Effect Of Repository On The Academic Performance Of Students

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EFFECT OF REPOSITORY ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Concept of a repository

Repositories are digitized information, facilitated by computers, network connectivity, electricity and other peripheral components and most importantly human beings. These resources come in different formats such as text, videos, audio, graphics, tables, pictures, etc. With the development of electronic information sources and services, a new dawn has begun in the lives of librarians as well as users. Dhanavandan and Tamizhcheivan (2012) defines repositories as resources in which information is stored electronically and it can be accessible through electronic systems and network environment. repositories is a very broad term that includes a variety of different file formats. Instant access is quite possible with repositories within few seconds.

Repositories are information resources that can be accessed electronically via the Internet or digital media. According to Bankole, Ajiboye and Otunla (2015), repository consist of information resources provided in electronic formats such as Internet, CD-ROM databases, e-books e-journals, Online database, Online Public Access Catalogues, and other computer –based electronic networks. repositories can be accessed remotely via the World Wide Web or delivered locally. repository may be defined as information resources that are available and can be accessed electronically through computer networked facilities such as online library catalogues, the Internet and the World Wide Web, digital libraries and archives, government portals and websites, CD-ROM databases, online academic databases, such as Medline or Commercial databases such as Lexis Nexis (Ekwelem, Okafor and Ukwoma, 2009 cited in Jonathan and Udo, 2015).

According to Yakubu and Olatoye (2015) repositories are the information on devices such as net, hard disc, flash drive and CD ROMS. It could be in form of database application created for a particular organization that manages data and allows easy access, fast storage and retrieval of that data. Database can be edited to suit one‟s purpose or interest. Shariful (2012) is of the view that repositories are those resources that deal with both born electronic and digitized materials which can be either accessible from the library‟s in- house database or from the world-wide-web. The born electronic materials include: e-books, e- journals, e-newspapers, e- magazines, e-projects, e-theses, e-dissertations, e-reports, website, and other related materials which can be considered necessary by the users or even by the library management itself. On the other hand, electronicized materials mean converting the materials from other formats into electronic format.

repositories According to Ku (2008), refers to those materials that require computer access, whether through microcomputer, mainframe, or other types of computers, and that may either be locally mounted or accessed remotely via the Internet. repository as a term, is frequently and interchangeably used with such other terms as repositories, virtual resources, online resources, and digital resources. repositories have been useful to university communities both in the developed and the developing nations of the world. repositories are now a major resource in every university library and it has significantly transformed information handling and management in academic environments and university libraries in particular (Bankole, Ajiboye and Otunla, 2015)

Sivathaasan and Velnampy (2013) stated that repository encompass, e- books, e-journal, e-databases, e-papers, e-reference sources, e- learning tools, emailing list, e- reports, e-publishing, e-advertising, OPAC, e-news, e-image, e-music, and numerous other materials in electronic form. Furthermore, they are those kind of documents in digital formats which are made available to library users through a computer based retrieval system. Thanuskodi (2012) opines that repositories are the source of information. It can be defined as resources that include documents in electronic or e- format that can be accessed via Internet. They are available in various forms like e-books, digital libraries, online journal, magazine, e- learning tutors, on line test e-journals, e-discussions, e- news, data archives and e- mail on line chatting and deliver a collection of data, be it text, image collection, other multimedia products like numerical, graphical mode. The Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (2004) defines electronic information as material consisting of data and/or computer program(s) encoded for reading and manipulation by a computer, by use of a peripheral device directly connected to the computer such as a CD-Rom drive or remotely via network such as the internet. The category includes software applications, electronic texts, bibliographic databases, institutional repositories, web sites, e-books, collections of e-journals, etc.

repositories are easily accessible in the remote areas and solve storage problems and control the flood of information (Munira and Bushra, 2010). This has increased the global dissemination of information. Repositories can be accessed remotely via the World Wide Web or delivered locally. repository is made up of a range of products that may exist in different forms such as CD-ROMs, and resources available on the Internet such as online databases, web pages, etc. and they provide libraries with vast resources for their user populations (Gupta, 2011).

repository have become essential for the university studies and are very popular to most of the students because they can provide a number of advantages over traditional print based sources. Tella, Tella, Ayeni and Omoba, (2007) states the advantages of networking and use of repositories as follows: „the information needed can be delivered from the most appropriate source to the user; the user can re-specify his or her needs dynamically; the information is obtained when it is wanted, so becomes "just in time" rather than "just in case"; the user selects only the information needed to answer the specific question and, finally, the information is stored only if the user wishes, and very often by the user, not the library. Another important advantage of repositories is that more than one user can access them at the same time. Articles can be downloaded and printed simultaneously by more than one reader, depending upon access rights and permission. Repositories also carry the potential power to increase the learning opportunities offered to students. As the role of libraries continues to change, librarians are making more and more repository available for use.

