EFFECT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRE-SCHOOL PUPILS IN SOME SELECTED SCHOOLS IN SHOMOLU LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LAGOS STATE

Abstract

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of school environment on academic performance of preschool pupil. The design of the study is descriptive while the population comprised principals and teachers in the education zone. The sample size for the study was 600 respondents while a researchers’ self developed questionnaire formed the instrument for data collection. Three experts validated the instrument and a cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient method was employed to ensure the reliability of the instrument. Four research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study; while student t-test statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. A review of empirical studies was carried out to guide the researcher into previous studies in the area and also to provide the researcher with the theoretical base. A 29-item questionnaire was used to get information from the respondents. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the following results were obtained. That staff office, classroom spaces for teaching students and staff common room represented the major areas that to a great extent affect the academic achievement of students in public schools, with regard to buildings. It was also revealed that desks, current books and presence of library assistants constituted the areas of affect to the academic performance of the students with regard to library services in the public secondary schools. Both the headmasters/headmistresses and teachers agreed that access to reading materials in the school, lack of facilities, and nearness to school and in sufficient qualified teachers very greatly affect the academic achievement of the students. Inadequate teaching materials were also noted as a major factor affecting the students’ academic achievement. Based on the above, the researcher recommends that schools should be provided with functional libraries, equipped with current reading materials to help enhance both the students’ academic achievement and the teachers’ effectiveness in academic activities in the school.

 

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Education has traditionally been seen as the foundation for progress around the world, but especially in Nigeria. It serves as the foundation for literacy, skill development, technical growth, and the capacity to mobilize both people and material resources in service of societal goals (FRN, 2004).

Young children learn best through hands-on activities and play, learning environments are such an important component of the preschool classroom. It’s crucial to use learning environments to provide kids the hands-on practice and playtime they require, but there are many aspects of your space that will determine which learning environments would work best for you, how you should set them up, and what materials you should put in each. According to research, a well-organized classroom encourages students to engage favorably with one another, which improves academic performance (Zakariyah, 2012).

Early Childhood Education definitions vary in scope and appear to be strongly correlated with geographic areas. Early Childhood Education is also referred to as Early Childhood learning and Early Education. While the focus of some definitions is on the age range, others take into account the context in which the education is provided, and yet others mix the two. ECE has always been viewed as a pre-school, semi-formal education provided outside of the family (Oyewumi, Alhassan and Ofoha, 2010). It consists of the kindergarten, nursery, and creche (Olaleye, Florence and Omotayo, 2009).

The target audience for this show is kids between the ages of 0 and 5. Early Childhood Education (ECE) was created in Nigeria to help and make early child care accessible to the majority of Nigerian children, especially those in rural and poor socioeconomic areas. Thus, a low-cost, community-based, non-formal daycare program is being implemented by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council in partnership with UNICEF. Caretakers are introduced to locally produced educational resources to provide avenues for the child’s cognitive, emotive, and psychomotor development (Zakariyah, 2012).

The early childhood classroom is set up to be an environment that supports learning. Furniture, equipment, and materials are carefully chosen and arranged to appeal to children and promote the curriculum’s content goals. The learning environment encourages a mix of independence and cooperative play and provides materials that reflect the diversity of children’s family lives. “Interest Areas” or “Learning environment” are specific places in a preschool room’s physical environment where specific activities are arranged for the children to explore (Nakpodia, 2011).

Preschool classrooms are usually organized around interest areas or learning environment. These defined areas allow children to play and explore materials with the guidance of the teacher either individually or in small groups. Low dividers often separate the corners, but children move freely among them. Skills that lead to reading and writing and math are not confined to specific corners, but rather reinforced in different ways throughout all the corners via communication, exploration and play.

The environment of the classroom communicates to students what is expected of them. Independence and a joy of learning is what should be conveyed. In the early childhood classroom, the use of learning environment is a key component to ensuring the success of students. Three basic settings are needed when planning where to set up corners: a place for the whole class to work together, a place for students to work independently, and a place for teacher-directed small group work. It is helpful to use a map of the classroom with scale cutouts of furniture and equipment to try different arrangements.

