THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

The learning environment, which include the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, teachers’ quality, school management, teaching methods, peers, etc are variables that affect students’ academic achievement (Ajayi, 2010 and Oluchukwu, 2000). Hence, the learning 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 in Nigeria has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even student 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 learning environment (Ajao 2010) learning 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 are the assertions of Williams, Persaud, and Turner (1008), quoting Marsden (1005), which reported that safe and orderly classroom environment (aspect of instructional space), School facilities (accessories) were significantly related to students’ academic performance in schools. The three researchers, also quoted Glassman (1994), asserting 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, 1002)

Lyons, 2010; and Ostendorf, 2010). These factors can adversely affect student behavior and lead to higher levels of frustration among teachers, and poor learning attitude among student. Beyond the direct effects that poor facilities have on students’ 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.

Previous studies have investigated the relationship of poor learning environment including problems with student-teacher ratio, school location, school population, classroom ventilation, poor lighting in classrooms, and inconsistent temperatures in the classroom with student health problems, student behavior, and student achievement (Crandell & Smaldino, 2000; Davis, 2010; Johnson, 2010; Lyons, 2010;Moore, 1002;

Stricherz, 2000; Tanner, 2000). To complement these studies, the present research is to examine the aforementioned areas of learning environment as it affects student’s performance in Nigerian schools.

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1.2 Statement of the Problem

A student faces a lot of problem in the course of his educational pursuit. These problems are multifaceted. The research is concerned with the influence of the learning environment with special reference to student’s academic attainment and possible solution to the problem. The alarming poor performance in examination is definitely of great concern to the researcher who sees the study as inevitable.

It is noted that students’ performance at polytechnic level at private and public schools differs due to environmental constraints.

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 learning environment on students’ academic performance in Kensaro Wiwa Polytechnic Amadi-Ama Centre Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to:

1. Find out the effect of the learning environment on the students’ academic performance
2. Examine the reasons for students’ poor performance.
3. Find out the effect of the learning environment of student on the academic performance of polytechnic students.

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1.4 Research Questions

This research work would also investigate to know the possible solution to the problem. The research would equally pay attention to the family’s financial status. Consequently, the following questions are asked.

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

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1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypothesis is stated for work.

Hypothesis One

H0: There is no significant difference between school environment and the students’ academic performance

H1: There is a significant difference between school environment and the students’ academic performance

Hypothesis Two

H0: There is no significant difference between school facilities and academic performance of students

H1: There is a significant difference between school facilities and academic performance of students

Hypothesis Three

H0: There is no significant difference between class size and academic performance of students

H1: There is a significant difference between class size and academic performance of students

Hypothesis Four

H0: There is no significant difference between school location and academic performance of students

H1: There is a significant difference between school location and academic performance of students

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1.6 Significance of the Study

It is hoped that this study would 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. In addition, the fact that this study is conducted in public schools, it shares quite a lot of similarities with many other counterparts.

In this connection, 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.

Also, this work would serve as a stepping stone to other researchers, who are looking for better ways to solve the problem of learning environment and students’ academic performance in polytechnic students in computer study, a case study of Kensaro Wiwa Polytechnic Amadi-Ama Centre Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope focuses on the learning environment and student’s performance using Kensaro Wiwa Polytechnic Amadi-Ama Centre Port Harcourt, Rivers State as a case study.

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1.8 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.

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1.9 Definition of Terms

Academy: A school or college for special training.

Student: The word “Student” means any person who is ready to learn and engage in learning activities.

Environment: Environment can be seen as the totality of the natural and artificial (manmade) phenomenon having direct and

Learning: Learning is basically a process of adapting to and improving the environment. What is learned can be measured either by those things that we observe in the behaviour of the individual.

Performance: Is the act of performing a play, concert or some other form of entertainment.