Influence of School Climate on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State
Chapter One
Objectivesย ofย theย study
Generalย objectives
The general objective of the study was indented to identify the entire school climate and performance difference among the private and government selected secondary schools at Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area and to indicate the possible ways that enable the institutions to narrow the gap in organizational effectiveness.
Specificย Objectives
- To identity factors affecting school climate that are observable in both type of secondary
- To identify the actual performance gap between the schools
CHAPTERย TWO
REVIEWย OFย RELATEDย LITERATURE
Conceptualย frameย work
Conceptualย definitionย ofย school climate
(Struwig& Smith, 2002).Bagraim (2001) states that there is no single universally accepted definition of the term โcorporate climateโ. The original significant work regarding this concept was published in 1951 (Bagraim, 2001). A variety of definitions rapidly emerged, as many authors used the concept without much elaboration. Barney (1996) adds that few concepts in organizational theory have as many different and competing definitions as school climate.
School climate can also be seen as the set of values and principles that are shared amongst individuals in a particular organization. These values influence the way in which the members of the organization relate to one another and to the external environment (Black, 2004).
Collinsย andย Porrasย (2000)ย reportedย thatย school climateย refersย to,ย โsharedย meaning held by members that distinguish one organization from other organizationโย (p. 38). On the same note,ย Arnold (2005) defined school climate โas the,ย distinctive norms, beliefs, principles and ways in which of behaving that combine toย giveย eachย organizationย itsย distinctย imageโย (p.ย 625).
Denison (1996, p. 654) asserts that climate is โthe deep structure of the organizations,ย which is rooted in the values, beliefs and assumptions held by organizational membersโ.ย When reference is made to school climate, it refers to the meanings inherent inย the actions, procedures and protocols of organizational commerce and discussion.ย Jamesย et al.ย (2007,ย p. 21)ย describe climateย asย โtheย normativeย beliefs andย sharedย behavioral expectation (i.e. systems values) and shared behavioral expectations (i.e.ย systemย norms)ย inย an organizationโ.
Theoreticalย literature
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The theoretical review will cover the below theories related to performance and organization climate. This study is based on three major theories namely, The Schein’s theory of school climate, Theory X and Theory Y by McGregor, and the theory of Open-Book Management by John Stack.
Scheinโsย theoryย ofย school climate
Schein’s model of school climate is not only one of the most cited climateย models but also one that serves a high degree of abstraction and complexity reduction.ย It mainly consists of three domains:ย basic underlying assumptions, espoused values,ย and artifacts. She distinguishes between observable and unobservable elements ofย climate. It therefore becomes clear that there is a certain hierarchy between theseย domains..
Artifacts are the surface level of an school climate, tangible, easily seen and felt manifestations such products, physical environment, language, technology, clothing, myths and stories, published values, rituals and ceremonies, etc.
Espousedย beliefsย and ย values ย are ย the ย next ย level ย of ย organizational ย climate,ย including strategies, goals, shared perceptions, shared assumptions, norms, beliefs andย valuesย instilledย byย foundersย andย leaders.
CHAPTERย THREE
RESEARCHย DESIGNย ANDย METHODOLOGY
ย Researchย Design
To undertake this study, convergent mixed method design was used.ย Accordingย toย Creswell (2012),ย theย purposeย ofย aย convergentย (orย parallelย orย concurrent)ย mixedย methodsย designย isย to simultaneously collect both quantitative and qualitative data,ย merge the data, and use the results to understand a research problem. A basic rationaleย for this design is that one data collection form suppliesย strengthsย toย offsetย theย weaknessesย ofย theย other ย form, ย and ย that ย a ย more ย complete understanding of aย researchย problemย resultsย fromย collectingย bothย quantitativeย andย qualitativeย data.
The research investigates the existing school climate difference among the private and government secondary schools of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. Attempt was also made to assess factors that caused the difference between these schools.
Populationย Samplesย andย Samplingย Technique
Theย Populationย andย Sampleย Size
Out of 9 government and 5 private secondary schools of the aforementioned Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area in order to conduct this study, the researcher purposively selected two secondary schools from the ย government and two from the privates. The researcher did this selection considering their representativeness due to their experience (selected school have more than 35 years experience) In these four schools, there were 4 principals, 113 secondary school teachers and 2 secondary school supervisors at the sub city level.
CHAPTERย FOUR
RESULTSย ANDย DISCUSSION
Characteristicsย ofย theย Respondents
Tableย 2.ย Respondentsย byย sex
CHAPTERย FIVE
SUMMARY,ย CONCLUSIONย ANDย RECOMMENDATION
ย Summaryย ofย Finding
As already indicated in chapter one the purpose of the study was to assess and compare theย existing school climate, the performance gap which are observed in the schools, theย factor affecting student performance of government and private secondary schools in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Areaย andย eventuallyย toย forwardย someย possibleย solution
Theย followingย basicย questionsย wereย toย beย answered
- Is there any significant difference between private and government schools studentsโ academic performance?
- What performance gaps are observed in government and private secondary schools?
- What are the factors affecting climate difference between private and government schools?
