ABSTRACT
The
study sought to investigate school plant maintenance as a determinant of
secondary school principals’ effectiveness in Afikpo education zone of Ebonyi
State. Five purposes, five research questions and three null hypotheses were
formulated to guide the study. The design of the study was ex-post-facto
research design. The study was carried out in secondary schools in Afikpo
Education Zone of Ebonyi State. The population of the study was 1,017
comprising of all the 79 principals and 938 teachers of post primary schools in
the study area. The sample for the study was 270 respondents representing 27%
of the population, drawn using a proportionate stratified sampling technique.
The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was
divided into two parts. Part I was titled “School Plant Maintenance
Questionnaire (SPMQ)” and part II was titled “EffectiveSchool Administration
Questionnaire (ESAQ)”. The questionnaire has a total of 72 items. The
questionnaire was structured on a four- point rating scale of Very Great Extent
(VGE) 4 points Great Extent (GE) 3 points Very Low Extent (VLE) 2 points and
Low Extent (LE) 1 point Three experts validated the instrument. The overall
reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.89. Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Coefficient (r) was used in answering the research questions that
guided the study, while Multiple Regression Analysis was used to test the 3
null hypotheses at 0.05 probability level. The result of the study showed that:
there exist a positive relationship between principals’ transformational
leadership and school plant maintenance to a great extent there is a positive
relationship between teachers’ instructional behaviours and school plant
maintenance, to a great extent and there is significant relationship
(p<0.05) between principal’s transformational leadership and school plant
maintenance, there is a significant relationship (p<0.05)between teachers’
instructional behaviours and school plant maintenance and there is a
significant relationship(p<0.05) between students’ academic achievement and
school plant maintenance. It was recommended among other things that, since
there exist a positive relationship between principals’ transformational
leadership and school plant maintenance, before a teacher is appointed as a
school principal, those transformational leadership qualities should be looked
out for, for effective school plant maintenance. It was concluded among others
that effective maintenance of school plant could enhance students’ academic
achievement towards achieving the goal of national development.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education
is an essential tool in the society needed for human development and
improvement. It is indisputably the instrument used in every nation for the
development of her citizens. For education to adequately perform its function,
the school must be properly organized, made neat and adorable. In the secondary
school system, the head of administration at the apex is designated as the
principal. The school principal has the responsibility of ensuring that both
human and material resources of the school are utilized to achieve stated
objectives. Oboegbulem and Chiaha (2007) stated that human and material
resources are effective tools in the hand of the school administrator for the
accomplishment of school objectives.
Material
resources in form of school plant provides facilities for teaching and
learning. The more school plant is maintained regularly, the more the life span
is prolonged. However it is regrettable that most school principals do not
maintain school plant to serve the purpose it is meant for. These physical
facilities on ground are given little or no attention and left to dilapidate,
decay, spoil and rot away due to lack of maintenance. This may be why principals,
teachers and students achieve less in its absence.
Yusuf and Adigun (2012) asserted that without school plant, the school cannot
exist. School plant indicates that school is in existence as it is an integral
part of the entire school system that serves the needs of the society.
School
is a micro-community existing within a macro-community. According to Anukam
(2006) and Manilla (2007) school is a place of learning from the nursery to the
tertiary institutions. Emenalo (2008) defined school as a public and service
organization where children are molded and transformed to become functional and
contributory members of the society. In this study, school will be
regarded as the environment and a formal organization set up to provide education
to students and to all citizens. Teaching and learning take place in school
environment which have influence on learners. It is this environment which is
also regarded as school plant that influences teaching and learning and as such
school plant is an undoubtedly veritable tool in the hands of principals,
teachers, non-teaching staff and students for successful implementation and
achievement of educational goals and objectives. This implies that environment
is important for successful teaching and learning. Mbipom (2000) defined school
plant as the environment and building in which teaching and learning take
place. According to Kulbir (2007), school plant is simply the material
provisions of the school. Asiabaka (2008) perceived school plant as the
material resources provided for staff and students to optimize their
productivity in the teaching and learning processes. Aloga (2014) described
school plant to mean the site, building, equipment and all the facilities
within the school which enhance the teaching and learning activities and at the
same time protects the physical well-being of teachers and the learners. In
this study, school plant will be regarded as the school environment involving
the aggregate internal and external physical resources which are necessary for
effective, teaching and learning. It implies the totality of school facilities,
without which teaching and learning cannot occur.
School
plant is also referred to as school facilities, educational facilities, school
physical facilities or school infrastructural facilities. Ajayi (2007); Ajadi,
Ejieh and Salawu (2008); Lawanson and Gede (2011) gave examples of school plant
to include: the entire landscape, machinery, buildings, classrooms,
laboratories, workshops, furniture, vehicles, electrical fittings, water,
visual and audio-visual aids, roads and toilet among others. In this study it
will be limited to landscape; school grounds and fields; buildings; classrooms;
laboratories; workshops; furniture; vehicles; roads; toilet and other
infrastructure
Adequate and functional school plant is essential for effective teaching
and learning. Onwurah (2013), emphasized that school plant play crucial role in
the development of the three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational
objectives namely; cognitive (knowledge) affective (emotions, value, interest
and morals) and psychomotor (abilities and skills) which are prerequisite for
academic achievement. Similarly, Lawanson and Gede (2011), opined that physical
facilities ensure safety, security, hygienic and comfortable shelter for
students, teachers and other members of staff. Moreover, school plant adds to
the aesthetic view and beautification of the school environment (Oboegbulem
& Chiaha 2007). School plant is indispensable in the educational process.
Sustainability
and effective utilization of school plant depend largely on its maintenance.
Maintenance is important so as to keep facilities functional or closest to its
original state. Sofoluwe (2005), defined maintenance as work undertaken in
order to keep or restore every facility, every part of a site, building and
contents to an acceptable standard as to sustain the ability and value of the
facility. Adedekun (2011), further perceived maintenance as keeping in good order
and shaping all projects of development that are of benefit to the people. In
this study, maintenance will be regarded as work embarked upon to keep or
rehabilitate any part of the school environment, building or equipment in a
functional state.
Deterioration,
wear and tear of educational facilities is a natural process. School buildings
and equipment depreciate in outlook as a result of factors such as age,
weather, usage, carelessness and poor plant maintenance. According to
Oboegbulem and Chiaha (2007), school plant maintenance means keeping of the
school facilities, buildings and equipment in as near.....
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Item Type: Postgraduate Material | Attribute: 120 pages | Chapters: 1-5
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