THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS, SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND JOB PERFORMANCE QUALITY OF THE NORTHERN STATES' AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANTS

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Date
1973
Authors
Washima, Mbatiavkaa Daniel
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS, SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND JOB PERFORMANCE QUALITY OF THE NORTHERN STATES' AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANTS BY Mbatiavkaa Daniel Washima This study investigated the relationship that might exist between entry qualifications and the school achievement of the students of the Northern States' Agricultural schools. The study also investigated the relationship between school achievement, entry qualifications and job performance quality. This should be important to researchers because of the connections frequently made between entry qualifications, school achievement and success in a job. Several variables, referred to as worker characteristics, were selected for this study. These were interest, ability or capability, practical skills, technical knowledge in agriculture, attitude, devotion and sense of commitment to duty, school achievement, style of interest stimulation, discipline, techniques in problemsolving, understanding of people's needs, problems and working out of programmes. Data for the study were collected from 25 Agricultural Superintendents and 44 Agricultural Assistants from former NorthCentral and Benue-Plateau States using structured questionnaire. iii The data were analyzed using percentages, descriptive narrative, the non-parametric chi-square (X2) statistic and the Rank-order Correlation. The results of the study indicated the following: 1. Job performance quality can be explained statistically using the following variables: (a) interest (b) attitude to work (c) ability or capability (d) practical skills (e) school achievement Statistical tests of the data revealed a significant relationship (p<.05) between these variables and quality of job performance. The other variables were not statistically significant (p>.05), but the calculated percentages from the gathered data indicated a very close association. 2. The Agricultural Assistants without secondary school education were found to be better in general extension while on the other hand the secondary school Agricultural Assistants were found to be better in assignments other than general extension work. 3. The Agricultural Assistants without secondary school education were higher than the Agricultural Assistants with secondary school education in the quality of school achievement. 4. The General Agricultural Certificate Course final first and second year examinations correlation levels fluctuated and the fluctuation could be due to low reliabilities of these examinations, iv and the fact that the subjects taken at the entry qualification examinations are usually different from the ones taken at the Agricultural Schools. 5. Correlation between school achievement and job performance quality may be negative for the following reasons: (a) lack of prospects for progress to higher positions; (b) the situation outside the Agricultural Schools might not be conducive to good quality job performance; (c) delay in appointment might cause loss of interest; (d) lack of incentive while the Agricultural Assistant is in the field; (e) the Agricultural Assistant with poor academic standing may be scared by an idea to be redundant. 6. The quality of job performance in the field could be explained among other variables, by work behaviour, the level of school achievement, interest, ability, attitude to work, and practical skills. It was felt that in investigating the relationship between entry qualifications, school achievement and job performance, a bivariate analysis using the chi-squared (X2) statistic was good. However, a multivariate analysis could also be used. This study did not seek to know the problems that could inhibit good quality performance because this was beyond the scope of the study. It would therefore be worthwhile to undertake further studies that might consider pertinent problems that inhibit good v quality performance and the appropriate solutions to these problems. Other aspects suggested for further research included the consideration of training institutions themselves as factors that could explain school achievement and job performance quality, the investigation of more specific things such as the study of situational factors determining school achievement and job performance, the measure of school and job success.
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS, SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND JOB PERFORMANCE, QUALITY OF THE NORTHERN STATES' AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANTS
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