CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education all over the world is acknowledged to be the most powerful and indispensable instrument for not only economic and political advancement but also for progress in all spheres of human endeavour. Hence, the Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education as an instrument for nurturing productive citizenry and fostering national development (Ukpong, 2003). These laudable and significant roles of education in the overall development of the country led to the establishment of schools in all parts of the country as well as the initiation of the teaching-learning process which of course is the platform through which the goals and philosophy of education are promoted.
However, the teaching-learning process in our schools today is influenced by a number of factors which mar its quality and effectiveness such, factors include; inadequate teaching and learning facilities, learners’ loose attitude to studies, and inconsistency in government policies and programmes on education etc. Apart from the aforementioned factors, school variables such as class size, teaching methods adopted by teachers, gender differences etc can equally influence the nature and quality of the teaching-learning process with resultant effect on students’ academic performance.
Hoxby (2000), cited factors contributing to students poor academic performance especially in secondary schools to include lack of teachers, inadequate guidance and counseling services, location of the school and the size of the class. The situation is so frustrating in terms of lack of teachers to meet up with the recommended students/teacher ratio for effective teaching and learning. Classrooms and offices are in dilapidated condition and all these have adverse effect on students’ performance in schools. He further stressed that class size refers to the total number of students assigned to and enrolled in a specific class under the direction of a specific teacher. The author maintained that in Nigerian secondary schools, the ratio of class size is about 1:50, this poses a different task to the teacher to give equal attention to all the students. In situation like this, the academic performance is bound to be low.
Consequently, the success or failure of any educational programme depends on the teacher. No matter how beautiful a school may be, without properly trained teachers to handle it, the whole thing will be mirage (Dashe, 2009). Therefore, the behaviour, attitude and teaching method/technique adopted by a teacher in the teaching of any subject has a lot of academic effects on the learners. Teaching techniques are said to be various strategies a teacher used in meaningful teaching-learning situation (Esu, 2007). The author added that some teachers are impatient with the students’ understanding.
Accordingly, in most schools the learners constitute male and female students, gender difference is very important in this research owing to the expatiation of effect of gender on students’ academic performance in school. Hence, if students must be made to develop their academic potentialities properly, gender differences, teaching methods and class size have to be well taken care of in schools. However, this presents and area for investigation.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Over the years, the teaching and learning of business studies in schools have increasingly become more challenging as a result of inadequate teaching-learning facilities with its resulting effect on students academic performance. However, many educators, stakeholders in education sector have been viewing with serious concern about the performance of students in business studies in both internal and external examinations. A number of factors have been enumerated by researchers in the past to have accounted for the dwindling nature of students’ performance in the subject. Measures to remedy this unpleasant situation have long been proffered by scholars and researchers, yet the poor performance of students in the subject has become a recurring feature in both internal and external examinations.
Moreover, available data have shown that little or no research has been carried out along the line of school variables in relation to students’ academic performance in Business Studies in our schools. There is no doubt therefore, that variables such as class size, teachers teaching methods and gender differences can affect the teaching-learning process which eventually lead to their poor academic performance. It is against this background that this study on “School variables and student’ academic performance in Business Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area” became imperative with a view to suggesting measures that will ensure better students’ academic performance in the subject.
