ABSTRACT
This study is to investigate the significance of educational facilities on the academic performance of students in secondary schools in Akoko- Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. Eight research questions are developed to capture the topic and questionnaire is designed to elicit information from the respondents which comprise of teachers and students of the selected schools, 100 population samples were randomly selected from the five schools in the L.G.A. percentage and frequency distribution were used to present the result of the information gathered. The findings revealed the contribution of adequate teaching material or facilities to the performance of students, the importance of teaching facilities, problems militating against the use of educational facilities and how it can be resolved in the study area.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
For centuries, the subject of school facilities has received considerable attention from the public as well as educators. Educationists are faced today with growing challenges of maintaining the nation’s educational facilities. At the same time educators have to prove that student’s achievement in secondary schools depends greatly on the school facilities available in the schools. Traditionally, secondary schools have not recorded much attention on the issue of school reforms. This is possible due to lack of sequential proximity that secondary school has as the impact of the school facilities and the physical environment on education has not been ignored in current research. It has been discovered that school facilities available in schools where students learn can greatly impact moods satisfaction and self-worth (Ma and Macmillian, 1999) facility appraisal should be one of the many roles assumed by educational leaders maiden and foreman (1998) claimed that school administration should be armed with a general understanding of the relationship between the various school facilities and learning Climate it stands to reason that facility evaluation would warrant equitable and effort to that of ventures into and curriculum.
A growing body of research contributes to the belief that school facilities impact students achievement behaviour. Attendance and teacher retention (Neitt, 2000) there has been a general outcry about the falling standard of education in Nigeria since independence the performance of students has continued to fall in examination, this is to say that the academic performance or achievement of students ahs been all the time, very low factors for such retrogression in the educational system include the lack of the school facilities. Although other factors are at play but non availability of school facilities is the dominant factors causing low students performance in school especially in our secondary schools by nature , school facilities are those materials things needed to facilitate teaching and learning in the school (Ognodi, 2003) the school, like other productive system require materials (facilities) to have been positively linked with students academic performance (Ibrahim, 2006) the national goal of education is to provide satisfactory flow of men and women capable of acquiring the skills needed to explore the natural resources of the country and facilities are to be abundantly available in the school.
It is a truism that no academic performance can be achieved without school facilities and it is also a truism that the facilities needed for the implementation of good academic performance are not readily available in our school and where the equipments are available, there is usually no adequate manpower to manage these facilities to enhance the performance of the students in our secondary schools.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Inadequate facilities will surely affect the smooth teaching and learning process in all schools. There are some problems outlined below encountered in schools due to lack of adequate facilities. It is known that the academic performance of each student depends to a large extent on the facilities exposed to while learning but, when they are lacking some problems is faced.
The first noted, peculiar problem would be generated when there is no inclusive teaching and learning conduction. The unconduciveness could be as a result of non availability of facilities like table and chair in the classroom. There can never be way of concentration by students. Students can not be expected to achieve any of the objectives at the end of the lesson. If pupils have to share chairs with their mates, they would be easily distracted among themselves and the class which is supposed to be active3ly involved in the learning process turns out to be appealing and there is enough discomfort for the day to discourage the interest of the pupils for the whole day’s work.
Since the interest of the students are very low, they are going to also have a low level of understanding, knowledge to be imparted to the students would not be fully understood. There may also be limitation in understanding. Laboratories are lacking in many schools and in some schools were they can be found reagents and equipment are lacking. For instance students in science class who always learn in abstract, that is without practical knowledge, of what teacher is saying cannot have effective learning and this will automatically affect his/her academic performance. These lacks of laboratories have resulted to low interest in science subjects today, such subjects are physics, chemistry and biology.
Also the non availability of teaching facilities like textbooks, buildings, chart, chalkboards etc. have hindered students performance academically and this has resulted in their low interest in most of the subjects offered in their various level in secondary schools.
Finally, it is observed that the students supply their acquired knowledge in effectively since they have not been able to be taught with the practical aspects but rather expressed to only theoretical aspects of their field of specialization, if they have been opportune to make use of facilities in different aspects they would have been effectively appropriate.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The origin of using facilities to aid learning has been the pre-occupation of the proponent of school facilities. The studying of the teaching facilities in relation to students’ academic performance is to know the importance of teaching facilities.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study will be limited to a few selected secondary schools under Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. The study covers the following schools;
1. Akoko-Edo Comprehensive College, Igarra.
2. Unity Comprehensive College, Ibillo.
3. Ososo Grammar School, Ososo.
4. Somorika Grammar School, Somorika.
5. Ikpeshi Grammar school, Ikpeshi.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is meant to help educators and education planners realize what problems students who are subjected to since there is the rapid desire for education by an increasing population of Nigeria, which have to be met adequately and with the high rate of facility storage.
The study is meant to identify these problems and how much effect it has on the performance of the students since these facilities exist to facilitate and stimulate the instructional programme of the school system they should be provided and maintained.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This project aims at the teaching facilities and how it affects the performance of students in selected institutions. In order to achieve this, the following research questions are very essential.
1) Is there a relative difference in academic performance between schools with adequate teaching facilities and school without adequate teaching facilities?
2) What are the problems encountered by schools without teaching facilities?
3) What are the effects of lack of teaching facilities?
4) What are the advantages of having effective teaching facilities?
5) What are the disadvantages of not having teaching facilities in a school?
6) Are there adequate facilities in your school?
7) Is there chance of improvement in providing facilities to schools?
8) Is there teaching and evaluation condition good in your school?
9) Do you enjoy teaching without adequate school facilities?
10) How can the government improve effective teaching in schools?