Learning Resources and Academic Performance in Government among Secondary School Students

Learning Resources and Academic Performance in Government among Secondary School Students 

Abstract

This study investigated learning Resource and academic performance in Government among Secondary school students in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area. A simple survey design research method was adopted. The population of the study was the entire Senior Secondary two (SS 2) Government students in the study area. One hundred (100) SS 2 Government students were randomly selected from four secondary schools. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study.

Two instruments, namely: Learning resources questionnaire (L.R.Q.) and student Government Achievement Test (SGAT) were used to collect data for the study. The data collected were analyzed using independent t-test. The result revealed that there was a significant difference between the academic performances of student learning with the use of library and those learning without use of library.

Similarly, significant differences were observed in the academic performance of students learning with the use of learning materials (text books) and those learning without the use of learning materials (text books) respectively. Based on the findings of this study it was recommended among others, that students should be encourage to make use of library and learning materials when learning as this would enhance good academic performance in schools. 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Whenever there is the existence of a School in any Society, there must be the need for learning resources. This is because learning resources are educational inputs which are of vital importance to the teaching and learning process in Schools. The input consists of human and material resources. As rightly observed Maicibi (2003) opines that all institution or organization are made up of human being (workers) and non-human resources.

He goes further to assert that when the right quantity and quality of human resources is brought together, it can manipulate other resources towards realizing institutional goals and objectives. As such, learning resources include human (person) and non-human components (equipment and material) that aids teaching for effective teaching and learning. It is material and artificial resources which teachers use to aid or facilitate teaching and learning in the classroom setting.

Consequently, the teachings of Government in Schools without learning resources certainly result in poor academic performance of Students. Onasanga and Omosewa (2011) stresses that a professionally qualified Government teacher no matter how well trained would be unable to put his ideas in to practice if the school lacks equipments and learning resources for him to translate his competence in to reality.

They academic performance is a measure of the learning outcome of a child and it is obtained after an examination or test (Anene 2006). A Student academic performance also shows the Student’s standing in relation to those of his and her classmate. This is also because academic performance of a student’s thus, indicates the amount of knowledge, skills, and ideas acquired through a course of study within and outside the classroom situation (Anene 2006).

Indeed, learning resources and academic performance are closely related because availability of learning resources enhance effective teaching and learning and this can be indicated by a high academic performance on the part of the students.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

Inspite of the desire for technological development couple with the fact that Government is a vital subject for development and learning of well as students’ academic have become a source of concern to all shake-holders, storage of qualified Government teachers and lack of a constraint against the advancement of government education in Nigeria. For Nigeria to meet up with the challenge of human capacity development in the area of Government it is pertinent to utilize the learning resources as a means of teaching Government.

Due to the inability of Students to make use of the available learning resources like library, learning materials like text books and internet, they find it difficult to meet up with their academic performance.

Therefore, this study seeks to examine learning resources and their influence on their academic performance in Government in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

The aim of this study is to examine learning resources and their influence on students’ academic performance in Government. Specifically, this study seeks to:

i determine the academic performance of students learning with the use of library and those learning without the use of library in the learning of Government.

ii to determine the academic performance of students expose to learning materials (text books) and those without expose to learning materials (text books) in the learning of Government.

1.4   Significance of the Study

This work will be sensitizes them on

I  parent has it will sensitizes them on the need to provide wards with the essential learning resources for better performances in schools.

ii  the students on their need to make good use of every learning resources provided to them by their parents and school.

iii the government on the need to provide essential educational facilities to schools in order to boast teaching learning processes.

1.5   Research Hypotheses

The following null hypothesis were formulated and tested for their findings of this study.

i There is no significant difference between the academic performance of students learning with the use of library and those learning without the use of library in the learning of Government.

ii There is no significance difference between the academic performance of students learning with the use of learning materials and with those learning without the use of learning materials in the learning of Government.

1.6   Limitation of the Study

This study focused on learning resources and academic performance in Government among Secondary School Students in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area. It was aim to cover all secondary schools students in Nsit Ibom but due to time, finance and other factors it will limited to only eight (8) public Secondary School in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.

1.7   Delimitation of the Study

This study is delimited to Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, thus, and generalization should be done with caution. Again only Senior Secondary two in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area is used and as such its generalization should its focuses on only SS2 Students in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.

1.8   Definition of Terms

Most of the terms used are given operational definition base on their usage within the study as follows:

Academic Performance: This is the performance that falls within a specific standard which is usually called a pass mark obtained after an examination or test.

Government: This is a subject taught in schools which deals with the principles governing the organization of government and the state.

Learning Resources: This is a natural and artificial resources which teachers use to aid or facilitate teaching and learning in a classroom setting.

School: This refers to a place where people go to learn a particular subject or skill.

Library: A building or room containing collection of books periodically and sometimes films and recorded music for use borrowing the public or the members of an institution.