IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND UTILIZATION ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background to the Study

Educational materials are critical to achieving educational aims and goals all around the world. The amount to which an educational institution achieves her goals is directly proportionate to the educational resources available and how they are used (Ekundayo and Alonge, 2012). The importance of education and human resource development to the progress of the country has long occupied the attention of the government and other educational stakeholders. Many developing countries have devoted their money to the establishment of educational institutions at various levels because they believe in the usefulness of education as a potent tool for development. However, the discussion over Nigeria's deteriorating educational standards has been at the forefront of public conversation for decades, and it is certain that the debates will continue for some time to come. Poor student academic performance has been linked to a number of factors, including a high teacher-student ratio, a shortage of qualified teachers, poor educational leadership, political instability and politicization of educational programs, and insufficient essential physical facilities and equipment. Ekundayo and Alonge (2012) ascribed the problem of kids' declining academic performance to a variety of variables, including teacher quality, household factors, government factors, and a lack of educational resources. To them, the availability of educational resources is critical because of its role in the achievement of educational objectives, and human resources are a unique educational input required for the entire development of students' skill acquisition and literacy.

Governments all across the globe invest in education as a means of achieving social and economic growth. Due to the belief that the success of an educational institution is dependent on the adequacy and exploitation of resources available to it, the majority of such investment often goes towards educational resources. Dangara (2016) defined educational resources as "all human, material, and non-material resources inside the school and community that are required to facilitate the teaching-learning process." These educational resources can be further subdivided into physical, financial, human, and instructional resources (Nwabueze, 2016). In order for educational institutions to accomplish their desired aims and objectives, proper provision of these resources, their maximum use, and suitable management are required to improve the quality of the instructional process while avoiding waste.

According Eric & Ezeugo, (2019), physical resources relate to all of the visible and tangible structures/constructions/buildings present in a school system Structures such as the library, scientific laboratories, computer laboratories, sports facilities, classrooms, water supply, sanitary facilities, dormitories, and equipment such as desks, tables, and chairs are among them. These physical materials are essential facilitators of effective school-based educational processes. Various nations on the African continent have performed studies to investigate the topic of adequacy and exploitation of school physical resources. When one examines the amount of money invested by various governments and people, one may realize the significant role that education plays in the long-term development of the person and society. Education is a human raising process that includes the formal, informal, and non-formal acquisition of information, attitudes, and skills for the beneficial development of the person and the community to which the individual belongs.

It is the process of training and developing people's knowledge, skills, thoughts, and personalities. It is the process through which people' latent skills are developed so that they can be valuable to themselves and society at large.

Adeogun and Osifila (2018) identified insufficient educational resource supply as a key factor to low educational quality in educational institutions. This emphasizes the importance of educational resources to students' academic success. Okebukola (2018) acknowledges that the importance of physical resources in any educational process cannot be overstated, but many Nigerian higher institutions of learning, he claims, are studded with classrooms and offices unfit for a public secondary school. According to Adeboyeje (2020) in Oyekan (2014), material resources are highly significant and vital in the educational process, and thus must be supplied in enough number and quality in order to improve job and academic environments for better outcomes in the education system. According to Anderson (1991), as cited in Ewetan and Ewetan (2015), real gains in the quality of education that students get are dictated by the quality of teachers, and so excellent teaching and learning are prerequisites for students' academic achievement. In Ewetan and Ewetan (2015), Akiri and Ugborugbo (2019) discovered that competent instructors created higher-performing students. Adu and Olatundun (2007) discovered a favorable and substantial association between teachers' perceptions and students' academic achievement. Ayodele and Ige (2012) discovered that efficient teacher utilization, rather than simple availability, influences students' academic success.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

The educational system is the lifeline of every nation's human capital development. This may be accomplished, however, if the necessary educational resources for an efficient teaching and learning process are made available and appropriately utilized. However, educational stakeholders have lately expressed worry about the quality of students who lack the requisite skills and knowledge to execute the expected duties in their sector of work successfully and efficiently.

Anayo (2022) observed that low performance in the Senior Secondary School Certificate and the General Certificate in Education (GCE) examinations, particularly by students of public secondary schools in Lagos State, causes concern among parents, guardians, students, the government, educators, and the school itself. This is especially true given the significant expenditure in secondary education. It is imperative that the circumstances causing such poor performance be addressed, especially when pupils at private secondary schools within the same state and neighborhood do better on the same exams. It is evident that classrooms in public schools are frequently overcrowded, with more than 100 pupils in a class that was designed for around 40 students. Many of the school buildings and infrastructure are in poor condition. Physical and material resources looked to be insufficient. The majority of children in public schools lack fundamental texts in English, Mathematics, Biology, and the majority of key educational topics. However, it has been noticed that the number and quality of instructors available to private schools are not always greater than those available to the state's public secondary schools. This study will therefore look into the impact of educational resources and utilization on students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

1.3   Objectives of Study   

The broad objective of this study is to examine impact of educational resources and utilization on students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

Other specific objectives of the study

i.          Investigating whether there is adequate  provision of educational resources in  secondary schools.

ii.        Ascertain the extent at which educational resources are utilized in secondary schools.

iii.      Determine whether provision and utilization of education resources will have a significant impact on student academic performance.

1.4    Research Hypotheses

The research is guided by the following tentative statement:

HO1: The extent at which educational resources are provided and utilized in secondary schools are low.

HO2: Provision and utilization of education resources will have no significant impact on student academic performance.

1.5    Significant of the Study

This study would help to update information about the role of educational resources in the achievement of stated educational goals and objectives, particularly in secondary schools. The information thus discovered would be an eye-opener to parents and guardians on the impact of educational resources on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. This study would also help educational managers (principals, proprietors, and proprietresses) to know the areas where these resources are inadequate and how to judiciously, effectively and efficiently utilize the available ones. It would help to improve the quality of education in the state and it is hoped that findings would further reveal more areas for possible research studies.

1.6   Scope of Study

This scope of this study borders on impact of educational resources and utilization on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. The study is however delimited to secondary school  in Kafanchan  Local government area in  Kaduna State.

1.7 Limitation of Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering   secondary school  in Kafanchan  Local government area in  Kaduna State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other secondary school in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8    Definition of Terms

Educational Resources: Educational resources are the sum total of the input that goes into the educational system.

Academic Performance: This refers to the rate of success in an examination. 

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