APPRAISAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPERIENCE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Uzodinma Uchenna Eugenia
Department of Educational Foundations
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
This study was to appraise of early childhood education experience on academic performance of primary school children. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consist of all the public primary schools pupils totaling 4450 in the Local Government Area. The sample consists of three hundred pupils in Enugu North Education Authority of Enugu State, Nigeria. The research instrument was the school Continuous Assessment Records for data collection. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research question. Hypothesis was formulated and tested using Z – test statistics at 0.05 level of significant while the result revealed that there is a significant difference between pupils who had pre-primary education and those without pre-primary education in the performance cognitive ability, social skills and motor skills. The study concluded it is recommended among others that early childhood education should be encouraged by the government by providing pre-primary education facilities such as classrooms, instructional materials and other play equipments needed for the success of the programme. That if early childhood education experience is encouraged effectively, primary school children’s academic performance will be enhanced for sustainable development.