2.2 Utilization of repository

repository have become a major part of the university libraries collection in the fulfillment of its roles of teaching, learning and research. University libraries make available a wide array of repository for use by the undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and staff for various academic purposes. These purposes include; doing class assignments, writing term papers, augmenting class works, retrieving current literature for studies, following blog discussions on subject area of interest, searching for scholarship opportunities, searching for internship placement and for research purposes. Whitmire (2001) posited that the use of repositories is influenced by students‟ use of the library. The more a student uses the library the more familiar he becomes with its resources, including its repositories.

Oyedapo and Ojo (2013) carried out a study on the use of repositories at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria under- utilization of the repositories was observed. The major reason for the under-utilization of repositories was poor searching skills. Baro Endouware and Ubogu (2011) also studied the awareness and use of online information resources by medical students at Delta State University in Nigeria and found that scholarly electronic journal databases were under- utilized. Users cited lack of awareness of the existing resources as the primary problem they had. Okello and Magara (2008) supported this notion of under- utilization and found that the obstacle to access and utilization of electronic journals by Makerere students in Uganda as well as students in other higher learninginstitutions was lack of awareness about the resources.

Undergraduates used repositories for different purposes. Kumar and Kumar (2008) in their study discovered that the purpose of accessing repository is to support learning and also to write project work. Ansari and Zuberi (2010) added that many students use e- resources for research. Others also use them to perform assignments, prepare for examinations and to gain subject knowledge. Similarly, Cothran (2011) asserted that graduate students use Google Scholar more since they find it easy to learn and easy to navigate. Also, the design and interface of search engines are user- friendly and it is a useful resource for their research.

Ojo and Akande (2005) in their study examined students‟ access, usage and awareness of repository at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria. The study reveals that the level of usage of the repository by students for academic activities is not high. A major problem however identified is lack of information retrieval skills for exploiting repositories, thus making the level of usage of resources by medical students very low. Emerole and Ogugua (2007) in their study of library use study found out that there is low patronage of repository especially in the area of use of repositories as many users have not fully realized the potentials of the library in this information age. On the contrary view, Alhassan and Macaulay (2015) in a study on the availability and utilization of repositories by university students in Niger State, shows that repositories like the internet, e- mail, online databases, electronic databases and electronic journals were highly used by the respondents in the two universities, while others like CD-ROM databases, electronic journals, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and electronic books were rarely used. The study also reveals that the undergraduate students used the repositories for various purposes, such as online application/registration, research, communication with friends and colleagues, sourcing materials for project writing, completing assignments, and for other personal purposes.

Ndinoshiho (2010) assessed the use of electronic information services by undergraduate students at the University of Namibia‟s Northern Campus. The findings revealed that majority of the students used the internet, but e-databases were significantly underutilized. The students used repositories to obtain academic information and current awareness, and the major constraints faced were the shortage of computers, unreliable internet connection, and lack of skills. The access and utilization of repositories by students at the East African School of Library and Information Science, Makerere University, Uganda was carried out by Okello- Obura and Magara (2008). The study found out that students derived a lot of benefits from repositories as they were able to gain access to a wider range of information and that access to quality information improved their academic performance.

The use of repository by Nigerian students was studied by Okiki and Ashiru (2011). The study found out that the students were motivated to use electronic resources for their research projects, gain quick access to information and to search for new things. The major problems encountered by respondents in gaining access to and using repositories were slow internet connectivity, frequent incessant power outage and few computers with internet facilities. Adeniran (2013) studied the usage of repositories at Redeemers University in Nigeria and found that even though respondents were aware of the different types of repository available in the university library; their use rate of these resources was low. The factors that hampered effective utilization of repositories were large mass of irrelevant information, the need to filter the results from search, download delay, failure to find information and inadequate or lack of search skills. The study concluded that repositories has impacted positively on the academic performances of the undergraduates, but recommended the need for them to acquire more skills in the use of repositories.

Gakibayo, Ikoja-Odongo and Constant (2013) assess students utilization of electronic information resources in Mbarara University Library, Uganda. They found that the use of repositories was constrained by lack of computer and information literacy skills, inadequate number of computers and slow internet connectivity. The frequency of use of these resources indicated that the University would have to do a lot to improve on electronicresources use in the institution.

Tariq and Zia (2014) in their study on the use of repository by the students of Faculty of Science, University of Karachi, Pakistan reveals that they used repositories for class assignments and to get updated. The major hindrance to access and use were power failure, slow network connection and subscription issues. Furthermore, the users also need to get trained for an effective use of these resources.

According to Bassi (2011) The Use of repositories in University Libraries of Adamawa State, Nigeria‟ shows that Internet was the most highly used EIRs representing 392(41.5%), while e-books and e-journals represents 165(17.23%) and 125(13.09%) respectively. The least responses are e-theses and dissertations which have a frequency of 18(1.88%) This might be attributed to small number of postgraduate students in this study.

