ENEMS MICROSYSTEMS RESEARCH SPOT: Education

Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts

Thursday, 4 May 2023

EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

(A CASE STUDY OF GOVERNMENT DAY SECONDARY SCHOOL, ZARIA)

ABSTRACT

This study examined “Evaluation of available resources for teaching and learning Business Education Studies in secondary school, A case study of Government Day Secondary school”. The purpose of this study was to find out how availability of teaching resources can aid to improve the academic performance of student in Business Studies in Secondary schools in Nigerian. Three (3) research questions were asked and four null hypotheses formulated and tested using ANOVA at 0.05 level of significant. The research design adopted in the study was descriptive survey. One hundred (100) Structured questionnaire was designed by the researcher and administered to Government Day Secondary School containing two sections, Section “A” contains personal bio-data of the respondents and section “B” contains twenty five (25) research items. The major findings of this study revealed that hypotheses one and two retained while the third and fourth hypotheses were rejected. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Government Day Secondary Schools should make more effort to supply adequate teaching and learning resources at all times in schools, provide enough classrooms and other facilities, in order to enhance the teaching and learning of Business studies in the schools.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In order to have a describable change in the learner, good teaching must take place and to bring about good teaching, the teacher should be able to convey their message in the simplest, most convincing and practical way to the learner using available resources.

The available resources are the instructional materials used in teaching and learning. The instructional to make teaching easy and practical for the learners to understand the subject. These objects according to Umoh-Mac and Nkume (2015) are regarded as instructional materials. They enhance real and meaningful teaching and learning. Appropriate instructional materials are imperative for implementing good quality education programmes. Unless adequate and quality facilities and superlative human resource are available, quality of the programme will be reduced and learning will be deterred. Material for teaching business subject range from the common textbooks to more sophisticated machines, chalkboards real objects or their representatives which the teacher use to communicate effectively with the students. These materials make learning more permanent and develop continuity of though among the learner. Teaching materials and aids for the acquisition of required skill for business studies should be on regular supply to school where business studies subject are taught. According to Umoh-Mac Nkume (2015) many researchers on the availability of available resources carried out in Nigeria, in schools offering business studies programme often revealed the presence of inadequate training facilities in the schools. They further stressed that even the few available ones are not being maintained. There is poor storage facilities for them and so they become non – functional.

Obi and Akume (2011) warned that any school that any school that desire to offer modern Business Education programme must include in its programme a through training in the use of these appliance. Also to give such training the school must be equipped with appliances with which it intend to give instructions. To take the point further, they stated that for the teaching process to effectively taken place generally, both human and materials resources need to be provided adequately. No matter how good the teaching staff are, they may not be able to function effectively and effectively without appropriate teaching materials, equipments and adequate infrastructural, like workshop, conductive classrooms and laboratories, especially when is over loaded with lesson and practical courses. A well planned programme, they say, will fail if at implementation stage the necessary instructments are not supplied. The world at large is going technological and if Nigeria schools must keep abreast with the global technological advancement than the training must be borne in mind and they are adequate supply, proper maintenance and judicious usage of the materials. Obi and Akume (2011).

The question to ask is, who provides these resources materials to schools? Eze (2015) in his contribution, opines that instructional materials produced commercially play a key role in functional education in our schools that when these are understand, our next alternative is in improvisation, provide the improved equally delivers the goods. Fortunately, some sources of improvisation are available where around us by nature, human re – arrangement of nature only requires our initiative and creative to tap them fully towards the attainment and mastery of some skills. Nigeria must realize that findings pragmatic solution to the problem to setting the growth and development, business studies in the country should not be left to a few person but rather it should be seen as a collective, philanthropists, corporate bodies, government agencies churches and other religion organization etc must join hand and regard the task of solving these problems as one that must be done. When this is solved, business studies will be according its pride of place in the nation’s education system as salvation of modern civilization.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Inspire of the federal government emphasis on self – reliance through acquired, still suffers some defects such as inadequate supply or provision of resource material poor maintenance and storage of existing ones.

Oren (2005) observed that, being a skill oriented subject, business studies requires the use of machine and other equipment for effective teaching to take place. It is therefore, exceptive teaching to take place. It is therefore expected that the federal government through the ministries of education federal, state and local government will see to the provision or availability of these necessary resources for teaching and learning of these requirement skills.

