Building a Skilled and Inclusive Society Through Educational Measurement and Evaluation: Evaluating the Effects of Drug Abuse on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers-East Senatorial District of Rivers State.

Abstract

The study evaluated the effects of Drug Abuse on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers-East Senatorial District. Descriptive survey research design was adopted and the population was 12,124 senior secondary school students while the sample was four hundred (400) which was determined using Taro Yamane Formula. The data collection instrument titled “Drug Abuse and Academic Performance Questionnaire (DAAPQ) was validated by two professionals who majored in Educational Measurement and Evaluation. The instrument was pilot tested and Cronbach Alpha was used to establish reliability of the instrument. The data collected was analyzed using mean and grand mean. The findings revealed that the cause of drug Abuse among senior Secondary school students is the false impression that drugs stimulate intelligence, strength and wisdom and one of the recommendations made amongst others is that the Ministry of Education (State or Federal) as a matter of urgency should return to School Boarding System as to critically checkmate the activities of the students and screening each and every one of them by National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA).