CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the review of literature under the following sub-

headings;

 Concept of Study Environment

 Relevance of Study Environment

 Components of Study Environment

 Concept of Academic Performance

 Study Environment and Academic Performance

 School Building and Academic Performance

 Library Facilities and Academic Performance

 School Location and Academic Performance

 Empirical Studies

 Summary

Concept of Study Environment

Study environment comprises of all available resources for student to use,

both human and material resources, programmes and opportunities, for creative

and imaginative use so as to learn and develop their potentials. Furthermore, study

1
environment is the condition and influence which a learner comes in contact with,

resulting in a series of complex interactions and ensuring a permanent change in

behaviour. This implies that an individual’s acquisition of skills, knowledge and

competencies would occur under certain conditions and influences (Nwadiani,

2000). Study environment also refers to the context in which learning takes place

Oduwaye (2011). It is the surrounding circumstance which effects learning.

An environment in which learning occurs can be as wide as a particular

society and it may be viewed as an educational institution. In the views of Obanya

(2007), education does not occur in vacuum, it grows in a socio-political and

economic environment and there can be no education without a society. Thus, a

society provides a macro environment in which an institution is located and from

which it draws it resources. Within the institution, there is also a macro

environment which influences the operation and the extent to which educational

objectives can be achieved.

Therefore, socio-political and economic conditions of the environment could

influence the development of an individual, through knowledge and skills

acquisition in school either positively or negatively. Akubue (2006) thus stated that

“A good study environment has the advantage of fostering desirable behaviour and

attitude; developing problem solving, skills and creative thought; encouraging

student’s interrelationship and fostering centred methods”. Study environment

susceptible to change and provide the pre-conditions necessary for teaching and

learning to take place (Junggle, 2003). Tshui and Cai (2011) described study

environment as an orderly environment in which the school family feels valued

and able to pursue the schools mission free from concern about disruptions and

safety.

A serene and conducive study environment has been identified as essential

for effective teaching and learning to take place. Olutola (2008) postulated that

study environment which includes instructional spaces, administrative spaces,

circulation spaces, spaces for conveniences and accessories are essential in

facilitating teaching-learning process. According to Cohen (2006) study

environment is the quality and character of school life. It is based on patterns of

school life experiences and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal

relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices, and organizational

structures.

According to Esan, Obashoro and Osondu (2008) the school as a study

environment comprises physical, academic, social and cultural environments. The

physical environment is made up of school location, physical features and

structures within and outside the institution. For example an institution may be

located in urban or rural areas, noisy or quiet areas. Buildings, equipment and
3
infrastructures available within an institution and its surroundings also constitute

its physical environment.

Study environment is reflected by curricular and co-curricular activities in

which teachers and learners engage in classrooms, libraries, laboratories and other

places in the school. Social environment is created through interaction among

teachers and learners in classrooms and other places in the school. The cultural

environment consists of rules, regulations, values and discipline. It also includes all

school activities which are meant to initiate learners into societal culture and the

dominant among these features is the physical environment as described by Mark

(2007) and Ajayi (2007) that school physical features consists of the basic systems

and structures which are viable and are needed by schools or institutions in order to

function effectively and to fulfil the purpose for which it was established.

Physical study environment if adequately provided and maintained is

capable of influencing students and teachers positively as suggested by Olagboye

(2004), physical study environment reflects the political, social, economic and

intellectual activities of given school. He referred to them as physical resources,

school plant or school facilities. Bosque and Dore (2008) stated that teaching and

learning environment sought out to implement six functions: inform, communicate,

collaborate, produce, scaffold, and manage. They added that conceptually

4
speaking, the study environment refers to the whole range of components and

activities in which learning happens.

OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2009)

described study environment as a physical space that supports multiple and diverse

teaching and learning programmes and pedagogies, including current technologies;

one that demonstrates optimal, cost effective building performance and operation

over time; one that respects and is in harmony with the environment and

stimulating setting for its occupants.

