IMPACT OF SCHOOL CLIMATE ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

School climate is one of the critical elements which contribute to holistic success of any school. A climate of a school involves collaboration between human, physical and material resources. It has been perceived that school, as a social institution for learning and exchange of ideas should be conducive for learning and for the realization of academic excellence among the students. Education, in its general sense, is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training or research. Education occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels or acts (Getzels & Guba, 2000).

Schools are social institutions. Within a school organization, there are teachers, administrators, learners and many kinds of service personnel. Distinctive positions are occupied by members of each group and are expected to behave in certain ways. The interactions and relationships among school members are varied and complex. Only if these relationships and interactions are understood and generally accepted can the organization function effectively (Campell, Corbally & Nystrand, 2003). In Nigeria, common observation shows that some parents have lost confidence in the ability of most of the public secondary schools to guarantee successful academic performance of their children. It has equally been observed that while some students passed their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination in some schools, others failed the examinations in some other schools. It is assumed that the type of school climate of an institution is responsible for this because a school has unique characteristics and these characteristics of the school tend to distinguished one school from the other. Meanwhile, school climate has been defined in various ways by many authors. Adeogun and Olisaemeka (2011) defines school climate as an aggregate measure of school characteristics, such as relationships between parents, teachers, administrators as well as physical facilities on the ground.  Halpin and Croft (2003) define school climate as the social atmosphere of a setting or a learning environment which gives learners different experiences depending upon the protocols set up by teachers and administrators. Perkins (2006) defines school climate as the learning environment created through the interaction of human relationships, physical setting and psychological atmosphere.