Abstract: This study examined Availability and Utilization of Sporting Facilities in Public and Private Secondary Schools. The study was carried out in four secondary schools. The population of the study is made up of a total of two thousand two hundred (2200) SS2 students were used for the study. The sample size of one hundred (100) were randomly selected, two research questions were formulated for the study, the study was to calculated using simple percentage, the study signify that there is a significant difference between sporting facilities in public secondary schools and private secondary schools in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area. The study therefore recommended that Government should provide more sporting facilities in both public and private schools for effective practical to take place.
Availability and Utilization of Sporting Facilities in Public and Private Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
There has been a substantial theoretical and practical shift of emphasis, towards acknowledging that sporting facilities are among the principal components of Physical and Health Education in the past ten years, a burgeoning research base has increasingly shown that sporting facilities at secondary school are among the most important factor influencing students achievement in the subject, holding the key to filling the gaps in students achievement outcomes (Ferjuson, 2010) for example Sunders (2012) believe that more can be done to improve Physical and Health Education by providing new and improving existing sporting facilities in secondary schools.
Sporting facilities are recreational, fun and entertainment facilities which are also physical and spatial enablers of teaching and learning which will increase the production of result in the discipline (Adetoyeye, 2011). Sporting facilities serve as pillars of support for effective teaching/learning of Physical and Health Education. They also refers to individual buildings or groups of structure designed for exercising sports training and practice and competition in various sports (Michael, 2009).
The majestic Amphitheaters of ancient Rome, such as the coliseum, demonstrated the concept of combining a stadium and a circus.
Modern sporting student/facilities as recommended by Parketharson (2012) serve more than 50 types of sporting in secondary school. A structure of usually dividing into the principal area, where training is done and competition are held (fields, courts, halls) auxiliary areas cloakrooms, dressing rooms, shower rooms rooms for officials, equipment room) areas for the maintenance systems (water, heat and electrical power supplies), and the spectator area (stands and seats, lobbies, refreshment counters and rest rooms) sport facilities at secondary school can be outdoor or indoor (Johnson, 2009).
Studies have indicated a close relationship between availability/utilization of sporting facilities and students performance in physical and health education. Availability and utilization of sporting facilities are very crucial in sport participation and can serve as motivation for excellence in sporting competitions and academic performance in both internal and external examination Michael (2009).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The phenomenon of poor external result in physical and Health Education among Nigerian students, their inability to understand most of the concepts of the subject, poor perception of discipline among the stakeholders, unavailability and poor usage of sporting facilities as well as performance of our athlete at Olympic and common health, games activities has become a source of working to successive government and major stakeholders in the education and sporting sector in the country (Adeninyi, 2008), over the years, majority of students that sat for the May/June West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) Examination have been recording mass failure, not only in the area of overall performance, but also in the key subjects like Mathematics, English and Physics (Okpala).
Availability and Utilization of Sporting Facilities in Public and Private Secondary Schools
In 2010 the percentage of students who passed their West African Examination Council (WAEC) with credit in Physical and Health Education and Mathematics was below 50% (Okpala 2010). The same poor performance ratios (50%) were equally recorded by students in the subsequent years of 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Also the catch them young programme of sport ministries have not been existing again as evident in zero (0) medals for Nigerian in most global competition. There has been poor infrastructure and poor utilization of sporting facilities. Their ugly trend may have instigated the current worry among state holders to factors responsible for poor performance of students and sport athletics. The study seeks to answer the questions: what spot facilities are available at secondary schools and how has it been used for performance improvement.
