MANAGEMENT FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
There is a growing body of literature from researchers and educators attempting to investigate the relationship between educational management and student academic performance (Orodho, 2014; UNESCO, 1999; United Nations, 2013; Waweru & Orodho, 2014). The findings indicate a rather fictitious relationship (Waweru & Orodho, 2014).
What is clear is that educational management in secondary schools (whether private or public) entails the application of management principles in the design, development, and implementation of resources to achieve educational goals (Okumbe, 2001). According to UNESO (2009), effectiveness is measured by the extent to which schools generally meet the expectations of the society in which they are established.
Since its inception, the Nigerian government has demonstrated its commitment to the provision of high-quality secondary school education by allocating financial resources, training teachers, and establishing a quality assurance department. The Nigerian government has also established guidelines for the establishment of private secondary schools and has continuously monitored the activities of secondary school owners to ensure compliance with the established standards and guidelines.
According to Ohba (2009), some of the factors militating against the effectiveness of private schools in Nigeria include a lack of teachers, a lack of basic facilities, community interferences, poor teaching methodology, and administrative-related factors such as poor management of school resources.
Many private secondary schools in Nigeria lack infrastructure, good teachers, and are run by inexperienced owners. Indeed, many private secondary schools have turned to “miracle centers” where students are assisted in writing external examinations because the students are unprepared, lack the necessary knowledge, and lack the confidence to face external examinations such as the senior secondary examination and the junior secondary examination.
The literature on school-based strategies used by school administrators to improve students’ academic performance has revealed a mixed and contrasting set of results (Croninger & Lee, 2001; Zepeda, 2004; Fullan, 1991; Lamb, 2007 ; Waweru & orodho, 2014; World Bank, 2008).
According to Croninger and Lee (2001), the level of teacher caring and interaction with students reported by both parents and teachers has a significant impact on student performance. Croninger and Lee (2001) discovered evidence that schools with a common sense of purpose and strong communal organization involving collegial relationships among staff and positive adult student relationships are efficient in promoting a range of academic and social outcomes reflecting students’ engagement and commitment in a review of effective schools in the United States.
There are 243 secondary schools in the Port Harcourt local government area, and there has been a high rate of failure in external examinations, particularly in some private secondary schools located in areas that can be described as “slums.”
This is a failure because graduates of this grade level do not qualify for further education and training in most careers. It is clear that a number of interconnected factors may be to blame for the poor performance of local government. This context prompted the study of management strategies factor and its influence on students’ academic performance in private secondary schools in Port Harcourt local government area, Port Harcourt, rivers state, Nigeria.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Nigeria has implemented various policies for both private and public secondary schools in order to increase access to education, improve transition, quality, completion, and retention rates for all of her citizens. Some of these policies included adequate infrastructure (good classrooms, libraries, laboratories, toilets, and so on), health care, and sports and recreational facilities.
Despite this intervention, the problem of low performance persisted in schools, particularly in some private secondary schools with poor facilities and teachers, resulting in a high rate of indiscipline and poor academic performance of students.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The following are the study’s objectives:
1. To investigate the role of administration in the operation of private secondary schools.
2. Determine the impact of management factors on the academic performance of private secondary school students in the Port Harcourt local government.
3. To identify the additional factors influencing the academic performance of private secondary school students.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
1. What is management’s role in the operation of private secondary schools?
2. What effect does management have on the academic performance of private secondary school students in Port Harcourt?
3. What are the other factors that influence a private secondary school student’s academic performance?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
HO: Management factors have no effect on academic performance of private secondary school students in Port Harcourt local government.
In the Port Harcourt local government, management factors have an impact on the academic performance of private secondary school students.
1.6 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE
The following are the study’s implications:
1. The findings of this study will educate the general public and the government about the quality of management in private schools in Nigeria, with the goal of identifying shortcomings and recommending solutions.
2. This study will contribute to the body of literature on the effect of personality traits on student academic performance, forming the empirical literature for future research in the field.
1.7 STUDY SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This research will look at the activities of private secondary schools in the Port Harcourt local government area, with an emphasis on the management factor and how it affects student performance in examinations.
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint- Inadequate funding tends to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this study alongside other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
REFERENCES
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T. Finan (2010). The impact of Kenya’s school feeding program: (1999-2008) A Mixed Methods Approach, World Food Program, Rome, 2010. M. G. Fullan (1991). The new definition of education. (2nd end). Teachers College Press, New York.
Lamb, S. (2007). Three-Year Rolling Benchmark Review of Student Resource Packages in Victorian Government Schools (2008). Prepared a report for the Victorian Secondary School Reform Commission. Culture is available at: http://www.dpskl2.org/pdf/culture
Ohba, A. (2009). Is free secondary education available to the poor? A case study from rural Kenya. CREATE ACCESS PATHWAYS. 21st Research Monograph
J. A. Okumbe (2001). Human resource management from an educational standpoint. Educational Development and Research Bureau, Nairobi.
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UNESCO (1999). Education for All: A Framework for Action in Sub-Saharan Africa: The 21st Century Education Renaissance The Sub-Saharan Conference on Education for All adopted this resolution. Johannesburg, South Africa, December 6-10.
The United Nations (2013). A New Global Partnership for Poverty Eradication and Economic Transformation Through Sustainable Development The High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons Report on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The United Nations Organization.
Waweru.P.N. and A.J. Orodho (2013).
Management practices and student academic performance in national examinations in Kiambu County public secondary schools International Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 5, Number 2, pp472-479. February of this year. website: www.recentscientific.com
UNESCO (2006). Strong Foundations: EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007. Early Childhood Education and Care UNESCO Publishing, Paris.
The World Bank (2008). Kenya Statistics and Data http://web.worldbank.org/pk:356509,00.html retrieved
S. Zapeda. Instructional leadership for school improvement. Eye on Education, Larchmont, New York
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MANAGEMENT FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS