ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS

Background to the Study: Education is the most important component of human resources development and is accorded a pride of place in many countries‟ developmental activities. There is no doubt that the importance of education cannot be underscored because there is no country that has succeeded without educating its people. Education according to Osokoya (2009) helps to improve security, health, prosperity and ecological balance in the world. It encourages social, economic  and cultural progress, tolerance, national and international cooperation. Akomolafe (2009) describes education as a single most effective means of curbing population growth, reducing child mortality, eradicating poverty and ensuring democracy, peace and sustainable development.

Education is an instrument for the acquisition of appropriate skills, ability and competence both mental and physical also as equipment for individual to live and contribute to the development of his/her society (Lawal, 2003). Also, in the views of Usha (2007) it is the process of teaching and training of the child which has to do with imparting and acquisition of skills for a particular trade or profession in which applicable methods are used.

From what has been viewed as education by different authorities based on their own perceptions, we can say that education is a process by which an individual acquires physical and social capabilities demanded by the society in which he/she is born into in order to be useful to him/her and contribute to the development of the society at large.

The primary purpose of teaching and learning process is to bring about in the learner desirable change in behaviour through critical thinking. This process however, does not take place in vacuum but in an environment structured to facilitate learning. OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2009) described School Environment as a physical space that supports multiple and diverse teaching learning programmes including current technologies, one that demonstrates optimal, promotes effective performance and operation over time; one that respects and is in harmony with the environment; and one that encourages social participation, provide a healthy, comfortable, safe, secure and stimulating setting for its occupants.

Thus, School Environment has also been emphasized as an essential requirement for smooth teaching and learning process to take place (National Teachers‟ Institute, NTI 2008). This is because students‟ study habits are to a large extent tied to it. A good School Environment presents learning as a lifelong enterprise and enables students to discover appropriate value system that can be their compass for self-awareness and national consciousness. The study conducted by Akhtar (2010) on public school in Islamabad Pakistan revealed that teaching through technology based School Environment enhanced the achievement level of the students.

However, it went further and stated in specific term that, secondary education shall provide all primary leavers with the opportunity for education of higher level irrespective of sex, social status, religious or ethnic background; offer diversified curriculum to cater for the differences in talents, opportunity and further roles; provide trained manpower in the applied science, technology and commerce at sub-professional grades; develop and promote Nigerian languages, arts and cultural heritage; inspire its students with a desire for self- improvement and achievement of excellence; foster national unity with an emphasis on the common ties that unite us in our diversity; rise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and feelings of others, respect the dignity of labour, appreciate those values specified under our broad national goals and live as god citizens and provide technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agriculture, industrial, commercial and economic development.

Finally, it is obvious that secondary education is important and necessary for the survival of individuals and the society at large. Broadly speaking, secondary education prepares individuals for useful living within the society and prepares the individuals for higher education.

Therefore, the researcher being a teacher, has been motivated to conduct this research on School Environment because of what is considered as deplorable conditions of the School Environment especially the physical aspects in spite of its unquantifiable roles in facilitating teachers‟ instructional delivery and students‟ academic performance. Thus, this study closely looked at the School Environment especially the physical facilities in Nsit Atai Local Government Area and seen its impact on the performance of students in social studies in junior secondary schools. However, for the purpose of this study, only the physical School Environment was considered.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It has been observed in the recent past that secondary schools in Nigeria are not living up to expectation in delivering quality education expected of the system. A lot of problems seem to be bedevilling the secondary school system ranging from inadequate facilities, old and dilapidated structures, inadequate instructional materials and unqualified teachers there by making the system ineffective (Wanjobi, 2011). Schools need to be effective so as to be able to deliver the good things expected of them at every point in time. School effectiveness in this context refers to the extent to which schools are able to accomplish their pre-determined objectives. School effectiveness transcends beyond students passing examinations. It also encompasses students‟ attainment in other domains of learning (the affective and the psychomotor domains) (Bandele, 2002). He further stated that, these other domains, apart from having influence on the cognitive achievement, also make the beneficiaries of the education system live a fulfilled life and contribute meaningfully to the development of the society.

However, it has indeed, been observed today that there is persistent poor performance of students in both internal and external examinations. Researchers such as Yusuf (2002) and Adeyemi (2008) have all shown in their various studies that the extent of poor performance of students in public examination has no doubt made parents lost confidence in the ability of the public schools to produce good products.

Experience has shown that there is a high rate of indiscipline in secondary schools. It has also been observed that lateness to school, absence from school, noise-making, quarrelling, rudeness to school authority, deliberate physical harm to others, forgery, cheating in examination and a host of others, are daily happenings in our secondary Schools. All these tend to make the schools ineffective. According to Oladele (2003) the evidence of students‟ moral paucity are more conspicuously seen as high crime in the society and that of the institutions of learning. He further posited that the root cause of these moral laxities translating in higher crime waves is traceable to the non-teaching of ethics, when the students are at the primary schools.

Adewuyi (2002) submitted that conducive School Environment can have effect on both the attitudes and achievement of students. He further added that a positive School Environment is found to be a very important factor of school effectiveness. Therefore, it is against this background information that the researcher examined the influence of School Environment on the Performance of Students in social studies in junior Secondary Schools in Nsit Atai Local Government Area.