According to Oyedele (2007) cited in Atakps (2010) Nigeria children and youths are being educated more in accordance with yesterday’s world rather than in preparation for tomorrow’s living. This is in agreement with what Umoh-Mac and Nkume said about the obsolete equipment found in Nigeria schools. Emphasizing the need for the provision of instructional materials in school, obi and Akume opine that, Business education subject being a skilled areas of study cannot be learnt by the students sitting and folding their arms and noddling their heads. To give this training, the schools must be equipped with the necessary materials on which it intends to give, but rather it appears that most school that offer business studies subject are not adequate equipped for the instructions. Resources materials are means of making teaching and learning process easy, more meaningful and understandable, Uzoegwu (2001) these materials are not just textbooks, but it include machine, chalkboard and real objects instructional aids on the other hands are those that teachers prepare mainly to help him/her pass on the message easier and more effectively, these include: cardboard drawings, real objects brought into the class for learners to physically see and touch (Visual aids). With the foregoing, the aim or purpose of the study is to evaluate the availability of resources use for teaching and learning business studies at Government Day Secondary School.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate availability for teaching and learning of business studies in Secondary schools a case study of Government Day Secondary school, Zaria. Specifically the study will determine:

The available resources for teaching and learning business studies subject in Secondary schools
To find out the extent to which the available resources are functional
The extent of utilization of the available resources by business studies teachers.

1.4 Research questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

What are the available resource necessary for the teaching and learning of Business studies in secondary School.
How functional are the available resources used for teaching and learning of business studies in secondary Schools.
What is the extent of utilization of the available resources for teaching and learning business studies in secondary Schools

1.5 Scope of the study

The scope of the study is restricted to the evaluation of available resources for teaching and learning of business studies in Secondary school. The research of this type would have been deemed fit to cover the whole of state, a region of the country. The researcher as a result of finance and duration of research have decided to limit the research to Government Day Secondary School Zaria.

1.6 Definition of terms

Business studies: Business studies is an academic subject taught in schools and at university level in many countries. Its study combines elements of accountancy, fiannce, marketing, organizational studies and economics, business studies is a broad subject in the Business science, allowing the in depth study of a range of specialties such as accountancy, fiancé, organization, human resources management and marketing.

Teaching: The act , practices, or profession of a teacher, something taught;

Teacher: A teacher (also called a school teacher or, in some contexts, an educator) is a person who helps others to acquire knowledge competences or values.

Learning: learning is the process of acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge behavior, skills, values, or preferences.

Monday, 1 May 2023

THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY 1 PUPIL

THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY 1 PUPIL

ABSTRACT

This examined the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study is to determine the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State; ascertain the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils and to examine the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State. The study sample was selected through simple random sampling technique. The data collection instruments were questionnaire and observation. One hundred and fifteen respondents were administered the questionnaire which include head of teachers, teachers and pupils. The data analysis was done using statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies, means, correlation and scattered plot graph. Research result showed that the availability and adequacy of most of the instructional materials and instructional materials were just a little. More so, utilization of most of the instructional materials also just a little. The correlation analysis for the relationship between Instructional materials and pupils’ academic performance were significant (P<0.01) with a moderate positive relationship of 0.5 and 0.45 respectively. Inadequate and low quality instructional materials in primary school impedes effective teaching and learning process and hence affect pupil’s academic performance negatively.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information

Education is generally seen as an instrument for effective national development. In the teaching and learning process, the goals of education in Nigeria include a united, strong and self-reliant nation, a free and democratic society, a just and egalitarian society, a great and dynamic economy and land full of bright opportunities for all citizens, they are given cognizance (FGN, 2014). Education is therefore a connective tissue in the society. Okongo, Ngao, Rop & Nyongesa, (2015) revealed that the standard of education in Nigeria is falling, the problem of education emerged from the neglect which the sector suffered from the 1980s leading to the gradual erosion of the system. The problems include among others inadequate learning facilities such as lack of teaching tools and moderate classrooms and the acute shortage of qualified teachers (Okongo, Ngao, Rop & Nyongesa, 2015).

For a teacher to attain the set goals of education and for students to gain from such teaching experience, the use of instructional materials is important. Instructional materials are all types of materials or facilities used in the teaching and learning process. These include books, government documents, artifacts, instructional sheets, computers, radio sets, television sets, social media and magazines among others (Janovsky & Brooks, 2015). They are used for teaching at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

Instructional materials in primary schools enhance and improve teachers’ competence; they also make learning more useful and meaningful to the pupils as they are being presented with a real life experiences and materials for learning. The use of instructional materials is seen to determine the academic performance of pupils in schools. Yusuf (2012) disclosed that academic performance is the knowledge and skills that pupils or students have mastered in a subject or a course, it is basically a measure of how well students have performed in the various assessment items set for them based on some educational criteria determined by professional educators.

Instructional materials have been observed as a powerful strategy to bring about effective teaching and learning. The importance of quality and adequate instructional materials in teaching and learning can occur through their effective utilization during classroom teaching. Instructional materials here include all the tools that the teachers can use to make the learning more interesting and memorable. According to Atanda, and Jaiyeoba (2018), instructional materials include books, audio-visual, software and hardware of educational technology. He further opines that the availability, adequacy and relevance of instructional materials in classrooms can influence quality teaching, which can have positive effect on students’ learning and academic performance. The insight from Atanda, and Jaiyeoba on linking instructional resources to students’ academic performance serve critical in the provision of quality education.

According to Adeogun, schools, whose teachers use more instructional resources perform better than schools, whose teachers do not use instructional materials. This corroborated the study by Babayomi (2019) that private schools performed better than public schools because students and teachers are provided with sufficient and quality teaching and learning resources. From this importance, schools at all levels of education have been advised to have quality and adequate instructional facilities to raise academic performance of their students. The advice emanated from the fact that instructional facilities have a potent factor to qualitative education. The dictum is that “teaching is inseparable from learning but learning is separable from teaching.” This means that teachers do the teaching to make the students learn, but with quality and adequate instructional facilities, students can learn without the teachers. It is against this background that this study seek to examine the effect of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The rate of pupils poor academic achievement in primary schools today is really disturbing. The poor academic achievement of pupils has attributed to many factors which are lack of instructional material and skills needed for effective teaching and inability to provide or improvise material relative to the topic depending on the school type. Unqualified teachers and teacher’s attitude towards effective teaching and learning, lack of student interest in setting subject. It is observed that most pupils complain of being taught principles that seem to be abstract in nature because materials such as textbooks, most board and essential equipment like computer, projector, television and video are not readily available in many schools. In Indian axioms that says, what I hear, I may forget but what see, hear and touch I will never forget. This is because teachers adopt the verbal and theoretical method as a way of teaching and learning thereby making pupils to lose interest. In Nigeria, for example experience has shown that spoken words alone in the communication of ideas are grossly ineffective and inefficient in producing desired learning outcomes. One of the major problems facing education sector in Nigeria is the low level of the performance of primary school pupils in both local and standardized examinations. It has become a great concern for researchers, educators and all education stake-holders over the years. It was observed that pupils usually fail in examinations owing to improper teaching methods and lack of essential teaching aids for instructional delivery. (Afolabi, 2019). This study therefore deemed it necessary to look specifically at the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils in Nigeria Primary Schools.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils in Nigeria.

The study specifically aims at finding out the following:

To determine the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.
To ascertain the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state.
To examine the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

To what extent is the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.
To what extent is the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state.
What are the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupil in Nasarawa State.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following hypotheses will be tested at (p < 0.05) significance level:

Null hypothesis (H_o): There is no significant relationship between the available instructional materials and primary 1 pupil’s academic performance.

Alternative hypothesis (H₁): There is a significant relationship between the available instructional materials and primary 1 pupil’s academic performance.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The study has both theoretical and practical significance. In the theoretical aspect, it is the use of Jean Piaget on the cognitive development and behavioral learning theory which center on the child development knowledge, intelligence and high level of thinking that allows the child to acquire problem solving skills by inventing or constructing reality out of experience and thus mix their observation with their ideas about how the world works. It also provides individual with a certain behavioural management plan or change based on observation in the classroom.

On the practical aspect, the findings of the study will benefit the followings, the pupils, schools, computer studies teachers, textbook writers, curriculum planners and government. Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaningful and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information. Through interaction with the physical situations, or concrete objects, a child’s physical experience accumulates and he is able to conceptualize, think creatively and logically. The child therefore develops skills to abstract problems. According to this theory, learners are the makers of knowledge and meaning Constructivists believe that “learners construct their own reality or at least interpret it based upon their perceptions of experiences, so an individual’s knowledge is a function of one’s prior experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events.” “What someone knows is grounded in perception of the physical and social experiences which are:

Pupils: The study will change pupils attitude to learn computer studies since the use of instructional materials during teaching and learning made the lesson very interesting by having direct contact with the material by touching, smelling or tasting of the object thereby enhancing their performance in the subject in question.

School: It help the school have a well equipped laboratory and a good environment on production of improvised and standardize resource material suitable for teaching and learning without waiting for government to provide it for them. It also helps to know the number of pupil in the classroom and proper monitoring of teachers or pupils teacher on the use of instructional material.

Textbook writers: Inclusion of instructional material needed to teacher the particular topic base on specific objectives.

Government: Production and provision of resource instructional material to school base on the subject offered. Organizing seminar and workshop on the utilization of instructional material especially in the area of science and technology. And parent teacher their children on how to embrace technology.

Curriculum planner: When developing syllabus and scheme of work, space for the provision of instruction material should be made with related topics and days of supervision of teachers with instructional material.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

This study is focused on examining the effect of instructional materials on the performance of primary 1 pupils. It was carried out in primary 1 among the primary schools in Nasarawa town but due to the population of public and primary schools in Nasarawa the scope of the study is limited to Destiny Kings and Queens Nursery and Primary School Nasarawa.

1.8 Operational Definition Of Terms

Learning: Learning is the relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience in the learners’ environment.

Education: It is the process by which knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits are being acquired or transferred from one person to another.

Instructional materials: It is the means through which information (knowledge, skills, and values) is being transferred to the pupils.

Academic performance: It is the extent to which the student has achieved the predetermined educational objectives after evaluation using examination or continuous assessment.

Pupils: Is a person in a particular schools usually primary or pre-primary school who want to acquire knowledge, skills, value or competence.

Sunday, 8 May 2022

CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Despite decades of evolution of building infrastructure design, construction and maintenance in Nigeria, the country is still faced with a myriad of fundamental problems and challenges in the industry especially, in the property maintenance business of educational infrastructure. The challenges can be grouped into the following broad categories:

a) Socio-cultural challenges: This is one of the biggest challenges to effective facility maintenance of building infrastructure in Nigeria. It is known that Nigerians generally have a poor maintenance culture. This has contributed immensely to the prevailing neglect of property maintenance of education building infrastructure in the tertiary institution. It is seen as a waste of enterprise to spend resources maintaining a building unless significant malfunctioning of any of its components occurs (Odediran S.J., Opatunji O.A. and Eghenure F.O, 2012).

b) Technical challenges: There are several technical challenges that have militated against effective facility maintenance of educational infrastructure in Nigeria. These technical challenges include:

i. Building design flaws: Poorly designed buildings are more expensive to maintain. Besides, typical building designs in Nigeria usually do not incorporate human factors engineering and maintenance considerations. These design flaws makes facility maintenance of these components to be expensive with much higher resource requirements and could discourage the execution of (preventive) maintenance activities.

ii. Errors during building construction: Poor supervision and unauthorized changes in design during the building infrastructure construction often distorts facility maintenance elements of the design thus making the execution of the later after commissioning to be cumbersome.

iii. Poor defect diagnostic ability and limited technical knowledge. Professional facility management practice in Nigeria is still at its infancy stage of development. There are very few professional facility managers and facility management companies in Nigeria. Consequently, the required defect diagnostic skill as well as overall technical knowledge for effective facility maintenance of building infrastructure is still lacking amongst many people currently involved in facility management practice of building infrastructure in Nigeria.

iv. Weak standards and poor enforcement of standards: Nigeria’s building codes and laws are weak and needs improvement especially in the areas of human factors engineering and the incorporation of facility maintenance elements in building design. Improvements in the building codes and standards needs to made and also dutifully enforced especially during building construction.

v. Poor quality of building materials: There is abundance of fake and sub-standard building materials in Nigeria. This is partly responsible for the relatively high failure mode of building infrastructure components in Nigeria and the consequent high frequency of replacement of malfunctioning or defective components. This has facility maintenance cost in the country to be high and discouraging.

vi. Economic challenges: Facility management cost of building infrastructure in Nigeria is very high (because of the factors discussed above). This tends to discourage the few people and mostly corporate organizations that try to practice facility maintenance of buildings. The preponderance of fake and sub-standards building materials, limited technical knowledge of professional facility maintenance/management of building infrastructure, frequent re-work, etc, have all contributed to reduce the application and growth of facility maintenance of building infrastructure in Nigeria.

Saturday, 15 January 2022

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL FACILITIES AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS STUDIES

ABSTRACT

School facilities are a key base for effective teaching and learning in schools. The goal of school facilities in secondary school education is to increase school attendance of students, enhance staff motivation, and improve academic achievements of students. School facilities include classrooms, laboratories, halls, open fields, games equipment, dormitories, and sanitation facilities. It is in the classrooms that the day to day formal teaching and learning take place. In the libraries, learners get the opportunity to conduct their own personal studies and carry out research. It is in the field that co-curriculum activities take place. Learners and teachers need to be housed in the school and at the same time need sanitation facilities like toilets, waste disposal services and clean water. School facilities is therefore a very important component in ensuring successful education. On this backdrop, that this study seeks to examine the relationship between school facilities and students performance in business studies. The study was guided three objectives; To examine the impact of school facilities on the academic performance of students in Business studies; To explore factors such as class size that have been perceived to promote or inhibit students learning and overall students academic achievement in business studies and; To investigate the extent to which school location affects the academic achievement of students in business studies. Descriptive survey was appropriate for the study because it seeks to describe aspects of a study as they are during the time of conducting a study. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative data. Tables were used to present the findings of the analysis and there after the findings of the analysis was presented in a report. The data was analysed with utilizing Chi-Square. The study found that that there is significant relationship between school facilities and students academic performance in the business studies. Thus improved academic achievement is associated with more adequate and well spaced classrooms, adequate and ample spacing in the libraries, adequate science laboratories, adequate water and sanitation facilities and adequate participation in co-curricular activities.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

The school facilities, which include the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, teachers’ quality, school management, teaching methods, peers, etc are variables that affect students’ academic achievement (Ajayi, 2001 and Oluchukwu, 2000). Hence, the school environment remains an important area that should be studied and well managed to enhance students’ academic performance.

The importance of school facilities can never be over-emphasized. It is the talk of the day in our national dailies. The availability of human resources and physical facilities ensures effective teaching and learning and is closely correlated with the students’ performance. Ike (1977.16) attributes students’ low performance in English language to the lack of qualified staff. According to him, there has been an unprecedented expansion at all levels of education, which has not been matched with a corresponding increase in the number of qualified teachers. Nworgu (1985) on the other hand, asserted that no matter the strength of manpower resources in the system, educational process must require conducive physical accommodation, libraries, furniture, and play ground. Adesina and Ogunsaju (1984) in support noted that for effective teaching and learning situations, physical facilities and educational goals should be viewed as being closely interwoven and interdependent.

The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even students themselves. The quality of education not only depends on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their duties, but also in the effective coordination of the school facilities (Ajao 2001). It has also been observed that adequate attention is now being paid to school plant planning throughout the world’s educational systems including Nigeria. Educational facilities such as school plant have been repeatedly found to have positive relationship with standard and quality of educational system (Ojedele, 2000).

Nigeria as a nation strives to experience real growth and development. This requires a clearly defined development strategy that allows intensive utilization of resources which is endowed. These resources are the various school physical facilities that are indispensable in the educational process. They include the sitting, the building and physical equipment, recreation places for the achievement of educational objectives (Oluchuckwu, 2000).

School facilities which include instructional spaces planning, administrative places planning, circulation spaces planning, spaces for conveniences planning, accessories planning, the teachers as well as the students themselves are essential in teaching-learning process. The extent to which student learning could be enhanced depends on their location within the school compound, the structure of their classroom, availability of instructional facilities and accessories. It is believed that a well planned school will gear up expected outcomes of education that will facilitate good social, political and economic emancipation, effective teaching and learning process and academic performance of the students.

Relating this study to international occurrences are the assertions of Williams, Persaud & Turner (2008), quoting Marsden (2005), which reported that safe and orderly classroom environment (aspect of instructional space), School facilities (accessories) were significantly related to students’ academic performance in elementary schools. The three researchers, also quoted Glassman (1994), asserting that a comfortable and caring environment among other treatments helped to contribute to students` academic performance.

The physical characteristics of the school have a variety of effects on teachers, students, and the learning process. Poor lighting, noise, high levels of carbon dioxide in classrooms, and inconsistent temperatures make teaching and learning difficult. Poor maintenance and ineffective ventilation systems lead to poor health among students as well as teachers, which leads to poor performance and higher absentee rates (Frazier, 2002 Lyons, 2001; and Ostendorf, 2001). These factors can adversely affect student behavior and lead to higher levels of frustration among teachers, and poor learning attitude among student.

Beyond the direct effects that poor facilities have on students’ ability to learn, the combination of poor facilities, which create an uncomfortable and uninviting workplace for teachers, combined with frustrating behavior by students including poor concentration and hyperactivity, lethargy, or apathy, creates a stressful set of working conditions for teachers. Because stress and job dissatisfaction are common pre-cursors to lowered teacher enthusiasm, it is possible that the aforementioned characteristics of school facilities have an effect upon the academic performance of students in economics.

Previous studies have investigated the relationship of poor school environment including problems with student-teacher ratio, school location, school population, classroom ventilation, poor lighting in classrooms, and inconsistent temperatures in the classroom with student health problems, student behaviour, and student achievement (Crandell & Smaldino, 2000; Davis, 2001; Johnson, 2001; Lyons, 2001;Moore, 2002; Stricherz, 2000; Tanner, 2000). To complement these studies, the present research will examine the aforementioned areas of school facilities as it affect students performance in economics.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Emphasizing the importance of school facilities to students academic performance economics, Oluchukwu, (2000) asserted school environment is an essential aspect of educational planning, he went further to explain that “unless schools are well suited, buildings adequately constructed and equipment adequately utilized and maintained, much teaching and learning may not take place. Corroborating these, Mark (2002) and Ajayi (2007), maintained that high levels of students’ academic performance may not be guaranteed where instructional space such as classrooms, libraries, technical workshops and laboratories are structurally defective. They also emphasized that structural effectiveness, proper ventilation and well sited instructional space lead to successful teaching and learning process of students in economics.

1.3 Aim And Objectives Of The Study

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between school facilities and the students’ performance in business studies, a case study of secondary schools in Bauchi metropolis. The following are the specific objectives:

To examine the impact of school facilities on the academic performance of students in Business studies
To explore factors such as class size that have been perceived to promote or inhibit students learning and overall students academic achievement in business studies and
To investigate the extent to which school location affects the academic achievement of students in business studies.

