The Impact of Pre-National Diploma Programme on Academic Performance: A Case Study of Selected Polytechnics in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examined the academic performance of students admitted into National Diploma (ND) programme through Pre-National Diploma (Pre- ND) programme and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in some selected polytechnics within northeastern states of Nigeria in order to find out whether there is significant difference between the academic performances of the two entrants. A total of 250 academic performance records (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of students were sampled and 250 questionnaires were distributed among the stakeholders across five polytechnics in Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states to answer the research questions. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used for the data analysis. The Findings revealed that there is no significant difference in the academic performances of "Pre-ND entrants” and "UMTE entrants” on the basis of Student's T- Test as the justification of this claim is apparent from the fact that p-value (0.011) turned out to be less than the significance level at five percent. Conclusively, there is no cause of alarm with regard to the order of the National Board for Technical Education which abolishes the Pre-ND programme since no significant difference was observed in the means of the performance records and the fact that Cumulative Grade Point Average is the yardstick for measuring academic performance of students.