In writing a complete research work, various sections and segments are required. Some institutions use a format that divides the entire work into five chapters. While others divide the work into either four or three. But, whatever format the institution or journal chooses to adopt, the entire work begins with an introduction. The first section in the introduction is the background to the study. Some institutions use overview instead of background. But whichever one is chosen, both the background and overview aims at the same thing.
What is Background to the study?
In writing your project, thesis, research, dissertation or proposal, you background to the study is of great importance and must be written very well. The background to the study is the first section in your introduction which provides a very detailed overview of the entire study or research. It is the section of your research that establishes the context of your research. Here, the writer/author must be detailed enough and must present the points here in a very convincing manner so that readers will understand the entire concept and context of the work by just reading the background.
Components of the Background to the Study
The background to the study is made up of different components. These components must be well and fully represented for the entire background to the study to be complete. Although, the components are not supposed to be written in subheadings but would best be presented in paragraphs.
Introduction to the topic: At first, you must seek to introduce your topic at the beginning of your background. This can be done in a single line or more or could take up a complete paragraph. This is important in order to help the researcher/author organize the work in an organized and chronological way.
Research Gap: Before embarking on any research, you must identify the gap you want to fill with your study. You do not carry out a research for fun. Every research is aimed at solving a problem and that problem must first be identified before you start. If you have issues with how to identify a research gap, I have an article that will guide you carefully to do that.
Motivation: There must be a reason why you chose to carry out that study. That reason is the motivation. This can be mistaken for the research gap but in essence, they are not the same. The motivation could be as a result of an occurrence, observation or even the research gap itself. The background to the study must capture this motivation.
Context/Research Goal: What do you want to achieve with your research? Although you have not started the research and as such cannot predict the end, you must have a goal in mind to achieve. The background to the study must be able to state clearly what your goals for the research is. If after conducting the research, your findings do not tally with your goals, there is nothing wrong with it. You have just widened your knowledge.
How to write a Background to the study
Here are important points you must follow in writing a good background to the study.
Explain your topic and some of the related concepts: It is important that I writing your background to the study, you must clearly explain your topic and the relevant concept that are contained in your topic. Having done this, in order to correctly explain your topic, your explanation should go from the general perspective to the specific one. As such, you should start with a broad explanation of your work and then link it to your topic.
Discuss what is already obtainable in your topic: There is no work that has not be done before. This is why you will derive your research gap from what has already been done. Therefore, in you background to the study, ensure you discuss briefly, what others has done. The discussion should be as brief as possible because a lengthier discussion will be done in the literature review section. This brief discussion maybe simple definition, statistics or statements made by others.
Your accurate citation: While you discuss what others have done previously on your study area, ensure you cite the authors accurately. This will help you to be free from plagiarism and make your work more standard in the academic profession/field.
Paragraph your work: Discuss relevant concepts according to paragraphs. Introduce paragraphs to your background. This will help in the structural arrangement of your work. But then, ensure you link the paragraphs correctly and accurately. No paragraph should be stand alone.
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I carried out a study titled, “Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Students Achievement Scores in Computer Studies Multiple Choice Test Questions Using Pen and Paper Test (PPT) and Computer Based Test (CBT)”. Below is the background of the study to help you with a clearer understanding of what is been explained above.
Evaluation has overtime become the central process of assessing students and teachers’ performance in the course of study and also the entire quality of a programme so as to make provision for improvement. This therefore means that the teaching and learning process cannot be complete without an effective means of evaluating students overall performance. This evaluation does not only seek to evaluate students’ academic performance, but also to ascertain the extent to which the teacher succeeded in impacting knowledge to their students.
As a result of this, evaluation can either be formative or summative. Formative evaluation comes at the beginning of the learning process while summative evaluation comes at the end of the entire process. Learning outcomes are evaluated through organized procedures that determine the extent to which instructional strategies employed to achieve specific objectives are successful; these procedures also provide instructors with feedback regarding their actions (Ukwueze, 2012). Ajiboye (2014), maintain that in Nigerian schools, examinations are administered to admit students into various courses, promote students to higher stages or levels of education, select students for special academic awards and most importantly, final year examinations determine the completion of the course of a study.
Examination can be defined as a common use and acceptable factor for assessing or evaluating students’ understanding and cognitive aptitude of a topic or subject matter he or she was taught (Ajinaja, 2017). According to Ismail and Soye (2018), examination is the greatest technique of appraising the understanding and skills of an individual under a specific condition. According to Kuyoro (2016), the practice of examinations for evaluation started over a thousand years ago. It was said to have been used for the engagement and elevation of employees in the Chinese Public Service which took place during the Han Empire in 207 BC. The test encompassed the philosophy of Confucius and subjects such as calligraphy, Geography, Mathematics and Poetry.
Over the years, the major form of examination available at all levels of learning (primary, secondary and tertiary) is the Pen and Paper Test format. Here, the examiner sets his or her questions for the examinee to answer using Pen and Paper. In the process of using the pen and paper for the examination, the examinee may encounter several challenges. These challenges are what gave rise to the Computer Based Test format for writing examination and tests.
