School Environmental Factors Determining the Academic Performance of Agricultural Science Students in Secondary Schools in Bayelsa State

Abstract

The study investigated school environmental factors determining the academic performance of Agricultural Science students in secondary schools in Bayelsa State. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The targeted population of the study was all SS2 and SS3 agricultural science students in government secondary schools in Bayelsa State. A sample size of four hundred and fifty (450) agricultural science students from twenty-five (25) schools was randomly selected. Hence, the sampling technique adopted for the study was the simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was the “School Environmental Factors and Students Academic Achievement Questionnaire (SEFSAAQ)”. It was validated by three experts, two from the Test and Measurement unit of the Department of Counselling and Educational Psychology and one from the Department of Agricultural Science Education, Faculty of Education, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State. To ascertain the reliability of the instrument, the Cronbach Alpha statistical tool was used and a reliability index of 0.79 was yielded. The study contained four specific objectives and four research questions. The research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The study found that school security factors determine the academic performance of agricultural science students in secondary schools in Bayelsa State. It therefore recommended that government should provide adequate security facilities and personnel in secondary schools in Bayelsa State.