CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 1.1 Background of the Study:
Education is widely acknowledged as a key driver of societal advancement, and schools are expected to be well-equipped with essential facilities, adequately trained teachers, and conducive environments to promote effective learning. Various school variables, such as location, class size, library resources, teacher qualification, and communication technology, play a crucial role in shaping the learning experience for students (Tait, 2015). These variables are designed to provide academic assistance and encouragement, particularly for students facing challenges in their education.
Schools strive to support academically disadvantaged students by offering various programs and facilities. These may include tasks, resources, and support services aimed at improving students' learning abilities. The provision of school variables aligns with the goal of enhancing the academic and social integration of academically disadvantaged students into quality education (Ido, 2018).
However, challenges persist, particularly in many African school systems, where a lack of supportive services, including qualified tutors, academic planners, counselors, and technical assistance, has been observed (Yoon, 2016). The absence of such support services may lead to isolation, complicating the teaching-learning processes and hindering students' overall development.
The issue of poor academic achievement among secondary school students in Nigeria is further exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure in schools. Poorly maintained facilities and inadequate resources can act as obstacles to students' academic success (Essien, 2014). Despite the importance of school variables, there is a significant lack of supportive services in many African schools, contributing to the challenges faced by academically disadvantaged students.
1.2 Statement of the Problem:
The problem of poor academic achievement among secondary school students in Nigeria persists, and inadequate school variables, including poor infrastructure, contribute to this issue. Many students face hurdles arising from the poor state of school facilities, hindering their academic success (Essien, 2014). While school variables are intended to provide academic assistance and encouragement, the lack of supportive services in African school systems, including qualified tutors, academic planners, counselors, and technical assistance, has been noted (Yoon, 2016).
Additionally, there is a widespread belief that students attending schools in urban areas perform better academically than those in rural areas. However, research findings on the influences of facilities in schools in urban and rural areas on students' academic performance are controversial. It is essential to understand the impact of school location, class size, availability of library resources, and teachers' qualification on students' academic performance in Government in public secondary schools.
In Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the observed poor academic performance in Government raises concerns. Factors such as large class sizes, insufficient library resources, and the assignment of teachers from other subject areas to teach Government may be contributing to this problem. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the influence of these school variables on the academic performance of students in Government in public secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area.
This study aims to explore the relationship between school variables and students' academic performance in Government, shedding light on specific challenges and areas for improvement in the educational system in Eket Local Government Area.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study will was determine School Variables and academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary Schools in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study sought to:
- determine the influence of school location and academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom
- investigate the influence of class size and academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area
- determine the influence of availability of library resources and academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area
- ascertain the influence of teachers qualification and academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study will be of immense benefit to students, school administrators, teachers, educational planners and the ministry of education in the following ways:-
The study will help the teachers to identify those school variables that are likely to affect students’ academic performance and so do their best to surmount them.
Parents, through the findings of this study, will be able to take decisions on schools to send their wards to, weighing the variables of school type, location, facilities, class size they will see the need to educate their children in schools with well-equipped environment/facilities.
The findings will help the policy makers and administrators to see the need to equip schools whether in urban or rural areas, public or private in order to improve the learning process and enhance students’ academic performance.
The finding will aid curriculum planners to develop policies and plans that will create conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning of government in secondary schools. Finally it will serve as a reference for further studies.
1.5 Research Questions
The study will sought to answer the following research questions:
1. what is the influence of school location on students’ academic performance in Government in Public Secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?
2. what is the influence of class size on academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area?
3. what is the influence of library resources on academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area?
4. what is the influence of teachers qualification on academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
Four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and tested at 0.05 level of significance:
H01: Class size has no significant influence on students’ academic performance of students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area
H02: teachers qualification has no significant influence on students academic performance students in Government in Public Secondary schools in the study area.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study on school variables and academic performance of students in government in public secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State sought to determine the influence of school location, class size, library facilities, and teachers’ qualification on academic performance of students’ in government in the study area. Senior secondary II (SS2) students selected from public schools in the study area were involved in the study.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
This study is limited to Government students in public secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. This study was constrained by several factors first, the reluctance by the respondents to give accurate and reliable response to the questions contained in the questionnaire constituted a major limitation to the study. The short period of time required to complete this study was the second factor fond to be a limitation to the researcher.