The concept of physical study environment with respect to physical

structures relates to spaces, equipment and tools within the school. Dikko (2008)

suggests that study environment is a complex structure that includes teaching

equipment, sources of information and events within and outside the schools where

students can take part in the learning process both directly and virtually.

Study environment is therefore more than the structures, it is about the social

relationship within the space. Elis (2005) asserted that space can be conceptualized

as being an interaction between physical and social space. Also the concept of

study environment has been viewed by Sariola (2011) as an environment for the

teachers and students activities within which learning is seen as an active process

in a multi-information and co-operational network environment.

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 Moreover, technology is often considered valuable for increasing

educational benefit and instructional quality (Dexter, Anderson, & Becker, 2009).

Mobile devices, wireless communications, and network technology have recently

advanced significantly, and have been integrated into various wireless learning

environments that attract many individual’s attention and expectations (Rochelle &

Pea, 2002); Norris & Soloway, 2004). For instance, many studies have been

predicted that wireless study environments have the potential to create something

new and significant impact on education (Roblyer, 2003; Rochelle, 2003; Penual,

Tatar, & Rochelle, 2004).

Wireless study environments, offer many educational possibilities that are

not easily achieved in other study environments. Mobile devices enable both the

teachers and students to employ computing power without time or location

constraints while the internet and wireless technologies enable mobile devices to

interconnect seamlessly with each other or with other computing devices. Wireless

study environments have the following features based on seamlessly linking

various computing power with mobile learning devices at hand which include,

enhancing availability and accessibility information networks; engaging students in

learning related activities in diverse physical locations; supporting group work in

projects; improving communication and collaborative learning in the classroom;

and supporting quick content delivery (Liang, 2005; Zurita, Nussbaum & Salinas,

6
2005). Therefore, wireless learning environments are regarded as more suitable

than ordinary classroom or computer classroom for supporting teaching and

learning based on learner-centred teaching methods which Rochelle (2003) and

Zurita et al (2005) described as active, productive, creative, and collaborative

learning methods.

Relevance of Study Environment

The relevance of a study environment is a key to both safety and effective

learning and development (Liu & Zumbo, 2006). According to Teacharnet (2008),

the surrounding in which students learn can greatly influence the academic

performance and well-being of the learners.

The architecture, layout, and facilities of the school play a vital role in

shaping the study environment and promotion of effective teaching and learning.

Michael (2007) argued that the study environment can serve as a tool for

influencing behaviour and as an aid to the teacher in the management of tasks, he

further submitted that students learn better in a well-manage classroom

environment. Rutter, Dukor & Fair (2009) and Adewuyi (2002) submitted in their

various studies that conducive study environment can have effect on both the

attitudes and achievement of students.

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 Positive study environment is relevant for students to achieve their

educational goals and teachers to meet their instructional objectives as indicated by

Asiabaka (2008) who argued that the school physical facilities and other elements

are the determinant factors in the attainment of educational goals. Also, Nwagwu

(2006) and Ogusanu (2004) maintained that the quality of education that children

receive bears direct relevance to the availability or lack of physical facilities and

overall atmosphere in which learning takes place. The school facilities consists of

all types of buildings for academic and non-academic activities, areas for sports

and games, landscape, farms and gardens including trees, roads and parts. Others

include furniture and toilet facilities and packing lot, security, transportation, ICT,

cleaning materials, food storage facilities and social facilities for the physically

challenged persons.

Positive study environment needs to be actively created and sustained by

members of the student, parent and school personnel, groups in school and

supported by the community at large. When the school community works together

to understand and improve learning environment, collective action powerfully

supports positive youth development and learning and promotes the underlying

21st century skills and knowledge (James, 2005).

Study environment promotes students learning. Positive study environment

powerfully affects students’ motivation to learn. For example, activities like

enhance learning environment by providing students with opportunities to

participate in the learning process and construct their own knowledge of social and

government system.