2.3 Theoretical Review and Theories that Guided the Study

Historical Background of the Library

Historically, the role and development of library was to provide trustworthy information and to help students distinguish reliable information sources of social, political, economic, scientific, technological, educational, and cultural issues among the community (Campbell, 2006).

Estabrook et al (2016) stated that, historical the beginning of library was used to keep the business, legal, historical and religious records of a civilization since the middle of the 20th century. Rapid developments of computers, telecommunications and other technologies have made it possible to store and retrieve information in many different forms easily. Hence the technological and political forces radically reshaped library development.

In Africa rural villages, the formations of Library were closely related to the need of more organic service to meet the information needs of rural peoples. Reading a work of Dent (1961) the idea of repository in rural areas has existed in many African countries for a long time, although documentation process began in recent decades.

Dent (op cit)noted that, as early as 1920s, the community were able to access record in a place where different people went to keep them as for future remind. South Africa is one the country with a good history regarding the use of library in rural villages. As to recognize the importance keeping records, more recent projects have focused on to start village or community library and rooms as for reading like the Book Box services in Botswana, the OSU - initiated libraries in Ghana, the family literally project libraries in South Africa, the village libraries in Nigeria and rural repository in Malawi.

Frost (1971) on his paper declared that, in 1960 the Hockey report recommended the creation of library boards in each of the three countries covered by the survey of library development which Mr. Hockey had been asked to carry out for the governments of these countries which were Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. Then in 1963 the act establishing the Tanganyika repository Board to coordinate and develop repository in Tanganyika was passed by the National Assembly and later repealed by the 1975 act. In carrying their responsibilities TLSB was responsible to organize, and distributes books, non book materials and other forms of information materials to individuals, schools, institutions and public in general.

The necessities of establishing library in Nigeria also portrayed by Nyerere’s thought on libraries (1967). On his writing, Nyerere noted that, ‘‘books are very important way of transmitting knowledge and for self-improvement; from them we can learn new ideas, new techniques of working and new methods. We can learn about the development of men in all its different aspects; we can broaden our understanding of other peoples and even of ourselves. All the experiences of mankind, all his discoveries and his inventions can be learned from the books through reading. And the provision of a National repository in Nigeria means that this knowledge is made available to all our literate citizens and through them to people who have not yet learned to read”.

Theories that Guided the Study

This study adopted Self-regulated learning theory (SRLT). Lovett, Meyer and Thille (2008) observed comparable student performance iscontributed by instructor-led and self-regulated learning environments. SRLT is a learning theory which is guided by metacognition (thinking about one's thinking), strategic action (planning, monitoring, and evaluating personal progress against a standard), and motivation to learn. Self- regulated describes a process of taking control of and evaluating one's own learning and behaviour. Self-regulated learning theory emphasizes autonomy and control by students who monitors, directs, and regulates actions toward goals of information acquisition, expanding expertise, and self-improvement.

In particular, with self-regulated theory, learners are the recognizer of their academic strengths and weaknesses, and had a repertoire of strategies they appropriately applied to tackle the day-to-day challenges of academic tasks. Those students held incremental beliefs about intelligence (as opposed to entity, or fixed views of intelligence) and attributed their successes or failures to factors within their control. Finally, students who were self-regulated believed that opportunities to take on challenging tasks, practiced their learning, developed a deep understanding of subject matter, and exerted effort would gave the rise to academic success.

In part, characteristics could help to explain why self-regulated learners usually exhibited a high sense of self-efficacy. In educational psychology literature, researchers had linked these characteristics to success in and beyond school. Self regulated learners were successful because they controlled their learningenvironment. That theory was adopted in this study due to the students failure or passing in the CSE examinations. From the theory, if a student would effectively manipulate the environment around (library service among other necessities) may help to add the knowledge from different subject specialists as a results the academic success is guaranteed.

The choice of this theory is due to its importance and relevacy as it support students in managing their thoughts, behaviours and emotions in order to be successful in their learning experiences. Again self regulation was essential to the leaning process because it helped students to create better learning habits and strengthen their study skills, apply learning strategies to enhance academic outcomes, monitor their performance and evaluate their academic progress. Due to that , it was responsibility of educational leaders to be familiar with factors which influenced learners ability as to enable them being self regulated towards opting the strategies that could be used to identify and promote self regulated leaning in their classrooms and libraries.

2.4 Influence of repository on student performance

Students that use school repository often perfom better ther test and examination than those who are not using such services. Jato (2014) stated that, school libraries have positive impact on student archievement and thus,school library provides a quiet, well-lit study place and environment that is conducive to mental concentration.

