The Effect of Environmental Factors on English Language Among Secondary School Students
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The main focus of this study was to examine the impact of environmental factors on secondary school students‘ performance in English Language in Lagos State, Nigeria. Precisely, the study was conducted to:
- determine the impact of environmental factors on students‘ performance in English Language in urban and rural secondary schools in Lagos State.
- ascertain the impact of class size on the performance of students in English Language in secondary schools in Lagos State.
- examine the impact of learning materials on students‘ performance in English Language in secondary schools in Lagos State.
- determine the impact of environmental factors on the performance of male and female students in English Language in secondary schools in Lagos State.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
Schools exist for the purpose of teaching and learning. Human and material resources are deployed for this purpose. The realization that the transfer of knowledge does not only take place in the four walls of the classroom from the teacher to the students but rather that learning takes place through discovery, exploration, interaction with the internal and external environment has necessitated the creative and innovative development of teaching and learning facilities that reflect these changes. Schools exist to serve socio-economic and political needs of the ever-changing society, consequently, they are in constant interaction with their external environment. They receive inputs from the external environment in the form of human and material resources, processes them and empty same into the society as finished products and services. The quality of the products bears a direct relationship with the quality of the environmental factors in the process of the production. This demands that environmental factors be conducive enough in order to prepare school leavers for life in the global village.
Concept of environmental factors
environmental factors includes school buildings (classrooms, assembly halls, labouratories and workshops, libraries and so on) teaching aids and devices such as modern educational hardwares and their softwares in the form of magnetic tapes, films and transparencies (Ogbodo, 2005). They are therefore, materials things that facilitate teaching and learning processes in the school. These facilities enable a skillful teacher to achieve a level of instructional effectiveness that far exceeds what is possible when they are not provided (Castaldi in Auta, 2012). These facilities are therefore related directly to school curriculum. The programmes of the school are expressed as they were through the school site, the buildings, play grounds, the arrangement and design of the building and so on. A well designed functional school building with a wide array of teaching aids thereby provide effective delivery of the schools‘ curriculum and are positively related to academic performance (Bloom in Auta, 2012).
environmental factors should be properly planned, developed and maintained in order to ensure its relevance to the school curriculum and its effective teaching and learning in any educational institutions (Dare, 2010). Educational facilities are indispensable as far as the industry is concerned. They are essential for the well being and comfort of teachers‘ and the students‘ in the teaching-learning process. According to Kochler in Auta (2012), there are no two opinions on the idea that a school building must be spaciously planned, functional and with pleasing architectural features”. He further stated that buildings are to education as the body is to the mind. This is to say that a fine building makes a fine learning atmosphere and poor buildings, a poor learning atmosphere. From the above assertion, we can agree that a school should be housed in beautiful buildings which are not only stimulating centres of education for children but also vital centres of community life. This can only be achieved through excellent planning of school facilities. School facilities embrace both temporary and permanent structures of school sites. School facilities consist of basic systems and structures which a viable school needs in order to function effectively and to fulfill the purpose for which it was established.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The research design adopted for this study was ex-post facto research design. The choice of this particular design was based on the premise that data was collected from a representative sample upon which inferences and generalizations was made on the entire population. Research design is important as to determine the type of data required, how to collect and collate them, as well as how to analyze and measure them (Razak & Ajayi, 2000). Ex-post facto research is a method of teasing out possible antecedents of events that have happened and cannot therefore, be controlled, or manipulated by the investigator. Researchers can report only what has happened or what is happening, by trying to hold factors constant by careful attention to the sampling.
Population
The population of this study consisted of all the two hundred and fifty-two (252) secondary schools in Osodi-Isolo, Lagos State with a total of ten thousand, two hundred and ninety-five (10,295) students, comprising of male population of (5291) and female population of (5004). The schools are categorized into boarding, day, single sex and mixed schools. Some schools have more structures than the others, some are more conducive, while some are very physically attractive.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Description of Study Variables
The following tables shows the frequencies and percentages of the study variable which include gender (that is, male and female) and school location (that is, rural and urban).
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion
In view of the findings from this study, conclusion was made that unconducive environmental factors has negative impact on students‘ academic performance. In addition, a good school location with accessible road, good field of play, neat toilet and large classroom with lighting and library stocked with up-to-date textbooks have positive impact on students‘ performance and that whenever students are exposed to unhealthy atmosphere as a result of overcrowded classroom their performance can be negatively affected. In like manner, environmental factors can be shown to have discernible effects on learners. In particular, inadequate temperature control, lighting, air quality and acoustics have detrimental effects on concentration, mood, well-being, attendance and, ultimately, attainment of students. Also, as teaching and learning does not take place in a vacuum, therefore, learning materials give meaning to the planned curricula and extra-curricula activities. As such cleanliness, orderliness, and safety of the environmental factors not only aid effective learning but have impact on students‘ performance.
Recommendations
Based on the major findings of this study, the following recommendations if taken up would improve considerably the environmental factors in secondary schools in
Nigeria and Lagos State in particular.
- Lagos State government should make secondary schools in the state more conducive for learning by providing facilities such as up-to date text books, teaching aid, good playing field, resource person and neat toilet.
- Adequate classrooms should be provided with chairs and desks to correspond with the yearly increase of students‘ enrolment.
- Government should ensure that rural schools are provided with necessary facilities such as library with up to date text books, laboratory with modern equipments and sport facilities like scrabble, and basket ball court to increase students‘ performance and thus bridge the gap of rural-urban educational disparities within the state.
- Essential learning materials such as chart, projectors, films and computer that can improve students‘ learning should be provided in schools.
- School environment should be appealing, attractive, friendly and safe for both male and female students.
Contribution to Knowledge
This study has contributed to the body of knowledge as it revealed or exposed the need to ensure a conducive environmental factors. Since education is dynamic both in content and methods, educational facilities need to be constantly evaluated and modified, not only to remove absolute and unattractive structure but also to ensure that such facilities continue to meet the modern and ever changing educational needs, changing technology and the dynamic socio-political and economic environment.
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