CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Every living organism reacts
to its physical environment; secondary school students and teacher
likewise react to their environment. The environment in question may
produce comfort or discomfort; arouse feeling and disquiet and
depression of feelings of ration and pride.
It may also encourage or
retard learning, allow the easy spread of communicable Disease or
safeguard health, may increase or decreases the possibility of
accidents. The provision of safe sanitary and attractive physical
environment plays an immeasurable role from the stand point of the
productively of both the teachers and the students.
The emotional and social
dimensions of the school environment are characterized by the harmonious
inter personal relationship between teachers and learners on one side
and between students themselves. The characteristics of a healthy
physical environment include the school building being used, regular
classrooms and special rooms with sample space provided to avoid
over-crowding and to permit those activities that are included in the
educational programme. There must be adequate and proper lighting,
careful acoustic measures to minimize noise. Effective ventilation plus
suitable and attractive furniture must also be made available. Also,
included in the physical environment must be supply of safe drinking
water, sufficient facilities for toilet, adequate waste disposal
facilities, laboratory facilities, sufficient visual and audio-visual
aids and other good instructional materials.
The school environment,
having its own cultures that influence the behaviour and performances of
students in different ways. Any school environment where the facilities
are made available is likely to produce positive on the teaching and
learning process for the students. This form of environment tends to
encourage teachers to put more effort into their job while it stimulates
the learning ability of the students in question.
In addition to the
characteristics of the environment of the school are human elements
which include the teachers, the students themselves and the peer group.
The qualification of the teachers, their readiness to work and their
interests in the students goes a long way to either encourage or
discourage learning. The students on the other hand as the recipient of
instruction also pick important parts in the teaching and learning
process. Their level of intelligence which could be as a result of their
psychological background, their readiness to learn and their level of
cooperation with the teachers matter a lot.
Finally, the peer group as
another major element in the environment can affect learning either
positively or negatively. This depends largely on the mode of
interaction and relationship which exists between these groups.
Watts (2002) identifies the
classroom and school surrounding jointly as an artificial environment
deliberately constructed and managed to facilitate more rapid and
effective learning that needs to take place in the society at large. The
school environments in consonance with the one expressed above is both
physical and human and affects the students physically, mentally and
emotionally.
Rattan (2005) is of the
opinion that environment affects academic achievement. It is therefore
not out of place to determine the effect of rural and urban as well as
home environment factors on the performance of secondary school
students.
This study will look into
the effect of teaching and learning environment on students’ performance
in financial accounting in senior secondary schools in Oyo West Local
Government Area of Oyo State.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The teaching and learning
environment of students as discussed earlier refers to the physical
building in which the teaching and learning process took place plus the
situation and circumstance in which learning took place. The situation
and circumstance here may be as a result of government policies,
economics or situation of the country. The fact that the physical and
human environments affect the performance of the students cannot be over
emphasized; the effects as discussed earlier could either be positive
or negative.
It is obvious that schools
nowadays are not what they used to be in the olden days. The wide range
of technological changes that have occurred brought new pressure many of
which are associated with increased in school population has this
increase any influence on student’ academic performance in secondary
schools?
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The rationale behind this study is to
establish whether teaching and learning environment has influence on the
academic performance of students in financial accounting in secondary
schools. The study therefore is designed to:
- Examine the influence of the environment on students’ performance in financial accounting in secondary school
- Consider the influence of the human element on the performance of the students in financial accounting
- Highlight the influence of the classroom condition and school location on the teaching and learning process
- Show the importance of well equipped library and availability of up
to date teaching aids on the academic performance of the students.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is aimed at
creating awareness of the part of school administration and government
as regards the influence of variable such as school environment, school
location, physical facilities, library factors, audio visual aids and so
on has effect on the academic performance of secondary school students
in financial accounting.
The study is also designed
to assist the government and education planners, curriculum designers
and administrators in formulating policies that can help the
educational; system as a whole. The findings and recommendation will
also assist teacher meaningfully in overcoming some environmental
problems associated with the teaching and learning process in secondary
schools. In short, the study should constitute a positive reward for the
knowledge.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study is designed to
examine the influence of teaching and learning environment on the
academic performance of secondary school students. It is limited to all
secondary schools in Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Academic Performance:
It is the measurement of academic achievement and progress of
individual students. Data provided for a percentage of students passing
all tests as well as the aggregate by percentages passing financial
accounting
Financial Accounting:
It is concerned with the recording, classifying, creating, summarizing
and communicating of financial information to interested parties and
interpreting to help in making specific business decisions.
Secondary School:
It is described by National Policy on Education (2004) as the form of
education children receive after primary education and before tertiary
and it has two objectives, preparing recipients for higher education, it
has been structured into two tiers of three year each: the junior and
senior secondary school.
Teaching and Learning Environment:
It refers to the physical building in which the teaching and learning
process take place plus the situation and circumstance in which learning
takes place.
Influence:
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary defines influence as “the
effect that somebody or something has on the way a person thinks or
behaves or on the way that something works’ or develops”. The concept
influence, as related directly to this study, refers to the power the
environment has on the academic performance of pupils more especially in
Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State