The Effect of School Location on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to ascertain the effect of school location on the academic performance of secondary school students in Nigeria. But for the study, the researcher intends to achieve the following objectives;
- To investigate the effect of school location on the academic performance of secondary school students
- To ascertain the impact of school location on student learning habit
- To investigate if there is any relationship between school location and academic performance
- To ascertain the role of school environment on the learning culture of secondary school students.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
When people hear the term “academic performance” they often think of position the student took in his or her terminal result. The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even student themselves. The quality of education not only depends on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their duties, but also in the effective coordination of the school environment (Ajao, 2001). Education is an essential factor for effective development of any country like Nigeria. The western education adopted by Nigeria is highly based on individualism, socio-economic and internationalization which are geared towards national development. According to Ada (2005), one of the major obstacles to the development of secondary schools in Lagos State is the persistent poor academic achievement of students. Based on this fact, people believe that the standard of education is falling in the State and Nigeria in general. Poor academic performance as recorded in recent years was so great that many students fall short of the requirements necessary for admission into primary schools. According to Ajewole and Okebukola (2000), a number of factors are said to have contributed to the students’ poor academic achievement in school. The authors stress that a host of these factors may surround students’ poor achievement in school which may include: poor study habits and lack of available resource materials, poor school climate, indiscipline, inadequate facilities, teachers’ ineffectiveness, the teaching method and the type of learning environment available for both the students and the teachers. From the authors view, the poor performance of students in secondary school may be a reflection of the type of learning environment. Farombi (1998) observed that school environment may have negative influence on students’ academic achievement especially if such environment lacks good school climate, instructional materials, discipline, physical facilities, has poor teacher quality, type of location of school is questionable.
Conceptual Review
An environment is the natural surroundings of an organism and it can be land, air or water (Asogwa 2008). According to Onyehalu in Okeke (2001), environment is of three parts namely: physical, social and abstract. Physical environment is objects or materials found in the home, school or community. It also includes people like parents, peers and children. The social environment is the social life, societies, clubs among others. While abstract environment is the reactions, feedbacks responses received on interaction with others. Environment is the physical world inhabited by man, or the realm of nature untainted by man (human action), or the cultural milieu – the physical environment as modified by human action, (Ofomata 2004).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION
Data were collected from two main sources namely:-
-Primary source and
-Secondary source
(i) Primary source: These are materials of statistical investigation, which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
(ii) Secondary data: These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as by products of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information from for the study the influence of school environment on the academic performance of secondary school student in Nigeria 160 student and teachers were selected randomly from secondary schools in Lagos state.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research question of this study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to find out the effect of school location on the academic performance of secondary school students in Lagos state.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the effect of school location on the academic performance of secondary school student.
Summary
The result of this research question indicated that principals and teachers agreed that school location and inadequate school health services and fencing affect the academic achievement of students, to a very great extent. However, the opinion of the respondents indicated that the following variables desks, chairs, fencing of the school/security, school health facilities and electricity have great effect on the academic achievement of students. The findings agreed with the opinion of Okafor (2003) Ezen (1995) and Ibiain (2004), that adequate provision of facilities in the school promotes the academic achievement of the students and also ensures the effective teachers performance in teaching and learning activities. It is the opinion of this researcher that the stakeholders in the education industry should emphasize the need for adequate provision of teaching and learning facilities in the schools. This not only encourages students’ academic achievement, but goes a long way in enhancing teachers’ productivity as well as health school academic environment. The respondents are also in agreement that adequate security in the schools will promote the academic achievements of the students. This is because with peace and security, the school location will be conducive for effective teaching and learning.
Conclusion
The result of the study revealed a significant difference in the academic performance of students in rural and urban secondary schools in Nigeria. These differences cannot be attributed to the favourable location advantage of the urban schools, infrastructural distribution, and differences in distribution of teaching staff amongst others, according to the research findings. From the research, rural schools favour academic performance and most likely, that is the reason there is urban-rural migration for success in academic performance during the WAEC seasons in the country.
From the study, it is possible to deduce factually that location of a school does not necessary affect its academic performance especially away from the common perception in favour of urban schools. Because the rural schools locations do not have such provision available in the urban schools we cannot be looking at their locations to affect academic performance. So their high academic performance in this research cannot be said to be primarily a function of location. Instead, the students themselves are a key factor to be considered. If however location is a factor to consider then, we can say that rural schools locations affect students’ academic performance positively in the rural category than it does in the urban category. Like location, class size is a major variable that negotiates students’ performance with school curriculum. It is this variable that this research determined to be capable of introducing a negative relationship in the performance of students. While location is a strong variable considered in this study, class size is a stronger variable that poses an inverse relationship in the performance of students. As noted in the literature review, Williams (cited) supported the findings of past researchers on the place of class size for students’ performance, his 200-1000 and 1000-5000 numbers for small and large class sizes respectively should be adhered to in the interest of students’ performance. We, also, in this research toed the paths of Williams and other researchers in recommending small class size for high performance of students; this is evident in the result and decision made contingent on our study.
RECOMMENDATION
Haven successfully completed the study; the researcher therefore makes the following recommendation:
Adequate classroom buildings to be provided in the public schools to help promote effective teaching for students improved academic achievement. Government and communities to ensure that students have access to the schools nearest to their areas of residence.
Efforts should be made by stakeholders to provide schools with functional libraries, well equipped with current reading reference materials irrespective of the location of the school. Qualified library assistants to be posted to schools to aid the students on the proper use of the library service enough security to be provided through fencing of schools to ensure peaceful school academic environment.
References
- Adegboyega, A.A. (2002). Trends in Public Financing of Federal Inventors in Nigeria a Case Study of University of Ibadan
- Adedeji, S. O. (ed) African Journal of Educational Planning and Policy Studies 3, No. 1 pp 95-108.
- Agugbuem, E.O. (2002). Taking the Distance out of the Distance Education; the Complementary Roles of Information Nigeria Education Review 7 (1) 171 – 179.
- Akpa, G.O. Udoh, S.U, and Fagbamiye E.O. (2005). Deregulating the Provision and Management of Education in Nigeria. The Nigerian Association for Educational Administration and Planning (NAEAP).
- Akubue, A.U. and Ifelunni C.S. (2006). Effect of school location on students Achievement Journal of Educational Research (1) pp 09 – 110. University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
