IMPACT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IKEJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

IMPACT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IKEJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

ABSTRACT

Among the predictors of students’ academic performance and psychosocial development is the degree of comfortability and conduciveness of school environment. The study examined the impact of school environment on students’ academic performance and psychosocial development in Nigeria using a case study of secondary students in Ikeja Local Government. The survey design in collaboration with the purposive sampling technique was used to select 120 secondary school students from 10 selected secondary schools in the study area. The instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire, which was administered to the respondents. The data obtained was subjected to descriptive statistic techniques and the chi-squared analysis. The results revealed that physical school environment; school location and school facilities significantly influenced the academic performance of the selected students. Also, school environment, in its entirety significantly impacted on the level of students’ psychosocial development. Based on these findings, the study recommends that modern and functional educational facilities such as libraries, laboratories, ICT centers, health centers, sport centers, toiletries and other instructional materials should be provided and made accessible to the students and teachers should be friendly and courteous towards their students so that they- the students, can consult them whenever they have any disturbing issue(s).

Keywords: School, Environment, Academic Performance, Psychosocial

                                              CHAPTER ONE

1.1                                         INTRODUCTION

Education is highly imperative to all countries of the world regardless of their level of development. Education is the process of transmitting knowledge, skills, facts, judgment etc. either formally or informally. It is the channel through which human, physical, social, emotional and intellectual abilities are harnessed. Education to Kneller (2000) is the process by which individuals go through schools, colleges, universities and other institutions of learning for transmission of values and knowledge.

Education in the submission of the 1^st black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, is the most potent weapon to fight poverty, ignorance and provoke positive reforms in the world. Quality education allows for acquisition of skills, technological advancement and creates an avenue for the exploration of human resources towards the attainment of economic development.

School environment is a concept that goes beyond the physical location of a school; it covers the teacher-student relationship, aesthetic structure of classrooms, libraries, laboratories, quality of teachers, teaching methods,  etc, which are crucial in the process of teaching and learning. These elements of school environment affect the academic performance of students (Ajao, 2001). The extent to which student learning is propelled is at the mercy of the location of the school compound, availability of instructional materials and classroom structure. It has been universally agreed among scholars that schools with conducive environment for the activities of teaching and learning will produce positive results of education that will speed up effective teaching-learning synergy, education emancipation and the academic performance of the students.

IMPACT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IKEJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT