ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study was to determine the influence of school environmental factors on the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area Homabay state, Nigeria. School environmental factors refer to those aspects within the school surrounding that may influence the process of teaching and learning. The study sought to fulfill the following objectives: to examine the effect of physical facilities on the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes; to assess how sufficiency of instructional materials can promote the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes; to explore how class size promotes Early Childhood Learning Outcomes and to determine how school location affects the process of teaching-learning in public primary schools. The study was guided by the Systems Theory of organizations. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Questionnaires were used to gather information from teachers and head teachers while focus group discussion guide was used with the pupils. The findings of the study revealed that schools have inadequate physical facilities, with some being totally unavailable. Instructional materials are generally insufficient. Majority of the schools had large classes though most teachers prefer small classes. Lastly the teachers prefer working in accessible schools with proximity to adequate social facilities and infrastructure. The study concluded that inadequacy of physical facilities in schools has been found to influence Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. In addition, there is general insufficiency of instructional materials in schools has also been found to greatly influence the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. The size of class has been found to greatly influence the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes small classes are mostly preferred by most teachers and even pupils yet they have large classes. On school location, the schools in the rural areas are least preferred. Non-cosmopolitanism has also greatly affected the rural schools as the communities still have influence in the administration and operations of the schools.
The study recommended that to improve Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in the division, school heads should strive to provide physical facilities and instructional materials in schools. Large classes should be broken into two or more streams to make them manageable. Parents and communities living around the school should be sensitized on the importance of supporting school programs and be encouraged to organize fundraisers to put up physical facilities and procure instructional materials in schools. They should also be encouraged to buy revision books for their children. Further research may be done on influence of school environment on WAEC performance in public primary schools, influence of school motto and other school symbols on academic performance and how teacher characteristics influences pupils academic performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
It is universally accepted, that education enables individuals to contribute to the development and improvement in the quality of life for themselves, their communities and the nation as a whole. Primary school is no doubt the foundation of education and has prominently been regarded as a fundamental human right. It is an essential component of human capital and it plays an important role in economic growth and development of a country. Primary education, therefore, remains an important area that should be carefully managed.
A study conducted by Kitetu and Sunderland (2000) at the Lancaster University found out that five or more years of a farmer’s primary education led to increased farm productivity, reduced size of farm labour and increased use of yield augmenting inputs. This means that by acquiring primary education one can increase one’s earnings (Kitetu, 1998).
The school environment refers to factors within the school that influence the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. The school environment includes classrooms, library, technical workshops, teachers’ quality, teaching methods, peers, among others variables that can affect the teaching–learning process (Ajayi 2001). The extent to which pupils learn could be enhanced depending on what the school environment provides to the learners and the teacher.
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 Early Childhood Learning Outcomes and academic performance of pupils. Relating this study to international occurrences are the assertions of Williams, Persaud and Turner (2008) quoting Marsden (2005) which reported that safe and orderly classroom environment, school facilities were significantly related to students academic achievement in schools.
In developed countries like the United Kingdom and the Unites States of America, teaching and learning may not be affected by similar challenges as in the developing countries. As the developing countries talk of awareness and wastage due to illiteracy of the parents, the developed countries have concentrated in funding their education without fear of any wastage or poor enrolment (MOEST: Report on Sector Review and Development, 2003).
In New York, the government has put up measures to ensure all public primary schools have all the required physical facilities, instructional materials among others variables that may lead to effective Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. Instructional materials are a major component in the process of teaching and learning and textbooks are often the most cost effective means of improving academic achievement and increasing the efficiency of schools (Psachropoulous & Woodhall, 1995).
In the developing countries, poor learning environments have always been identified as key factors that lead to poor performance in public primary schools (UNICEF, 2003). This is due to overstretching of the available resources due to increased enrolment. In Uganda, physical characteristics of the school have a variety of effects on the teachers, pupils and the learning process. Poor lighting, noise, high levels of carbon dioxide in classrooms and inconsistent temperatures make Early Childhood Learning Outcomes difficult. Poor maintenance and ineffective ventilation systems lead to poor health among the pupils and higher absentee rates among pupils (Frazier, 2002 Lyons, 2001and Ostendorf, 2001).
Beyond the direct effects that poor facilities have on pupils’ ability to learn, the combination of poor facilities which creates uncomfortable and uninviting workplace for the teachers combined with frustrating behaviour by the pupil including poor concentration also have an effect on the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. The situation is not any different here in Nigeria where several schools suffer due to lack of or inadequacy of physical facilities and instructional materials (UNICEF, 2003). Unless schools are adequately provided with physical facilities and instructional materials, effective teaching and learning may not take place.
