A CRITICAL INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPLICATION OF UNCONDUCIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate on the implication of unconducive classroom environment on effective teaching and learning in secondary school in Oshodi Isolo, Lagos State. Specifically, the study ascertain the factors associated with unconducive classroom learning environment in secondary school, determine whether unconducive classroom environment affect effective teaching and learning in secondary school and find out the implications of unconducive classroom environment on students academic performance in secondary schools. The study employed the survey descriptive research design. A total of 259 responses were validated from the survey. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that the factors associated with unconducive classroom learning environment in secondary school is school location, unavailability of adequate learning facilities, over-population and students’ deviant behaviour. The study also revealed that unconducive classroom environment affect effective teaching and learning in secondary school. Lastly, the study revealed that the implications of unconducive classroom environment on students academic performance in secondary schools is it affects students’ concentration in the class, it affects students’ active participation in the classroom, it affects students’ interest towards learning and affects students’ over academic performance in secondary schools. The study thereby recommend that since conducive classroom setting has positive effect on students’ performance, teachers should ensure that their classes are well-lit in order to help students’ vision and ability to copy notes. They should also make the classroom very conducive so that the students can feel relaxed, comfortable and participate more actively the teaching-learning process.Second, teachers should help in minimizing students’ noise while in school. School management should ensure that schools are sited in areas devoid of noise.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the study

The safety and security in educational system is a trend in the educational industry that has not actually been severely enforced for the purpose of achieving effective results in the sector. This is because the safety and security in educational system is a trend in the educational industry. The educational system is an industry that creates manpower or human resources that are most required for rebuilding, reorganizing, revitalizing, and operating the country's economy. This makes the educational system one of the most important industries in the nation. As a consequence of this, the protection of the educators and the pupils has to be given a high priority. To put it simply, the atmosphere of the school has to be one that prioritizes health and safety in order to ensure both the instructors' and the children' sense of well-being. It is important to keep in mind that the setting in which a person finds him or herself plays a significant part in determining the degree of accomplishment that may be attained by that individual. The problem of an environment that is not favorable to learning has developed into a threat to the field of education. As a consequence of this, neither the instructors nor the pupils are provided with the protection and safety that they need, which results in a low level of personnel output. According to Nnachi (2009), the cognitive development of the learner is adversely affected by settings that are not favorable to learning. An atmosphere that lacks safety, conduciveness, stimulation, and enhanced resources is more likely to contain unease for both the education provider and the client, as was discussed in the previous section. The nature of the modern education system, which is not favorable to learning, is a very large environmental issue that puts the academic pursuits that take place in educational institutions in jeopardy. Employers and employees in each particular company share a concern for the health of the workplace as well as the safety of the surrounding environment. Macintosh and Gough, writing in Ogwa (2015), made an astute observation when they claimed that the safety and health of a workplace is an essential component of the economic sustainability of a company for both employers and environmentalists in general. It is thus necessary to state that every worker in an organization, including the educational sector, is entitled to safety of life and healthy living; this, in essence, will maintain the lives of employees and provide a high level of productivity inside an organization. The unfavorable situation of the educational environment contributes to the atmosphere that exists here. This includes classrooms that are too small, tables and chairs that aren't sufficient for learning, buildings that are falling apart and almost collapse, staff rooms that aren't big enough, and other structural anomalies that may be found in the educational system. According to Ezeji (2008), the safety of any environment is a planned preventative step that is taken with relative ease to control injuries to people concern in the workplace. This view was presented in the context of the author's opinion. As can be deduced from the viewpoint presented above, one of the elements that contributes to the low level of productivity in the process of the students' acquisition of practical skills is the absence of security and safety precautions in the education system of the 21st century. In addition, the quality of the educational result is not only dependent on the teacher as a reflection of the execution of their tasks but also in the efficient administration and maintenance of the school environment. This is because both of these factors contribute to the overall atmosphere of the classroom. Therefore, a quality school environment helps facilitate efficiency in obtaining the educational end result of quality manpower generation in the community. This is because it facilitates the learning process. According to Tsavaga (2011), the atmosphere of the school plays a significant part in deciding how pupils behave or react to the events and situations that are present in their immediate surroundings. It is necessary to state that no society is devoid of environmental conditions or influence. As such, the nature of any given environment dictates the behavior and interaction of the inhabitants inside the circle. Deducing this from this point of view, it is imperative to mention that no society is devoid of environmental circumstances or impact. Ejide (2002) came to the conclusion that a young organism's cognitive performance in the future is mostly determined by its surroundings. Idowu (2002), who agrees with this point of view, claimed that an individual's potential for learning is influenced by their surroundings to a significant degree. To put it another way, a secure and healthy learning environment is a crucial component of the whole educational system. The majority of school settings seem to be so dangerous to both the students and the instructors that they hamper the overall productivity and effectiveness of the educational system. The vast majority of establishments are unable to function due to a lack of adequate facilities; as a result, the majority of the academic buildings are in a state that is both dysfunctional and unsuitable for occupancy. The problem of poor location of school with erosion ridden, poor classroom facilities, dilapidated and nearly collapsed buildings, inadequate learning equipments, poorly ventilated classroom, lack of emergency exit, unavailability of safety gadgets, poor walk way track that constitutes a major problem that leads to congestion of the school environment, poor safety orientation, and other insecurity activities that range from human and natural disasters and political factor viability. According to Ihebereme and Maduewesi (2009), despite the heavily packed curricular supply, there are not enough facilities for teaching and learning. This is an accurate statement. According to Ibokun (2004), the facilities that are now available in our educational institutions are woefully insufficient. He went on to say that many elementary schools lack adequate classroom blocks, library facilities, equipped labs, and teaching resources, among other things. It is important to note that schools that do not have an environment or resources that are favorable to learning have a far higher risk of failing to function, which in turn reduces the quality of the teaching and learning that takes place in such schools. Because of this, it is essential that the school environment be one that prioritizes both health and safety, so that all of the available human and material resources may feel comfortable and confident in their ability to carry out teaching and learning activities efficiently. According to Awule in Aliade (2008), a learning environment need to have strong infrastructural development, appropriate educated instructors, good leadership, and adequate instructional materials. Awule is also of the belief that learning environments have to possess adequate leadership. According to Ajewole and Okebukola (2000), the lack of academic success among students is caused by a combination of variables including a negative school atmosphere, insufficient facilities, bad study habits, an absence of readily accessible learning resources, and the sort of environment that is available to both students and instructors. To put it another way, and in contrast to the viewpoint presented before, poor academic performance on the part of students is a reflection of the nature of the environment in which the transaction of teaching and learning takes place. According to the findings of Farombi in Odeh, Oguche, and Ivangher (2015), the school environment may have a detrimental impact on students' academic progress. This is particularly true in environments where there is a lack of a positive school atmosphere, inadequate physical facilities, low-quality teachers, and a high student-to-teacher ratio. According to the viewpoint of Farombi, it is important to note that the proper availability of school facilities, competent staff to make use of these facilities, and the conduciveness of the environment in which they operate continue to be crucial components of an environment that is conducive to effective success in the education business. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate on the implication of unconducive classroom environment on effective teaching and learning in secondary school.

