ABSTRACT
This project examined Academic Practices
of Public and Private Senior Secondary School Students in Lagos State
Education District V. The objectives of this study were to: investigate
the academic practices of both public and private senior secondary
schools as it affects students’ academic performance. Also, to evaluate
the sign relationship between school management and best academic
practices.
Based on these objectives, data were
sourced from both primary and secondary methods. The primary source
involved questionnaire and interview methods; while the secondary
sources took on relevant documents, articles in journals, text books and
relevant publication, as well as computer search through the Internet.
Out of the one hundred (100) questionnaires distributed, eight (8) of
them were either not completely or correctly filled, bringing the total
to ninety-two (92). With the aid of chi-square statistical method, the
findings showed that: Academic practices have significant effect on
students’ academic performance. Also, there is significant relationship
between school management and best academic practices. That, there is
significant difference between academic practice in public and private
schools.
This work recommended that for best
academic practices to be practiced in this school, government
officials/supervisors should be sent to secondary schools in other to
checkmate the activities of these schools and eradicate the problem of
created by schools that engage low standard practice of academics in
their schools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Limitation of Study
1.9 Definition of Operational Terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Quality of Education in Education District V
2.2 Quality and Conducive Learning Environments
2.3 Quality of School Facilities
2.4 Class size and Student’s Academic Achievement
2.5 Attitude of Students to Teaching and Learning Process of Both Private and Secondary Schools
2.6 Academic Performance of Students in Education District V
2.7 Teachers’ Effectiveness and Learning Outcome
2.8 Availability of Instructional Materials and Academic Achievement
2.9 Factors Affecting Improvisation of Instructional Materials
2.10 Overview of Guidance and Counselling Administration in Nigeria
2.11 Conduct of Examinations in Education District V
2.12 Examination Malpractices
2.13 Review of Performance of Students in Education District V between 2005 till 2011
2.14 Appraisal of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample and Sampling Procedure
3.4 Research instrument
3.5 Method of Data Collection
3.6 Administration of the Questionnaire
3.7 Validity of the Instrument
3.8 Reliability of the Instrument
3.9 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
4.1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
4.2 Testing of Hypotheses
4.3 Hypothesis Two
4.4 Hypothesis Three
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Discussion of Results
5.2 Summary of Findings
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendations
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is the instrument a society
uses to equip its people to live productive public and full personal
lives according to their talent and interest. The educational system
must be such that gifted individuals have full opportunity to develop
their skills; it must give scope for the training of a leader and at the
same time provide for the development of all the vocational abilities
needed for the creation of a progressive and democratic society.
The quality of education that is
imparted to the youth and the precedence given to education largely
contributes to attitude formation of the youths. So whatever kind of
seed sown in the classroom; the manner in which it is nurtured and the
strength which it imbibes in its various stages of growth will all
determine the harvest that the nation will reap in the form of its
educated youth coming out of the schools, colleges and universities. The
imprints of these institutions of learning will become indelible marks
clearly visible in all fields of the national life; be it a clerk in an
office, a soldier in the battle field, a school master in a village
school, a University Professor, a bureaucrat running the administration
in a seat of power. This great impact of education on the national
character is understandable once it is recognised, both the short term
as well as long term power education wields over all who go through its
process. Historical evidence proves that nations were made or unmade,
battles lost and won, revolution wrought, so much so that entire empires
collapsed or emerged due to the educational systems of various peoples
of the World. Ancient Greece and Rome at the peak of their political
glory were also the seats of learning and a source of intellectual
guidance and inspiration for the entire known world, but when
intellectual decadence struck, it attacked the very fabric of society
and Greece and Rome were no more (Smith, 2007).
Rapid expansion of the Nigerian
educational system at all levels; compounded by rapid policy changes and
the shrinking economy have constituted constraints to educational
practice and development in the country. The economic recession that has
extended to social services including education. Hence, a series of
disparities now exist in the educational system. Such disparities
include disparity between urban and rural schools, between schools owned
and controlled by the Federal Government and those owned and controlled
by the States and private agencies, gaps between male and female
enrolments and between admission figures and available teaching
resources (Federal Government of Nigeria, 1996).
