ABSTRACT

 The study investigated teachers' perception of the influence of ability grouping on the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in Okigwe Educational Zone of Imo State, Nigeria. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The sample for the study consisted of 212 respondents drawn through simple random sampling techniques from 453 senior secondary school teachers. A researcher's-made instrument known as Influence of Ability Grouping on Academic Achievement Questionnaire (IAGAAQ) was used for the study. The instrument was validated by three experts: one from Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation and Educational Administration and Planning, all from Michael Okpara University, Umudike. The reliability index of IAGAAQ was computed using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient with the aid of the statistical package of the social sciences (SPSS) version 22, and a reliability index of 0.86 was got. Data obtained through the administration of the three instruments were organized and analysed using statistical package for social science (SPSS version 22), using frequency distribution, and percentage of outcome while chi-square test of independence was used to test the null and alternative hypothesis with 95% confidence level and a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that majority of the respondents were male (57.6%). 49.5% of them had work experience of 10 years and above. 82.6% of them had academic qualifications of HND/ BSD, while 10.9% had MSC. 60.9% of the respondents strongly agree that ability grouping is beneficial to rapid learning. On the other hand, a greater percent of them (41.3%) agree that mixed ability grouping does not have any impact on the improvement of the students' academic performance. Results of the study revealed that ability grouping is more beneficial to the academic achievement of students. The implications of the above findings were examined and it was recommended, among others that, Imo State Ministry of Education and education institutions in the state should organize seminars and workshops to expose the benefits of this ability grouping as it applies to students achievement so as to make school proprietors and administrators conversant with the process of ability grouping.