CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION Background to the Study The school environment which include the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, teachers’ quality, school management, teaching methods, peers e.t.c are variables that affect students’ academic achievement (Oluchukwu, 2000). Hence, the school environment remains an important area that should be studied and well managed to enhance students’ academic performance. The Issue of Poor Academic Performance of Students has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even students themselves. The quality of education not only depends on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their duties, but also in the effective coordination of the school environment (Ajao, 2001). School environment which include instructional spaces planning, administrative places planning, circulation spaces planning, spaces for conveniences planning, accessories planning, the teachers as well as the students themselves are essential in teaching-learning process. The extent to which student learning could be enhanced depends on their location within the school compound, the structure of their classroom, availability of instructional facilities and accessories. It is believed that a well planned school will gear up expected outcomes of education that will facilitate good social, political and economic emancipation, effective teaching and learning process and academic performance of the students. Relating this study to international occurrences is the assertions of Marsden (2005). That safe and orderly classroom environment (aspect of instructional space), school facilities (accessories) were significantly related to students’ academic performance in schools and that a comfortable and caring environment among other treatments helped to contribute to students’ academic performance. The physical characteristics of the school have a variety of effects on teachers, students and the learning process. Poor lighting, noise, high levels of carbon dioxide in classrooms and inconsistent temperatures make teaching and learning difficult. Poor maintenance and ineffective ventilation systems lead to poor health among students as well as teachers, which leads to poor performance and higher absentee rates (Frazier, 2002). These factors can adversely affect student behavior and lead to higher levels of frustration among teachers, and poor learning attitude among students. Beyond the direct effects that poor facilities have on student’s ability to learn, the combination of poor facilities, which create an uncomfortable  and uninviting workplace for teachers, combined with frustrating behavior by students including poor concentration and hyperactivity, lethargy, or apathy, creates a stressful set of working conditions for teachers. Because stress and job dissatisfaction are common pre-cursors to lowered teacher enthusiasm, it is possible that the aforementioned characteristics of school facilities have an effect upon the academic performance of students.

Statement of the Problem School environment is an essential aspect of educational planning. Unless schools are well suited, buildings adequately constructed and equipment adequately utilized and maintained, much teaching and learning may not take place. The high levels of students’ academic performance may not be guaranteed where instructional space such as classrooms, libraries, technical workshops and laboratories are structurally defective. However, little is known on the impact of school environment on students’ academic performance in Etsako East Local Government.

Research Questions Is there any relationship between school environment and the student academic performance? To what extent do school facilities affect student performance in secondary school? What effect does class size have on the academic performance of students in secondary school? To What extent does school location have on the achievement of secondary school students?

Purpose of the Study The purposes of this study are: To examine the relationship between school environment and the student academic performance To examine the impact of school facilities on the academic performance of students in secondary school To explore factors such as class size that have been perceived to promote or inhibit students learning in the academic process of students in secondary school. To investigate the extent to which school location affects the academic achievement of secondary school students.

Significance of the Study It is hoped that this study will provide information for parents, educators and school administrators to reflect upon various factors that help students in achieving their academic goals. In so doing, they can investigate the possibility of introducing those factors to their school, which may consequently lead to enhancing students’ educational outcomes in school. This study provides a valuable reference for other schools to reflect upon the school environment as it affect the academic performance of student in secondary school.

Delimitation / Scope of Study This research work focuses on the influence of school environment on the academic performance of secondary school students in some selected schools in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. The researcher intends to carry out investigation paying particular interest to five secondary schools. Limitation of the Study The major limitation to this research was the inability of the researcher to cover the whole secondary schools in Etsako East Local Government of Edo State