1. 1. Statement of the problem

kids' academic achievements are heavily influenced by the friendliness, healthiness, and conduciveness of the school environment in which they find themselves. This is because kids spend the majority of their time at school. Nevertheless, the questions that keep pleading for solutions are things like how appealing, pleasant, and conducive the educational atmosphere is in public secondary schools. Are the lecture halls equipped with enough ventilation? Is the number of students in each class reasonably low? Is there a sufficient number of desks for pupils to sit at in comfort while they learn? Are pupils sometimes disturbed by the sounds of passing automobiles, particularly heavy-duty autos, as well as noise from nearby construction sites? The majority of public secondary schools in Nigeria have environments that are characterized by overcrowding, insufficient seating for learners to comfortably sit and learn, dirty classrooms, a lack of well-ventilated classrooms, bushy school surroundings, unequipped school libraries, inadequate school laboratories, and other similar issues. Udoh (1999), which was quoted in Blum (2015), noted several harmful activities that were taking place in some public schools. These practices included improper seating arrangements, insufficient amenities, and inadequate ventilation, among other things. In addition, he emphasized that the vast majority of schools do not have any light, inadequate amenities, run-down structures, or ventilation. Learning in a setting that is characterized by the elements or situations described above makes the educational setting unwelcoming, unpleasant, hazardous, and unproductive for the purposes of teaching and learning. It is in the light of above, that this study sought to investigate on the implication of unconducive classroom environment on effective teaching and learning in secondary school.

1. 1. Objective of the study

The broad objective of the study is to investigate on the implication of unconducive classroom environment on effective teaching and learning in secondary school. The specific objectives is as follows:

1. Ascertain the factors associated with unconducive classroom learning environment in secondary school.

2. Determine whether unconducive classroom environment affect effective teaching and learning in secondary school.

3. Find out the implications of unconducive classroom environment on students academic performance in secondary schools.

1. 1. Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

1. What are the factors associated with unconducive classroom learning environment in secondary school?

2. Does unconducive classroom environment affect effective teaching and learning in secondary school?

3. What are the implications of unconducive classroom environment on students academic performance in secondary schools?

1. 1. Significance of the study

The findings will be of immense benefits to students, parents, guardians, teachers, principals, government and relevant stakeholders in the education sector.

The findings of the study will help parents and guardians in determining the choice of the type of school for their children and wards. This is because, the children will enjoy good school learning environment that allows for quality school products. The study will inform teachers, headmasters (mistresses) and principals about their readiness and strong-will to improve school supervision and management methods to ensure quality teaching and learning. It will help them appreciate the fact good school facilities and equipment stimulates students’ academic performance.  It will also assist the teachers in the areas of their classroom delivery, teaching effectiveness and increased productivity. The results of the study will help the government and policymakers to formulate effective planning policies and programmes to foster schools’ academic activities. It will also provide policymakers with knowledge to identify and solve the needs of the schools in terms of building and facilities. Lastly, it will aid researchers in their future research undertakings in the aspect of school environment, students’ academic performance and their psychosocial development.

1.6 Scope of the study

The study will ascertain the factors associated with unconducive classroom learning environment in secondary school. The study will also determine whether unconducive classroom environment affect effective teaching and learning in secondary school. Lastly, the study will find out the implications of unconducive classroom environment on students academic performance in secondary schools. Hence, the study is limited to Oshodi Isolo, Lagos state.

1.7 Limitations of the study

Quality of educations require better classroom learning environment, pedagogical skills and highly trained staff to fulfill the demands of current innovations and ever changing scenario. This study will significant due to following reasons .it will help the teachers and students to enhance the teaching and learning process smoothly. This study will indicate the parameters and different aspects to make the teaching and learning practices effective .learning environment will also motivate the atmosphere of educations .this study will be enabling the teachers to prepare the lessons and learning experience according to the need of the students.

---

---