PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICS STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the school environment on the academic performance
of Physics students in public secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study was
guided by three research questions and one null hypothesis. A descriptive survey
research design was adopted for the study. The target population comprised 4,842
Physics students in public secondary schools across the six education zones in Enugu
State. Simple random sampling by balloting was used to select six public secondary
schools, one from each education zone. Multi-stage random sampling technique was
subsequently adopted to select 30 Physics students from each sampled school, yielding
a total sample of 180 respondents. Data were collected using a researcher-developed
instrument tagged "School Environment and Physics Students' Academic Performance
Questionnaire (SEPSAPQ)" comprising 17 items arranged on a four-point Likert scale.
The instrument was face and content validated by three experts, and its reliability was
established using the Cronbach Alpha technique, which yielded reliability indices of 0.76,
0.74, and 0.78 for the three clusters, with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.76. Data
collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research
questions, while the t-test statistic was used to test the null hypothesis at a 0.05 level of
significance. Findings revealed that, to a high extent, overcrowded classrooms, school
libraries, laboratories, and workshops were infrastructural factors that significantly
influence the academic performance of Physics students. It was further established that
chalkboards/whiteboards, available textbooks, charts, computers, and pictures were
instructional materials that influence students' academic performance to a high extent. In
addition, principal-teacher, teacher-teacher, teacher-student, and student-student
relationships were identified as human relations that influence Physics students'
academic performance to a high extent. The null hypothesis was accepted, indicating no
significant difference between the mean ratings of male and female students on the
influence of school environment on academic performance. Based on the findings, it was
recommended among others that government at all levels should invest in the provision
of modern school infrastructure, adequate instructional materials, and programs that
promote positive human relations in public secondary schools to enhance Physics
students' academic performance.

Keywords: School environment, Physics students, Academic performance,
Iinstructional Mmaterials, Human Relations