Lawal (2003), therefore posited that
after two decades of operating the National Policy on Education, ‘the
educational system in Nigeria can only be said to be in crisis’. He
added that unlike other developing nations like Ghana and South Africa,
Nigeria is experiencing a downturn in the education sector as a result
of leadership problems in the Nigerian government in providing adequate
measures, policy and funding of the education sector over the years.
However, these factors have militated
against the efficient best academic practices over the years. There is
therefore urgent need for government intervention in the practice of
education in Lagos State both in the public and private schools.
Nevertheless, the attention of government and major stakeholders in the
educational sector is drawn to the relevance of quality
education/academic practice which is a core in breeding an elite society
of genius for successful growth and development of any economy, most
especially developing countries such as Nigeria. Also, it is bedrock for
successful academic achievement and high student performance.
1.2 Statement of Problem
In recent times there has been increase
inefficiency in the academic practices of both private and public
schools. The problem has however created a loophole in the educational
sector especially in Lagos State, recent studies has shown that the
basic input for best academic practices are lacking in Lagos State, this
may include improper funding of the education sector due to resource
allocation to the education sector which resulted in the lack of
infrastructural facilities in schools and the record has been a major
bottleneck, and a hindrance to conducive learning environment.
Furthermore, inefficiency and ineffectiveness in school organisation and
management, unavailability of school instructional materials,
examination malpractices has been plaguing the quality of academic
practice in Lagos State. All these and many more are consequential
factors militating against successful/quality academic practice in Lagos
State, especially in Education District V.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
As a result of the highlighted problems
above on the academic practice of public and private secondary schools
in Lagos State with reference to Education District V, there is a need
to tackle these problems by stating in clear terms the purpose of this
study, which would therefore be to analyze the various academic
practices engaged by both public and private secondary schools in
Education District V of Lagos State. The research work also seeks to:
Investigate the academic practices of both public and private senior
secondary schools as it affects students’ academic performance. Evaluate
the significant relationship between school management and best
academic practices.
Determine the significant difference between academic practices of public and private secondary schools.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated for this study in order to guide the research:
- Does academic practice of schools have any significant effect on student’s academic performance?
- Is there any significant relationship between school management and best academic practices?
- What are the significant differences between academic practice in public and private secondary schools.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were formulated for the purpose of this study
H02 Academic practices have no significant effect on students’ academic performance.
H02 There is no
significant difference between management and best academic practices
There is no significant difference between academic practice in public
and private schools.
1.6 Significance of the Study
It is hoped that the findings of this
study will help students; school administrators and educational
stakeholder in the country have an understanding of the lapses in the
academic practices of senior secondary schools in Lagos State,
especially in Education District V.
The study will go a long way in bringing
to bear the relevance of best practices in the educational system in
ensuring high performance of students considering the provisions of
conducive learning environment.
Furthermore, this study will serve as
in-depth material for school administrators and education stakeholders
in the provision of all necessary factors that would create an enabling
environment in the proper conduct and practice of academics.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study will amongst others cover
study on the academic practices of public and private senior secondary
schools in Lagos State Education District V in which ten (10) schools
that is five (5) public and five (5) private) were selected at random
from Education District V in (Zone 1, 2, 3 and 4).
1.8 Limitation of Study
The limitation of this research work
will be dearth of related literature in the field of the subject matter,
finances and time constraint. Secrecy and confidentiality is another
limiting factor, this is a situation where those interviewed are
unwilling to release information they considered highly confidential
which will be of great assistance to the research work.
1.9 Definition of Operational Terms
Academic Practices: This describes the quality or standard of education in a school.
Infrastructural Facilities:
These are the available social amenities in within the school which
includes amongst others school building, library, school lab, sporting
facilities etc. Examination malpractice: is defined as a deliberate
wrong doing contrary to official examination rules designed to place a
candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Efficiency: in general describes the extent to which time or effort is well used for the intended task or purpose.
Effectiveness: means
the capability of producing an effect, and is most frequently used in
connection with the degree to which something is capable of producing a
specific, desired effect Private School: these are schools owned,
managed and financed by individuals.
Public School: These are schools owned, managed, controlled and financed by the government.
Stakeholders: These
stakeholders in education designs on the outcome of schooling and the
purposes of learning. The major stakeholders in education are parents,
teachers, students and government.