EFFECTS OF OVERPOPULATION ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Concept of Environment in Education
According to Chamber’s universal learners Dictionary, the environment is the surrounding conditions influencing development and growth of the individual in a society. Yusuf (2009) observes that environment is the totality of the objects and conditions that surround man. Yusuf further observed that environment include both physical and non-physical, including social and economic institutions relationship and conditions including family, education, culture, religion, law and others.
In a similar view, Kegan (2002) asserts that the environment is fundamental in all activities that men involve themselves According to the author, “we are the products of our environment and the reliable variance in students’ academic performances could be attributed not only to their aptitude but also the simulation of physical environment..
Okebukola and Ogunbiyi (2012) corroborate with the above views stating that the environment is the surrounding in which a school is situated and from which it draws its pupils. This author further noted that the relationship between the school and the society or community, forms the environment because the school is situated within a given society or community and the students come from the society or community. Since it is the society that create the school to inculcate culture into the young ones; it greatly influences the learning character of the students.
2.2 The Concept Of Over Population
According to Millier (1798) quotes in Newton (1992), it states that the growth in human population around the world affects all people through its impact on the economic and environment. The author opines that over-population is not just geometrical increase in number of people but also a burden to humanity itself. Malthus (1798) notes that over population results when there is geometric increase in number of people and arithmetic increase food supply. According to Newton, over-population is the greatest threat to the world. Houtonsonen, (2011) sees over-crowding of classrooms in terms of overpopulation of student /pupils in academic environment called class. This explains the presence of more students /pupils in a classroom than the available resources, teacher, infrastructure and instructional materials.
Ike, (2009) opines that overpopulation is over population of the classroom and that the demand for western education far exceeds the capacity of the schools plants as well as the instructional materials. From the views of the above scholars, it is clear that over population and overpopulation of classrooms is not far from one another. Overpopulation is looking at the number of people in a society or state and relationship to the available resources there while overpopulation of classrooms concerns itself - with the number in classrooms environments.
2.3 Importance of Infrastructural and Instructional Materials in Teaching and Learning
Ivowi (2011) describes infrastructural and instructional material as the fundamental elements of effective teaching, learning and understanding. The author further observed that for effective teaching and learning to be adequate infrastructural facilities like school building, chalk board, playing field, waste paper baskets, notice board etc. must be available. In the same vein, Okebukola (2008) argues that instructional materials are useful in teaching of different subjects in schools. The author further explains that school resources are used for making the teacher’s teaching more effective. He also classifies teaching aids into two categories, namely, visual aids or visual media and audio aids or media. The visual aids include items like, computer, camera, and overhead projectors while audio aids include television, projector and video player among others. According to the scholar the advantages of the use of instructional materials include reducing boredom, stimulating the interest of the learner, enhancing retention and helping recalling.
Uche (2012) is of view that availability of infrastructural and instructional materials are most important to be considered for effective teaching and learning. The observed opinion is that this has been the reason for good result in some schools that are well equipped.
Uche (ibid) describes infrastructural facilities as those things provided for the physical plant management while instructional materials are those materials used to enhance learning and promote retention in order to make recall easy. As observed learning process would be incomplete without the necessary instructional materials. On their importance Uche notes that infrastructural materials and facilities makes learning environment more conducive while instructional materials simply makes learning enjoyable, enhance retention and afford the students opportunity for participation.
From the views of the scholars it could be understood that infrastructure and instructional materials are fundamental to effective teaching and learning, shortage of which affects academic performance of students. Therefore where a class is overcrowded and facilities and instructional aids cannot go round the academic performance of students are affected.
2.4 School Mapping and Facilities in Nigeria
According to Campbell (2002) school mapping refers to how the school plants can be put into use. The researcher defines school mapping as the scientific analysis and utilization of existing educational facilities and infrastructure as related to school going children and their teachers. Campbell on school mapping takes into record the facilities available demography of staff, and student’s growth and development in order to plan for the future of the school.
School mapping and facilities analysis is identified with three (3) phases of diagnosis of learning situations in term of facilities, equipment, manpower etc. projection of school growth and requirement within time and space, and setting up of an administrative organ responsible for implementation.
In Nigeria studies are not effectively done regarding to planning for the future hence most public schools have students that outnumbered the teachers and available resources. In of Campbell, educational administrators and planners are expected to ensure that there is healthy relationship between increase in students’ population and increase in supply of educational plants but planners in Nigeria.
Opinmi, (ibid) writing on school, classroom organization and management, observes that a conducive environment cannot be created – in the classroom unless there is proper and effective classroom organization and management.
According to him effective teaching and learning can only take place where all the learning facilities, the learners and the teaching materials are properly organized.
Diakwa, (2010) making reference to foster (1966) posits that the number of primary school in Nigeria grow by 10.04% the classrooms growth was 32.19%, total enrolment of pupils by 91.63% while there is only 5.72% in the number of teachers. The corresponding increase in number of secondary schools, classrooms and enrolment, and teachers were 4.4%, 8.33%, 18.88% and 7.04%.
The teacher, pupils/students ratio in the primary schools and secondary schools shows that more teachers, classrooms block and schools are needed for Nigeria public schools.
The observation of Foster (1966) and Diakwu (2010) are in order looking at the present day school mapping and facilities. Foster and Diakwa further blame this situation on the attitude of Nigeria leadership towards maintenance of existing facilities.
Fajana (1980) notes that education infrastructure in Nigeria is unevenly distributed in public schools. Some of the public schools, children learn in very comfortable situations with good classrooms and teachers while other are learning under the tree and thatched shade with no trained teachers.
The observations of these authors clearly show that educational planners and Nigeria government have not been doing so well in school mapping and as a result, there has not been adequate infrastructure in most schools. The number of students/pupils outweighs the facilities and this is not healthy for the education sector.
2.5 Effects of Overpopulation on Academic Performance
According to Okebukoka (2012), teaching as an activity consists of verbal interaction between the pupils and their teacher as teacher aims to influence behaviour of his/her student/pupils. The roles of the teacher according to the author include: imparting knowledge, ensuring the physical development of the child, helping to improve the child’s behaviour, taking care of the interest of the child, helping the child with his personal problems and ensuring spiritual development of the child. These roles of the teacher cannot effectively take place in an overcrowded situation, because there is a limit to the number of students /pupils a teacher can manage effectively well. Sotomade (2004) states that Nigerian schools are presently in a sorry state characterized by dilapidated structure, overcrowded classrooms and poor staffing. As a result of this Nigeria Primary/secondary school’s students learn under difficult conditions thereby stalling their creative abilities and development. This situation according to Sotomade has affected Nigeria’s national development.
Campbel (ibid) notes that demographic data in educational planning refers to the number of children per class and in each school at primary, secondary and territory levels and the ratio of these children to the member of outcomes and to determine how many more teachers to be provided to achieve the goal of national policy on education. Campbell concludes that overpopulation of classrooms in schools may lead to potential manpower wastages of school age.