THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL PLANT ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL PLANT ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Most schools in the developed world have increased their investment in adequate school infrastructure over time. Stakeholders in the Nigerian education system have become irritated in recent years as a result of the country’s frightening deterioration. Despite efforts by successive administrations to restore Nigeria’s education system’s glory, the situation has deteriorated. A number of issues are being addressed, ranging from the mismanagement of available resources to the deterioration of educational standards (Ajayi, 1999). According to Dada (1987), Enacsator (1995), Ajayi (1999), and Akinbuiro and Joshua (2000), the above result in declining student performance in external tests such as the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) (2004). Okafor, Ugbe, Iheagwam, and Betiang all stated that According to (2003), an avalanche of problems in the education system leads to lower standards and a lack of trust in the Nigerian education system. The public outcry against the deterioration of education in Nigeria has had little or no impact. The government and its education policymaking apparatus appear to be slap happy, as evidenced by sloppy economic management and little to show for its efforts to address a slew of issues. Political parties benefit from increased public interest in educational system development, but they only pay lip service to this critical issue. “A casual visit to any public school in Nigeria would reveal the extent to which these educational institutions have decayed,” writes Adebayo (2009). Education facilities at all levels are in disrepair.

shape; schools are littered with battered structures; worn out equipment (where it is available at all); overcrowded classrooms; insufficient quantity and quality of manpower; academe instability. As a result, improving the educational system’s dire situation is critical in order to raise academic standards. Examining the condition of deteriorating infrastructures is a surefire way to achieve this goal.

Similarly, Alimi, Ehinola, and Alabi (2012) believe that instructional space such as classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, and labs are physically deficient in South-West Nigeria secondary schools, i.e., classrooms are not large enough.” The preceding pattern clearly predicts bad news for Nigeria’s secondary school system. A situation in which facilities are severely lacking would almost certainly lead to widespread failure in external examinations. As an example, When students lack necessary learning experiences due to a lack of facilities, achieving pre-specified curriculum objectives becomes impossible, inevitably leading to student failure when they are assessed based on curriculum objectives that were not met during student teaching/learning evaluation. The sad state of education in Nigeria is exacerbated by the fact that enrollment is increasing without corresponding school expansion or provision of adequate school infrastructure. 2012 (Asiyai) Most Nigerian public schools have been in operation for a long time, with the same limited classrooms, open space, library, laboratory, and so on, and have seen little or no remodeling over time, with little or no effort made to increase the number of facilities at such schools. To say the school plant is

An understatement to place at the top of the list of factors influencing student achievement. In reality, the adequacy of school infrastructure determines the quality of teaching and learning in schools, which is a driver of student success (Asiyai, 2012; Odufowokan, 2011). School plants are made up of the essential systems and structures that every functional educational institution requires in order to function properly and achieve the goals for which it was established in the first place (Alimi, Ehinola and Alabi, 2012). They are physical and geographical facilities that facilitate teaching and learning and, as a result, aid in the production of desired results, as evidenced by strong academic performance of educational products.

STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Students’ poor academic performance in Internal and external examinations have recently become a source of concern in the educational sector and among the general public. Some attribute the problem to teachers’ lack of commitment to their jobs, while others attribute it to inadequate physical and human resources in most secondary schools. A look at public secondary education programs. Local government areas in Condition reflect general deterioration, inadequate buildings and equipment, limited funds, a poor maintenance culture, and poorly motivated instructors. The quality of any educational system is frequently assumed to be a result of the quality of the input. The problem of inadequate school infrastructure is exacerbated by the fact that some principals, teachers, and students appear to disregard maintenance. Attempts have been made

to enhance the learning environment and influence students’ academic performance, but the majority of these efforts appear to be ineffective. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the impact of school plant on secondary school students’ academic achievement.

1.3 STUDY OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the impact of school plant on secondary school students’ academic achievement. The study’s specific goals are as follows:

1. Determine whether instructional materials, as a component of the school environment, can influence the academic performance of secondary school students.

2. Determine whether library facilities as a component of school infrastructure can influence secondary school students’ academic performance.

3. Determine whether school building design, as a component of school plant, has an impact on academic performance.

of secondary school students.

4. Determine whether a science laboratory as part of a school plant can affect secondary school students’ academic performance.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. Do instructional materials, as a component of the school environment, influence the academic performance of secondary school students?

2. Do library facilities as a component of school infrastructure affect secondary school students’ academic performance?

3. Does the design of a school building as part of the school plant affect the academic performance of secondary school students?

4. Does the presence of a science laboratory in a school affect the academic performance of secondary school students?

1.6 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Because of the importance of school plants in the educational system, they must be provided and managed.

These facilities are available at the school. They have been shown to improve students’ academic performance and achievement of school goals. The study on the influence of school plants on student academic performance in SSCE will be of enormous benefit to the entire secondary schools in Esan Central local government area of Edo state. The study will also serve as a repository of information for other researchers who wish to conduct similar research on the above topic. Finally, the study will add to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and serve as a foundation for future research.

1.7 STUDY SCOPE

The investigation into the impact of school plants on student academic performance in

The SSCE will be limited to five (5) secondary schools in Edo state’s Esan Central local government area.

1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS

The researchers encountered minor constraints while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject due to the fact that it is a new discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited sample size covering only senior secondary school in secondary school in Esan Central local government area of Edo state. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to other situations.

secondary school in other Nigerian states. Furthermore, the researcher’s involvement in this study while also working on other academic projects will impede maximum dedication to the research. Nonetheless, despite the constraints encountered during the research, all factors were minimized in order to provide the best results and make the research a success.

1.9 TERM DEFINITION

Plants are multicellular, primarily photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Plantae kingdom.

Academic performance: the degree to which a student, teacher, or institution has met their short- or long-term educational objectives.