HOSTEL ACCOMODATION AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITIES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In general, housing refers to the social issue of ensuring that all members of society have a place to live, be it a house or another type of residence, lodging, or shelter. Numerous governments include administrative sections devoted to housing. The importance of housing as a primary determinant of man's welfare, life sustenance, and survival is of the utmost importance to the individual, family, society, and nation as a whole  (Adams 2022).

Housing is essential to human survival, since it rates among the top three human requirements. Its availability has always been essential to human survival. As an environmental unit, housing has a significant impact on the community's health, productivity, and social welfare (Omole, 2022).

In the case of university students, housing refers to the supply of dormitory accommodations. In recent years, as a result of an increase in the student population, hostel accommodations for university students in Nigeria have become a serious worry for students, parents, and even school administrators, since practically all colleges fail to offer enough student housing. In circumstances where such housing is offered, it is notoriously terrible, filthy, cramped, and overcrowded, consequently limiting the students' capacity to learn successfully.

According to  Adams (2022), the significance of a student's social environment cannot be overstated. The availability, appropriateness, and usefulness of hostel amenities are the determining elements in students' selection of a university, their capacity to concentrate, and their level of contentment. This makes it necessary for colleges to prioritize student housing while simultaneously increasing the school's reputation among contemporaries. The student housing is reported to offer facilities such as bedrooms that can be used for both sleeping and studying, baths and toilets, a kitchen, a laundry room, recreational areas, and Internet connectivity to enhance the study-learning experience.

Abramson (2022), on his side, asserted that the student housing might be made more interesting by adding ATM machines, a car park, small markets, bookstores, and cafeterias to the student housing complex.

Each year, accommodating and maintaining the hostel facilities at Nigerian federal institutions is a formidable problem. Each year, the higher education industry sees a substantial growth in the number of students enrolled. Therefore, the significance of hostel amenities for university freshmen has expanded dramatically. Since, it is considered that the amenities supplied to students in their dormitories have an effect on their academic achievement. The lack of happiness in the hostels has prompted numerous generations of students to take action against the poor circumstances, and a number of terrible events of student militancy had their origins in the hostels (Weeramunda, 2022). Furthermore, lack of general knowledge, experience, maturity, lack of practical skills and analytical ability, as well as ill-equipped teaching, classroom environment, financial difficulties, poor residential facilities, and lack of communication between students and teachers have been identified as major factors preventing students from enjoying the benefits of university education to their fullest extent (Ariyawansa & Perera, 2005 as in Perera, 2022).

The manner and processes for distributing hostels/bed space at Nigerian federal institutions are a further headache, notwithstanding the competition for hostel accommodations. While some colleges make reservations for first- and last-year students to help them swiftly integrate into the business of studying, others give all students an equal opportunity to compete for available seats. Typically, the latter is conducted via first-come, first-served basis, the purchase of scratch cards, and/or balloting methods. However, if it does not provide hostel accommodation for all desiring students, especially new students (who are struggling to adjust to a new environment) and senior students (who would have a great deal of responsibilities within the school environment), then such an arrangement/system is insufficient and ineffective.

In most cases, campus facilities at federal institutions are outdated and badly maintained. The absence of appropriate power supply, water supply, decent convenience (toilets and bathrooms), maintenance of electrical devices, entertainment devices (such as televisions and decoders in the common areas), etc., while paying excessive rates, were among the features that sparked protests. In reality, one of the institutions was closed when a 300-level student was electrocuted and killed by a bare wire in the dormitory stairway (Daily Times 30th April, 2016). Most times, students are angry with school administration for failing to maintain the facilities despite several complaints.

A hostel is a location that provides room and food for students. By surveying a random sample of resident students, data were collected on two categories of characteristics believed to be connected to GPA: variables assessing the living environment and variables measuring the study environment (Duyile 2022).

