ABSTRACT
The study was on School Environment and Students’ Academic Performance in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of 2030 junior secondary two (JS-2) students of 2018/2019 in seven public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State made up the population of the study (State Secondary Education Board, 2018). A total of 140 Junior Secondary Two (JS-2) students were randomly drawn from the seven public secondary schools in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area on the basis of 20 respondents from each of the schools. The hat-and-draw method was used in selecting the participants. The research instruments used in this study were School Environment Variables Questionnaire (SEVQ) and the Social Studies Achievement Test Scores (SSATS). The instruments were validated by the researcher’s supervisor. The internal consistency reliability of the “School Environment Variable Questionnaire” was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha method. The reliability coefficient was .87. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to answer research question 1.2 and 4, while mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer question 3. In testing the hypotheses, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test hypotheses 1, 2 and 4, while independent t-test hypothesis 3 at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between school library, instructional materials, classroom management and the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. The findings also revealed that there is no statistical mean difference in the academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students based on school location. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is concluded that school environmental variables such as school library, school instructional materials, school location and classroom management relate with academic performance in Social Studies of the Junior Secondary School students. In line with the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Government should make salary of teachers a living wage and not minimum wage taking cognizance of the prevalent realities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Social studies is an integrated subject connected with all aspects of human beings to enable them live a fulfilled and comfortable life. It is a study of people in relation to social, economic, cultural, physical and psychological lives. It has to do with all round development of human beings to enable them become useful citizens in the society. To Kochhar (2012), Social Studies concerns portions of the Social sciences selected for instructional purposes applied to include anything pertinent to the immediate purpose of learning and adapted to the level of comprehension of the student.
Presently, the performances of social studies students in public examinations have been very poor and worrisome to the stakeholders in education (Ali, 2006). Many reasons have been advanced for this state of affairs. Some blame the poor performances on non-challant attitude of the students towards education in general and social studies in particular; others attribute the blame on the teachers, home environment and governments respectively. The researcher intends to verify the place of school environment in students’ academic performance in social studies.
School environment is one of the major factors that influence the academic performance of the students. The nature of school environment where learning takes place determines to a large extent the performance of students. A school does not exist in a vacuum; to this end academic performance and environment are inseparable. A healthy and attractive school environment makes for effective learning and promotes students pride in their schools and their interest to stay in the school (Mgbodile 2004). School environment consists of both material and non-material resources in the school. The school environment includes the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops; laboratories, school management etc are variables that affect students’ performance in secondary schools. The extent to which academic performance can be enhanced depends on the effective administration of the school compound, the structure of their classroom, availability of instructional facilities, quality teachers and many others. Ajayi (2001) opined that a well planned school will stimulate expected outcomes of education and will facilitate good social and economic emancipation, effective teaching-learning process and academic performance of the students. The school environment needs standard library for the students.
School libraries in the educational institutions such as secondary schools are important to the live-wire and foundational up-bringing of children. This is because libraries primarily stock materials that are of interest and developmental growth for young, teenagers and youths of the era Rasaq (2000) and Edeghere (2001). However such collections of materials, to an extent make provisions for teachers, whereas the services are mainly aimed at students in the schools. School libraries are known as learning laboratory for the school. They provide the total learning package required by the students and their teachers. Okpa-Iroha (2005) said that a school library is a collection of a wide variety of library materials and resources housed in each school, centrally organized by staff, professionally prepared to offer services to students and teachers that will enrich and support the educational enterprises. This means that, a school library assists and supports the educational programme of the schools by storing instructional materials for use in teaching and learning (Ifidon, 2006).