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THE EFFECT OF THE CLASSROOM ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Without doubt, the quality of education is firmly linked to the effective coordination of the classroom environment. It is believed that a well-designed classroom will not only help to achieve the expected learning outcomes of education but also ensures cordial student-teacher relationship. The provision of sufficient learning facilities and instructional materials within suitable classroom atmosphere are some of the factors that improve the standard of education in schools. 

Classroom physical environment is seen as the physical characteristics of classroom that involve different things like size of classroom, floor, walls, desks, lighting, school structure, school climate and computer. According to Suleman and Hussain (2014) physical environment is the physical aspect of the learning setting.

The component of the physical environment of classroom include learners, teachers and the facilities (Lippman, 2010). Moreover, physical facilities in the ideal classroom plays a vital role in composing a strategic factor in the operation and functioning of the teaching and learning as they determine the excellent performance of a school. Physical facilities are one of the stimulating factors that play a fundamental role in improving academic achievement in the school system (Basit, 2005).

The quality of the physical classroom setting significantly affects academic achievement of the students. Physical facilities in classrooms ensure effective and successful teaching learning process. Without these facilities, effective teaching learning process cannot be guaranteed. Students tend to get more details from their instructors in a well facilitated classrooms and therefore they perform in a good way. On the other hand, if classroom setting in not conducive, students feel uncomfortable in classroom then they tend to be giving divided or distracted attention to the lesson. Lyons (2001) opined that poor facilities in school has negative impact on the teachers’ effectiveness as well as students` performance. 

Empirical studies on the classroom environment revealed that physical arrangement of the classroom has a significant role in teaching learning process. It can affect the performance of both the teachers and the students. Umar (2015) found that school environment as portrayed in the design, desks’ arrangement and books availability in the classroom firmly associated with the performance of learners in English language.  Researchers like Lyons (2001), Tylor and Vlastos (2009) reported that classroom with large class size poses a difficult condition for students to focus and therefore minimize the duration teachers can use in actual instruction of learners.  Chuma (2012) reported that crowd within a classroom delays teaching-learning process. This is because the teacher may not find it easy to move around the classroom to offer individualized attention to some students sitting in the rare angles of the classroom. Adequate and sufficient arrangement of classroom environment plays a significant role in enabling instructional process more effective and establishes an optimum atmosphere for both learners and the teachers.

On the similar dimension, Asiyai (2014) reports that the classroom environment has a significant impact on the motivation and learning of students including. Maxwell (2016) also found that the students` performance is connected to the building condition mediated by social climate and student attendance. Suleman & Hussain (2014) opined that a well-managed and vibrant classroom environment makes a positive impact on the academic performance of students. Turano (2005) also reports that students and teachers in conducive classroom environment tend to perform well. Suleman & Hussain (2014) examined effect of classroom physical environment and the performance of control and experimental groups. The findings revealed that the students of experimental group showed better performance as compared to the students of control group. Sang (2013) established that pupil’s text book ratio and the classroom size were the major contributors to poor performance in mathematics within pioneer zone. Umar (2017) found that classroom environment has strong influence on the academic performance of the students.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The increasingly high rate of students` enrolment in Nigeria and the declining rate of the academic performance in public schools has for a long time been an issue of concern to government, parents and the general public. The drastically falling standard of education in schools as reflected by the failure of students in examinations including WAEC and NECO cannot be overemphasized. Many researchers have adventured into investigating the presumable causes of the students` poor performance in schools including home background, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, leadership behaviour in school, peer pressure and teacher quality. Few studies, however, conducted to examine the link of environmental variables to students` academic performance were mostly home environment related researches or teacher-related ones. Although classroom environment variables can have an impact on various components of the teaching and learning processes, no significant number of studies were conducted in the study area to determine whether or not the classroom physical environment impinges on the academic performance of students. Therefore, there is a pressing need for research into how classroom environment link to the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students. 

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study were to examine:

1. impact of classroom environment on the academic performance of senior secondary school students.

2. impact of classroom physical environment on the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students by gender.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the impact of classroom environment on the academic performance of senior secondary school students?

2. What is the impact of classroom physical environment on the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students by gender? 

1.5     RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following hypotheses were tested

Ho1: Classroom environment does not affect the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students.

Ho2: classroom environment does not affect the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students by gender.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is on the effect of the classroom on the academic performance of students in schools.

1.8   Limitations of study

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

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