1st Edition

Reimagining Nigeria's Educational System Improving Academic Performance Through High Stakes Standardized Testing

By Joseph A. Balogun Copyright 2024
328 Pages 22 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

328 Pages 22 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

328 Pages 22 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book assesses the challenges within the Nigerian educational system and provides a concrete plan to revitalize the low-performing system by strengthening high-stakes testing at all levels. In Nigeria, many citizens believe that the solution to the country’s low performance in education is to eliminate high-stakes standardized testing. High-stakes testing refers to applying standardized... Read more

1. Introduction  2. Primer on Nigeria  3. Nigeria’s Educational System: An Overview  4. The Organizational Structure and Leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education  5. The Current State of Nigeria’s Educational System  6. The Fundamentals of Standardized Testing  7. Lessons for Nigeria from Six High-Performing Educational Systems  8. Thematic Evaluation of the Publications on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s Educational System Between January 2020 and June 2022  9. Summative Evaluation and Recommendations

Biography

Joseph A. Balogun is former Dean and retired Distinguished University Professor at the College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, USA, and Visiting Professor/Program Consultant at the Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation, University of Benin, Nigeria.

"This book presents a detailed assessment of the Nigerian education system and how it currently compares with Africa, and indeed the rest of the world. It then suggests ways that high stakes standardized testing, especially at the kindergarten, secondary school, and profession levels, can be improved as objective tools for assessing individuals at these levels. It would have been interesting to include in this book a discussion of the reasons for the exceptional performance of many Nigerian students who currently attend public schools despite the challenges that exists. “Reimagining Nigeria's Educational System: Improving Academic Performance Through High Stakes Standardized Testing” is a good read for academics, education experts, policymakers, government officials, and indeed all stakeholders in the education sector."

Akhere A. OmonkhuaAfrican Journal of Reproductive Health June 2024; 28 (6):126

"Framing the book as both a critique and a pedagogical tool, Balogun structures each chapter with evaluative questions aimed at reinforcing key concepts and prompting critical reflection, thereby supporting its use as a textbook in academic settings. However, the book’s reach extends beyond the classroom. With its policy-oriented recommendations and empirical grounding, Reimagining Nigeria’s Educational System is equally relevant to policymakers, government officials, education advocates, and other stakeholders invested in national development."

Oluwatoyin Margaret OlanipekunAfrican Studies Review 2025:1-3.