The predictive influence of access factor on quality of secondary education in remote areas of Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The dichotomy in the distribution of educational opportunities across African countries has become a recurring phenomenon between rural and urban communities. However, the remote and rural communities seem to be bearing the brunt of uneven access to quality education than cities. Thus, improving access to quality education in remote areas where educational advantages are scarce or not available remains a great challenge in Nigeria. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of access factor (AF: Physical Access-PA and Economic Access-EA) on Quality of Secondary Education (QSE) in remote areas of Southwestern Nigeria (RASN). The study was located within a post-positivist paradigm that incorporated the convergent parallel design. The multi-level mixed methods sampling technique was adopted in selecting 467 secondary school graduates. Six participants for the Key Informant Interviews comprised three principals and three senior officials from the Teaching Service Commission and Ministry of Education from three selected states in Southwestern Nigeria. Secondary School Graduate Aptitude Test (SSGAT) and Secondary School Graduate Access Questionnaire (SSGAQ) instruments were used for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis. The access factor with physical access (67.3percent) and economic access (61.3percent) influenced QSE. The study concluded that enhancing access to QSE should be improved in RASN.