Class size has also been an issue that affects the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in most schools in the developing countries. In Nigeria, since the inception of Free Primary Education (FPE), there has been increased enrolment which leads to overcrowding in classrooms making the work of the teacher difficult since he/she cannot easily move around in the classroom (Wabuoba, 2011) quoted in Chuma (2012)
The school administration is a crucial factor in the success of a school. The head teacher should be in a position to ensure that all factors within the school that make the school environment favourable for Early Childhood Learning Outcomes be put in place to ensure quality standards are maintained. The Education Act of 1968 stipulates that the head teacher is responsible for overall management, control and maintenance of standards in the schools and is accountable for all that happens in the school. He is charged with the duty of planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting (Okumbe, 2001) The head teacher is the seen as the first supervisor and therefore should always ensure that effective teaching-learning is taking place in the school. Early Childhood Learning Outcomes can be measured through assessment that is done to pupils using continuous assessment tests (CATS), standardized examination like the sub-county MOCK and the Nigeria Certificate of Primary Education (WAEC).
In Mushin Local Government Area school environmental factors such as availability of instructional materials, availability of physical facilities, class size and school location are factors within the school that may affect the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in Lagos state. Effective Early Childhood Learning Outcomes may not take place when rate of repetition, drop out and absenteeism seems to be high in the division and this affects performance of learners.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The Government of Nigeria (GOK) commitment to education is noted from Sessional paper no.1of 2005 which guarantees every learner the right to quality and relevant education. The government has invested in education especially in public primary schools through the introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE). The country’s provision of Free Primary Education is an effort by the GOK to increase access and retention of pupils in schools.
The development of Nigeria Education Sector Support Programs (KESSP) is based on the rationale of the overall policy goal of achieving Education For All (EFA) and the Government’s commitment to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as stipulated in Basic Education Act of 2013.
Despite efforts made by the GOK to ensure each child attends school by providing Free Primary Education, there are pupils who still fail to attend school on a regular basis (AEO, Mushin Local Government Area, 2012). Effective Early Childhood Learning Outcomes may not be guaranteed when the rate of absenteeism, repetition and dropouts is high in the division. If Early Childhood Learning Outcomes is not improved in Mushin Local Government Area, then the division will lag behind both in social and economic development in the state.
Anyango (2012) found that teachers’ attitudes, adequacy of teaching- learning resources and girls’ attitude towards education led to poor performance in WAEC among girls in Mushin Local Government Area. Opudo (2012) found that head teachers’ style of management influence the performance of pupils in Lagos state. However, no study known to the researcher has been conducted in Mushin Local Government Area on how the school environment can influence the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. The researcher intended to find out if there is a relationship between school environmental factors and the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes and make recommendations on how to improve them to ensure quality standards are maintained.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of school environmental factors on the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state.
1.4 Objectives of the study
This study was guided by the following objectives.
1. To examine the effect of physical facilities on the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state.
2. To assess how sufficiency of instructional materials can promote the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state.
3. To establish how class size promotes Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state.
4. To determine how school location affects the process of teaching- learning in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state.
1.5 Research questions
The study sought to answer the following research questions;
1. To what extent do physical facilities affect the process of teaching and learning in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state?
2. How does sufficiency of instructional materials promote the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state?
3. How does class size promote Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos state?
4. To what extent does school location affect the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes in public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area Lagos state?
1.6 Significance of the study
It is hoped that the findings of the study may help school administrators reflect upon various factors that influence the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. In so doing, they could investigate the possibility of introducing those factors to their schools which may consequently lead to reducing absenteeism, dropouts and repetition and consequently effective Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. These findings may also help the government through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) to provide more funds for schools through the FPE kitty for instructional materials and repair and maintenance of the available physical facilities, thus imprsoving the Early Childhood Learning Outcomes. Parents may also use findings from this study to help improve the school facilities by organizing for fundraisers for instance to construct a classroom, laboratory, library among other facilities. Policy makers would use the findings to help them make decisions in developing strategies towards improvement of academic standards. Future researchers would use the study in identifying priority areas and gaps on which to carry more research about public primary schools.
1.7 Limitations of the study
According to Best and Khan (1993) limitations are conditions beyond the ability of the researcher that may place restriction on the conclusions of the study and their application to other situations. The first limitation was on the part of obtaining information from the pupils where some were not willing to give information regarding their behaviour for fear of victimization by their teachers. Efforts were made to assure them of confidentiality on their identities. The other limitation was on the part of the researcher to carry out the research in the whole of Mushin Local Government Area as the topic suggests. The researcher carried out the research in sampled schools.
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