ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MAINTENANCE ON STUDENTS’
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
The main objective of this study is to investigate the Assessment of
educational facilities
maintenance on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools
in Kaduna state.
To achieve the aim of this research,six objectives were formulatedwhich
include: the assessment
of classroom facilities maintenance;assessment of library facilities
maintenance;assessment of
laboratory facilities maintenance; assessment of infrastructural facilities
maintenance;assessment of recreational facilities maintenance and
assessment of instructional
facilities maintenanceon students’academic performance, in-line with the
objectives six research
questions and six hypotheses were raised. Descriptive survey design was
employed for this
research. A self-structured design questionnaire was used for collection
of data. The population
of this study are principal (215), teachers 5305, and Ministry of
Education Officials (MOE) (96).
The sample size includes principals (65), Teachers (1592) and MOE
officials (29),total of 1686
respondents were sampled for the studyout of which 1660 responded to this
study. Stratified
sampling technique was adopted for the selection of sample size. The
results of findingsshowed
among others that there is no significant difference in the opinions of
principals, teachers and
MOE officials on the assessment of classroom facilities maintenance on
students’ academic
performance. The study concludes and recommends that class room facilities
such as projectors
and smart screens should be well maintained for teaching purposes. and
other facilities such as
waste bins and rules or consequences should be posted in each class and
be maintain in public
secondary schools for student’sacademic performance. The
school’smanagement shouldmaintain
the available instructional facilities like cameras and micro-films.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Schools exist for the purpose of teaching and learning. Human and material resources are
deployed for this purpose. School facilities are the material resources provided for staff and
students to optimize their productivity in the teaching and learning process. The realization that
the transfer of knowledge does not only take place in the four walls of the classroom from the
teacher to the students but rather that learning takes place through discovery, exploration,
interaction with the internal and external environment has necessitated the creative and
innovative development of teaching and learning facilities that reflect these changes.(Asiabaka,
2008) Schools exist to serve socio-economic and political needs of the ever-changing society,
consequently, they are in constant interaction with their external environment. They receive
inputs from the external environment in the form of human and material resources, processes
them and empty same into the society as finished products and services.
Facilities maintenance is a collective responsibility of the Federal, State, Local Government
Authorities, Staff and Students of the individual schools and the community where the school is
located. The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education provides the
policies that guide the educational system and also oversees the implementation of these policies
at the State level. On the other hand the State Government ensures the actual implementation of
the National Policy on Education by providing the enabling environment for effective teaching
and learning.Multipurpose facilities used for academic activities during school hours, may be
available for community use during or after school hours. Such facilities may be used for
continuing education programmes, social activities and recreation. Through appropriate
scheduling multipurpose facilities may be accessible to the community during school hours. This
will eliminate the burden of duplication of such facilities as conference halls, gymnasium, library,
theatre and sporting facilities. Such integrated effort is cost effective and brings the community
closer to the school. Some buildings are over fifty years and therefore require modern facilities
for teaching and learning. Renovation and modernization of old and dilapidated buildings should
be carried out to ensure that facilities for team planning areas, office space, clerical space,
workrooms, professional development libraries, faculty dining area, storage space, students
conference areas, guidance services area for large group instruction, spaces for instructional
media, library resource centers, science facilities, arts and music studios, individual study area
and physical education facilities. Equipment and supplies are essential for the attainment of
educational goals objectives and stimulates academic performance.
Facilities have a great impact on academic performances of students, and inadequate
facilities translate to poor academic performance of students. According to(Oluremi &
Olubukola, 2013)school facilities are buildings and grounds, parking lots, playing fields, sick bay
and fixed equipment. It is the board's desire that the local taxpayers who provide
the school should be able to obtain maximum use of the facilities, to the extent consistent with
the primary educational function of the school. While school maintenance According to
American Association of school Administration in(Jumare, 2016) is the process and activity that
involves keeping ground (spaces)buildings and equipment‟s at their original conditions of
completeness of efficiency, either through repairs or by replacement. Thus, maintenance in the
school is making sure that all within the school system facilities, structure and equipment are
given required attention through proper utilization and services for maximum benefit derivation,
with respect to students, school facilities affect health, behavior, engagement, learning, and
growth in performance. Thus, researchers generally conclude that without adequate facilities and
resources, it is extremely difficult to serve large numbers of children with complex needs.
According to (Jumare,2016) school facilities maintenance could also be defined as constant
structures, facilities and equipment check, with the view to understanding their worthiness,
services, and or replacement where necessary. According to (Salisu., 2015).they define academic
performance as the display of knowledge attained or skills developed in school subject designed
by test and examination scored or marks assigned by the subject teacherEducation is very
important in any given society. It is a process by which abilities and capabilities of individual are
developed. These abilities might be physical abilities, emotional abilities, social abilities and
intellectual abilities. It is the actualizing of human potential so that the individual can become
something more than what he was before. According to (Ugwuanyi, 2003) Education is the
process by which society establishes to assist the young to learn and understand the heritage
ofthe past, participate productively in the society and contribute meaningfully for the
development of the society.