When students are presented with a supportive and collaborative study

environment, it encourages them to build upon each other’s ideas in productive and

engaging ways. Together, the experience realistically represents the social situation

that they may find themselves part of the greater civil society (Bandele, 2002). In

an overlapping manner, positive learning environment promotes cooperative

learning, group cohesion, respect and mutual trust, (Bandura, 1991). These

facilities play pivotal role in the actualization of the educational goals and

objectives by satisfying the physical, emotional, cultural, social, educational and

psychological needs of students as well as the general educational goals of the

society. Bickel, (2007) emphasized that the physical needs are met through

provision of safe structure, adequate sanitary facilities, a balanced visual

environment, appropriate thermal environment, and sufficient shelter space for

work and play. Learners’ emotional needs are met by creating pleasant

surroundings, a friendly atmosphere and a spring environment.

In fact, schools exist to serve socio-economic and political needs of the ever-

changing society. Consequently, they are in constant interaction with their external
9
environment. They receive inputs from the external environment in the form of

human and material resources, processes them and empty same into the society as

finished products and services.

Again, decent facilities in the study environment make additional

contributions to teacher’s work. Siegal (2004) asserted that there is a direct

relationship between architecture and the collaboration of teachers. The availability

of relevant and recent facilities and equipment in a conducive school climate can

influence teacher’s abilities and increase the formation of social and professional

relationship and sharing of information and knowledge.

Study environment reflects the shared ideas, assumptions, values, beliefs and

practices that define its culture and standards for expected behaviour. A school

climate that contributes to learning focuses on essential components, including

safety and strong relationship between teaching and learning. A positive school

climate means that students, staff, and visitors all feel safe. Threats to their

physical and emotional safety (example, building) can take a great toll on students,

leading some to be fearful of attending school and ultimately impacting negatively

on students’ learning. A school climate that builds a culture of mutual trust and

respect, engage participants, and supports a relationship between teaching and

learning that can improve childhood health and academic performance. Ensuring

that a school learning environment is sensitive to its culturally and linguistically

teacher.

Finally, from the foregoing contributions of different authorities on the

relevance of study environment, it can be summed that positive learning/study

environment promotes student learning, academic achievement, school success and

healthy development, as well as effective risk prevention, positive youth

development and increase teachers relation.

Components of Study Environment

Study environment characterizes the organization at the school building and

lecture hall level. It refers to the “feel” of a school and can vary from school to

school within same region. Several aspects of school’s physical and social

environment comprise its components. Cotton, (2006) has identified components

of Study environment as appearance and physical plants; faculty relations;

leadership and decision making; environment that is welcoming and conducive for

learning; environment that promotes communication and interactions; environment

that promotes a sense of belonging and self-esteem and the environment that

promotes learning and self-fulfilment.

Cotton (2006) characterized study environment as a sense of belonging and

self-esteem by interactions of teachers and other staff members with students,

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responsiveness, supportive and respectful, students trust teachers and other staff

members, moral is high among teachers and staff, school is opened to diversity and

welcoming to all cultures, teachers, other staff members and students are respected

and valued, also teachers, staff and students feel that they are contributing to the

success of the school, there is a sense of community, the school is respected and

valued by teachers, staff, students and families and parents perceive the school as

warm, inviting and helpful.

He also characterized environment that promotes learning and self-esteem

by emphasis on academic, but all types of intelligence and competence are

respected and supported, expectations are high for all students and all are

encouraged to succeed, progress is motivated regularly, results and assignment are

used to evaluate and redesigned teaching procedure and content, results and

assessment are promptly communicated to students and parents, achievement and

performance are awarded and praised, and teachers are confident and knowledge.

However, the various aspects or components of study environment do not

operate independently of one another. For example, the physical environment can

encourage or discourage social interaction. Similarly, social interaction facilitates a

warm affective environment. Collectively, the physical, social, and affective

environments contribute to and are impacted by the academic environment.

