Effect of classroom environment on students’ academic performance

Effect of classroom environment on students’ academic performance
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Education is seen by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013) in her National policy on Education as an instrument par excellence in affecting national development. The academic progress of children, adolescent and even adult determines the quality and quantity of manpower that will be available for the much desired break-through of Nigeria in science, technology, arts, entertainment, and so on. Education provides the human capital that will initiate, plan, direct and execute the development processes and activities that are critical for economic growth and development of a nation. Nworgu (2006).
Students’ academic performance reflects whether they are receiving education or not. In Nigeria, academic performance, attainment and progress are determined through results from public examinations, such as West African Examination Council (WAEC) National Examination Council (NECO) and Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Ensuring that students pass major examinations such as those mentioned above is highly dependent on the quality of the school. The quality of a school is the quality of its products. If results of examinations taken by students reflect a high success rate, or most of the product are able to secure admission into higher institutions through a transparent process such as a selection examination, or if most of the products are able to secure gainful employment through open competition, then the school is judged to be “a good school” Egbo (2006).
Classroom environment encompasses a broad range of educational concepts, including the social setting, the psychological environment created through social contexts, and numerous instructional components related to teacher characteristics and behaviors. Positive classroom environments are necessary to facilitate optimally all the adaptive student outcomes, including learning, motivation, school adjustment, and achievement (Eccles, Wigfield, & Schiefele, 2005). Observation and personal interactions with most students show that schools success does not only involve academics.
Classrooms are inherently social places in which students go about their work in the presence of many peers. To understand students’ success at school, therefore, we must attend to how they socialize (interact) with others at school as well as ways that the classroom environment promote different types of social interactions and relationships. The classroom where student receive lesson may have a significant influence on their academic performance. This is because virtually every teacher uses the classroom to communicate his/her lessons.
 The classroom is the heart of any educational system. There is no curriculum or educational planning that is complete without a gradual development of structures that will enhance the implementation process (Ukeje, 2002). Generally, most of the learning activities take place in classroom, which is usually included in the building structure. Within the classroom, seating position is an important aspect that enhances teaching and learning, when students are well seated in the class. Cohen and Manion (2013) points out that a careful attention should be given to the classroom space where seating position of students take place, in order to enhance effective teaching and learning process. Adesina (2009) also observed that one of the potent indices of evaluating educational standards and quality is by the examination of the physical facilities available for learning experiences. Therefore, classroom buildings are necessary before any effective implementation of educational activities can be considered to be effective or otherwise.
In addition, recent reviews have found relationships between the quality of buildings and academic outcomes. These studies have also found that the design criteria and building conditions related to human comfort such as ventilation quality, lighting, acoustical control have posed demonstrable impact on students’ performance in the schools studied (Mcgughey, 2005).
Education is for life and for the living. It is an investment in people which pays untold dividend to the society when that investment is not made or is inadequately made. The society suffers loss; whole science is the bedrock of all technological advancement. The importance of teaching and learning in conjunction with the provision of adequate instructional facilities for education cannot be over-emphasized, hence the dictum that teaching is inseparable from learning but students can learn without teachers. According to Akande (1985), learning can occur through one’s interaction with one environment.
Environment here refers to facilities that are available to facilitate students learning outcome. It includes books, audio-visual, software and hardware of educational technology, so also, size of classroom, seating position and arrangement, availability of tables, chairs, chalkboard, shelves on which instruments for practical are arranged (Farants, 1991 and Faronbi, 1998).
It is worthy to note that most facilities project focus on creating safe, clean and comfortable schools but they do not focus on how they improve learning. The teacher plays a pivotal role in creating conducive learning environments that can enhance students’ cognitive and affective outcome. Many scholars in science education believe that teachers have a crucial role in implementing reforms in schools and classrooms. Paradoxically, they are also viewed as the major obstacles to change due to their traditional beliefs (Levitt 2000, Funda, 2009).
There are important interactions that occur within the learning environments such as learner content, learners-learning habit and teacher-learner. During the learner content interaction, information is passed to inform and saved in long-term memory; as this happens, the students find the need for support which take the form of learner-to-learner and learner-to-teacher. The teacher-learner interactions provide feedback and dialogue between the student and the teacher. The learner-learner interactions facilitate the exchange of information, ideas and dialogue among peers. Implicit in these interactions is that the teacher is an important player in the learning environment whose role is to improve on the quality of the interactions in the content of the learning environment.
In the light of these, therefore, a research work is needed to ascertain the effect of classroom environment on students’ academic performance in Biology with the research bean-light at secondary school students in Akampa Local Government Area of Cross River State.

