A Study on Achievement in Commerce of Higher Secondary Students

In recent years, the interest shown in studying commerce among the students and parents at higher secondary school level and college level is in the upswing, and in the future, it would upsurge for varying reasons. In this context, the present research aims at investigating the level of academic achievement and finding out whether there is any significant difference among the higher secondary students studying commerce about certain demographic variables. The applied survey research was conducted on a sample of 850 higher secondary students (492 male & 358 female) chosen from 20 schools (9 government, 5 aided & 6 private). A self-constructed and validated tool ‘Achievement Test in Commerce’ by the investigator with 50 statistically selected objective type questions (out of 80) was used for the study. The results of the descriptive analysis showed that the level of achievement in commerce of higher secondary students is average. The differential analysis result, t-test showed that there was no significant difference in academic achievement in commerce about gender, locality of students and type of family; and F-test showed that there was a significant difference in the type of school and nature of the school. The study throws a light on what should be done to improve the achievement in commerce of higher secondary students having in mind the low performing groups.


Introduction
Education is the Key to Success (National Writing Project, 2019). That makes a man is an education, and we live in the era that gives the feel of having no education is having no life, and this reality swirls every born-child in the Magna-system of education either by option or by compulsion. Education is needed for the survival of society (Taneja, 2008, p.24). For an individual, it is more for survival or prosperous survival, and it is a means of making money and wealth by acquiring knowledge, attitude, and skill. The courses embedded with better fortunes in employment and economic prosperity in and abroad are an attraction to the students and parents. Opting to study employment oriented courses begin in the school education itself, and precisely in higher secondary education, where the general education ends and study specialization begins, now. The Draft New Education Policy (2019) released by MHRD says, "All school students must receive vocational education in at least one vocation in grades nine to 12". Academic achievement is one of the major factors affecting this lift-up process.

Need and Importance of the Study
Commerce education is the backbone of business (Aruna & Sharmila, 2015). Commerce includes trade and aids to trade such as transport, banking insurance, warehousing, advertising, etc., (Anbuchelvan, 2015). The commerce stream after completion of Class 10 is quite a popular choice in India, as most students feel that the stream offers them a wide arena of career options to pursue after class 12, which would bring them both success as well as financial security easily (http://www.indiaeducation.net/). Higher secondary education is crucial in deciding the future career, and hence, academic achievement is of greater significance for the higher secondary students.
The investigator is a teacher educator in a college of education teaching commerce at present has an instinctive interest in undertaking the study on academic achievement in commerce of higher secondary students. The revelation after reviewing literation that not many studies have been carried out on academic achievement in commerce subject accelerated the drive to pursue this research venture.
The arrived at findings of the study would be benefiting the community of students pursuing commerce at different levels at present and shortly, adding a social significance. Hence is the study on "Achievement in Commerce of Higher Secondary Students."

Objectives of the Study
To find out the level of achievement in commerce of higher secondary school students To find out whether there is any significant difference in the achievement of commerce higher secondary students about (i)gender, (ii) locality of students, (iii) type of school, and (iv) nature of the school.

Hypotheses of the Study
• There is no significant difference in achievement in the commerce of higher secondary students about gender. • There is no significant difference in achievement in the commerce of higher secondary students about the locality of students. • There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with regard to the type of family. • There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with regard to the type of school. • There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with regard to the nature of the school.

Method of Study
Survey method was used for the research. The size of the sample comprises 850 higher secondary students (492 male & 358 female) chosen from 20 schools (9 government, 5 aided & 6 private) using simple random sampling technique, from Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. A self-constructed and validated tool 'Achievement Test in Commerce' by the investigator with 50 selected objective type questions (from the 80 items of the pilot study) was used for the study. The right answer was given one mark, and the wrong answer was given zero marks and the total scores could range from zero to fifty. The collected data were subjected to percentage analysis, t-test, and F-test using SPSS, leading to infer the findings of the study.

Hypothesis 1
The level of achievement in commerce of higher secondary school students is average. Interpretation Table 1 shows that the mean score in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students is 61, and Standard Deviation is 11.4. The Mean score lies between the Mean + 1 S.D. score (72.4) and M-1S.D. score (49.6), revealing that the level of achievement in commerce of higher secondary students is average.