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 Study environment includes all of the factors that can affect the learning

within and outside the classroom (example, method of presentation, involvement

of students, materials and resources, then outside the classroom example, sports,

social clubs, social and cultural interaction (Cheter, 2008). OECD (Organization

for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2011) Considered components of

learning environment as learning space and its operational environment within its

flexible and modifiable learning spaces and their learning environments which are

formed through pairs of dimension. They are all interactive and totally supportive

of one another.

Concept of Academic Performance

Academic performance really means the ability to study and remember facts,

being able to study effectively and see how facts fit together and form larger

patterns of knowledge and being able to think for yourself in relation to facts and

to be able to communicate (Coulson, 2008). According to Pruett (2010) is the level

of achievement attain via the combination of inputs from student motivation and

conduct. In views of Adediwura and Tayo (2007) academic performance is

generally referred to how well a student is accomplishing his or her tasks and

studies, but there are quite a number of factors that determine the level and quality

of students’ academic performance. This no doubt supports the view of Nicholas

(2004) that the most current information on improving academic performance

performance among school students.

Academic Performance Index (2010) revealed that academic performance is

how students deal with their studies and responsibilities given to them by their

teachers. Louis (2012) opined that academic performance is the ability of students

to obtain high grades and standard test scores in school courses, especially courses

that are part of the core academic curriculum.

Study Environment and Academic Performance

A school is a study environment where teamwork is prevalent, diversity is

incorporated, and individuals care about, trust, and respect each other, community

members share a vision for the future of the school, a common sense of purpose,

and a common set of values.

However, a student’s educational outcome and academic success is greatly

influenced by the type of school that they attend. School factors include school

structure, school composition, and school climate. The school one attends is the

study environment that sets the parameters of a students learning experience.

Crosnoe, Johnson and Elder (2004) suggested that school sector (public or private)

and class size are two important structural components of school. Private schools

tend to have both better funding and smaller class size than public schools. The

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additional funding of private schools leads to better academic performance and

more access to resources such as computers, which has been shown to enhance

academic achievement.

Ducason and Achilles (2008) described teachers and the physical

environment (plant space) are the two major tools that can bring about new

outcomes in teaching and learning process. Rutter, Dukor & Fair (2009); Scheerens

and Creemers (2009); Adewuyi (2002) submitted in their various studies that

conducive learning environment can have positive effect on both attitudes and

achievements of students.

Positive learning environment is found to be very important factor of school

effectiveness. Glen (2006) however, revealed that physical facilities like buildings

can exert great influence on the academic performance of students either positively

or negatively by how the built environment either permits them to function or

inhibits the process of teaching and learning.

School Building and Academic Performance

Over the years, causes of the poor academic performance could include

inadequate physical facilities among other factors. Physical facilities could also be

explained as the entire school building such as blocks of classrooms, staffrooms,

laboratories, workshops, libraries, laboratory equipment, storage spaces and others

15
which school has. It has always been realized that school building are very

important in the development and improvement students’ academic performance in

Nigeria. A school without physical facilities, either private or public, may not be

able to achieve the stated goals and objectives of the system. When facilities are

available and skillfully utilized, they influence learning and making it more

meaningful. Facilities in education are very vital because they aid teaching and

learning.

Bandele (2003) noted that the importance of physical facilities cannot be

relegated. Modern laboratories, libraries and classrooms are to be put in place in all

schools. There is the need for renovation of old buildings, chairs, desks, cabinets

and acquisition of modern classrooms. Akinfolarin (2008) identified physical

facilities as a major factor contributing to academic performance in the schools

system. These include classroom furniture, recreational equipment among others.

Different studies conducted by Ayodele (2000) and Vandiver (2011), showed that

a positive relationship exists between availability of good institution building and

student academic performances.

