Abstract

The main objective of the study is to find out the relationship that exists between school facilities and students Academic Performance in Mbengwi Municipality.

The survey research design method was adopted with the use of questionnaires to collect information from the respondents to help in answering the research question. From the data collected from the four secondary schools in Mbengwi Municipality.

The data obtained were recorded in tables and analyzed using the percentage and chi-square. Results presented by the literature review and findings reveal that the availability of school facilities helps to improve students’ academic performance.

From these findings, it is certain that school facilities positively affect the academic performance of students in the Mbengwi Municipality.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The view is that the role of school facilities has an impact on students’ academic performance. These school facilities range from infrastructure, libraries, canteen, teaching-learning materials and the availability of staff and teachers influence the academic performance of students.

This chapter deals with the background of the study, statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the study, assumptions of the study, scope or limitation of the study, operational definition of terms relating to school facilities, and students academic performance in Mbengwi Municipality.

Background of the Study

Historical Background

The availability of school facilities over the past years has been limited only to schools in the urban areas at the expense of schools in rural areas. These school facilities range from libraries, teaching/ learning materials, computer lab with internet facilities, and teachers’ availability. In the past, most of these facilities were limited mostly to urban areas.

As time passed these school facilities are been made available to schools in rural areas. The number of teachers is increased, libraries are been constructed, hence an increase in students’ academic performance in rural areas.

Conceptual Background

School infrastructures

According to O. Neil (2000), school infrastructures constitute an instrument that rates facilities conditions on such factors as educational adequacy, environment for education, and space flexibility.

School infrastructures are all the buildings found within a school environment like administrative blocks, canteens, classrooms, reading rooms. Research has shown that the smaller the class size the better the performance of the students.

According to Berlin and Ginkus (1989), a school with a small class size seems to perform better, because learning is more effective, and results to change in students’ behaviours and academic performance.

This is because teachers will better know individual student problems, and will be able to handle it. More so, students will better relate to each other and learn from their peers. Which is a very serious aspect of learning as it has a role in the teaching-learning process? Large and small schools here imply the school enrolment the class size and infrastructures found within the school environment and not the total surface area.

Contextual Background

According to research carried out by Mbacoup (2006). In Momo Division on the topic “the role of the availability of school facilities and its impact on students’ academic performance”.

He found out those students who make adequate use of school infrastructures like classrooms, reading rooms, libraries, perform better in academics than those who do not make use of them. He also found s those small schools with enough infrastructures produce high-performing students than more populated schools with large class sizes and fewer infrastructures.

Similarly, Egungun, N.V. (1992) carried out a study on the availability of schools facilities. He found out that schools with available resources such as classrooms, reading rooms, libraries, perform better than students in schools where these facilities are limited.

Statement of the problem

The availability of school facilities has an impact on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. There are students who attend schools where these school facilities are present and others attend schools where these facilities are lacking.

These facilities include infrastructure, libraries, teaching/learning materials canteens, reading rooms, and teachers’ availability. The performance of students has a relationship with these facilities.

According to research carried out by Aduwa, S. E. (2004) Students who attend schools where these resources such as Liberians, teaching-learning materials are present perform better than students who do not have these facilities in their schools.

These have motivated the researcher to go in for this research topic in other to find out the role that school facilities play in students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this research is to find out the impact of school facilities on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in the Momo Sub Division.

Specific purpose

The research is aimed to find how.

1. School infrastructure affects the academic performance of students.
2. The impact of Liberians on the academic performance if students.
3. The extent to which teaching-learning materials affect the academic performance of students.
4. How teacher’s availability affects students’ academic performance.