CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          Education is man’s fundamental method of reform and progress. It can be regarded as the tool with which society brings the transmission of its own culture. Reomer (1981) refers to education as “all those experiences of the individual through which knowledge is acquired, the intellect enlightened or the will strengthened “ while Unachuka (1989) defines education as “ the process by which individuals are assisted formally or informally, though proper direction and finance, to develop their capacity for their own benefit and that of the society.

          Education can therefore be regarded as a social process whose purpose is to bring about certain desirable behavioural change in the total development of the individual. In the whole world education has been given more regard while in Nigeria particularly education has been seen as the main vehicle for rapid development.

          It is obvious that since advent of the Europeans, Nigerians have attached much importance to western education. The first type of schools according to Bab Fafunwa (2001) were the Islamic and Arabic schools which emerged as a result of the Islamic Scholars arrival into the country on the pretence of trade. They brought along with them their religion which was Islamic under which were the Arabic school.

          The first set of schools were usually situated under big trees with students who were mainly normally conducted in the evenings after their trading activities with the merchants who acted as the tutors. These teachers are called “Mallams”. It is obvious that the first type of school system didn’t have any facility apart from the slate and foreign textbooks used.

          Furthermore, with the arrival of western education, the uses of facilities became ivogue. Classrooms which came in small rooms now in form of schools which comprises of administrative blocks, offices with such facilities as chairs, tables, chalk and chalkboards. Textbooks were also provided to aid teaching, this ease the way knowledge was formally imparted to the students to prove for old stanions system.

          Walberg and Thomas (1992) shown that pupils have been noted to learn best when they can effectively explore at school environment that is rich in material, so that whenever they are given the responsibility to make meaningful choice, they afford to interact with the available facilities.

          This led to Adaralegbe’s (1978) statement which states that the large scale of educational programme had been embarked upon, because of increasing awareness of the country that, education pauses the way for modernization and enable one to improve oneself. Putting this into consideration in our schools presently it will be noted that, education by various government bit yet, much efforts is still required to meet up adequately. Since over fifty million people desire education presently.

          Classrooms are very vital in schools, the classrooms are constructed to suit the purpose of learning and also considering climate of the people. eagle Hardt (1954) emphasized that classrooms referred to as “Teaching laboratories”. Much importance should be attached to facilities to enabler an imagined educational programme to be achieved. This in short shows the importance of the provision of efficient and effective facilities to help enhance a smooth and conducive teaching and learning process to enable the production of effective manpower for the nation.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

          Inadequate facilities will surely affect the smooth teaching and learning process in all schools. There are some problems outlined below encountered in schools due to lack of adequate facilities. It is known that the academic performance of each student depends to a large extent on the facilities exposed to while learning but, when they are lacking some problems is faced.

          The first noted, peculiar problem would be generated when there is no inclusive teaching and learning conduction. The unconduciveness could be as a result of non availability of facilities like table and chair in the classroom. There can never be way of concentration by students. Students can not be expected to achieve any of the objectives at the end of the lesson. If pupils have to share chairs with their mates, they would be easily distracted among themselves and the class which is supposed to be active3ly involved in the learning process turns out to be appealing and there is enough discomfort for the day to discourage the interest of the pupils for the whole day’s work.

          Since the interest of the students are very low, they are going to also have a low level of understanding, knowledge to be imparted to the students would not be fully understood. There may also be limitation in understanding. Laboratories are lacking in many schools and in some schools were they can be found reagents and equipment are lacking. For instance students in  science class who always learn in abstract, that is without practical knowledge, of what teacher is saying cannot have effective learning and this will automatically affect his/her academic performance. These lacks of laboratories have resulted to low interest in science subjects today, such subjects are physics, chemistry and biology.

          Also the non availability of teaching facilities like textbooks, buildings, chart, chalkboards etc. have hindered students performance academically and this has resulted in their low interest in most of the subjects offered in their various level in secondary schools.

          Finally, it is observed that the students supply their acquired knowledge in effectively since they have not been able to be taught with the practical aspects but rather expressed to only theoretical aspects of their field of specialization, if they have been opportune to make use of facilities in different aspects they would have been effectively appropriate.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

          The origin of using facilities to aid learning has been the pre-occupation of the proponent of school facilities. The studying of the teaching facilities in relation to students’ academic performance is to know the importance of teaching facilities.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

          This study will be limited to a few selected secondary schools under Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. The study covers the following schools;

1.   Akoko-Edo Comprehensive College, Igarra.

2.   Unity Comprehensive College, Ibillo.

3.   Ososo Grammar School, Ososo.

4.   Somorika Grammar School, Somorika.

5.   Ikpeshi Grammar school, Ikpeshi.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

          This study is meant to help educators and education planners realize what problems students who are subjected to since there is the rapid desire for education by an increasing population of Nigeria, which have to be met adequately and with the high rate of facility storage.

          The study is meant to identify these problems and how much effect it has on the performance of the students since these facilities exist to facilitate and stimulate the instructional programme of the school system they should be provided and maintained.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

          This project aims at the teaching facilities and how it affects the performance of students in selected institutions. In order to achieve this, the following research questions are very essential.

1)   Is there a relative difference in academic performance between schools with adequate teaching facilities and school without adequate teaching facilities?

2)   What are the problems encountered by schools without teaching facilities?

3)   What are the effects of lack of teaching facilities?

4)   What are the advantages of having effective teaching facilities?

5)   What are the disadvantages of not having teaching facilities in a school?

6)   Are there adequate facilities in your school?

7)   Is there chance of improvement in providing facilities to schools?

8)   Is there teaching and evaluation condition good in your school?

9)   Do you enjoy teaching without adequate school facilities?

10)               How can the government improve effective teaching in schools?

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Facilities: these are materials that make it possible or easier to do something, such facilities in teaching like desks, chairs, libraries etc. for easy learning process.

Equipment: things needed for a particular purpose. School equipment like modern equipment, learning technology for writing on.

Academic performance: that is, the ability in academic works. It may be either excellent or poor performance.

Adequate: enough in quantity or good enough in quality, for the purpose or need for effective academic performance.

Significance: this is the importance of something or educational equipment

Laboratory: this is a room or building used for scientific research, experiments testing etc.

Teaching: this is the passing of knowledge from an experienced person to an inexperienced person.

Effective: this is producing the result that is wanted or intended.

Education: this is the process of teaching and learning to improve knowledge and develop skills of an individual to the society.

Classroom: this is where teaching and learning takes place.

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