SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AS A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR TO EFFECTIVE TEACHING  AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY  SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education as a development tool allows for the acquisition of new skills and information that are required for the socio-economic transformation of human civilization. In every nation, state, or local government area, infrastructure facilities provide assistance to educational programs. Dare (2014) defines infrastructural facilities as all of a school's accessible assets that may be utilized to promote and assist successful teaching and learning while also protecting the inhabitants' physical well-being. This means that no educational program can work properly without adequate infrastructure, such as decent buildings (pleasant classrooms), good roads (accessible), technology (computer), water supply, electricity supply, food supply, and so on. Educational programs such as formal, informal, and non-formal may work as envisaged with the supply of the aforementioned infrastructural amenities (Oyedeji, 2012). Infrastructural facilities are the physical manifestation of the school curriculum, in that the sort of infrastructural facilities to be created and the function they will serve are largely determined by the school curriculum. At order to guarantee their relevance to the school curriculum and successful teaching and learning in educational institutions, infrastructure facilities must be properly and carefully designed, built, and maintained. As a result, well-designed and functioning school facilities with a diverse range of instructional aids enable successful delivery of the school's curriculum and improve students' academic achievement (Dare, 2014). In Nigeria, infrastructure facilities are as ancient as Western education. Every organization, such as schools, is set up to achieve certain goals and objectives that must be met. The supply and maintenance of suitable facilities is one of the key criteria for the efficient implementation of organizational objectives. Infrastructure, according to Ekong (2008), are physical amenities that help people live more happy and productive lives. Physical resources put in place in the school system for the benefit of teaching and learning processes, as well as for the attainment of successful academic objectives, are referred to as infrastructure facilities.

However, stakeholders in Nigeria's education sector are concerned about the rapid depreciation of secondary school structures. Because of inadequate upkeep of our public structures and amenities, the majority of our school buildings are in a dreadful condition of despair till they fully collapse. This scenario, however, is relevant to Nigerian highways, government vehicles, public buildings, and government enterprises, as well as secondary and elementary school structures and infrastructure. Non-maintenance and reckless usage of public services are both evident (Muklerjee,1978).

Any society's future is inextricably linked to the quality of its young. As a result, numerous authors have underlined the need of appropriate child rearing. "A decent house, care in raising children throughout early days (primary school age) after birth may contribute to the desired behavior in their personality," Muklerjee (1978) remarked. The house is the location where the family raises their children. It's also where a child's early education or socializing normally begins, thus it's where the first educational resources are found. Education, on the other hand, is a process through which people's skills and talents are developed, according to many educators.

The above represents the status of the majority of secondary schools throughout the country. Roofs have been blown off, walls have deteriorated, and furniture is shoddy and terribly insufficient in several schools. Some of the school buildings date back roughly four (4) decades. The depreciation of a school's physical structure and infrastructure, on the other hand, is determined by a number of factors, including the quality of the original construction and materials, as well as the quality of maintenance provided to allow for effective teaching and learning in public secondary schools.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It has been noticed that in order to promote good secondary school teaching and learning, the government must spend heavily in putting in place the necessary infrastructure (Akpomi & Amesi,2013). As a consequence, secondary schools, particularly in Benue state, are anticipated to have and use the newly acquired infrastructure, which includes libraries, scientific labs, school buildings, a pleasant atmosphere, model offices, and office accommodations, among other things. Despite these infrastructure amenities, the study discovered that many secondary school infrastructure facilities are not adequately maintained. Most of the time, books in libraries, school facilities, laboratory equipment, sports facilities, and other infrastructural facilities are ignored, and these infrastructural assets are often damaged and stolen by students and certain management employees (Akpomi & Amesi,2013). Hence the need to look into school infrastructure as a contributory factor to effective teaching  and learning in secondary  schools.

1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is to examine school infrastructure as a contributory factor to effective teaching  and learning in secondary  schools. Specifically, the study will be guided by the following:

i   To analyse the impact of maintenance of school infrastructure on effective teaching and learning in public secondary school.

ii. To examine the benefit of good or bad infrastructure on effective learning of students in public secondary schools .

iii. To determine the challenges in the maintenance of infrastructure in the public secondary schools in Nigeria.

iv. To recommend ways through which school infrastructure can be improved for the  effective teaching and  learning.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

i   What is the impact of maintenance of school infrastructure on effective teaching and learning in public secondary school?

ii. What is the benefit of good or bad infrastructure on effective learning of students in public secondary schools?

iii. What are the challenges in the maintenance of infrastructure in the public secondary schools in Nigeria?

iv. What are the recommend ways through which school infrastructure can be improved for the  effective teaching and  learning?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY   

The study will be significant to the school management as it will be exposed to how students have been mishandling the school infrastructure and it will recommend ways through which the school management should prevent students  from dragging tables, chairs, desks and benches on the floors to prevent cracking and what may be done to eradicate the spoiling or destroying the infrastructure and effective teaching learning in the public schools. 

This study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature on school infrastructure as a contributory factor to effective teaching  and learning in secondary  schools.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The  study will analyse the impact of maintenance of school infrastructure on effective teaching and learning in public secondary school. The study will also examine the benefit of good or bad infrastructure on effective learning of students in public secondary schools. The study will further determine the challenges in the maintenance of infrastructure in the public secondary schools in Nigeria. Lastly, the study will recommend ways through which school infrastructure can be improved for the  effective teaching and  learning. Hence this study will be delimited to public secondary schools in Gboko local government area, Benue State.

1.7    LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Just like any other research, unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, and inability to get data were among the constraints the researcher encountered in the cause of this study. Financial constraint was equally faced by  the researcher, in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint because the researcher have to shuttle between writing of the research and engaging in other academic work which made it uneasy for the researcher.

1.8    DEFINITION OF TERMS

School: A school is an administrative unit dedicated to, designed to impart knowledge and skills to learners.

Infrastructure: The basic physical and organization structures needed for the operation of a society, enterprises services and facilities necessary for an economy to function.

Effective:  Producing the result that was wanted or intended.

Teaching: The occupation, profession, or work of a teacher.

Learning: Learning can be defined as a relatively permanent change in behaviour which is as a result of experience or is reinforced by practice.