ABSTRACT
The study was poised to examine the
impact of learning environment on students’ academic achievement in chemistry
in secondary schools in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area. In an attempt to
achieve the purpose of this study, three research questions and hypotheses were
formulated for the study respectively. The study adopted Survey research design
with the population which covered all students who offer chemistry in the
secondary schools which are located within Lagos Mainland Local Government Area
of Lagos state from which two hundred were sampled for the study. Structured
questionnaire which was validated by the project supervisor was used to elicit
information from the respondents during school hours. All the data collected
were analyzed using simple percentage to
analyse the demographic data in section A while mean and standard deviation
were used to analyse the entire variables in section B. t-test analysis was
used to test the hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance so as to
accept or reject the null hypothesis formulated for the study. The study found
out that out there is significant gender difference in the impact of learning
environment on senior secondary school students’ chemistry achievement. The
finding revealed that most male students agreed more than the female students
that learning environment have impact on the academic performance in
chemistry. Student’s attitude toward the
learning of chemistry is a factor that has long attracted attention of
researchers and that effects of class size on student learning vary by grade
level, pupil characteristics, subject areas, teaching methods and other
learning interventions. Therefore the study recommended that In-service
training should be provided for Chemistry Teachers on strategies for enhancing
the learning environment of the students through improvisation for hard-to-get
and expensive materials and equipment which are highly needed for learning
chemistry in the school environment. Further, the chemistry teachers should be
encouraged to utilize instructional materials by displaying them in the
laboratory, chemistry classroom and within the school environment so that
students can learn on their own effectively.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Pages
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstracts v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 3
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 4
1.4 Objective
of the Study 4
1.5 Research
Questions 4
1.6 Research
Hypothesis 5
1.7 Significance
of the Study 5
1.8 Scope
of the Study 7
1.9 Operational
Definition of Terms 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction 8
2.1 The
Nature of Learning Environment in Secondary Schools 8
2.2 The
Current Level of Academic Performance of Students in Chemistry
in
Secondary Schools 11
2.3 The Impact of Learning Environment on
Students’ Academic
Achievement in Chemistry in Secondary
Schools 13
2.4 Strategic
for Enhancing Students’ Academic Achievement
in
Chemistry Through the Learning Environment 16
2.5 Summary
of Literature review 19
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 21
3.1 Research
Design 21
3.2 Area
of Study 21
3.3 Population 22
3.4 Sample
and Sampling Technique 22
3.5 Instrument
for Data Collection 22
3.6 Validity
of the Instrument 23
3.7 Data
Collection 23
3.8 Data
Analysis 23
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
4.0 Introduction 24
4.1 Analysis
of Respondents’ Bio-Data 24
4.2 Analysis
of Research Questions 25
4.3 Testing
of Hypothesis 33
4.4 Summary
of Findings 36
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF
RESEARCH FINDINGS,
CONCLUSION AND RECOOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction 37
5.1 Gender
and nature of Chemistry Learning Environment 37
5.2 Gender
and Impact of Chemistry Learning Environment 38
5.3 Gender
and Strategies for enhancing Students’ Achievement 39
5.4 Conclusion 40
5.5 implication
of the study 41
5.6 Recommendations 42
5.7 Suggestions
for further studies 42
References 44
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the study
The learning environment, which includes
the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, teachers’ quality,
school management, teaching methods, peers, etc are variables that affects
students’ academic achievement (Ajayi,2001and Oluchukwu, 2000). Hence the
learning environment remains an important area that should be studied and well
managed to enhance students’ achievement in chemistry. The student is often
seen at home or within the school premises which constitute to learning
environment where they acquire some basic knowledge of chemistry around them,
living with people in the society and also contributing their own quota to the
development of the location which they (the students) find themselves.
The learning environments that a student
often belongs to, have some levels of relationship with the academic performance.
The home learning environment cannot be overlooked. There are lots of home
related factors that have negative as well as positive consequences on
students’ academic performance and ability in chemistry. Educators and
psychologists believe that the home provides the basic ingredients that propel
the student for wholesome development. Hamilton – Ekeke, (2013) stated that
when students’ grow up to school age, the home environment still play
significant role in the students’ academic achievement. This is because
materials, kitchen wares, home equipment, home accessories etc. which most of
them used as improvisation at school in the laboratory for practicals can
easily be used to enhance learning at home by the students.
Students see home as a means of a
challenge mostly because of parents’ attitude like restriction, over
protection, harassment, physical abuse, not providing enough money for the
students’ practical work at school, irrelevance of things at home to chemistry
contents taught at school, and all attributes to emotional distress among students
and adolescent which consequently result to individual behavioral attitudes
towards school work or activities and also study habit at home.