Several students have encountered the problem of missing scripts which has become very frequent for several examinees. Others end up failing examinations, not because the provided wrong answers but because of poor handwriting which was not legible enough for the examiner. In the multiple choice format where the OGR is been used to shade the correct answer, if the examinee, while shading the correct answer makes the mistake of crossing another option without cleaning it, it becomes a fail for him/her
Generally speaking, although there are two major types of evaluation as listed above, it is important to note that evaluation is in two forms which are; the Pen and Pater test (PPT) and the Computer Based Test (CBT). The development of pen and paper examination questions has a laid down procedure. According to the Canadian Public Service Commission (2017), the development of pen and paper examination requires task listing, specification of response format, specification of the number of questions, the time limit and difficulty level. Other procedures include writing the questions and developing the scoring guide; reviewing the questions and scoring guide to ensure predetermined scoring procedures and mark allocations. The Commission further stated that if marks are to be deducted for incorrect grammar, spelling and punctuation, it must be stated in the instruction to the candidates.
According to Fagbola, Adigun and Oke (2013), the manual pen and paper-based examination has existed for a very long time and it is fast becoming an obsolete pattern of writing examination in modern times due to the numerous challenges associated with it such as cost implication for production of writing materials, examination venue allocation issues, examination malpractices like impersonation, time taken to release results after examination, poor comfort of students writing examination, human mistakes and so on.
AL-Qdah and Abadneh (2017) opined that many students prefer pen and paper examinations to online examinations because the former are more readable and reliable, less tiring and readily available for expression of oneself. In addition, there is less technical failure or outright failure in pen and paper examinations if students put enough preparations and pay much attention to study time. As opposed to AL-Qdah and Abadneh (2017), a Research conducted by Gemini, (2024) suggests that many students prefer CBT, particularly for certain types of assessments. Here’s a breakdown of some key findings:
- Flexibility: CBT can allow them to work at their own pace and revisit questions.
- Clarity: Images and diagrams may be presented more clearly on a Computer screen.
- Efficiency: CBT can offer features like automatic scoring and instant feedback.
- Reduced Errors: CBT can minimize errors from messy handwriting or misreading questions.
Presently, the rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has created a new paradigm shift for teaching and learning over computer networked environments which has indeed necessitated a serious move from the manual Pen and Paper type of Examination to Computer Based Test (Izu-Okpara, 2022).
The preference of students varies based of some given factors. For example, some students are more receptive to CBT for multiple-choice questions compared to essay writing. While many students favor CBT, some may prefer the familiarity and comfort of pen-and-paper tests. Additionally, concerns about technical difficulties or access to technology can create a negative perception of CBT.
With the fast growing level of technological adoption and integration (Pervasive Computing) in the 21st century, there is a serious disruption in the ways and manners in which things are done in almost every sector and facet. This disruption is caused by the integration of technology into our day-to-day activities, both as individuals, businesses or organization.
The education sector is one of the beneficiaries of technology such as, virtual classrooms, Computer Based Tests, Online courses etc. Since the introduction of the Computer Based Test (CBT), it has been adopted by professional examination bodies like the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB) and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). Additionally, some ICT-driven secondary schools (especially private owned secondary schools) has adopted the CBT system of examination in some subjects. Some multinational companies also use the CBT method of Examination for their recruitment and scholarship application examinations. As such, the CBT is a system that has come to be in the educational sector and other related areas.
Before the introduction of the Computer Based Test in 2013, the system of Education and Examination that was practiced was the Pen and Paper Test. Although, this system is still been practiced, but then it is gradually been replaced with the Computer Based Test, which will likely fully take over in no distant time. For example, all the first examinations of students in the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) are Computer Based, written in the ICT center of the University.
According to Mayowa (2015) as published on Cable.ng (2015), JAMB fully adopted the CBT on March 9th, 2015 as the mode of examination. Since then, the CBT has become JAMB pattern and mode of Examination moving forward. Furthermore, the Registrar of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye (2023), posit that the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) will deploy the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB’s) Computer Based Centers (CBT) for its Professional Qualifying Examinations (PQE) and training programmes. This announcement was evidenced in the Teacher’s Registration Council Examination written in Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education on March 9th, 2024. The examination was fully computer based which had 60 questions to be answered within 60 minutes.
The use of computer-based tests (CBT) alongside traditional pen-and-paper (PPT) tests is a growing trend in education. Understanding student perceptions of this blended approach is important for educators to maximize its effectiveness. By understanding student perceptions, educators can effectively integrate CBT as a supplement to pen-and-paper tests, creating a more well-rounded assessment experience.
Conclusion
The above excerpt from my work provides a clear understanding of how your background to the study can be written. It was vetted by several academic professional before it was approved. Hence, if you want to write a good background to the study, my example above will help you achieve that.
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