SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY

School Environment and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

The issue of school environment and students’ academic achievement has attracted the attention of many researchers all over the world. This is because the level of conduciveness or lack of it in education or career development is regarded as an important predictor of the extent to which the organization can either. Succeed fail. Wikipedia (2014). Described an environment as “the animal or plants lives or operates”. Accordingly, this includes the natural world as a whole or in a particular geographical area especially as affected by human activity.

School environment therefore, represents the physical, human and material resources that are available within the embedded of a particular school. These include the natural environment, infrastructural and instructional facilities the personal using these facilities as well as the students.

School Environment and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology

According to D’Souza (2005), in his study of leadership, posited that, “a school for example, needs adequate supplies and materials, property trained personnel, appropriate physical facilities, sufficient funds to operate, input from parents and community agencies and strategies for planning that a successful organization was that which provided conducive working climate, otherwise is productivity level as a natural science therefore requires the physical environment which comprise man, animals, plants and other components of nature for effective teaching and learning of the subject for this reason. Inyang-Abia (2001) emphasized that phenomenal teaching was imperative for teaching and learning of sciences especially biology as this will turn abstract concepts to real life situation, arouse students in the subject and enhance performance among students similarity. Cirfat Zumyil, and Tonglura (2006) contended that resources such as quality instructional facilities and teachers were indispensable factors for effective teaching and learning of biology. They reasoned which other resources reviewed: that no matter how good a teacher maybe effective teaching cannot be achieved without efficient utilization of instructional resources.

It is therefore, upon this background that the researcher seeks to investigate into school environment factors and students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

12. Statement of the Problem

Media reports in Nigeria particularly in Akwa Ibom State have failed to secure admission into the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to study medicine, pharmacy, medical laboratory sciences and other biology based courses because of poor performance in public examination like the senior school certificate examination (SSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

The researcher also personally observed that, many secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area are ill-equipped with biology facilities and lack phenomenal platforms for effective teaching and learning of the subject certainty, this status of resources in these secondary schools is not likely to facilities because the teaching and learning environment is not conducive. The nagging issue in this direction is whether poor teacher quality, inadequate facilities or ineffective utilization of instructional facilities could be responsible for poor performances among secondary school students in biology.

On the basis of these issues, the researcher intends to investigate into school environment and academic performance of secondary school students in biology and, to make recommendations which, if properly implemented will serve as a solution to the issues.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

In general, the study will investigate into school environment and students’ academic performance in biology.

In specific terms, the objectives of the study are to:

(i)         Assess the quality of teachers in relation to students’ academic performance in biology.

(ii)        Examine the relationship between availability of instructional resources in relation to student’s academic performance in biology.

(iii)       Find out the relationship between utilization of instructional resources and student’s academic performance in biology.

1.4       Significance of the Study

Research findings on the issue will serve the following significances:

(i)         It will serve as a reference manual for future researchers on related topics.

(ii)        It will enlighten biology students on the importance of using instructional materials in the learning of biology.

(iii)       It will also serve as a guide for biology teachers on the use of environment.

(iv)       It will help government, school proprietors and related agencies especially educational administrators and service providers when making policy statements concerning teachers employment and the supply of facilities to secondary schools.

School Environment and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology

Originally posted on April 30, 2021 @ 12:41 pm