CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study:
Social studies, as an integrated subject, encompasses various aspects of human life, connecting social, economic, cultural, physical, and psychological dimensions. It aims to contribute to the holistic development of individuals, preparing them to be active and responsible citizens in society. However, recent public examination results have indicated a concerning trend of poor performance among social studies students, raising questions about the factors contributing to this issue.
Several reasons have been proposed for the decline in social studies performance, ranging from students' lack of interest to shortcomings in teaching, home environments, and governmental influence. This study aims to investigate the role of the school environment in shaping students' academic performance in social studies.
The school environment, comprising both material and non-material resources, plays a pivotal role in influencing students' academic outcomes. A healthy and conducive school environment fosters effective learning, instills pride in students, and enhances their overall interest in education. This environment encompasses classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, and school management, all of which contribute to students' academic success.
School libraries, in particular, are regarded as learning laboratories, providing essential resources for both students and teachers. They are integral to the educational process, offering materials that support learning and enrichment. The use of instructional materials is also emphasized as a critical component of effective teaching, providing concrete foundations for conceptual thinking and motivating students to learn.
Additionally, the location of a school, whether urban or rural, is recognized as a significant factor influencing academic performance. Classroom management procedures, vital for creating a positive learning environment, contribute to the overall success of students.
Statement of the Problem:
The academic performance of social studies students in public examinations has been consistently subpar, raising concerns among education stakeholders. While various factors have been suggested as contributors to this trend, the role of the school environment, including libraries, instructional materials, school location, and classroom management, has not been extensively explored.
There is a pressing need to understand how these elements of the school environment impact students' academic performance in social studies. The inadequacy of resources, poorly equipped classrooms, and disparities in school infrastructure may be contributing to the decline in academic achievements. The study seeks to investigate the relationship between the school environment and students' performance in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in EketLocal Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
By identifying and understanding the challenges within the school environment, this research aims to provide insights that can inform improvements in educational practices, administration, and infrastructure, ultimately contributing to enhanced academic performance in social studies.
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1.3 Purpose of the Study
This study is to determine the relationship between school environment and students’ academic performance in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in EketLocal Government Area. Specifically the study aimed at the following objectives:
1. To determine the relationship between school library and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
2. To ascertain the relationship between school instructional materials and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
3. To assess the difference in academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students based on school location.
4. To determine the relationship between classroom management and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study was an attempt to determine the relationship between school environment and students’ academic performance in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in EketLocal Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The findings of this study would be of immense benefit to social studies teachers, social studies students, school administrators, officials of the State Ministry of Education in a number of ways. The findings on school library, instructional materials, school location and classroom management would educate the social studies teachers on various ways to boost the academic morale of students to achieve good performance in their academic pursuit. Social studies teachers would be able to encourage the students to effectively use the school library, select most suitable instructional materials for lesson delivery in the subject matter. The findings would help teachers to choose appropriate instructional materials and also serve as imperatives of planning, organizing, motivating, coordinating human and material resources in a way that would guarantee effective instructional delivery.
Also the findings of this study would be of great benefit to the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education and State Secondary School Board (Director) to be able to supervise teachers for effective instructional delivery. State Ministry of Education would be able to see the need for training and re-training of social studies teachers for the enhancement of their capacities that would ensure effective instructional delivery.
Social studies students at tertiary institution level who may conduct studies on related topics would benefit from the findings of this study as a reference source. It is hoped that the findings of this study would serve as a body of knowledge and providing inputs for the research students particularly in the area of the relationship between school environment and students performance in Social Studies.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study.
1. What is the relationship between school library and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students?
2. What is the relationship between instructional materials and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students?
3. What is the difference in academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students based on school location?
4. What is the relationship between classroom management and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students?
1.6 Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses are developed for the study.
H01: There is no significant relationship between school library and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
H02: There is no significant relationship between instructional materials and the academic
performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
H03: There is no significant difference in academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students based on school location.
H04: There is no significant relationship between classroom management and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students.
1.7 Basic Assumptions of the Study
It is assumed that the availability and utilisation school library, instructional materials, school location and classroom management can positively influence students’ academic performance in social studies, while non-availability and non-utilisation of the variables mentioned can negatively affect students’ academic performance.
1.8 Delimitation of the Study
The study is delimited to school environment and students’ academic performance in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in EketLocal Government Area with particular reference to the school library, instructional materials, school location and the classroom management. Spatially, the study covers only samples of performance in Social Studies of junior secondary school students during 2018/19 academic session.
1.9 Limitation of the Study
The study is limited by time to cover all the secondary schools in EketLocal Government Area, attitude of the teachers to cooperate with the researcher to use their students for the study as well as the financial involvement required in the study.
1.10 Definition of Terms
The operational definitions of main terminologies are:
School Environment: This is defined as the school library, instructional materials, school location and classroom management.
Students’ Academic Performance: This refers to students’ scores in Social Studies Achievement Test in Junior Secondary One promotion Examination.