School buildings are tangible structures which serve as shelter for

educational activities. They include among others lecture hall, laboratories,

workshops, offices, libraries, and hostels. Okafor (2013) and Lew (2010) contend

that school buildings, classroom accommodation for teaching and learning,

that Earthman (2014) opined that the building in which students spends a good deal

of learning does influence how well they learn. Mgbodile (2014) have also pointed

out that for effective teaching and learning situation, school building and

educational goals, should be viewed as being interwoven. Lezotte & Passiroque

(2012) carried out a study and find out that the school building accounts for

significant variance in academic achievement of students. Apart from protecting

the pupils from the sun, rain, heat and cold, school building represent learning

environment which has great impact on the comfort, safety and performance of the

children.

Cotton (2006) characterized study environment that is welcoming and

conducive by school building as to contain normal class population, students

should feel safe and comfortable everywhere on school properties, class orderliness

should be maintained, classrooms and grounds are clean and well-maintained,

noise free environment, classrooms are furnished and staff members have

sufficient books. He further characterized study environment that promotes

interactions by good interactions among the occupants of the school building,

teachers are collegial and students grouping are diverse, parents and teachers are

partners in the education, teachers are opened to students‟ suggestions and students

17
are offered the opportunity to participate in decision making and but staff and

students are trained to prevent and resolve conflicts.

Library Facilities and Academic Performance

The school library is a room or building in a school where books, magazines,

journals, periodicals, cassettes, computers among others are kept for student’s use.

Dike (2011) sees school library as a learning laboratory par excellence where

learners find the world of knowledge, interact directly with resources, acquire

information and develop research skill for lifelong learning. The objective of the

school library is to serve the school’s need and to make possible the purpose and

methods of education which the school undertakes. The school library enables the

students to look at new ways of learning and with its resources, can play a

programme of work that aims at new ambition’s education result which would be

impossible if learning were restricted to the use of direct teaching and textbook

alone.

Waite, cited in Adeyemi (2010), sees the library as a collection of a wide

variety of learning and teaching materials which are housed in a place and centrally

organized by staff and indexed to serve readers. Waite says that it comprises not

18
only books or periodicals but also non-print materials, films, slides and tapes.

These resources could be seen in two ways, namely, material resources such as

books, journals, CD Roms, dissertation abstracts and human resources such as the

librarian and supporting staff. Thus, the school library is the resource centre of any

school. A school library is a school’s physical and digital learning space where

reading, inquiry, research, thinking, imagination, and creativity are central to

students’ information, to their knowledge journey, and to their personal, social and

cultural growth. A school library is an indispensable learning resource for every

tertiary institution.

Libraries have the goals of assisting institutions by providing learning and

reading resources in order to achieve the objectives of producing well-moulded

students in their chosen disciplines. Petters and Ottong (2012) describe a school

library as an information centre located within the school environment whose task

is to identify and collect, process, organize, store, preserve, retrieve and

disseminate information pertinent to the needs of members of the school

community with a view to satisfying their changing information needs. They

described the School libraries as indispensable resource centres for the

improvement and success of any educational system. School Libraries assist the

processes of teaching and learning by storing and providing instructional materials

19
for the students as well as the lecturers. Libraries, according to them, serve as a

repository of knowledge and a catalyst towards qualitative education.

It is no gainsaying that students’ academic achievement in tertiary

institutions is anchored on the availability and utilization of modern, well equipped

school library facilities. The reasons are not farfetched, a strong library that is

adequately staffed, resourced and funded can lead to higher student performance

regardless of socio economic or education levels of the adults in the community

(Ogundele & Moronfoye, 2013). In the same direction, Ogundele and Moronfoye

explain that school libraries can make a positive difference to students' self-esteem,

confidence, independence and sense of responsibility about their own learning. The

role of the school library is very crucial to learning as it provides the rudiments to

learning, gives information that can change people’s lives to a better one,

encourages students to study, learn and achieve better results as well as provides

confidence to look for information on their own at different levels. School library

services are very crucial and indispensable to any form of education; elementary,

tertiary and eventually lifelong learning. When students are able to explore

information from the library that is meaningful to them, they not only learn faster

but their literacy grows rapidly.