It is widely accepted that the process of education begins at birth and continues
throughout life. Some believe that education begins even earlier than this, as evidenced by some
parents' playing music or reading to the baby in the hope it will influence the child's development.
Education is often used to refer to formal education. However, it covers a range of experiences,
from formal learning to the building of understanding and knowledge through day to day
experiences. Ultimately, all that we experience serves as a form of education. Individuals receive
informal education from a variety of sources. Family members, peers, books and mass media
have a strong impact on the informal education of the individual. Education can therefore be
regarded as a social process whose purpose is to bring about certain desirable behavioral change
in the total development of the individual, in the whole world education has been given more
regard while in Nigeria particularly education has been seen as the main vehicle for rapid
development.
Furthermore, with the arrival of western education, the uses of facilities became in vogue.
classrooms which came in small rooms now in form of schools which comprises of
administrative blocks, offices with such facilities as chairs, tables, chalk and chalkboards.
Textbooks were also provided to aid teaching, this ease the way knowledge was formally
imparted to the students to prove for old stations system.
The no child left behind act 2001 is the latest federal approach in the improvement and
closing of gaps in student academic performance. Traditionally, high schools have received
much of the attention in the discussion of school reform. The assessment of the physical
environment on education is not ignored in current research.The surroundings in which people
function can greatly impact moods, satisfaction and self-worth. Facility appraisal should be one
of the many roles assumed by educational leaders.
Classrooms are very vital in schools, the classrooms are constructed to suit the purpose of
learning and also considering climate of the people. Much importance should be attached to
facilities maintenance to enable successful achievement of educational programmes. This in
short shows the importance of the provision of efficient and effective facilities to help enhance a
smooth and conducive teaching and learning process to enable the productionof effective
manpower for the Nation.An aspect of school management that is generally overlooked is
facilities maintenance. When new buildings are constructed and taken over by the appropriate
authorities, practically no attention is paid to the maintenance of such buildings. Several school
buildings that are over fifty years old have never undergo renovation or any form of
modernization in spite of the changes in the educational system. Facility maintenance is an issue
that concerns all levels of the educational system ranging from the prekindergarten to the tertiary
levels. Some of these facilities are architecturally obsolete and therefore cannot contribute to
functional education. Maintaining the new buildings, renovating and modernizing the old ones
require considerable expertise and commitment of human and material resources. Changes in
weather conditions and lack of maintenance culture are responsible for the aging and
deterioration of school buildings, grounds and equipment. School managers and teachers who
constantly use school facilities lack knowledge of facilities maintenance planning. Consequently,
they fail to integrate facility maintenance into the management of the school. The issue of facility
maintenance is haphazardly addressed at all levels of the educational system. Repairs take place
only when problems arise due to break down of the existing facility.
Certain types of maintenance should be adopted in the facility maintenance plan. These
are preventive, routine, emergency repairs, and predictive maintenance. The school facilities
consist of all types of buildings for academic and non-academic activities, equipment for
academic and non-academic activities, areas for sports and games, landscape, farms and gardens
including trees, roads and paths. Others include furniture and toilet facilities, lighting, acoustics,
storage facilities and packing lot, security, transportation, Information Communication
Technology (ICT), cleaning materials, food services, and special facilities for the physically
challenged persons. (Asiabaka, 2008)These facilities play pivotal role in the actualization of the
educational goals and objectives by satisfying the physical and emotional needs of students.
Students‟ physical needs are met through provision of safe structure, adequate sanitary facilities,
a balanced visual environment, appropriate thermal environment, and sufficient shelter space for
his work and play. His emotional needs are met by creating pleasant surroundings, a friendly
atmosphere, and an inspiring environment. The educational system has undergone tremendous
changes in the form of its philosophy, broadened goals and objectives, new approaches to service
delivery and architectural design, quantum leap in school enrolment, multiplicity of curricula
programmes and extra-curricular activities, introduction of information and communication
technology (ICT) and expanded academic support services such as guidance services to students,
teachers and the community, integration of the school and community(Asiabaka, 2008). The
resultant effect of all these changes is the need for creative and innovative steps in the
maintenance of school facilities. For example, research findings have shown that students learn
better when a combination of methods and materials are employed during teaching.
