be categorized as sciopsychological, family-related, peer-related, and school-related. One or all of these factors can hinder student achievement. Teachers, counselors, and families must join in partnerships to best identify and serve gifted underachieving minority students. Table 1: Primary School Examination Results in the English in Olamaboro Local Government 2000/2002 Year of Exam Total Enrolled Pass Fail