The report prepared by the American Association of School Librarian(AASL) in (2009) pointed out that “school library prograrms improve students learning” policy makers argued “school libraries are an essential part of a complete school program as they provide an equatable, fiscally rensiponssible strategy for sharing resources across grade levels and the curriculum while addressing core reading, information and technology literacies.” AASL (op.cit) elaborate that school libraries often serve as a second classroom.

Matthew (1996) in AASL work showed the value of repository by noting some of the successbrought by the use of library in industrial age. From the work, library determines the school system of read and write, add and subtract and there, our success in the information age depends on a school system that teaches us how to manage information, utilize technologies, innovate and above all think.” eHow (2011) discovered in her survey of the resources for the teaching and learning of Biology in new secondary schools in Lagos, that there was little resources.

Small (2009), opened an interesting line of inquiry that in an age when budgets for school libraries need to be expanded as to ensure access to information technology and databases continues to become more expensive, evidence of a relationship between the library, information resources, and student achievement is critical. Francis at el (2010) support by saying more students earned proficient or advanced reading scores and fewer students earned unsatisfactory scores where school libraries were better funded.

Laddunuri (2012) in his research titled “Status of School Education in Present Nigeria and Emerging Issues” argued that “pass percentage of the students had been declining continuously from 82.3 percent to 50.7 percent during the last five years, and provided many factors for the students failure in their Form Four examinations including insufficient books in the school library, and high cost of the books when compared to the students economic situations was another reason. He also found that most of the schools had acute shortages of text books as well as laboratory equipment as well as good infrastructure.

Olden, (1968) on his research about “The introduction of public librarianship in post independence Nigeria” noted that, 92 percent of the paticipants agreed that insufficient books in the library did hinder high performance of students, also high cost of the books infulenced students’ failure in their Form Four examination in Nigeria. Dent (2006) viewed that classrooms with few scholastic resources and teachers with little access to supplemental reading materials undermined student learning and academic success.

Rajani (2006) argued on the shortage of resources when he said that “In recent years the provision of books to the school level had increased dramatically, primarily through the ‘capitation grant’. The pupil: book ratios had improved, though were yet to reach adequate levels, possibly because the full capitation grant had not reached the school level on time.

Reading report of Rosenblatt (1998) as sited by Whitmire (2003) argued that a new role of librarians is acts as judge of student performance and academic productivity. On her writing, she concluded that, “as to maintain a significant role the library, relations to the mission of the university should be more clearly articulated and strengthened and its contributions measured and assessed”.

Haycock (1995) revealed that in schools with good repository students performed significantly better in reading comprehension and in their ability to express effectively ideas in relation to their readings. Lonsdale (2003) in his research titled “Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement” suggested that the impact of the school library reduced as students moved through high school. He proceeded by saying that in schools with good libraries and full time librarians student performed better at higher levels in reading comprehension and in knowledge and use of reference materials than students in schools with minimal or no library service. Lonsdale (op.cit) revealed that a strong library program that was adequately staffed resourced and funded could lead to higher student achievement. The presence of a strong computer network connected to the library’s resources classrooms and laboratories had an impact on student achievement. Spinks (2009) insisted that test scores were higher when computer networks made high quality information resources available outside the library media center.

Wavell (op.cit) noted that there was a body of research supporting the view that school libraries could have a positive impact on academic achievement. Wavell (op.cit) continued by saying that such an environment was particularly at primary and early secondary level pronounced. More general views on the need of having a library service in every school were those raised by Francis at el (2010) who said, school library was an integral part of educational system that could not be ignored without jeopardizing the quality of education in schools.

The school library was an important part of elementary, middle and high school programs without which students would not thrive academically and invariably find it most difficult to conduct academic research before they reached college level. Adefarati (2002) highlighted the aims of school library among them being a source of subject information centre and support the school curriculum. Jato (2014) saying that school library was very important in shaping students habit as regard reading for leisure, to pass examinations and to obtain information on different aspects of life.

International Institute for Communication and Development (2005) on its “ICT Policy for Education Nigeria” noted “Students learn more with up-to-date learning materials in their own language”. Francis at el (2010) on the other had insisted on the needs of students to visit school libraries more often so as to improve their scores in different subjects. Reading the work of Spinks (2009) “Library Media Programs and Student Achievement” one noted that research has shown student achievement is higher when library media specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to teach information literacy. That is, when teachers and library media specialists work together to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess a learning experience.

Library media centers were staffed at higher levels (more positions, more hours), Library media center had larger collections of better quality information resources.

The resources were used more frequently by students and staff and Library media specialists spent more time collaborating with classroom teachers to teach information literacy curriculum standards. However , despite the information noted on the need of having well established repository in secondary school premises, this study will explore further the presence and utility of such repository in influencing academic performance of students, in their certificate of secondary education examination (CSEE) in Nigeria with a specific focus on secondary school.