Hypothesis 2
There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with regard to gender. Interpretation Table 2 shows that the Mean value is 57.4, and Standard Deviation is 11.3 for boys, and the Mean value is 66.2, and Standard Deviation is 15.6 for girls. The obtained calculated 't' value is 1.96, and it is below the table of 1.96 at 0.05 level of significance, revealing that the difference between boys and girls in achievement in commerce higher secondary students is not significant. Hence the null hypothesis 2 is retained.

Hypothesis 3
There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with respect to the locality of students. Interpretation Table 3 shows that the Mean value is 67.7, and Standard Deviation is 12.5 for rural students, and the Mean value is 71.3, and Standard Deviation is 11.9 for urban higher secondary students. The obtained calculated 't' value is 1.42, and it is below the table of 1.96 at 0.05 level of significance, revealing that the difference between rural and urban higher secondary students in achievement in commerce is not significant. Hence the null hypothesis 3 is retained.

Hypothesis 4
There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students concerning the type of family. Interpretation Table 4 shows that the Mean value is58.5, and Standard Deviation is10.4 for students from joint family; and Mean value is 65.6, and Standard Deviation is 9.6 for urban higher secondary students. The calculated 't' value is 1.69, and it is below the table of 1.96 at 0.05 level of significance, revealing that there is no significant difference between higher secondary students from a joint family and nuclear family in achievement in commerce. Hence the null hypothesis 4 is retained.

Hypothesis 5
There is no significant difference in achievementin commerce of higher secondary students with respect to the type of management.

Interpretation
To find out the significant difference in the mean scores of type of institution with regard to achievement in commerce, mean, standard deviation, and 'F' scores were computed. The obtained 'F' value is 4.328. It is significant at the 0.05 level. So, null hypothesis 4 is rejected. Hence we calculate independent t-test where the exact significance falls. Interpretation Table 4.2, showed that there is a significant difference at the level of 0.05 among the commerce students of (i) government and aided; (ii) government and private. Further, it shows that there is no significant difference among the commerce students of aided and private achievement in commerce.

Hypothesis 6
There is no significant difference in achievement in commerce of higher secondary students with respect to the nature of the school.

Figure 2 Showing Difference in the Mean Scores of Achievement in Commerce with respect to Boy's, Girl's and Coeducation Schools Interpretation
To find out the significant difference in the mean scores of the nature of school with respect of achievement in commerce, mean, standard deviation, and 'F' score were computed. The obtained 'F' value is 3.928. It is significant at the 0.05 level. So, null hypothesis No. 5 is rejected. Hence we calculate independent t-test where the exact significance falls. Interpretation Table 6.2 shows that there is a significant difference at the level of 0.05 among the commerce students studying in (i) boys' school and girls' school; (ii) boys' school and coeducation schools. Also, it is concluded that there is no significant difference among the commerce students of girls' school and coeducation schools in Achievement in commerce.

Findings of the Study
• The level of achievement in commerce of higher secondary students is average. • No significant difference in the achievement in commerce of higher secondary students was found about gender. • No significant difference in the achievement in commerce of higher secondary students was found about the locality of students. • No significant difference in the achievement in commerce of higher secondary students was found about the type of family.
• No significant difference among the commerce students was found between the students studying in aided schools and private schools. But significant difference among the commerce students was found between the students studying in (i) government schools and aided schools; (ii) government and private schools. • No significant difference among the commerce students was found between the students studying in girls' school and coeducation schools. But there was a significant difference among the commerce students studying in (i) boys' school and girls' school;(ii) boys' school and coeducation school.

Conclusion
The present study evidence that achievement in commerce of higher secondary students is an average level, and this level is not going to help them in their further pursuing studies at the higher education institutions, and so efforts need to be taken to improve their achievement level. The students should be better exposed and motivated with the professional support of teachers and the involvement of parents. The arrived at findings that there is no significant difference in the achievement in commerce of higher secondary students was found about gender, locality of students and type of family suggests that these factors are immaterial in deciding their academic achievement and so all the students, irrespective of these differences, can excel. The significant difference found about the type of school and nature of school invokes to take special care to improve their academic performance.