Holistic Development of Grade-Skipped and Non-Grade-Skipped Pupils in Kogi State, Nigeria

This study compared the holistic development of grade-skipped and non-grade-skipped Primary Five pupils in Kogi State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by concerns that decisions concerning academic acceleration may emphasise cognitive achievement without sufficiently considering children's social, emotional, physical, and language development. A cross-sectional causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design was adopted. The population comprised Primary Five pupils enrolled in public primary schools in Kogi State during the 2024/2025 academic session. A sample of 400 pupils, consisting of 200 grade-skipped and 200 non-grade-skipped pupils, was selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using the Holistic Cognitive Development Battery (HCDB) and the Holistic Development Skills Rating Scale (HDSRS). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while independent-samples t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Grade-skipped pupils recorded higher mean scores in cognitive development (M = 4.28, SD = 0.47) and language development (M = 4.18, SD = 0.43), whereas non-grade-skipped pupils recorded higher mean scores in social development (M = 4.16, SD = 0.49), emotional development (M = 4.21, SD = 0.44), and physical development (M = 4.14, SD = 0.46). The differences were statistically significant in all five domains. The study concludes that grade-skipped pupils may demonstrate advantages in development closely related to academic learning, whereas non-grade-skipped pupils may demonstrate stronger development in social, emotional, and physical domains. The findings suggest that grade-skipping decisions should be based on multidimensional developmental readiness rather than academic performance alone.