ABSTRACT
The study set to determine the extent to which learning environment affected the academic achievement of pupils in public and private schools. The study was guided by four specific objectives, to determine the impact of classroom building on the performance of Pupils in Katsina State and to determine the impact of the adequate class furniture on the performance of Pupils in Katsina State were formed to guide the study, four (4) research questions and four (4) hypotheses were formulated in line with the objectives. Population for the study comprised twenty five thousand three hundred (25, 3000) Pupils from two hundred (200) public and private schools in Katsina State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two renovated and two public schools. Thereafter, two large sized classes of PRIMARY 4 were selected from two of the schools, another two small sized classes were selected from the other two schools, giving a total of 4 intact classes and pupils from these classes formed the sample size of 200 for this study. Quasi-experimental research design involving pre-test, post-test and non-equivalent design group was used for the study. Findings from the study showed that all the hypotheses were rejected. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference in the performances of the two groups (Experimental and Control). This revealed that a classroom building; class with adequate furniture; class with small class population and the use of instructional materials were found to have positive impact on the performance of pupils in Primary schools in Katsina State. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that conducive learning environment is very essential for effective teaching and learning and recommendations were made among which includes, that government and other education stakeholders should make concerted efforts to build more classrooms in primary schools that would help to reduce problem of overcrowding and create enabling teaching and learning environment; that adequate furniture should be provided and pupils should be oriented on how to maintain these facilities because most a times pupils destroy these facilities by themselves.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
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 learning environment as a physical space that supports multiple and diverse teaching learning programs 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, learning 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 pupils‟ study habits are to a large extent tied to it. A good learning environment presents learning as a lifelong enterprise and enables pupils 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 learning environment enhanced the achievement level of the pupils.
However, the societal expectation of quality outputs from the training institution makes pupils the primary focus of attention in any instructional program, and the better the learning environment (school), the better it can meet the goals of education and the society in general. Such goals include equipping pupils with desirable skills, knowledge and attitudes that will enable them to work and live in the society of knowledge (National Policy on Education, 2004). Teachers are expected to make teaching the learners‟ cantered and create enabling environment for pupils to interact with learning materials in order to concretize their knowledge and skills so that they can become self-confident and self-reliant, and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the society.
There is a general believe that the condition of school’s learning environment including infrastructure has an important impact on teachers‟ effectiveness and pupils‟ academic performance. The facilities that are needed to facilitate effective teaching and learning in an educational institution include the classrooms, offices, laboratories, conveniences and other buildings as well as furniture items and sporting equipment. Comfortable classroom temperature and smaller classes enhance teachers‟ effectiveness and provide opportunities for pupils to receive more individual attention, ask more questions, participate more fully in discussions, reduce discipline problems and perform better than pupils in schools with substandard buildings by several percentage points (Earthen, 2002). According to Mitchell (2008) the environment in which you study can have a big effect on how efficient your study time is. He identified noise, interruptions, lighting, temperature, neatness, comfort, instructional materials, facilities such buildings and equipment to have potential effect on study habits.
Therefore, the researcher, has been motivated to conduct this research on learning environment because of what is considered as deplorable conditions of the learning environment especially the physical aspects in spite of its unquantifiable roles in facilitating teachers‟ instructional delivery and pupils‟ academic performance. Thus, this study closely looked at the learning environment especially the physical facilities in Katsina State and seen its impact on the performance of pupils in vocational studies in primary schools. However, for the purpose of this study, only the physical learning environment was considered.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It has been observed in the recent past that primary schools in Nigeria are not living up to expectation in delivering quality education expected of the system. A lot of problems seem to be be-devilling the primary 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 pupils passing examinations. It also encompasses pupils‟ 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 pupils 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 pupils in public examination has no doubt made parents lost confidence in the ability of the schools to produce good products.
Adewuyi (2002) submitted that conducive learning environment can have effect on both the attitudes and achievement of pupils. He further added that a positive learning environment is found to be a very important factor of school effectiveness. Therefore, it is against this background information that the researcher examined the Impact of Learning Environment on the Performance of Pupils in Vocational studies in Primary schools in Katsina State
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The following are the objectives of the study:
- Determine the impact of classroom building on the performance of pupils in public and private schools in Katsina
- Determine the impact of adequate class furniture on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina
- Ascertain the impact of small class population on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina
- Ascertain the impact of the use of instructional materials on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina
1.4 Research Questions
The following questions are raised with regard to this research:
- what is the impact of classroom building on the performance of pupils in public and private schools in Katsina State?
- what is the impact of the provision of adequate class furniture on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina State?
- what is the impact of small class population on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina State?
- what is the impact of the use of instructional materials on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Katsina State?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following are the research hypotheses:
- there is no significant difference in the performances of pupils taught vocational studies in classroom buildings and those in dilapidated buildings in Katsina
- There is no significant difference in the performances of pupils taught vocational studies in class with adequate furniture and those without furniture in Katsina
- there is no significant difference in the performances of pupils taught vocational studies in a small class population and those in a large class population in Katsina
- there is no significant difference in the performances of pupils taught vocational studies using instructional materials and those taught without instructional materials in Katsina
1.6 Significance of the Study
Over the years, environment of Nigerian primary schools have suffered neglect in consideration of issues of renovating dilapidated classrooms, construction of new classroom buildings and provisions of other necessary facilities. This is obvious in the way that pupils in some primary schools are learning in dilapidated classrooms or under the tress with little or no seats, no instructional facilities with unqualified teachers among others. Therefore, this study will be of great importance in providing relevant information that can be used by government at whatever level (federal, state and local) who is seen as the principal actor in terms of educational development in the society as well as private investors to provide adequate facilities and maintenance strategies in primary schools. Secondly, findings of this study will be of relevance to pupils because it will provide insight into the problems whose solutions might help in taking specific actions which will efficiently and effectively address the poor performance of pupils as a result of poor nature of our primary schools in Nigeria today.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study was conducted to examine the impact of learning environment on the performance of pupils in vocational studies in primary schools in Katsina State. Thus, the study used primary 4 pupils of Government Day Primary school, Wukari, Yakasen Government Primary school, Wukari, Government Junior Technical Training School, Wukari and Government Day Primary school Central, Wukari.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Impact: As used here, impact means a noticeable effect of school facilities on the teaching and learning in primary schools.
Physical Facilities: here refers to facilities that are available to facilitate pupils‟ outcome. It includes Classroom/Desk and Chairs, Staffroom/Tables and Chairs, Laboratory/ equipment, Workshop/equipment, Instructional materials, Toilet, Kitchen, Dining Halls, Assembly Halls, power plant, School farm/Garden, Pitch, Sports equipment, Sources of water and others.
Academic Performance: simply means the outcome of the educational goals that are achieved either by the pupils or teacher. It is a measurement in terms of specific and desirable results in examination.
Learning: Activity of obtaining knowledge or connection between response and stimuli.
School: A school is an institution designed for the teaching of pupils under the direction of teachers.
Learning Environment: this refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts and culture in which pupils learns. In other words, it is the condition and influence which a learner comes in contact with, resulting in a series of complex interactions and ensuring change in behavior.
Classroom: this is a room that is found in educational institutions of all kinds, in an attempt to provide a safe space where learning can take place uninterrupted by other distractions.
Small Class Size: this is the lower average number of pupils per class in a given school.
Large Class Size: this is the higher average number of pupils per class in a given school.
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