Some years ago, while conducting a workshop for a group of educators in Kaduna, I asked a question. "Why do students fail?" The reasons provided by these educators were numerous, but also quite logical. Some of these reasons include poor teaching, laziness on the part of students, inattentiveness, ignorance, social media, parents, exam malpractice, learning disability, peer pressure etc. As I listened to those educators reel out these factors and lots more, it became clear to me that all these reasons had one common denominator, that is, poor learning or no learning at all. Students record poor academic performance when learning is either insufficient or at zero level.

Over time, I came up with a working definition for learning. Learning is the process of converting external ideas or concepts into personal and secure information. Students who thrive well academically have simply learnt how to convert external concepts into personal and secure information. In other words, such students now own the information. Of course, you can convert concepts in a thousand and one ways, depending on individual differences.

Learning is not cramming. In cramming, students secure the information but don't personalise it, and so it never lasts. You can personalise information by paying attention to the why, what, how, where etc. of the concept from which the information is derived, not by cramming. I do not outrightly condemn cramming, however, learning holds greater benefits. Cramming can be done hastily, but true learning takes time. So, learning entails asking relevant questions. In fact, it's a process, not an event.

Teacher4Life

nice post..

Nice one

Great info, thanks for sharing. Usually, I study for exams the night before. Most often I pass exams.

Well, Emirett, I agree about passing exams even if you read a night before such exams. But the big question is, are you really learning by doing so? I don't think so. There is a huge difference between passing exams and learning. What you're doing is actually cramming. As a teacher, my goal is to help my students to not just pass exams but also to learn. I hope this answers your question.

my is i'm having serious lssu with spellings... don't know how to over come that.

More power to your elbow.

Victor20206:
my is i'm having serious lssu with spellings... don't know how to over come that.

How old are u? And your level in school

Really

damnnn niggarrrr
Bros op all these long talk nor too much

The reason why students fail exam is because the systems was designed for students to fail

Victor20206:
my is i'm having serious lssu with spellings... don't know how to over come that.

First of all do away with abbreviations of words in anything you are doing be it chatting or whatever

“Find out where the people are going and buy the land before they get there.” ~William Penn Adair

Our system no support learning.

La pour, la cram, la forget. That's how the system works here

We get y.

Victor20206:
my is i'm having serious lssu with spellings... don't know how to over come that.

You can expand your knowledge of English vocabulary by developing the habit of reading novels and inspirational/motivational books. While doing so keep a dictionary close by, so you can look up words which seem strange.

Secondly watch more of American/English movies that are subtitled in English. Doing these two things have really helped me with spellings, pronunciation, tenses and sentence construction.

God bless you

Cram and pass

Okay...

Dear Original Poster,

Those reasons up there are just a product of dogmatic Nigerian belief.

None of them is plausible enough.( I respect your opinion,however)

A very solid but yet overlooked reason why students fail is founded on the level of parental interest.

Parents are fundamentally responsible for the failure and success of their wards in that, the amount of interest you put into their academics, the amount they relay to their studies.

You're a teacher, Research.

A great deal of students whose parents are less interested in their works fail. What do they have to lose?

But students from households of almost-excessively interested parents do well.
First to impress them, secondly, because they can't seem to help it.

Because we have placed a high pedestal on grades alone so students prefer to go straight to the point without caring to know that's why a lot read only when exam is close which shouldn't be

Okay

Spot-on

Ask gog

nawao

okay

All this one is just long story. Some students are just naturally dull in respect to Academic work no matter how hard the teacher or student tries.

I have seen people terribly woeful academically but they are smart and sound in technical or dexterous activities.

Hmm

Exactly

Nigeria and it's useless education ....la cram la pour....I remember then during exam periods especially on the day of exam you will see some guys walking to and fro uttering and mummerinh words to themselves... it will look as if they are praying meanwhile dudes are reciting what they read over and over so it sticks...1 week after and they can't remember shit...I always hated Nigeria and it's education system...it was when I wrote A level exams I knew the difference between Nigeria and american education is wide

There are too many useless subjects for one student.... let them merge some subjects for students to learn effectively , especially for Tertiary institutions... most lecturers just want to sell their boring textbooks.

Students become stressed out when they learn without space or any vocational activity or practical, seriously, studying in Nigeria is boring and nah strong head we dey take learn for here, even most things we know sef was not taught in school, we just picked them along the way, most of our teachers are not creative, innovative, just come in read their textbooks, frown face and look for the next student to fail.

During my school days, i chose the lecturers i attend their classes...... i cant be wasting my life sitting and yawning..... during exams someone will be studying for 15 courses of which almost 8 are useless and the same thing with the others... Nah textbook we dey use complete the rest

Shout out to all the teachers making it happen despite the meagre salaries they receive , God bless you real good here on Earth and abundantly in Heaven.

Sorry if this doesnt relate to the topic ... I dey vex