1.4 Research Questions

Is there any relationship between school environment and the student academic achievement in business studies?
To what extent do school facilities affect student performance in business studies?
What effect does class size has on the academic performance of students in business?
To what extent does school location has on the achievement of students in business studies?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H0: There is no significant relationship between school facilities and students academic performance in the business studies.

H1: There is significant relationship between school facilities and students academic performance in the business studies

1.6 Significance Of The Study

It is hoped that this study will provide information for parents, educators and school administrators to reflect upon various factors that help students in achieving its academics goals in economics. In so doing, they can investigate the possibility of introducing those factors to their school, which may consequently lead to enhancing students’ academic performance in economics. In addition, the fact that this study is conducted in public schools, it shares quite a lot of similarities with many other counterparts. In this connection, this study provides a valuable reference for other schools to reflect upon the school environment as it affect the academic performance of student in economics.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

This research work focuses on the relationship between school facilities and students performance in business studies in several secondary schools in Bauchi metropolis. This research work covers the impact of the learning environment on students’ academic achievement in business studies in several secondary schools in Bauchi metropolis.

1.8 Limitation Of The Study

Apart from time-frame and shortage of finance, the major limitation to this research is the inability of the researcher to cover the whole secondary school in Bauchi metropolis.

1.9 Definition Of Terms

School: A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or “pupils”) under the direction of teachers

Facilities: Facilities are buildings, pieces of equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose.

Students: A person formally engaged in learning, especially one enrolled in a school or college; pupil: Any person who studies, investigates, or examines thoughtfully.

Performance: Performance planning is a systematic and structured approach to successfully achieve the desired goals of an individual or team throughout the assessment year.

School Environment: A school’s physical environment includes the school building and the surrounding.

Academic Achievement – Knowledge attained or skills developed in school subjects by test scores.

Secondary school (also “high school”) is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place.

Friday, 31 December 2021

EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL OF ABUJA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Women education leads to increased contributions of women in community development. It is known that community development is a responsibility between men and women in the society. But we are in the world where men seem to dominate the affairs of the world in every country, including Nigeria (Onah, Ugwu, Chikwelu and Okide, 2014). Today there is need for women to be given opportunity to participate fully in national development through education which serve as a tool for women empowerment as it is has been advocated that the Nigerian woman should be exposed to qualitative, productive and activity-based education which will greatly enhance their role in community development that will return Nigeria to emerge as one of the high performing countries of the world (Atureta, 2017).

Women education can be seen as a process of inculcating worthwhile knowledge to women folk to be able to carry out one function or the other which will enable them to help themselves and contribute to the development of their community. Nwizu (2018) declared that “women education is the process of empowering women with the knowledge and skills they require for effective adjustment and functioning in the society”. Therefore, it is an act of ignorance and poverty of knowledge where in some areas of Nigerian they prefer to send their boys to school leaving their girls because of unscientific, traditional and religion beliefs. Experiences have shown that when woman are given qualitative competitive and productive education, they can excel and contribute greatly to community development efforts.

The need for women empowerment arises from the inability of an individual woman or a group of women to actualise their dreams and realise their potential due to artificial barriers created by individuals and organised groups within the same society. It is the manifestation of an incontrovertible inequality, segregation or marginalization (Okeke, 2015). Onu (2018) opined that “women are at the heart of development. They control most of the non-money economy (subsistence agriculture, bearing and raising children, doing domestic labor) and taking important part in the money economy (trading, the formal sector, wage employment)”. He further stressed that every where world, women have two jobs, around the home and outside it. This assertion implies that women have a lot of contribution to make towards the healthy socio-economic development of every country but women are constantly denied this opportunity by the nature of our societal organizations, and the cultural set up that makes it more comfortable for men to maintain the status quo.

Today, awareness has led to the recognition of the important role women can play in national development and this calls for an urgent need to address these critical areas that have hindered full recognition of women’s talents, women’s right, women’s development and empowerment and the ability to contribute meaningfully to community development. It is against this background that this study seeks to examine education as a tool for women empowerment and community development in Bwari area council of Abuja.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The importance of empowering women for community development cannot be overstressed, this is because women generally are endowed with skills and abilities which if properly managed through formal training and informal training in the form of classroom education, entrepreneurial or skill acquisition programme she is mentally equipped to function better in every vocation she found herself and could improve their quality of life and behavioural disposition in the society.

Empowering women through informal and informal education has become the focus of considerable discussion and attention all over the world as the inequalities between men and women and discrimination against women are an age-old issue all over the world. In the study of Eseyin, Okafor and Uchendu (2014), they examine community development through women empowerment and utilization of literacy and vocational skills services of an educational project in Yemen, Egbai and Otu (2017), carried out an analysis of women education role as community based development for sustainable culture in Calabar; Ovute, Dibia and Obasi (2015) carried out a study on empowering Nigeria women for national development: State of the art, challenges and prospects; Olakulehin and Ojo (2018) investigated distance education as a women empowerment strategy in Africa and analysis.

