ABSTRACT
This
project examined Academic Practices of Public and Private Senior Secondary
School Students in Lagos State Education District V. The objectives of this
study were to: investigate the academic practices of both public and private
senior secondary schools as it affects students’ academic performance. Also, to
evaluate the sign relationship between school management and best academic
practices.
Based
on these objectives, data were sourced from both primary and secondary methods.
The primary source involved questionnaire and interview methods; while the
secondary sources took on relevant documents, articles in journals, text books
and relevant publication, as well as computer search through the Internet. Out
of the one hundred (100) questionnaires distributed, eight (8) of them were
either not completely or correctly filled, bringing the total to ninety-two
(92). With the aid of chi-square statistical method, the findings showed that:
Academic practices have significant effect on students’ academic performance.
Also, there is significant relationship between school management and best
academic practices. That, there is significant difference between academic
practice in public and private schools.
This
work recommended that for best academic practices to be practiced in this
school, government officials/supervisors should be sent to secondary schools in
other to checkmate the activities of these schools and eradicate the problem of
created by schools that engage low standard practice of academics in their
schools.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
1.2 Statement
of Problem
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
1.4 Research
Questions
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope
of the Study
1.8 Limitation
of Study
1.9 Definition
of Operational Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1
Quality of Education in Education
District V
2.2
Quality and Conducive Learning
Environments
2.3
Quality of School Facilities
2.4 Class
size and Student’s Academic Achievement
2.5
Attitude of Students to Teaching and
Learning Process of Both Private and Secondary Schools
2.6 Academic
Performance of Students in Education District V
2.7
Teachers’ Effectiveness and Learning
Outcome
2.8 Availability
of Instructional Materials and Academic Achievement
2.9 Factors
Affecting Improvisation of Instructional Materials
2.10 Overview
of Guidance and Counselling Administration in Nigeria
2.11 Conduct
of Examinations in Education District V
2.12
Examination Malpractices
2.13 Review
of Performance of Students in Education District V between 2005 till 2011
2.14
Appraisal of Literature Review
CHAPTER
THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Population
of the Study
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Procedure
3.4 Research instrument
3.5 Method of Data
Collection
3.6 Administration of the
Questionnaire
3.7 Validity of the
Instrument
3.8 Reliability of the
Instrument
3.9 Method of Data
Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
4.1 Socio-Demographic
Characteristics of Respondents
4.2
Testing of Hypotheses
4.3 Hypothesis
Two
4.4 Hypothesis
Three
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Discussion
of Results
5.2 Summary
of Findings
5.3
Conclusion
5.4
Recommendations
REFERENCES
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education
is the instrument a society uses to equip its people to live productive public
and full personal lives according to their talent and interest. The educational
system must be such that gifted individuals have full opportunity to develop
their skills; it must give scope for the training of a leader and at the same
time provide for the development of all the vocational abilities needed for the
creation of a progressive and democratic society.
The
quality of education that is imparted to the youth and the precedence given to
education largely contributes to attitude formation of the youths. So whatever
kind of seed sown in the classroom; the manner in which it is nurtured and the
strength which it imbibes in its various stages of growth will all determine
the harvest that the nation will reap in the form of its educated youth coming
out of the schools, colleges and universities. The imprints of these
institutions of learning will become indelible marks clearly visible in all
fields of the national life; be it a clerk in an office, a soldier in the
battle field, a school master in a village school, a University Professor, a
bureaucrat running the administration in a seat of power. This great impact of
education on the national character is understandable once it is recognised,
both the short term as well as long term power education wields over all who go
through its process. Historical evidence proves that nations were made or
unmade, battles lost and won, revolution wrought, so much so that entire
empires collapsed or emerged due to the educational systems of various peoples
of the World. Ancient Greece and Rome at the peak of their political glory were
also the seats of learning and a source of intellectual guidance and
inspiration for the entire known world, but when intellectual decadence struck,
it attacked the very fabric of society and Greece and Rome were no more (Smith,
2007).
Rapid
expansion of the Nigerian educational system at all levels; compounded by rapid
policy changes and the shrinking economy have constituted constraints to
educational practice and development in the country. The economic recession
that has extended to social services including education. Hence, a series of
disparities now exist in the educational system. Such disparities include
disparity between urban and rural schools, between schools owned and controlled
by the Federal Government and those owned and controlled by the States and
private agencies, gaps between male and female enrolments and between admission
figures and available teaching resources (Federal Government of Nigeria, 1996).
