Abstract: This research examined Library Resources Utilization and Academic Performance among Students of Economics in Secondary Schools. The research design adopted for this study was quasi-experimental design. The population of this study consisted of the entire senior secondary 1-3 students in all public secondary schools in the study area. A simple random sample technique was adopted to select the sample size for the study. The sample size selected for the study was 160 Economics students randomly selected from SS2 students in eight public secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area. The main instrument for data collection was an Economics Performance Test (EPT) designed by the researcher based on the topic treated by the researcher. The data collected were analysed using independent t-test and result was tested at 0.05 levels of significance. The result from the findings showed a significant difference in academic performance among Economics students who utilize printed library resources and those who do not utilize printed library resources.
The findings also revealed a significant difference in the academic performance among Economics students who utilize electronic library resources and those who do not utilize electronic library resources. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that library resources should be used by teachers during the teaching process to promote effective teaching of Economics since the subject is not practical oriented and supervision should be carried out on the performances of teachers in terms of utilization of Library resources in the teaching of Economics as well as the utilization of these resources by students.
Library Resources Utilization and Academic Performance among Students of Economics in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
School libraries in educational institutions such as pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher institutions are important to the life-wire and foundational up-bringing of children. This is because the school library primarily stock materials which are of interest and developmental growth for young teenagers and youths of the era. These materials encompassed e-library materials such as internet facilities, e-books, and audio-visual materials and other printed materials such as textbooks, newspaper, journals amongst others (Rosag, 2000 and Edeghere, 2001).
However, the collection of library materials to an extent makes provisions for teachers and students to utilize them in the teaching and learning process. These materials are usually utilized by teachers during lesson preparation and are used by students for explanation of learnt concepts as well as doing of assignment. School libraries are also known as learning laboratory for the schools. They provide total learning package required by the students and their teachers.
School library is the collection of wide variety of library material and resources housed in each school, centrally organized by staff, professionally prepared to offer service to the students and teachers that will enrich and support the educational enterprises. Similarly, Harold (2000) is of the view that a school library is an organized collection of books placed in a school for use by both the teachers and the students, schools library can also be said as a miniaturized intellectual power house or information center found in primary schools, secondary schools and teacher training colleges. It is a stepping stone towards a child’s intellectual development.
In another related study, Jonathan, (2000) sees library as a store house of knowledge. It is a respiratory of information and information source. A library collects, organizes, stores and disseminates information. Thus, it is a resource centre for students, teachers, researchers and others. The major purpose of the library is to provide information, thus it is a respiratory of human experience not subject to barriers of space and time. Library is one of those resources which are essential to support and strengthen the educational quality. Over the centuries, libraries are the source of keeping and distributing the information through books, journals, maps and other resources that are used by students in their learning process.
Unfortunately, libraries are the most ignored area in institutions of teacher education. There is hardly any disagreement that libraries in our institutions are deficient in trained professional staff and material available for supporting student learning. Library resources i.e., printed and e-resources, physical resources (library study space, chairs, tables, books and books selves), human resources (strength of library officials, their qualifications and experiences) are essentially important in preparing teaching activities, notes, students’ assignment, conducting their research work, accessing e-journals and web sites, subscription to online journals by teachers and students.
Students reading habit can be traced to childhood days when an individual starts to communicate with books and humans alike, also students with poor reading habit would not likely read even in the school Library, even if they are forced to do so (Anyadike, 2015). In related study by Mbaise, (2014) on availability and utilization of library resources revealed that students perform better when they frequently use the school Library than when they do not and also that participation in information and library-related activities (for example, using the library website to find academic resources, asking librarians for help, etc.) were positively and moderately correlated with student engagement in other areas. The study also revealed that participation in information technology gadget in the library was associated with factors such as active and collaborative learning (for example, working with other students on class projects, working with other students outside of class, etc.).
Similarly, social science subjects (Economics inclusive) are subject that have numerous abstract concepts unlike science and vocational subjects making it to have voluminous notes which therefore require effective reading of text (print and non-print) by the students before there could be easy understanding of the subjects. Based on this, Nicholson, (2013), examined the association between library use and students’ academic performance in government in secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area and concluded that the utilization of these resources influence the academic performance of students in Government.
However, no study known to the researcher that have been conducted on library resources utilization and academic performance of students in secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area especially in Economics. Additionally, many libraries do not collect data related to students’ use of services to protect library user privacy; consequently, the lack of data collection leads to a shortage of studies examining the association between library use and student outcome. These therefore create a gap for this study to fill. It is therefore based on this background that the study investigated library resources utilization and academic performance among students of Economics in secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area.
Library Resources Utilization and Academic Performance among Students of Economics in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of the problem
Successfully management and realization of objectives of teaching and learning to a large extent can be attributed to many factors. Some of these factors include availability of the resources such as library resources and human resources as well as effective utilization of these resources. Equally, the role of the library resources as an integral part of teaching/learning in the school system cannot be over emphasized. This is to say that the school will be grossly incomplete where the library resources for students to read and do their assignment and other researches are not achievable or adequate. Interestingly, as important as library resources is in the teaching learning process, Amos (2014) have observed that there is serious inadequacy and under-utilization of library resources in the secondary school system in Nigeria and specifically in Akwa Ibom State thereby influencing the teaching effectiveness of the teachers.
Similarly, the chief examiner of West African Council Examination (WACE) in 2016 reported that out of the total candidates who sat for the examination in 2016/2017 session only 40.23% obtained five credits and above including mathematics and English Language. The chief examiner attributed this to several factors such as lack of teaching and learning resources, school variables and home environmental variables amongst others (Essien 2017).
This trigger the researcher’s interest to ask, could the use of library resources influence the academic performance of students in Economics particularly in secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area? The quest for answer to the question above prompted the researcher to investigate on library resources utilization and academic performance among students of Economics in secondary schools in Itu Local Government Area.
