HOSTEL ACCOMODATION AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITIES

HOSTEL ACCOMODATION AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITIES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In general, housing refers to the social issue of providing a place for all members of society to live, whether it is a house or another type of residence, lodging, or shelter. Many governments have administrative sections dedicated to housing. Housing’s importance as a primary determinant of man’s welfare, life sustenance, and survival is critical to the individual, family, society, and nation as a whole (Adams 2022).

Housing is critical to human survival because it is one of the top three human needs. Its presence has always been critical to human survival. Housing, as an environmental unit, has a significant impact on the health, productivity, and social welfare of the community (Omole, 2022).

In the case of university students, housing refers to the place where they live.

Dormitory space is limited. As the student population has grown in recent years, hostel accommodations for university students in Nigeria have become a major source of concern for students, parents, and even school administrators, as virtually all colleges fail to provide adequate student housing. When such housing is available, it is notoriously terrible, filthy, cramped, and overcrowded, limiting students’ ability to learn successfully.

The importance of a student’s social environment, according to Adams (2022), cannot be overstated. The availability, appropriateness, and usefulness of hostel amenities influence students’ choice of university, concentration capacity, and level of contentment. As a result, colleges must prioritize student housing while also increasing the school’s capacity.

reputation among contemporaries. According to reports, the student housing includes amenities such as bedrooms that can be used for both sleeping and studying, baths and toilets, a kitchen, a laundry room, recreational areas, and Internet access to enhance the study-learning experience.

On the other hand, Abramson (2022) claimed that adding ATM machines, a car park, small markets, bookstores, and cafeterias to the student housing complex would make it more appealing.

Every year, accommodating and maintaining hostel facilities at Nigerian federal institutions poses a formidable challenge. Every year, the number of students enrolled in higher education increases significantly. As a result, the importance of hostel amenities for university freshmen has grown dramatically. Since it is believed that the amenities provided

to students in their dorms has an impact on their academic performance. The lack of happiness in the hostels has prompted numerous generations of students to take action against the poor conditions, and a number of terrible student militancy events have their roots in the hostels (Weeramunda, 2022). Furthermore, a lack of general knowledge, experience, maturity, practical skills, and analytical ability, as well as ill-equipped teaching, a classroom environment, financial difficulties, poor residential facilities, and a lack of communication between students and teachers, have been identified as major factors preventing students from reaping the full benefits of university education (Ariyawansa & Perera, 2005 as in Perera, 2022).

The manner and processes for allocating hostels/bed space at Nigerian federal institutions are also a source of consternation.

Regardless of the competition for hostel accommodations. While some colleges make reservations for first- and second-year students in order to help them quickly integrate into the business of studying, others allow all students to compete for available seats. The latter is typically done on a first-come, first-served basis, through the purchase of scratch cards, and/or through balloting methods. However, if it does not provide hostel accommodation for all interested students, particularly new students (who are struggling to adjust to a new environment) and senior students (who will have a lot of responsibilities within the school environment), such an arrangement/system is insufficient and ineffective.

Campus facilities at federal institutions are frequently outdated and poorly maintained. Inadequate power supply, water supply, and decent convenience The amount of time spent in the dormitory, the type of room, and the number of times a student transfers blocks are all indicators of living conditions. The variables used to measure the study survivability are the following: sources from which pupils obtain their food; satisfaction with the level of services provided by the food departments; sufficient water supply in the hostels; safety of the rooms; efficacy of the security staff, field of study; current year of study; financial support; time spent studying; sufficient study rooms; library facilities. The safety of nighttime study in class; the presence of a study desk in the room; the presence of a study chair in the room; and

the presence of a study lamp in the room (Duyile 2022).

In light of the foregoing, this study was deemed necessary to investigate hostel accommodation and its impact on university students’ academic performance.

1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT

As the student population has grown, lodging for university students in Nigeria has become a major issue for students, parents, and university administrators, as virtually all universities have failed to provide student housing. Students face a life of frustration on campus due to the poor condition and substandard quality of the few lodgings available (Adams 2022). University students in Nigeria are now living in deplorable conditions on campus. Their accommodations are notoriously bad, insane, crammed, and overcrowded, which makes travel difficult.

Their ability to learn effectively. Some of the few colleges that provide housing do not make adequate provisions (Duyile 2022). Rooms that were originally designed for two students can now accommodate up to seven. This design, however, can only accommodate 40% of the total student population.

Despite the government’s and universities’ best efforts, a solution to student hostel accommodation problems remains elusive. In this context, a critical search is conducted on this research, which leads to the study’s objectives.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of this research is to investigate hostel accommodation and its impact on university students’ academic performance. Other study objectives include, but are not limited to:

i. To ascertain the extent to which university students use hostel accommodations.

ii. To find out if gender and age play a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities.

iii. To see if hostel living has an effect on academic performance.

iv. Determine whether faculties and courses of study are given special consideration in the allocation of hostels in Nigerian federal universities.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

This study will address the following research questions:

i. To what extent do university students use hostel accommodations?

Is there a role for gender and age in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities?

iii. Does hostel living have an impact on academic performance?

iv. Do faculties and courses of study receive special consideration in the allocation of hostels in the Nigerian federal government?

1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE

The study, which seeks to determine whether there is a link between appropriate hostel housing and improved academic performance, will undoubtedly be useful for decision-making by students and their parents. Because shelter is one of the most basic human needs, everyone, especially those who are new to an area, is in desperate need of one. Parents and their children would consider the likelihood of obtaining housing on or near campus before selecting a university to attend or send their children to.

This study will be useful and relevant for planning purposes for the entire university workforce. The dean of students affairs, the senate, and other university-wide planning executives would like to

Know the proportion of total students accommodated, the revenue stream lost due to insufficient hostel accommodation provision, and the capacity limitations caused by insufficient facilities such as hostel accommodation.

The research will also be relevant and useful to the government in the areas of policy formulation and implementation pertaining to the federal government’s development of university infrastructure.

As it contributes to the improvement of educational standards, the research will be relevant to future researchers in this field, as well as the general public and society as a whole.

1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES

This research is primarily concerned with hostel accommodation and its impact on university students’ academic performance. This study is specifically concerned with determining the extent to which students

use university hostels, determining whether gender and age play a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities, determining whether hostel accomodation has an impact on academic performance, and determining whether special preference is given to faculties and courses of study in the allocation of hostels in Nigerian federal universities.

Selected staff and students from the University of Calabar in Cross River State will be enrolled in this study’s survey.

1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS

This study is generally limited to hostel accommodation and its impact on university students’ academic performance. Specifically, this study is limited to determining the extent to which students use university hostel accommodations, as well as whether gender and age play a role in the distribution of students.

university hostels in Nigerian federal universities, determining whether hostel accomodation influences academic performance, and determining whether special preference is given to faculties and courses of study in the allocation of hostels in Nigerian federal universities.

Because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, the sample size was limited, and the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. Selected staff and students of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.8 TERM DEFINITION

Hostel: A hostel is a type of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging in which guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, as well as use of a lounge.

and, on occasion, a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, and bathrooms can be private or shared.

Academic achievement or academic performance refers to the extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has met their short or long-term educational objectives. Academic achievement is demonstrated by the completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees.

Universities: A university is a higher education and research institution that grants academic degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. Universities usually provide both undergraduate and graduate programs.