Basedย onย theย analysisย theย majorย findingsย ofย theย studyย wereย summarizedย asย follows:
The finding of ยท the study reveals that the participation of female teachers was 39ย (54.9%)ย inย governmentย andย 2(4.8%)ย inย privateย schools.ย inย privateย schoolย theย participationย ofย femaleย isย less.ย Withย regardsย toย theย qualificationย ofย teachers,ย 52ย (73.2%)ย fromย governmentย secondaryย schoolsย hadย B.A/Biskย degree,ย whileย 29(69%)ย fromย privateย secondaryย schoolsย hadย B.A/B.Sc.ย Theyย fullย fileย theย requirement.
Concerning the age composition of the teachers, 42(59.2%) from government and 22(52.4%) from private schools were in the age range of 25-31.this implies that both schools have younger employment; it gives chance to schools to use them properly.
Theย lengthย ofย serviceย yearย ofย teachersย atย presentย schoolย wasย relativelyย betterย inย privateย school than government schools. The private schools make advantages from theirย experiences.
Concerning the dominant characteristics of the schools out of the four items of the table that deals with the dominant characteristic of the schools, only in the fourth item (the organization is a very controlled and structured place) the government secondary schools are slightly better than the private one. But in terms of other three items the private schools are significantly in better position than the government schools. Concerning to the leadership of the schools both groups remained neutral on whether it is result oriented focus. But in other three items of the section, the private schools leadership is better than their government counterpart.
The finding result implies that, more than the government secondary school teachers the private secondary schools teachers are innovator. This helps them to improve their professional skill and contribute their own stake in the organization improvement.
In terms of utilizing team work, both private and government secondary schools have somewhat similar characteristics.
In relation to the glue or bondage factors, that holds the schools community together, in all four items, the government schools status is less than their private counterpart.
The clan climate which means high trust among the employees and between theย employeesย andย theย schoolย management,ย highlyย preferredย byย bothย typesย ofย schools.
ย Conclusion
Theย researchย aimย isย toย assessย academicย performanceย ofย students,ย gapsย observedย andย theย factor affecting climatic difference between private and government selected schools.ย Basedย onย quantitativeย andย qualitativeย analysisย ofย gatheredย dataย itย canย beย concludedย thatย there is gapes between private and government schools.In addition to this there areย factorsย affectย schoolย performancesย .
The Data showed, majority of students who did not score pass result were from government secondary schools. The range in between is 45.3%, 47.6%, 41% from the year (2008-2011) respectively. The result indicates that large moderate gapes between private and government schools are observed. This gap needs further investigation.
Majority of government schools have a limitation utilizing their effort towards their work comparing to private schools.
Private school is better in developing good name, parent satisfaction and competition with government ones.
Exposure to mass media and peer pressure affects government schools more thanย privateย schools.
Satisfactionย onย studentย result,ย providingย learningย facilitiesย ,ย highย numberย ofย studentย andย negative feeling to the subject they are learning, teachers motivation are both types ofย schoolsย limitations
Privateย schoolย hasย aย limitationย onย providingย enoughย classย forย theirย studentsย andย keepingย theย environmentย Governmentย schoolsย haveย aย limitationย inย areaย ofย followย up,ย correctย studentย absenteeismย andย Teachersย quality
Privateย schoolย isย betterย inย providingย tutorialย continuously,ย applyย activeย learningย approach, frequently checking students work, and apply continuous assessment andย givingย respectย toย teachersย properly
Affectingย factorย likeย environmentย ofย theย classย andย providingย enoughย classย forย studentsย isย aย drawbackย forย privateย schools
Additionally, even though they are in equal or often times in better status in terms of resources like finance, labor force and logistics, they are not as efficient in utilizing their existing resource as their private counterpart.
ย Recommendation
After examining the existing school climate of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area bothย private andย government secondaryย schools, the research has identified the gaps andย definedย solutions that could bridgeย the identified gap and pave the way towardsย building an school climate that make the respective schools particularly theย government schools effective. Here, it is necessary to notify that, since the privateย secondaryย schoolsย ofย theย subย cityย areย betterย thanย theirย governmentย counterpartย muchย ofย theย recommendationย isย towardsย them.
Theย studentย performanceย shouldย beย improvedย ifย theย administrationย ofย theย schoolsย buildsย aย strategyย inย handlingย theย problem,ย takingย correctiveย measurementย toย adoptย themย selfย toย changeย and providingย learningย facilities.
Theย studentย shouldย performย well ifย theyย areย properlyย guidedย byย theย parentsย andย alsoย byย theirย teacher.
Schools should give concentration to build their competitive climate to handle theย affectingย factorsย of performanceย of students.
Students needs to get depth and wide ethical advice by psychologies or guidance and counselor to enable them to give fond of their subject and keep them from peer pressure schoolsย shouldย useย theirย resourcesย particularlyย theย humanย resourceย efficiently
Theย governmentย bodiesย whichย areย concernedย forย educationย sectorย alsoย shouldย takeย necessaryย measureย inย orderย toย narrowย theย gapย betweenย theย twoย typesย ofย schools
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