The level of academic performance of a
student is often affected by the school learning environment. School learning
environment has also been viewed as one factor that affects students’ academic
achievement, Akpan (2001), stated that especially when a school is wrongly
situated. The Ministry of Education, Lagos State attest that a school must
not be located close to the following
areas; bus stops, market, motor park, highway noisy environment etc. when these
factors are not observed, it can result in poor performance. Further, it is
expected that the chemistry learning environment has the adequate learning
resources most especially the laboratory where practical class often takes
place.
For instance, stern (1994), comparing
urban school children with rural school children revealed that rural school
children tend to have lower educational aspirations, place less value on
academics, and have lower academic motivation (Hu, 2003; Kannapel&DeYoung,
1999). These differences further suggest that rural and urban school children
may approach their homework differently (i.e., homework completion behaviors
and homework management strategies), as students’ perception of the
instrumentality of the present academic tasks to obtain future goals influence
their use of self-regulation strategies, deep-processing study strategies,
effort, and persistence (Miller & Brickman, 2004; Schutz, 1997), and as
such enhance their academic performance in chemistry.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Poor level of performance of students academically in chemistry is of
greater concern to teachers and school administrators. Researcher observed that
most times, chemistry teachers would have effectively taught the students with
different techniques and methods, yet, the academic performance is still poor
and discouraging. It may appear that the reasons for the above are as follows;
the different disturbances and distractions coming from the surrounding
environment of the geographical location of the school which they belong. Some
of these disturbances and distractions often come from markets, car parks,
cinema houses, stadia, industrial estate, shopping malls, restaurant and game centers
couple with lack of instructional materials which are meant to be displayed in
both classroom and laboratory. All these have significant effect on nature of
learning environment made available for the chemistry and academic performance
of the students. Some students even find it difficult to cope with assimilation
and concentrate on what is being taught by the teacher in chemistry and
personal study habit becomes difficult to develop and poor performance is often
the result. It is therefore against the forgone that the study seeks to examine
the impact of learning environment on students’ academic achievement in
chemistry in secondary schools in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area.
1.3
Purpose
of the Study
The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of learning
environment on students’ academic achievement in chemistry in secondary schools
in LagosMainland Local Government Area.
1.4 Objectives of the study
Specifically, the study examined the following objectives:
1. The current level of academic performance of students
in chemistry in secondary.
2. The impact of learning environment on
students’ academic achievement in chemistry in secondary schools.
3. Strategies for enhancing students’ academic
achievement in chemistry through the learning environment.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions are raised in this study:
1. What is the nature of
learning environment in secondary schools?
2. What is the current level of academic
performance of students in chemistry in secondary schools?
3. Is there any impact of learning environment
on students’ academic achievement in chemistry in secondary schools?
4. What are the strategies for enhancing
students’ academic achievement in chemistry through the learning environment?
1.6 Research
Hypothesis
The
following research hypotheses were formulated to guide this study:
H01: there is no significant difference in the mean
responses of male and female students on the nature of learning environment in
secondary schools
H02: There is no significant difference between
male and female students academic achievement in chemistry
H03: there is no significant impact of learning
environment on students’ academic achievement in chemistry in secondary schools
H04: there is no significant difference in the mean
responses of male and female students in the strategies for enhancing students’
academic achievement in chemistry through the learning environment.
1.7 Significance of the study
This study will be of immense importance to the following people: Teachers,
Students, School administrators, and lastly the Researcher. In the following
ways:
Chemistry teachers: The
findings of this study will enable them to know the various environmental
factors which affect learning and as such affect students’ academic achievement
in chemistry. Further, this study will enable the teachers to know the various
strategies which can be adopted to enhance learning in chemistry through the
use to instructional materials, learning resources and practical materials so
that student can learn at their best.
School administrators: The
findings of this study will enlighten them on how to practically examine the
school environment and negative influencing environmental factors, which can be
strategically solved so as to enhance learning in the subject.
Students: This
study will enable the students to know how the environment is harnessed to
enhance learning of chemistry with the adequate provision of instructional
materials and laboratory resources which are displayed in the classroom,
laboratory, school environment and improvisation of similar resources at home
so as to enhance learning and as such enhance their performance in the subject.
Researchers: This
study will serve as source of information and data when working on related
issues. Further, the study will add to the existing information on the related
body of knowledge.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study covers all the students who offer chemistry in
secondary schools, which are located within Lagos Mainland Local Government
Area of Lagos state.Only the aspect of impact of learning environment on
students’ academic achievement in chemistry will be covered in this study.
1.9 Operational Definitions of Terms
Learning: the
acquisition knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.
Environment: relating to an area or place, or to
its geography. Relating to the surroundings of the where learning takes place
such as the classroom, laboratory, library etc.
Learning Environment: A learning environment is a combination of social and
physical qualities that create the classroom experience. It includes classroom
management procedures, as well as the way the space is organized, furnished and
maintained.
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