School Environment and Primary School Pupils Academic Performance in English Language

ABSTRACT: This study investigated School Environment and Primary School Pupils Academic Performance in English Language in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Specifically two variables availability of well equipped English library and qualified teachers were used. Two research questions and two research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. From a population of 6,860 primary six pupils, two hundred primary six pupils were randomly selected from 10 selected primary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. A ten (10) item questionnaire and the scores of the pupils in their primary five promotion examination were retrieved and used as data lot’ the study. A Person Product Moment Correlation Statistics was used to test the hypotheses formulated.

Findings revealed that well equipped library as well as teachers qualification related positively to good academic performance in English language. Based on the findings therefore, recommendations were made that parents should send their wards to schools with equipped library and qualified teachers in English.

 

School Environment and Primary School Pupils Academic Performance in English Language

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The duty of educating the young ones in African Tradition Societies before the advent of the missionaries was done by the parents and such education was an informal one. Informal in the sense the children learn h imitating the parents or siblings or other members of the extended families (Fafunwa, 1981).

Modern education requires that educating the young ones suppose to take the formal way. Formal ways in the children in regular class setting are provided with regular education. This regular education takes children out of their parents or children are recruited into a formal setting culled classroom that is controlled by a professionally trained and certified person called teacher (Ikpaya 1987. Taiwo 1981 Fafunwa 1981).

The introduction of regular education to replace the formal one was due to the recognition of the fact that education is seen us instrument per excellence and as such should he bene1ted by all citizens (NPE, 2004). The regular education takes place in an environment called schools (Taiwo, 1981). These schools can be established by either private individuals or government and according to Bager (2008) environment has direct influence on achievement of the child educationally. This study therefore tries to study school environment and primary school pupil’s school performance in English language in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

School Environment and Primary School Pupils Academic Performance in English Language

1.2     Statement of the Problems 

English subject is conceived as an important subject especially at the primary school levels.  This is because every subject in school after the primary school level is done in English language.

Despite huge government expenditure in training and retraining of primary school teachers nowadays especially in major subjects such as English. There exists a downward trend in the programme of primary schools in written as well as spoken English in internal and external examination. Many studies have articulated this downward trend to experience of the teacher, qualification of the teacher among other things (Okon, 2002; Akpan, 2013).

No research has been carried out to see the effect of school environment on the performance of pupils in English in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. This study is therefore trying to investigate whether school environment have influence on the performance of primary school pupils in English language.