TEXTBOOKS USE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CORE SUBJECTS

Standardized textbooks are very important resources that are used in teaching and learning to facilitate learning and learning outcomes in schools. This article determined the association between standardized core subjects’ textbooks use and academic achievement of senior high school students in West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the Volta region of Ghana. A correlation design was used to carry out the study. A random sample of 32 senior high schools was obtained for the study. Questionnaires were administered to 96 teachers and 32 librarians to rate how often textbooks were used in the classrooms and in the library. The study found that textbooks were very much used in teaching and learning as well as in the library and that a positive correlation exists between textbooks use and academic achievement in the schools. Moreover, schools that had high textbooks use rating scores had statistically significant achievement test scores than schools that reported relatively low textbooks use rating scores. The study suggested standardized textbooks should be fully utilized to facilitate learning in schools rather than storing them for safekeeping.