ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN COMMERCE
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page………………..i
Certification……………ii
Dedication………………iii
Acknowledgment……….iv
Table of content………vii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Research Hypotheses
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
1.8 Basic Assumptions of the Study
1.9 Limitation of the Study
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1Theoretical Framework
2.2 Conceptual Framework
2.2.1 The Concept of Commerce
2.2.2 Concept of Environment
2.2.3 Concept of School Environment
2.2.4 Concept of Public Secondary Schools
2.2.5 Urban – Rural School Location and Academic Performance of Students
2.2.6 Teacher – Students Relationship and Academic Performance of Students
2.2.7 Library Services and Academic Performance of students
2.2.8 School Facilities and Academic Performance of Students
2.3 Review of Related Empirical Study
2.4 Summary of Review of Literature
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Design of the Study
3.2 Area of the Study
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique
3.5 Instrumentation
3.5.1 Validation of the Research Instrument
3.5.2 Reliability of the Instrument
3.6 Method of Data Collection
3.7 Method of Data Analysis
3.7.1 Decision Rule
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.1 Answering of Research Questions
4.1.1 Research Question 1
4.1.2 Research Question 2
4.1.3 Research Question 3
4.1.4 Research Question 4
4.2 Hypotheses Testing
4.2.1 Hypothesis 1
4.2.2 Hypothesis 2
4.2.3 Hypothesis 3
4.2.4 Hypothesis 4
4.3 Findings of the Study
4.4 Discussion of Findings
4.4.1 The Difference in Student’s Academic Performance Based on School Location
4.4.2 The Difference in Students’ Academic Performance Based on Teacher-
Student Relation
4.4.3 The Difference in Students’ Academic Performance Based on Library Services
4.4.4 The Difference in Students’ Academic Performance Based on School Facilities
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of the Study
5.2 Conclusion of the Study
5.3 Recommendations
5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Environmental influence before now has not been considered as one of the factors that affect academic performance in secondary schools hence it has little or no attention in educational discourse and consideration. But over the past decade, remarkable studies have indicated a correlation between the environment and academic performance of students. Environment plays a major role in the life of every individual whether students, teachers, employer or employee. Though some people are yet to believe that environment brings about better performance. While reviewing the article of Udoh "The Environmental Health Problems in Nigerian Schools", Orlu (2013) identified some unhealthy practices like: siting of schools, inadequate facilities, poor ventilation etc. that may adversely affect the health of students and teachers, which will in turn reflect on students’ academic performance.
Environment is a very important factor in achievement of goal of any educational programme. People acquire most of their knowledge through the interaction with facilities provided in the environment for learning. Also learning is influenced by the environment people are exposed to and the facilities provided in such environment lead to experience. The physical appearance and general condition of school physical facilities are the striking basis upon which many parents and friends of any educational institution make initial judgment about the quality of what goes on in the school. They are often turned off by dilapidated school blocks with sinking roofs and broken walls, bushy lawn and overgrown hedges. Also are profane writings on walls, littered lawns and path ways. Finally, the school physical environment is like a mirror eflecting the image of a school and through it the public decide whether or not to associate with the particular school (Mgbodile 2004).It is now certain that most of secondary school products cannot gain admission into federal universities or university of their choice due to poor performance in the placement examination into these schools. This poor performance may be attributed to poor learning environment especially in the following areas: school location, teacher-student relationship, library services, and school facilities.
A school could be located in the urban or rural area. Rural schools are generally inferior to urban schools as schools in rural areas lacked human and material resources needed for success at school. The location of school whether urban or rural affects a child’s ability to study and perform at the level expected of him. Also differences in location imply differences in the existence of demographic and socio-economic parameters of the school. As stated by Imoagene (1988) in Akubue and Ifelunni (2006) that because of urban involvement, students in urban schools perform better than those in rural schools in language learning. The reason they gave include the fact that rural students have limited access to reading materials, inadequate reading culture and insufficient graduate teachers in rural schools.
Therefore, the location of school has tremendous influence on children’s academic performance.
The school library is a room or building in a school where books, magazines, journals, periodicals, cassettes, computers among others are kept for student’s use. In other words, it is the central laboratory of the whole school, where all books in all subject areas, taught in the school and non-book materials are stocked. Dike(2001) sees school library as a learning laboratory par excellence where learners find the world of knowledge, interact directly with resources, acquire information and develop research skill for life long learning.
The objective of the school library is to serve the school’s need and to make possible the purpose and methods of education which the school undertakes. The school library enables the students to look to new ways of learning.
School facilities refer to inputs which ease the operation of academic activities. They include desks, chairs, blackboards, dustbins, teaching aids, typewriters, computers generators, and calculators and so on. School facilities according to Ehiametalor (2001) are operational inputs of every instructional programme. They are material resources that facilitate effective teaching and learning in schools. The quality and quantity of school facilities enhance the quality of teaching and learning as well as effective school management (Ojedele, 2003).Hence it is pertinent to critically look at the environmental factors that influences academic performance of students of public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, measures that can help improve them and make some recommendation because at the very heart of educational mission is the goal of improving academic performance.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The problem under study has to do with poor performance of students in Commerce in public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The establishment of government schools/community schools has resulted in a situation where many schools were more favoured in terms of the provision of learning resources and enriched environment than others. It has been very difficult if not impossible for government to standardize the school environment. Thus the environment varies from school to school.
Some schools have adequate facilities which include desks, chairs, blackboards, dustbins, teaching aids, typewriters, computers, generators, latest textbooks, good administrative management, qualified teachers as well as good classroom environment. While others have little or none of these resources. It is because of this that (Ojedele, 2003) pointed out that the quality and quantity of school facilities enhance the quality of teaching and learning as well as effective school management. This study was therefore prompted by the need to study the Environmental Influence on all the variables and Students Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of school environment on the academic performance of students of public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Specifically the study intended to:
1. Find out the extent school location influence students academic performance in Commerce.
2. Determine how teachers-students relationships influence students’ academic performance in Commerce.
3. Determine the extent the library services influence academic performance of students of public secondary schools.
4. Ascertain the extents the school facilities influence students’ academic performance in Commerce.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The findings from this study would be of immense benefits to the government, teachers, parents, as well as student researchers.
The findings will help the teachers or the policy makers in formulating effective planning and implementation of policies and programmes for improved school academic activities.
The result of the study will help parents and government contribute to the provision of conducive learning environment in public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The study will also be relevant to educators and students researchers as it will provide a basis for further research on this topic.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were proposed.
1. To what extent does school location influence students’ academic performance in Commerce.
2. To what extent does teachers-students relations influence students academic performance in Commerce.
3. To what extent does the library services influence students’ academic performance in Commerce.
4. To what extent do the school facilities influence students’ academic performance in Commerce.
1.6 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study;
1. There is no significant difference in students academic performance in Commerce based on school location.
2. There is no significant difference in students academic performance in Commerce based on teachers-students relations.
3. There is no significant difference in students academic performance in Commerce based on library services.
4. There is no significant difference in students academic performance in Commerce based on school facilities.
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
The study was delimited to senior secondary two students in public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, which the researcher hails from. It was also delimited to the relationship between Environmental Influence and academic performance of Commerce students. Finally, the study was delimited to four Environmental Variables.
1.8 Basic Assumptions of the Study
The following assumptions were made in the study;
1. Students in senior secondary schools have the ability to study Commerce.
2. The responses of each of the respondent are the reflection of true feeling of the Students and these are considered valid and reliable.
3. All the students are at the same learning level.
1.9 Limitation of the Study
Due to financial constraint, the study was carried out within Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. While in the course of carrying out this research, time and dearth of materials was limited because it was centre in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
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