SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN MATHEMATICS

SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN MATHEMATICS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter deals with the background to the study and it's settings.

1.1    Background of the Study

Mathematics is one of the formal disciplines that help the man lay a solid foundation for future survival.

Scientific and technological developments are dependent on mathematics. The Nigerian Government has made mathematics compulsory both at the primary and secondary school levels; also mathematics is a basic requirement for admission into some degree courses in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Okeke (2006) noted that there were a general fear and hatred for mathematics: a situation which results in deadline performance in the subject.

Basically, the goal of teaching mathematics especially at the primary level is to prepare pupils to develop critical and creative outlook as they confront the challenges of daily life. Thus, for the teaching of mathematics to be meaningful, teaching must exist at the concrete operational level. By the nature of children, they need a large number and variety of educational or instructional resources to interact with children at the primary level like to explore, experiment, create and interact with the environment school characteristics such as the type of school, quantity, and quality of teachers, availability, and usage of quality instructional and infrastructural materials and effective management structure are therefore necessary to create an enabling environment to learn the subject more effectively. 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 teaching and learning process, and academic performance of students.

Glassman (2004) asserted that a comfortable and caring characteristic among other treatments helped to contribute to pupils’ academic performance. The physical characteristics of the school have a variety of effects on teachers, learners, and the learning process.

This study will, therefore, investigate the variability of school characteristics that could impact either positively or negatively on the academic achievement of pupils in mathematics with a view of proffering solution to the lingering poor performances of primary school pupils in mathematics particularly in Abak Local Government Area.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

Ideally, pupils are expected to learn mathematics in a conducive environment which could help them to achieve maximally in the subject.

In emphasizing the importance of school characteristics I relation to pupils learning the outcome, Gluchukwo (2004), asserted that school characteristics was an essential aspect of educational planning: that unless schools are well suited, buildings adequately constructed equipped and facilities sufficiently utilized and maintained much teaching and learning may not take place.

The high levels of pupils’ academic performance especially in mathematics may not be guaranteed where instructional space such as a classroom, libraries and school facilities are structurally defective.

Unfortunately much is not known about school location such as rural and urban schools.

These conditions are feared by the researcher to impact either positively or negatively to pupils’ achievement in the subject. Hence, the researcher intends to find out whether school location, availability of adequate instructional facilities, as well as class size, could positively relate to pupils learning outcome among primary school pupils.

1.3    Purpose of the Study

The general objective of the study was to investigate into school characteristics and academic performance of primary school pupils in mathematics.

Specifically, the study sought;

(i)                  Find out the impact of school, location on pupils learning outcome in mathematics.

(ii)                 Examine the impact of the availability of instructional facilities on the academic performance of pupils in mathematics.

(iii)                The impact of class size on pupils learning of mathematics.

1.4    Significance of the Study

Findings on the issue will be significant in the following ways:

(i)                  It will serve as a reference manual for future researchers on related topics.

(ii)                 It will enlighten student on the importance of school characteristics in education.

(iii)                It will also serve as a guide to teachers on issues relating to school location and class size.

(iv)               It will help Government School Proprietors agencies when making an important decision concerning location to schools and provision of facilities to primary schools.

1.5    Research Questions

In the course of carrying out the investigation, three questions were raised:

(i)                  What is the influence of school location on pupil’s academic performance in mathematics?

(ii)                 How does the availability of instructional materials impact on academic performance of pupils in mathematics?

(iii)                To what extent does class size impact on academic performance of pupils in mathematics?

1.6    Research Hypothesis

Three null extent hypotheses were proposed to guide the study.

(i)          There is no significant impact on school location on pupils’ academic performance in mathematics.

(ii)         There is no significant impact on the availability of instructional materials on pupils’ academic performance in mathematics.

(iii)                There is a significant impact of class size on pupils’ academic performance in mathematics.

1.7    Delimitation of the Study

The study was restricted to school characteristics and academic performance of pupils in mathematics. It was also restricted to selected primary school in Abak Local Government Area.

1.8    Limitation of the Study

In the course of conducting the research, the research was confronted with certain problems which threatened the success of this great work. Principally, financial constraints and duration constraints. The financial constraint in terms of money to procure and process materials required for the research. Secondly, the time frame allocated for completion and submission of this report was not adequate for wider coverage on the issue. Therefore, findings obtained on the issue was not generalized but remained valid only to Abak Local government Area where the study was conducted.

1.9        Operational Definition of Terms

        School Characteristics: This refers to all the factors (human and materials), that are available in a school which contribute to the teaching-learning process, and varies from one school to the other.

Academic Performance: This is a term commonly used in educational institutions to describe the formative evaluation of students’ ability in a particular subject or the summative assessment of students in the entire school.

Mathematics: This refers to a branch of study which deals with the manipulation of figures in finding a solution to problems.

Instructional Materials: This refers to all the materials that are used in the classroom to support.