Effect of Diagnostic Assessment with Feedback on Secondary School Students’ Attitude Towards Quantitative Economics in Jos South, Plateau State, Nigeria

Students' attitudes towards the quantitative aspect of economics can affect the achievement of the objectives of teaching and learning economics, which are to develop critical thinking skills, decision-making in business, the transmission of cultural values, the provision of tools for analysis of economic situations, and maximum utilisation of scarce resources. The study examined the effect of diagnostic assessment with feedback on secondary students' attitudes in quantitative economics. The quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The population of this study comprised all the senior secondary school 2 students in the Jos South local government area that offered economics. The study utilised a sample of 93 students. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated. Data was gathered using a quantitative economics diagnostic test. The instrument was validated by experts in the fields of Economics Education, Research, Measurement, and Evaluation at the University of Jos. The experts' agreement was assessed using Kendall's coefficient of concordance, which yielded a value of 0.72. The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, and the hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA at the 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study indicated that students in the experimental and control groups had significantly different post-test attitude mean scores. The result also indicated that there was no significant difference in the attitude of male and female students in quantitative economics after their exposure to diagnostic assessment with feedback. It was suggested that educators and policymakers pay attention to improving students' attitudes towards quantitative economics. This can be achieved through innovative assessment methods, providing academic support to students, and fostering a positive learning environment. Additionally, efforts should be made to promote the relevance and practical application of quantitative economics in real-world scenarios to improve students’ attitudes toward the subject.