Description
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
The school experience has been a subject of systematic studies since the 1950’s with a strong acceleration in recent years in many countries. The concept of school experience refers to the quality and perceived predictors of an effective school measured in terms of the average level of the student’s academic performance. We can consider school experience as the atmosphere in social relations, values, attitudes and shared feelings of the actors in the school. There is thus a frequent confusion between school experience and school safety. However, literature shows that school experience emerge a multifactor definition. Also, studies on school experience can include the well-documented studies of “class effects” and “teacher effects” (Brault 2004) and sense of security is an integral part of school experience.
School experience has been considered by some authors as a part of school violence itself; this violence can take many forms such as: bullying discrimination, homophobia, physical violence, sexual violence and indirect aggression. In any case, research show that a positive school experience is a factor of resilience and well- being, and it has an important role in the prevention of violence in schools. The latter is the serious problem that has many scales. However, it is important to note that the life of a school is not necessarily experienced in the same way by all of it numbers, rather, there is variability in the environment that influence individual student’s outcomes. Thus, for instance if a student feels that a teacher does not care about him/her, this will influence him and consequently the student’s behavior in the classroom.
Moreover, individual characteristics may determine the opinion so that learners who are aggressive or calm may perceive their school experience more negatively or positively. This in turn reflects, in their academic performance. However, given the numerous components that comprise school experience and the prohibitive nature of assessing the opinion of each one, research indicate that intervention focused on increase learner sense of connectedness or belonging to the school may be an effective means of decreasing behavioral and emotional problems.
Besides, Gullama (2009) observed that public expenditure on education is within the region of five percent of the GDP and this could be responsible for the gross lack of school physical facilities in the schools and frequent strikes in the education systems which in turn affects school experience system.
Obanyan (2004) noted that Nigeria Secondary School Economics as presently being implemented cannot lead to realization of the goals of secondary education systems This is because of inadequacy of school facilities like classrooms, libraries, resource center, good chair and tables/desks for both teachers and learners, school halls; inadequate qualified staff to meet the expectation of learners and the society, poor condition of services for curriculum implementation, poor time management by school administrators and teachers’ which constituted a serious bane confronting effectives implementation of curriculum.
Realizing the important position of teacher in any educational system, Okello and Kagoire (1996) noted that the quality of education of a country largely depends on the quality of her teachers. They however added that if the quality of the teachers is poor, the quality of education will no doubt be poor. Also, Akande (2002) observed that the realization of the potentialities of education as a veritable instrument for social change and national reconstruction depend largely on the teachers and the most crucial and strategic profession according to him is the teacher.
Furthermore, how students perceive school experience is noted to be an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the goals of education are being met it affect decisions about grades, placement and advancement
Statement of the Problem
For any education reform to be achieved, the best way is through the school system. Anyone who visits two or more schools will note differences in class sizes, course offerings and physical surroundings. These are concrete elements which help to form the distinguishing characteristics of each individual school. Another school is marked by neither joy nor despair, but by hollow ritual of discomfort. It has been observed that educational attainment of children of equivalent social background varied according to school and region of the country in which they live. Therefore, it becomes imperative to examine the situation affecting the academic performance with specific emphasis on opinion of school experience. A lot of studies have proved that the level of academic performance of students depend on several factors such as school management, student-teacher ratio in the classroom, school environment, teacher attitudes, availability of learning instructional materials and type of social interactions taking place within the school system It has also been found that whereas some schools feel friendly, inviting, appealing and supportive, others feel exclusionary, unwelcoming and even unsafe. The feelings and attitudes that are elicited by school’s environmental variable have comparative studies of learner academic performance. However, what is uncertain in the present dispensation is the quantity and quality of committed teachers and appealing school environment: This study therefore, set out to address these problems. This is important because of the need to know the type of schools in either urban or rural areas that will enhance better learners academic. It is important also because of the need for up-to-date information on different category of schools with respect to the different characteristics which enhance the students satisfaction that are like to improve and promote their academic performance.
Purpose of the study
The general purpose of this research work is to assess the comparative study of learner opinion of schools experience and their Academic performance in Economics in Abeokuta North Local Government.
The study is specially designed to assess:
- Level of learners’ opinion of schools experience and how it influences their academic performance.
- Importance of learners’ opinion of school experience
- How the learner opinion of school experience can help the school authority to discover the types and areas of innovation, improvement and development in order to promote and upgrade the school standard and consequent learners’ academic performance
Answering Research Questions
In the course of this study, the following questions were raised.
- Is there any significant comparative study of learners’ opinion of school experience and their academic performance?
- Is there any significant comparative study of learner’s opinion of school friendly environment and their academic performance?
- What is the comparative study of learner’s opinion of teacher interpersonal relation and their academic performance?
- What is the comparative study of regular monitoring and supervision of learning instruction and their academic performance?
Scope of the Study
This study focused primarily on how to address the comparative study of learners’ opinions of comparative schools experience and their academic performance in Senior Secondary School Economics, Abeokuta North Local Government Area as a case study.
The schools covered in this study are Ebenezer Grammar School, Abeokuta Ogun State, Ilugun High School, Abeokuta. Oke-Ona Grammar School in Abeokuta, Ikija High School in Abeokuta, Unity High School in Abeokuta. Lafenwa High School in Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ogun State. There are fourteen (14) Public Senior Schools in the Local Government and six (6) schools were selected using ten (10) learners in each school.