All these studies discussed the relevance of women education in national or economic development of the nation but without necessarily considering education as a tool for women empowerment and community development in the grass root, this create a gap for which this study seek to fill. It is the light of this that this study seeks to examine education as a tool for women empowerment and community development in Nigeria

1.3 Objective of the Study

The general objective of the study is to examine the role of education as a tool for women employment and community development in Bwari area Council of Abuja.

The specific objectives include:

To find out how women can be empowered educationally in Bwari local government area of Abuja.
To find out ways women can contribute to the development of Bwari local government area of Abuja.
To suggest strategies that can be adopted to enhance women’s participation in community development in Bwari.

Research Questions
How can women be empowered educationally in Bwari local government area of Abuja?
What ways can women contribute to the development of Bwari local government area of Abuja?
What are the strategies adopted to enhance women’s participation in community development in Bwari area council?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of this research will be of great significant or important to the following set of people or organization:

The study is expected to benefit the government at both federal, state and local government level by availing them the relevant information on how education serve as a tools for women empowerment and community development; and why their participation in project implementation should be accelerated through various empowerment programmes.
The study will be of great use to various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and community based women empowerment bodies by getting insight information on the better strategic practices in relation to women empowerment and the roles played by empowered women in community development. These bodies shall be able to understand the steps that can be taken to empower the women in marginalized communities and how these women can be drivers of community development.
The study will be very useful to future researchers and scholars. It is worth nothing that no similar study has been done in this locale of study and therefore the research findings will add very rich literature to the scholarly world significantly.
Finally, this study will benefit the women folks as it will improve on their awareness of the relevant roles played by education as a tools for women empowerment and community development. This will in turn improve the standard of living, enhance rural community resources and add to national development and a successive continuation of human race.

1.6 Definitions of Terms

Education: Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits (Dewey, (2017).

Community: A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

Development: The gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced, stronger. This is also defined as skill and capacity, greater freedom, creativity, self discipline, responsibility and material well-being.

Empowerment: To give someone the power to do something. To give somebody more control over their own life or the situation they are in.

Women: It is the plural of woman. It is defined as an adult female human being. Women all over the world constitute a gender group; they are a disadvantaged group based on their sex.

Women Network: Women coming and working together in a group to achieve an objective.

Thursday, 30 December 2021

EDUCATING THE GIRL CHILD IN A POLYGAMOUS FAMILY IN NIGERIA; CASE STUDY OF LAPAI METROPOLIS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

An expanding research base indicates that family structure exerts considerable impact on the mental health and educational development of a child. An intact family structure that consists of both biological parents has been shown to provide the best prospects for positive outcomes on children (Elbedour, Onwuegbuzie, Caridine, & Abu-Saad, 2002). In contrast, research has revealed that adopted children, children of widowed families, children of divorced parents, and children with one stepparent or biological parent exhibit poorer adjustment as measured by several indicators, including conduct disorders, adjustment problems, self-concept, or dropping out of school (Elbedour et al., 2002).

Teachers and school heads have always been blamed for the failure of Pupils. Nothing or a little has been said about the child’s background as a contributing factor to high failure rate. The people of Northern Nigeria and most community still believe in and practice polygamy. The high rate of polygamy in the area has led the researcher to try to find out whether the polygamous home set up has any contribution in the enrolment and performance of girl child education.

1.1 Background of the study

Many studies have identified study habits, Pupils’ self-concept, teachers’ qualifications, teaching methods, school environment, family size and government as factors influencing Pupils’ academic performance (Edwa2002, Zsolnai 2002, Gonzalez &Pieda 2002, Arumu & Sokan 2003, Asikhia(2010). The influence of polygamy on girl child education and academic performance has not been given adequate attention in research. The present study sought to answer the question: Does polygamous have any negative influence in educating the child girl in Nigeria.

Studies carried out in Oromia by Feda (2008) established that family size, family type and birth order are among many household characteristics considered both in developing and developed countries as determinants of child schooling performance. Feda (2008) asserts that the early empirical findings from developed countries consistently confirmed the trade-off between family size and child educational achievement.

Family is used metaphorically to create more inclusive categories such as community nationhood, global village and humanism. Generally is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history. Family is also an important economic unit studied in family economic. One of the primary functions of the family involves providing a framework for the production and reproduction of persons, biologically and/or socially. This can occur through the sharing of materials/substances (such as food), the giving and receiving of care and nurture (nurture kinship) jural rights and obligation and moral and sentimental ties. Thus ones experience of ones family shifts over time. From the perspective of children, the family is a “family of orientation”. The family serves to locate children socially and plays a major role in their enculturation and socialization. From the point of view of the parents(s) the family is a family of procreation, the goal of which is to produce and enculturation and socialize children. However, producing children is not the only function of the family in societies with a sexual division of labor, marriage, and the resulting relationship between two people, it is necessary for the formation of an economically productive household.