Furthermore, emphasis has shifted towards giving individual attention to students as
against teaching large classes which presupposes that all students in a class have the ability to
learn at the same pace. The implication of the foregoing is that in designing school plant,
maintenance should be made for individual, small group interaction and for large groups, for
academic and social activities. (Fenker, 2004)observed that facility management is a process that
ensures that buildings and other technical systems support the operations of an organization such
as the school. School facilities are the material resources that are provided for staff and students
to optimize their productivity in the teaching and learning processes.
1.2 Statement of theProblem
Facilities maintenance will surely affect the smooth teaching and learning process in all
schools. Thereare some problems encountered in schools as a result of inadequate facilities
maintenance. It is known that the academic performance of each student depends to a large
extent on the facilities exposed to while learning butwhen these facilities are not maintained
some problems are faced.
The first noted, peculiar problem would be generated when there is no inclusive teaching
and learning conduciveness. The un-conduciveness could be as a result of facilities
notmaintenance like tables, chair and chalkboard in the classroom,this can
affectstudent‟sconcentration.Students cannot be expected to achieve any of the objectives at the
end of the lesson. The Students would be easily distracted among themselves and the class which
is supposed to be actively involved in the learning process turns out to be appealing and there is
enough discomfort for the day, this will discourage the interest of thestudents for the whole days‟
work.
Since the interest of the students are very low, they are going to also have a low level of
understanding, knowledge to be imparted to the students would not be fully understood. There
may also be limitation in understanding. Laboratories are not maintained in many schools and in
some schools where they can be found reagents and equipment are not maintained, more so the
maintenance of these facilities are poor. For instance, students in science class who always learn
abstract concepts, that is without practical knowledge, of what the teacher is saying cannot have
effective learning and this will automatically affect their academic performance. This non
maintenance of laboratorieshas resulted to low interest in science-oriented subjects today, these
have hindered students‟ performance academically and this has resulted in their low interest in
most of the subjects offered in their various level in secondary schools in Kaduna State.
It is also observed that the students supply their acquired knowledge ineffectively since
they have not been taught with the practical aspects but rather expressed to only theoretical
aspects of their field of specialization, if they have been opportune to make use of facilities in
different aspects, they would have been effectively appropriate. Insufficient funds havehindered
the maintenance of infrastructural facilities, laboratory equipment, computers, power plants,
audio-visual aids and stationeries among other facilities that enhances the operation of the school.
Lackof maintenance for these facilities frustrates school programmes and ultimately aborts
educational goals and objectives.
Aliyu., (2018). opined that the financing of education is a collective responsibility of all
stakeholders. The school principal is expected to complement government‟s effort by
diversifying their income basis and utilizing the available funds judiciously for the attainment of
educational goals, this will in a way help the school principal to maintain the existing educational
facilities. The problem of maintenance of educational facilities in secondary schools in Kaduna
State do not exclusively rest on funding as often depicted, rather the problems are most likely
made complex due to poor maintenance of the existing facilities. Some of the principals are
accused of lacking the necessary training required of facility managers while others are accused
of imposingillegal levies on the students to fix the existing facilities, neglecting budgetary plans,
delayingdisbursement of funds for fraudulent purposes.This situation apparently crates a
turbulent atmosphere for the success of teaching-learning process.The present state of some
Secondary Schools in Kaduna State is quite deplorable, most books in the library are obsolete,
they are outdated equipment‟s in the laboratories and school buildings are yearning for
renovation. In view of these numerous problems the researcher intends to investigate on the
assessment of school facilities maintenance on students‟ academic performance.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
Themain objective of this study is to investigate the Assessmentof Educational Facilities
Maintenance on Students‟ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kaduna State.
Thespecific objectives are to:
1) Find outthe assessment of classroom facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
2) examine the assessment of library facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
3) find out the assessment of laboratory facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
4) determine the assessment of infrastructural facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
5) assessrecreational facilities maintenance on students‟ academic performance in public
secondary schools in Kaduna state; and
6) assess instructional facilities maintenance on students‟ academic performance in public
secondary schools in Kaduna state.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated:
1) What isthe assessment of classroom facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
2) What is the assessment of library facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
3) How does laboratory facilities maintenance impact students‟ academic performance in
public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
4) What is the assessment of infrastructural facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
5) How does recreational facilities maintenance impact on students‟ academic performance
in public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
6) What is the impact of instructional facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state?
1.5 Hypotheses
The following hypotheses are postulated:
1 There is no significant difference in the opinions of principals, teachers and
ministry supervisors on the assessment of classroom facilities maintenance on
students‟ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
2 There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondent on the
assessment of library facilities maintenance on students‟ academic performance in
public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
3 There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondent on the
assessment of laboratory facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
4 There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondent on the
assessment of infrastructural facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state;
5 There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondent on the
assessment of recreational facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state; and
6 There is no significant difference in the opinions of the respondent on the
assessment of instructional facilities maintenance on students‟ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Kaduna state
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