THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LEARNER OPINION OF SCHOOLS EXPERIENCE AND THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS IN ABEOKUTA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CHAPTERONE
INTRODUCTION
Background ofthe study
The school experience has been a subject of systematic studies since the 1950’s with a strong acceleration in recent years in many countries.The concept of schoolexperience refers to the quality and perceived predictors of an effective school measured in terms of the average level of thestudent’s academic performance. We can consider school experience as the atmosphere in social relations, values, attitudes and shared feelings of the actors in the school. There is thus a frequent confusion between school experience and school safety. However,literature shows that school experience emerge a multifactor definition. Also, studies on school experience can include the well-documented studies of “class effects” and“teacher effects” (Brault 2004) and sense of security is an integral part of school experience.
School experience has been considered by some authors as a part of school violence itself; this violence can take many forms such as: bullying discrimination, homophobia, physical violence, sexual violence and indirect aggression. In any case, research show that a positive school experience is a factor of resilience and well- being, and it has an important role in the prevention of violence in schools. The latter is the serious problem that has many scales. However, it is important to note that the life of a school is not necessarily experienced in the same way by all of it numbers, rather, there is variabilityin the environment thatinfluence individual student’s outcomes. Thus, for instance if a student feels that a teacher does not care about him/her, this will influence him and consequently the student’s behavior in the classroom.
Moreover, individual characteristics may determinethe opinion so that learners who are aggressive or calm may perceive their school experience morenegatively or positively. This in turn reflects, in their academic performance. However, given the numerous components that comprise school experience and the prohibitive nature of assessing the opinion of each one, research indicate that intervention focused on increase learner sense of connectedness or belonging to the school may be an effective means of decreasing behavioral and emotional problems.
Besides, Gullama (2009) observed that public expenditure on education is within the region of five percent of the GDP and this could be responsible for the gross lack of school physical facilities in the schools and frequent strikes in the educationsystems which in turn affects school experience system.
Obanyan (2004) noted that Nigeria SecondarySchool Economics as presently being implemented cannot lead to realization of the goals of secondaryeducation systems This is because of inadequacy of school facilities like classrooms, libraries, resource center, good chair and tables/desks forboth teachers and learners, school halls; inadequate qualifiedstaff to meet the expectation oflearners and the society, poor condition of services for curriculum implementation, poor time management by school administrators and teachers’ which constituted a serious bane confronting effectives implementation of curriculum.
Realizing the important position of teacher in any educational system, Okello and Kagoire (1996) noted that the quality of education of a country largely depends on the quality of her teachers.They however added that if the quality of the teachers is poor, the quality of education will no doubt be poor. Also, Akande (2002) observed that the realization of the potentialities of education as a veritable instrument for social change and national reconstruction depend largely on the teachers and the most crucial and strategic profession according to him is the teacher.
Furthermore, how students perceive school experience is noted to be an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the goals of education are being met it affect decisions about grades, placement and advancement
Statementofthe Problem
For any education reform to be achieved, the best way is through the school system. Anyone who visits two or more schools will note differences inclass sizes, course offerings and physical surroundings. These are concrete elements whichhelp to form the distinguishing characteristics of each individual school. Another school is marked by neither joy nor despair, but by hollow ritual ofdiscomfort. It has been observed that educational attainment of children of equivalent social background varied according to school and region of the country in which they live. Therefore, it becomes imperative to examine the situation affecting the academic performance with specificemphasis on opinion of school experience. A lot ofstudies have proved that the level of academic performance of students depend on several factors such as school management, student-teacher ratioin the classroom, school environment, teacher attitudes, availability of learning instructional materials and type of social interactions taking place within the school system It has also been found that whereas some schools feel friendly, inviting, appealing and supportive, others feel exclusionary, unwelcoming and even unsafe. The feelings and attitudes that are elicited by school’s environmental variable have comparative studies of learner academic performance. However, what is uncertain in the present dispensation is the quantity and quality of committed teachers and appealing school environment: This study therefore, set out to address these problems. This is important because of the need to know the type of schools in either urban or rural areas that will enhance better learners academic. It is important also because of the need for up-to-date information on differentcategory of schools with respect to the different characteristics which enhance the students satisfaction that are like to improve and promote their academic performance.
Purpose of the study
The general purpose of this research work is to assess the comparative study of learner opinion of schools experience and their Academic performance in Economics in Abeokuta North Local Government.
Thestudy is specially designed to assess:
1. Level oflearners’opinion of schools experience and how it influences their academic performance.
2. Importance of learners’opinion of school experience
3. How the learner opinion of school experience can help the school authority to discover the types and areas of innovation, improvement and development in order to promote and upgradethe school standard and consequentlearners’ academic performance
Answering Research Questions
In the course of this study, the following questions were raised.
1. Is there any significant comparative study of learners’ opinion of school experience and their academic performance?
2. Is there any significant comparative study of learner’s opinion of school friendly environment and their academic performance?
3. What is the comparative study of learner’s opinion of teacher interpersonal relation and their academic performance?
4. What is the comparative study of regular monitoring and supervision of learning instruction and their academic performance?
Scope of the Study
This study focused primarily on how to address the comparative study of learners’ opinions of comparativeschools experience and their academic performance in Senior Secondary School Economics, Abeokuta North Local Government Area as a case study.
The schools covered in this study are Ebenezer Grammar School, Abeokuta Ogun State, Ilugun High School, Abeokuta.Oke-Ona Grammar School in Abeokuta,Ikija High School in Abeokuta, Unity High School in Abeokuta. Lafenwa High School in Abeokuta North LocalGovernment Area, Ogun State. There are fourteen (14) Public Senior Schools in the Local Government and six (6) schools were selected using ten (10) learners in each school.
Significance of the Study
The result of the study would play crucial roles to improve learners opinion of school experience in determining their academic performance. The research will be useful to portray how Senior Secondary School Economic planners will see theposition of learners’ opinion of School experience. The study will also be beneficial to school plant planning and designing school environment, classrooms, infrastructural facilities and aesthetic variables.
Moreover, the study will be useful for thegovernment and all educational agencies in the country in knowing the educational sectors to face challenges such as areas of funding provision ofadequate instructional materials, employment of qualified teachers, construction of enough classrooms, library and Laboratory.
Definition of Terms
⦁ School experience: Is the prevailing social function ina place of teaching and learning formal education.
⦁ School Environmental: Is the physical surrounding of where learning takes place in aformal education which characterized by itfacilities, classrooms, buildings, school basedhealth support school ground, cleanliness esthetic and attractiveness.
⦁ Inter Personal comparative: This is the process by which all the members of staff and students have free access to one another which promote, enhance and facilitates learners opinion of school experience and effective academics performance
⦁ Opinion: The ability to perceive, view, understand or the act of perceiving things.
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