Early childhood education is aimed at caring and nursing all dimension of life of young children to enhance holistic development. The early years of zero to six years are important in laying the foundation for adulthood. Therefore its great important that all the stakeholders concerned should treat this without any hitch. Hirst, Jewis, Sojo and Cavagh (2011) contend that early childhood education is of great value to all children and should be available to all. They argue that preschool provides a sound basis for learning and helps to develop skills, knowledge, personal competence and confidence and a sense of social responsibility. Therefore every child should have access to early childhood education of good quality. He noted that there is a wide range of positive development and experiences in several countries, including increasing participating, and professional development of teachers to enhance enrolment and transition rate. However the rates are quite slow.

According to Duba and Orodho (2014), most families living arid and semi arid areas in the rural areas in Kenya face several challenges with regards to access to schooling and preschool education especially for the girl child is worst hit. In a classroom where there is a teacher and an assistant, both are responsible for supporting children’s play and work in the learning environment while also monitoring children and encouraging supportive friendship behaviors. When children are in the learning environment, the teacher’s role is to encourage children to share ideas and experiences with other children as well as with the teacher.  Engage children in conversation and by asking open ended questions (questions that require more than just yes or no answers). Extend children’s learning by introducing new ideas and materials. Observe children’s skills, development and interests.

Statement of the problem

Since the commencement of the implementation of the National Policy on Education in Nigeria which seeks to ensure an optimal and qualitative ECE, stream of concerns have been raised by stakeholders in respect of the quality of education in pre-school pupils and its actual implementation.

Despite all measures put in place by the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria, there are still some lapses in the implementation and non-implementation of this program. There is no doubt that the implementation of pre-school pupils requires the collaborative effort/input of all stakeholders, including the government, parents/guardians, and school authorities. While the government is expected to provide necessary teaching and learning resources, the availability of relevant age-grade pupils, and the cooperation of parents/guardians in enrolling their children/wards cannot be overemphasized.

Another challenge affecting pre-school is the huge capital involved in establishing learning environment in Nigeria’s environment which is costlier to afford. The establishment of learning environment can strive more in advance country than in Africa e.g Nigeria because of economic recession and inflation on the prices of materials and electronic gadgets.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to examine effect of school environment on academic performance of pre school. Basically the study will look into:

1. The relationship between learning environment and children in pre-school’ academic performance.
2. Determine the extent the library services affects academic achievement of students of children in pre-school’ academic performance.
3. Find out the extent school location affect academic achievement of children in pre-school’ academic performance.
4. Ascertain the extents the school facilities affect pupil’s academic achievement in pre-school.

1.4   Research Questions

The study is guided by the following research questions:

1. To what extent do learning environment relate to children in pre-school academic performance?
2. To what extent do the library services affect the academic performance of pupil’s in pre school?
3. How does school location affect academic performance of pupil’s in pre school?
4. To what extent do the school facilities affect pupils’ academic performance pre school?

 

1.5   Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were stated for the study:

H_1:     There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers in urban and those in rural school on the extent school building affect the academic performance of pupil in preschool.

H_2:     Male and female teachers do not differ significantly in their mean ratings with regard to the extent school facilities affect pupils’ academic performance.

1.6   Significance of the Study

The significance of the study are stated below

The findings from the study will enlighten care-givers, school owners and Government on the factors affecting learning environment and children in nursery schools’ academic performance in early childhood education. The study will serve as a guide to care-givers on how to strategically enhance learning environment and as such district education officers, district inspectors of schools to realize the impacts of poor learning environment on children in nursery schools’ academic performance. It will enable pre-nursery school proprietors to be able to plan systematically for the provision of good classroom which enhance children’ academic performance It will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and will help other researchers when working on related issues.

1.7   Scope of the Study

The study covered all the care-givers or instructors or teachers who are currently working in pre-school located within shomolu local government. Lagos State. Only the aspect of learning environment on the children in pre-school’ academic performance in pre-nursery school will be covered.

1.8   Definition of Terms

Caregiver: A caregiver is an unpaid or paid person who helps to look after the preschool children.

Instructor: An instructor person who teaches a subject or skill: someone who instructs people instructor in a sentence.

Preschool: A preschool is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children, usually between the ages of three and five, prior to the commencement of compulsory education at primary school.

Early Childhood Education: Early childhood education (ECE) is a branch of education theory which relates to the teaching of young children (formally and informally) up until the age of about eight.

Classroom: A classroom is a learning space, a room in which classes are held.

Education: Education is the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.

Learning environment: Learning environment is a special learning activity for nursery children which strongly promotes Independence and Love of Learning.

Academic performance: Academic performance is the measure of how individuals learn to think and reason for themselves in relation to the world around them.

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