Significance of the Study
The result of the study would play crucial roles to improve learners opinion of school experience in determining their academic performance. The research will be useful to portray how Senior Secondary School Economic planners will see the position of learners’ opinion of School experience. The study will also be beneficial to school plant planning and designing school environment, classrooms, infrastructural facilities and aesthetic variables.
Moreover, the study will be useful for the government and all educational agencies in the country in knowing the educational sectors to face challenges such as areas of funding provision of adequate instructional materials, employment of qualified teachers, construction of enough classrooms, library and Laboratory.
Definition of Terms
- School experience: Is the prevailing social function in a place of teaching and learning formal education.
- School Environmental: Is the physical surrounding of where learning takes place in a formal education which characterized by it facilities, classrooms, buildings, school based health support school ground, cleanliness esthetic and attractiveness.
- Inter Personal comparative: This is the process by which all the members of staff and students have free access to one another which promote, enhance and facilitates learners opinion of school experience and effective academics performance
- Opinion: The ability to perceive, view, understand or the act of perceiving things.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
This study is set out to find the comparative study of learning opinions of school experience and their academic performance in senior secondary school Economics in Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. The chapter deals with this Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendation findings of the studies.
Discussion
The reason for this study is the various degree of factors that influence learners opinion of school experience which consequently determine their attitude toward learning and academic performance. Though, it is no doubt that education is important to human socio economics, political and religious development. Indeed, it is important to learners themselves and also member of the society.
Hence, It is as a result of this the researcher wonder why learners opinion of school experience could not be maximally used to the advantage of education.
The finding of the studies thus confirmed that in the case of urban and rural schools together, the result found indicate that the socio economic background of parent index negatively correlated with learner performance and relevant. The index panelizes the learner performance in the rural areas more than urban areas. Additionally, the average score of learners in urban areas is high than in rural areas. Note that the learning conditions are not the same for both area either at the socio-culture, socio-economics or at the levels of traditions. What can be applied urban areas cannot be necessarily applied in rural areas due to varying availability of socio amenities. This is turn make the quality of the learners work varies considerably. Hence, the change in learning conditions can change learners performance. This result is confirmed previously by Card and Krueger (1996), they showed that, the variation in school characteristics are associated with changes in learner academic performances.
The comparative study of academic performance and the gender of the learner indicate that there is no relevance difference between various factors of indicators of school experience among girls and boys in Senior Secondary Schools. Equally too, learners Performance in Economics is not relevance different among boys and girls in the sampled schools.
A careful study of all the research questions shows that the academic performance of learners depend on several factors such as school experience Climate School Management, teacher satisfaction.
Also, the socio economic status, the student-teacher ratio the heterogeneity of the class, how friendly is the school environment in term of aesthetic appreciation of the landscape and provision of adequate security agents, school fence for proper safety reinforce positive behavior, reward children appropriately influence on academics performance of learners.
Suggestion for further studies
This study was carried out in some selected urban and rural Senior Secondary School within Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The study could also be carried out among Junior Secondary Students’ for more generalization of the studies and if possible could be extended to the workforce on the discharge their duties at school level the way they discharge it.
Conclusion
The school is a social institution whose members are in continuous interaction. The social interactions taking place between principals and teachers, among teachers and between teachers and learners constitute the organization experience of the school. The organization experience has enduring characteristics which describes a particular school, distinguish it from other schools and influences the behavior and attitude of learners towards their learning Invariably schools have the opportunity to utilize positive experience measures as both an effective catalyst and as a barometer, assessing current states and informing future practices and performances There appears to be a major gap between research into school experience and actual school practices. If indeed social-emotional skills are considered fundamental for a successful transition into adulthood and for an improved quality of life, effort should be made to ensure that this gap is bridged.
From the findings of the study, it has been discovered that the opinion of school experience varies among genders, urban and rural areas. In such sense, one is made to believed that girls or boys are preferable than the other, but in thinking this way, one should bear in mind that certain factors are required. The two types of genders should have all the variables brought under control, such include school location, (distance, layout, landscape, e.t.c) instructional Materials, infrastructural facilities, water and electricity supplies, laboratory and library availability. The findings imply that interventions which enhance the learners satisfaction with school are likely to improve their academic performance as well.
Recommendations
In view of the foregoing, the following recommendations are proffered.
- That parents should use their socio-economic status positively whether high or low to influence their children academic performance in the subject economics and if possible, other subjects. They can do by making available the necessary materials their children needed in economics including textbooks, learning aids and even writing material
- That parents should co-operate with their children in arousing their interest, attitude, opinion and even self-efficacy all of which constitute social factors are influence better academic performance in economics
- That learners should be careful of the way they allow themselves to be influenced by their peers. They can be positively influenced by moving with colleagues who understanding Economics better than those who are doing poorly in the subject.
- The parents should ensure that they provide a very good home support for the learning of Economics. They should endeavor to discourage are stereotype that economics is a difficult subject because it involves some calculations or mathematical processes.
5. That physical or environmental factors should promote attractive feasibility in term of school compound layout or design which enhance effective’s learning.
