Influence of School Environment on Academic Achievement of Students of Public Secondary School in Enugu State

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to investigate the influence of the school environment on academic achievement of students in Enugu State public secondary schools. The design of the study is descriptive while the population comprised principals and teachers in the education zone. The sample size for the study was 600 respondents while a researchers’ self developed questionnaire formed the instrument for data collection. Three experts validated the instrument and a cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient method was employed to ensure the reliability of the instrument. Four research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study;whilestudentt-teststatisticswasusedtotestthehypothesesat

0.05   level of significant. A review of empirical studies was carried out to guide the researcher into previous studies in the area and also to provide the researcher with the theoretical base. A 29-item questionnaire was used to get information from the respondents. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the following results were obtained. That staff office, classroom spaces for teaching students and staff common room represented the major areas that to a great extent affect the academic achievement of students in public schools, with regard to buildings. It was also revealed that desks, current books and presence of library assistants constituted the areas of influence to the academic achievement of the students with regard to library services in the public secondary schools. Both the principals and teachers agreed that access to reading materials in the school, lack of facilities, and nearness to school and in sufficient qualified teachers very greatly affect the academic achievement of the students. Inadequate teaching materials were also noted as a major factor affecting the students’ academic achievement. The two groups also shared common views in terms of the great influence of school health services, fencing of school for security and provision of power supply as important variable affecting the academic achievement of the students of public secondary schools. Based on the above, the researcher recommends that schools should be provided with functional libraries, equipped with current reading materials to help enhance both the students’ academic achievement and the teachers’ effectiveness in academic activities in theschool.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

i

Approval page

ii

Dedication

iii

Acknowledgement

iv

Certification

v

Abstract

vi

Table of Contents

vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

1

Statement of the Problem

11

Purpose of the Study

12

Significance of Study

12

Scope of the Study

13

Research Questions

14

Hypotheses

14

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Conceptual Framework

16

Concept of Environment

17

Concept of Public Secondary schools

19

Historical Development of Public Secondary School

20

Changes in Structure of the Ownership of Public Secondary School

23

School Building

27

Library Services

28

School Location

30

School Facilities

32

Theoretical Framework

34

Skinnerian environmental theory

34

Review of Empirical Studies

36

Summary of Literature Review

40

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

Design of the Study

42

Area of the Study

42

Population for the Study

43

Sample and Sampling Technique

43

Instrument for Data Collection

43

Validation of the Instrument

44

Reliability of the Instrument

44

Method of Data Collection

45

Method of Data Analysis

45