THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF NIGER COLLEGE JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This study on the impact of the school environment on teaching and learning it was carried out in Niger College Junior Secondary School Two in Ugbekun Quarters of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. The teachers and students there were the subject used. The secondary school environment is composed of many factors that influence the students. In this work, attention was be paid to the surrounding in which children learn. This can greatly influence their academic performance, and well being in school. The architecture, layout, décor and facilities of their school all play a vital role in shaping the learning environment yet the importance of this particular aspect of school life can oen be over looked. Most children no matter how well or how poorly they perform in the classroom will at some point complain about the fact that they have to go to school; it might be the hours, the number of days per weeks, their teachers, or even the other students that come under fire, but very often. It’s the school building itself that is the stumbling block. It stands to reason that the better a building looks, the more it inspires the people inside it. Obviously it takes more than a few pretty colour to create legions of geniuses but what ever a child academic ability, pleasing surroundings will definitely lead to better attendance, improved concentration and a healthy dose of motivation and self esteem. Its also important for staff to have a good environment, which is adoptable to their day to day professional needs.

Aristotle (1998) also recognized the indispensable functions of education when he stated in his books the claimed that the aims of education should include: 1. The realization of the capabilities and potential of individual 2. The development of the body 3. The training of the appetites, which is character or moral development 4. The development of the intellect or reason. He further held that none of the above should be emphasized at the expenses of the others. In line with the above aims and functions of education, the Nigeria government in its 1981 Policy on Education stated that the five main national objective of education are the building of: i. Free and democratic society ii. A just and egalitarian society iii. A united, strong and self reliant nation iv. A great and dynamic economy v. A land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens. Presently education in Nigeria has not been able to achieve the noble objectives because it is in deep problem. According to Bronfenbrenner (1989), young people need to have adult who are “crazy” about teaching instead, they are driving each other crazy. In these schools, support networks are weak or none existed for both children and teachers.

Teacher may resent what they perceive as inadequate encouragement assistance, and resource to do their job. Students may feel that nobody at school knows or cares about them. What can be done to change these schools into caring productive places that children and teacher enjoy coming to every day. The school effect literature describes numerous factors that may enhance the school environment including effective principal leadership, a safe and orderly setting engaging extra curriculum activities reduction in the size and impersonality of school and education programs designed to fit the unique needs of specific students and school contexts school climate is often as palatable as the weather. Some schools have warm friendly emblems, while others have a cold for body environment that permute classroom and offices. It seems probable that school and classroom climate would influence student’s performance. A number of schools around the country are still languishing in the Victorian era, with crumbling walls and limited resources. It seems that many school in the twenty first century particularly secondary schools are having to shoehorn modern day teaching and up to date resource into nineteenth century surroundings only a tiny proportion of today’s school have been built since the mid 1970s and with a few generation of children.