• Theoretical framework

There are many theories underlying the effect of classroom environment on students’ academic performance in Biology. Therefore, this study would be based on two theories: Classical conditioning and Operant conditioning theory of learning by J. B. Watson (1920) and B. F. Skinner (1974).
1.2.1 Classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov (1927)
        The proponent of this theory was a Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov (1927) cited in Ukpong (2000).  The theory lays emphasis on the formation of an association between a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned response through a repeated pairing of a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) in order to strengthen or reinforce the association. In other words, the learner needs to acquire and retain skills in a given teaching – learning situation.
        There are two theoretical explanations of classical conditioning which take their origin from the cognitive and behavioural approaches to psychology (Hillgard, Alkinson and Atkinson (1979) in Ukpong (2000).
        From the cognitive view point, the student is actively involved in the acquisition and sorting out of information which is given by the teacher in the classroom, while from the behaviourist view point, the student is perceived as being passive and the stimulus-response (SR) connections are made and strengthened mechanically.  By repetition of a stimulus that accompanies a given response it ultimately becomes a cause for behaviour that it merely accompanied.
        Based on the above discussion, this theory implies that students can formally acquire skills in the school through a conditioning process presented by the teacher in the classroom.  It also means that the Biology teacher should reinforce the students immediately in every correct response made by them.  This helps to keep them assured of their positive effort and since learning is an active process, Biology students learn better when they participate responsibly in the learning process.  Therefore, the teacher’s style of teaching is important in eliciting the correct response from students.
1.2.2        Operant conditioning theory of learning
        The proponents of this approach to the understanding of learning are J. B. Watson (1920) and B. F. Skinner (1974), cited in Ukpong (2000).
        This theory is sometimes referred to as stimulus-learning or the behaviourist theory of learning.  Skinner believed that while some responses are voluntary; others are not.  Operant behaviour relies on the principle of reinforcement which increases the likelihood or probability of a response.  Reinforcement is either positive or negative depending on how it is introduced. It is positive when it increases the frequency of occurrence of desired behaviour. It is negative when it involves the withdrawal of a pleasant stimulus to reduce repetition of unwanted stimulus.
        The conditioning theories of learning have implications for this study.  The theories can be applied to the teaching of Biology.  Before a student can acquire skills and retain what has been taught by the biology teacher, that student is required to frequently practice so as not to forget.  When students are taught by well-qualified and experienced teachers, there will be an appropriate response and desired behaviour by students that will produce and improve academic performance.  Also, students of Biology should be taught by teachers who are ready to apply a more result-oriented teaching style.

• Statement of the problem

Students’ academic performance has been a thing of concern to many scholars, parents, teachers, counselors, psychologist, school administrator and policy makers. It is a common knowledge that output of secondary schools students in terms of result from public examinations is poor and need more attention.
Government effort to bring quality to bear in teaching and learning through the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Education which is charged with the responsibility of ensuring minimum standard of education has proved abortive.
Different reasons have been given for students under achievement or poor academic performance schools. While some people attribute these to ineffective and poor planning on the part of the students, others attribute it to lack of basic school facilities and so on. Students under achievement or poor performance has also been blamed on students activities. Students more often than not engage themselves with activities that add little or no value to their academic development. When students spend little or no time on their studies, it is bound to affect their academic performance.
The extent to which the goal of secondary education is attained in any nation would certainly depend on the level of importance that is attached to the program of study by the government in place and the agencies that are responsible for providing educational training of her people in order to achieve educational advancement.
Regrettably, the situation of the classroom learning environment in some schools in recent times is considered to be relatively poor, for examples in schools there is clear and inadequate  chalk board, absence of ceiling (abettors), some roofing sheets not in place, windows and doors removed, inadequate physical facilities, overcrowded classrooms obsolete teaching techniques among others, a situation which the researcher regarded as hazardous to healthy living of the students.
From the above observation the question that arises is how does classroom environment in terms of classroom physical structure, classroom seating position, teacher-student interaction and student-student interaction influence students’ academic performance in Biology? This is the problem which this study seeks to find solution. 

• Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of classroom environment on students’ academic performance in Biology in secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Specifically, the study sought to find out whether:

1. Classroom physical structure and fittings has any significant effect on their academic performance in biology.
2. Classroom seating position of students has any significant effect on their academic performance in biology.
3. Teachers-students interactions within the classroom environment have any effect on their academic performance in biology.
4. Student-student interactions has any significant effect on their academic performance in biology.

• Research questions

The following research questions are formulated to guide the researcher in the study;

1. To what extent does classroom physical structure and fittings influences students’ academic performance in Biology?
2. To what extent does classroom seating position of students influence their academic performance in Biology?
3. To what extent does teacher-student interactions within the classroom environment influence students’ academic performance in Biology?
4. To what extent does student-student interactions within the classroom environment influence students’ academic performance in Biology?

• Research hypotheses

To guide this study, the following hypotheses were formulated:

1. There is no significant difference in the mean scores between classroom physical structure and fittings and students’ academic performance in Biology.
2. There is no significant difference in the mean scores between classroom seating position of students and their performance in Biology.
3. There is no significant correlation in the mean scores between teacher-student interactions within the classroom environment and students academic performance in Biology.
4. There is no significant correlation between student-student interactions within the classroom environment and students academic performance in Biology.

• Significance of the study

The result of this study may be of great benefit to teachers, students, parents, and the government. The findings of the study may be of great importance to the teacher as this will enable them device a means of increasing students’/pupils’ interest in Social Studies as a means of encouraging them to improve upon their academic performance. This study may also make students to understand that their academic performance both in school and public examinations to some extent lies in their hands. Therefore they should be committed to their studies.
Parents and the society at large would understand that the academic performance of students embodies so many variables including them so all the blames should not be on the teachers alone if their children do not achieve academically up to their expectation. For the students to achieve very well in school both the parents and the society should provide an enabling environment for the students’.
This study would contribute to existing literature on classroom environment and students’ academic performance in Social Studies with the aim of improving the quality of academic performance. Finally, the recommendations based on the results if implemented would help to bring about innovations in institutions and improvement in students’ academic performance.
The result generated from this study may contribute to knowledge by providing empirical data on the environmental factors that influence the students’ academic performance.

• Assumption of the study

This research work is based on the following assumptions:

1. The sample of the study is a representative of the entire population of the study.
2. The questionnaire is expressed in the language the students will understand.
3. The variables of the study are measureable
4. The finding from this result will generalized based on the provision tested in the study

• scope of the study

The study was limited to all government secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. The study is also delimited to the variables under study.

• Limitation of the study

Every empirical research carried out has its weakness and short comings, which are beyond the control of the researchers. In this study, they include:

1. Time factor was one of the basis limitation for the study as the researcher as she was combining the work with other semester work.
2. Finance was another limitation as the researcher could not covered all the schools in the Local Government Areas.
3. The environmental factor was another limitation because of the nature the environment was unable to cover all the communities in the area.
4. The attitude of the respondents towards the filling of the instruments also post a problem as those of them were not willing to response to the items.
   • Definition of terms

Education: Education is an instrument for national development and social change. It is vital for the promotion of a progressive and united Nigeria.
School environment: is a place where classrooms are located
Classroom: This is a room in the school environment where Biology classes are held.
Student: these are all SS2 stud3ents offering Biology.
Teaching: is the impartation of knowledge from one party to another through guided instruction and practice by the Biology teacher.
Interaction: this refers to the level of communication between student-student, student-teacher and student environment.
Physical structure: this refers to items such chalkboard, classroom environment, field, etc
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