The variables that measure the living conditions include the amount of time spent in the dormitory, the kind of room, and the number of times a student transfers blocks. capability to do daytime study in the room; capability to study in room throughout the evening; sources from which pupils acquire their food; satisfaction with the level of services given by the food departments; sufficient water supply in the hostels; safety of the rooms; efficacy of the security staff, field of study; current year of study; financial support; time spent studying; sufficient study rooms; library facilities are the variables used to measure the study surroundings. safety of nighttime study in class; availability of a study desk in the room; availability of a study chair in the room; and availability of a study lamp in the room (Duyile 2022).

In view of the foregoing, this study was deemed important to examine hostel accomodation and its impact on students academic performance in universities.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As a consequence of the increase in student population, lodging for university students in Nigeria has become a major issue for students, parents, and university administrators, as practically all universities have failed to offer student housing. Students are subjected to a life of frustration on campus due to the poor condition and substandard quality of the relatively few lodgings that are supplied (Adams 2022). On campus, university students in Nigeria are now living in deplorable conditions. Their accommodations are notoriously terrible, insane, packed, and overcrowded, which hinders their capacity to learn well. Some of the few colleges that offer housing do not make sufficient provisions (Duyile 2022). Originally designed for two students, rooms may now accommodate up to seven. However, this design can only accommodate 40% of the overall student population.

Despite government and university authorities' strenuous efforts, a solution to student hostel accommodation difficulties remains elusive. In this context, a critical search is conducted on this research, leading to the aims of the study.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine hostel accomodation and its impact on students academic performance in universities. Specifically but not limited to, other objectives of the study are:

i.          To determine the extent students use hostel accomodations in universities.

ii.        To determine whether sex and age have a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities.

iii.      To determine whether hostel accomodation impacts on academic performance.

iv.      To determine whether there are special preference to faculties and course of study in the allocation of hostels in the Nigerian federal universities.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What is the extent students use hostel accomodations in universities?

ii.        Does sex and age have a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities?

iii.      Does hostel accomodation impacts on academic performance.

iv.      Are there are special preference to faculties and course of study in the allocation of hostels in the Nigerian federal universities?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study, which aims to determine whether there is a correlation between appropriate hostel housing and improved academic performance, will undoubtedly be relevant to the student and their parents for decision-making purposes. Since shelter is one of the most important human needs, everyone is in dire need of one, especially if they are new to an area. Before choosing a university to attend or send their children to, therefore, parents and their children would consider the likelihood of obtaining housing on or near campus.

The entire workforce of the universities will find this study useful and pertinent for planning purposes. The dean of students affairs, the senate, and other planning executives within the confines of the university would like to know the proportion of total students accommodated, the revenue stream lost due to inadequate provision of hostel accommodation, and the capacity limitations caused by inadequate facilities such as hostel accommodation.

The research will also be relevant and useful to the government in the areas of policy formulation and implementation pertaining to the development of university infrastructure by the federal government.

The research will be relevant to future researchers in this field, as well as to the general public and society as a whole, as it will contribute to the improvement of educational standards.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is generally focused on hostel accomodation and its impact on students academic performance in universities. Precisely, this study is focused on determining the extent students use hostel accomodations in universities, determining whether sex and age have a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities, determining whether hostel accomodation impacts on academic performance and determining whether there are special preference to faculties and course of study in the allocation of hostels in the Nigerian federal universities.

Selected staff and students of University of Calabar, Cross River State will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is generally limited to hostel accomodation and its impact on students academic performance in universities. Precisely, this study is limited to determining the extent students use hostel accomodations in universities, determining whether sex and age have a role in the distribution of university hostels in Nigerian federal universities, determining whether hostel accomodation impacts on academic performance and determining whether there are special preference to faculties and course of study in the allocation of hostels in the Nigerian federal universities.

Selected staff and students of University of Calabar, Cross River State will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Hostel: A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms.

Academic performance: Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.

Universities: A university is an institution of higher education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and 

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