Christopher Harris notes that the western conception of family is ambiguous, and confused with the household, as revealed in the different contexts in which the word is used and so many. There are different types of family units which are monoigamo8us and polygamous are inclusive. Monogamous family is based on legal or social monogamy. In this case, an individual has only one (official) partner during their life’s time or at any one time (serial monogamy). This means that a person may not have several different legal spouses at the same time, as this is usually prohibited by bigamy laws, in jurisdictions that require monogamous marriages.

Polygamous family unit is a marriage that includes more than two partners when a man is married to more than one wife at a time, the relationship is called polygamy, and when woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry. If a marriage includes multiple husband and wives, it can be called polygamy, group or conjoint marriage. The effect of this marriage on the girl child is what the researcher is basing her research.

Polygamy is the type of marriage system practiced in t he traditional Africa society whereby a man takes more than one wife at the same time. It is practiced because of the prestige it accorded a man, in the society in which he lives. Religiously, most religion encouraged the practice of marrying more than one wife for instance in slam you are encouraged to marry as many wives as you can, depending on your purchasing power. It is against this background that this study seek to evaluate educating the girl child in a polygamous family in Nigeria.

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In every societies of the world there are some specific structure designated to meet the immediate need of the society consequent upon this is many settlement she has a robust nature of socialization which clearly defines the role of both sexes (male and female). Over the years position of women in Nigeria societies, especially in Northern Nigeria, has not be given a serious concern. The girl child’s education has not be given the priority attention especially in the polygamous family. She contributes to languish in social inequality (such as education) and relegated to the background. The resultant effect of this lack of fortune, the girl child is not given adequate attention she is retorted to both growth and development; this is as a result of the unhealthy waling that existed in polygamous family there are always constant quarrels, hatred, disunity, hostility as well as diabolism. Another striking effect inherent in weak or mismanagement of polygamous family is the audience of a broken home.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is to evaluate the education of the girl child in a polygamous family in Nigeria, a case study of Lapai metropolis. To achieve this, the following specific objectives are pursued:

To examine the factors that encourage polygamous family in Nigeria.
To ascertain whether polygamous family affect the girl child education
To appraise the impact of girl education in sustainable development in Nigeria
To identify the challenges of girl child education in Nigeria
To proffer possible solutions to the identified challenges.

1.4 Research questions

What are the factors that encourage polygamous family in Nigeria?
Does polygamous family affect the girl child education
What are the impact of girl education in sustainable development in Nigeria
What are the challenges of girl child education in Nigeria
What are possible solutions to the identified challenges?

1.5 Significance of the study

This study has both practical and theoretical significance. Practically, by establishing the impact of polygamous family on girl child education as it encourages girl education and gender equality.

It should also be mentioned that by highlighting some of the socio-cultural factors affecting girl child education, this study will provide social workers, policy makers, community members, governmental and non-governmental organizations insights on how to address this issue at the grass roots level. This study will also highlight the benefits in educating the girl child for a better society not just for the present generation, but for future generations.

Theoretically, this study will be a contribution to the available literature on educating the girl child in a polygamous family in Nigeria. This study will equally be of importance to students and researchers wishing to carry out further studies on this topical issue. Indeed, it is hoped that the findings of this study will ignite further scholarly inquiries into the impact of polygamous family on educating the girl child in Nigeria.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Education: Is the totality of processes through which an individual acquires knowledge, skills, attitude and abilities which enable him or her to positively contribute towards the meaningful development of the society. Encyclopedia American a defined Education as a design to affirmatively assist individual to develop their skills or potentials and to lead a productive and satisfying lives culturally, education is the process whereby society preserves and perpetuates its social valves and institutions. It is the means by which the collective wisdom of the past is transmitted to each new generation.

Girl-child: A biological female offspring between the ages of 0 – 18.

Polygamous Family: This is the institution that permits the marrying of more than one wife or husband. It can either be polygamous, systematic polygamy is a situation in which a man marries a woman divorce her marries another, divorce her adifinitum. While polyandry is a process whereby a woman get married to more than one husband.

Family: Family is seen as a subset of an individual total Kinsley network and a key unit of the household or domestic economy, a symbol of social cohesion and moral philosophy.

Gender: This refers to the properties that differentiate individuals on the basis of their reproductive roles.

Gender equality: In the context of this study, gender equality will be interpreted to mean the state of being equal or equivalent in value or status by both males and females.