Lawal
(2003), therefore posited that after two decades of operating the National
Policy on Education, ‘the educational system in Nigeria can only be said to be
in crisis’. He added that unlike other developing nations like Ghana and South
Africa, Nigeria is experiencing a downturn in the education sector as a result
of leadership problems in the Nigerian government in providing adequate
measures, policy and funding of the education sector over the years.
However,
these factors have militated against the efficient best academic practices over
the years. There is therefore urgent need for government intervention in the
practice of education in Lagos State both in the public and private schools.
Nevertheless, the attention of government and major stakeholders in the
educational sector is drawn to the relevance of quality education/academic
practice which is a core in breeding an elite society of genius for successful
growth and development of any economy, most especially developing countries
such as Nigeria. Also, it is bedrock for successful academic achievement and
high student performance.
1.2 Statement of Problem
In
recent times there has been increase inefficiency in the academic practices of
both private and public schools. The problem has however created a loophole in
the educational sector especially in Lagos State, recent studies has shown that
the basic input for best academic practices are lacking in Lagos State, this
may include improper funding of the education sector due to resource allocation
to the education sector which resulted in the lack of infrastructural
facilities in schools and the record has been a major bottleneck, and a
hindrance to conducive learning environment. Furthermore, inefficiency and
ineffectiveness in school organisation and management, unavailability of school
instructional materials, examination malpractices has been plaguing the quality
of academic practice in Lagos State. All these and many more are consequential factors
militating against successful/quality academic practice in Lagos State,
especially in Education District V.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
As
a result of the highlighted problems above on the academic practice of public
and private secondary schools in Lagos State with reference to Education
District V, there is a need to tackle these problems by stating in clear terms
the purpose of this study, which would therefore be to analyze the various
academic practices engaged by both public and private secondary schools in
Education District V of Lagos State. The research work also seeks to:
Investigate the academic practices of both public and private senior secondary
schools as it affects students’ academic performance. Evaluate the significant
relationship between school management and best academic practices.
Determine
the significant difference between academic practices of public and private
secondary schools.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following research questions were formulated for this study in order to guide
the research:
i.
Does academic practice of schools have any
significant effect on student’s academic performance?
ii.
Is there any significant relationship
between school management and best academic practices?
iii.
What are the significant differences
between academic practice in public and private secondary schools.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The
following research hypotheses were formulated for the purpose of this study
H02 Academic practices have no significant
effect on students’ academic performance.
H02 There is no significant difference
between management and best academic practices There is no significant
difference between academic practice in public and private schools.
1.6 Significance of the Study
It
is hoped that the findings of this study will help students; school
administrators and educational stakeholder in the country have an understanding
of the lapses in the academic practices of senior secondary schools in Lagos
State, especially in Education District V.
The
study will go a long way in bringing to bear the relevance of best practices in
the educational system in ensuring high performance of students considering the
provisions of conducive learning environment.
Furthermore,
this study will serve as in-depth material for school administrators and
education stakeholders in the provision of all necessary factors that would
create an enabling environment in the proper conduct and practice of academics.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The
study will amongst others cover study on the academic practices of public and
private senior secondary schools in Lagos State Education District V in which
ten (10) schools that is five (5) public and five (5) private) were selected at
random from Education District V in (Zone 1, 2, 3 and 4).
1.8 Limitation of Study
The
limitation of this research work will be dearth of related literature in the
field of the subject matter, finances and time constraint. Secrecy and
confidentiality is another limiting factor, this is a situation where those
interviewed are unwilling to release information they considered highly
confidential which will be of great assistance to the research work.
1.9 Definition of Operational Terms
Academic Practices:
This describes the quality or standard of education in a school.
Infrastructural
Facilities: These are the available social amenities in within
the school which includes amongst others school building, library, school lab,
sporting facilities etc. Examination malpractice: is defined as a deliberate
wrong doing contrary to official examination rules designed to place a
candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Efficiency: in general describes the extent to which time or effort
is well used for the intended task or purpose.
Effectiveness:
means the capability of producing an effect, and is most frequently used in
connection with the degree to which something is capable of producing a
specific, desired effect Private School: these are schools owned, managed and
financed by individuals.
Public School:
These are schools owned, managed, controlled and financed by the government.
Stakeholders:
These stakeholders in education designs on the outcome of schooling and the
purposes of learning. The major stakeholders in education are parents,
teachers, students and government.
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