School libraries make a difference to students’ performance and provide

support for teaching and learning throughout the school. Valenza and Johnston
20
(2009), maintain that libraries exist as places for learners to find information,

resources, services, and instruction. The school library is central to learning and

plays a key role as a place for encouraging innovation, curiosity, problem solving,

and as a catalyst for literacy and reading and for teaching and scaffolding inquiry

learning.

Libraries play an important role in students' achievement, curriculum

development, and instruction (Rodger, 2009). On the same issue of libraries'

influence on students' achievement, Todd and Kuhlthau, (2004), stress that school

libraries help students find information, stay organized, and provide support to deal

with personal concerns or issues and make them better learners. School libraries

play an important role in lowering achievement gaps and supporting at-risk

students on their pathways to graduation. They provide both academic and social

supports by helping at-risk students raise their grades and perform well on

assignments, and they motivate students with strategies to continue learning and

improving after the school day.

School Location and Academic Performance

School location refers to where a given school is situated. It could be in an

urban or rural area. A lot of researches had been carried out in respect to school

locations and some hold the view that location influences the academic

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achievement of students in such a school. This is so because in a situation whereby

the school is sited in a noisy area where activities disrupt the teaching/learning of

the students, one will not expect such students to doing well academically.

Onukwo (2004) in his note says that a conducive environment enhances a child's

growth and development. Children feel happy in a peaceful and friendly

environment whereas schools sited in noisy urban streets are associated with

deficits in mental concentration leading to student’s poor performance.

School location refers to the sitting of school in the urban or rural area. Rural

schools are generally inferior to urban schools as schools in rural areas lacked

human and material resources needed for success at school. The location of school

whether urban or rural affects a child’s ability to study and perform at the level

expected of him. Mkpugbe (2013) noted that different aspects of school

environment (rural and urban) influences students achievement. He went further to

state that the individual student’s academic behaviour is influenced not only by the

motivating forces of his home, scholastic ability, and academic values but also by

the social pressure applied by the participants in the school setting. Also

differences in location imply differences in the existence of demographic and

socio-economic parameters of the school. As stated by Imoagene (2013) in Akubue

& Ifelunni (2016) that because of urban involvement, students in urban schools

perform better than those in rural schools in language learning. The reason he gave

22
include the fact that rural students have limited access to reading materials,

inadequate reading culture and insufficient graduate teachers in rural schools.

Akabogu (2011) study found out that location of school has significance impact on

students’ achievement in reading comprehension. Therefore, the location of school

has tremendous influence on children’s academic achievement.

Adebule and Aborisade (2013) opined that students that resided in urban

centres especially where there are higher institutions like polytechnics or

universities are likely to have inclination for higher education than those in the

rural setting. They further asserted that students in urban setting could have more

access to libraries, laboratories, etc. than those in rural setting. Similarly, Bosede

(2010) stated that location of school influence students’ academic achievement in

some areas. Alokan (2010) in his studies on the influence of location on

relationship between students’ problem and academic performance affirmed that

location do not affect the negative relationship between student problems and

academic performance.

In addition, some other studies (Bosede, 2010; Ezeh, 1998) cited in Okorie

and Ezeh (2016) showed no difference in academic achievement of students

because of location. Conversely, Agbir (2004) also cited in Okorie and Ezeh

(2016) showed that rural students performed better on practical skills in chemistry

than their urban counterparts did. The influence of location on students’ academic
23
achievement remains controversial and inconclusive. This calls for further

investigation. Okonkwo (2010) cited in Igwebuike and Ikponmwosa (2013) that

secondary school Chemistry students with positive perception of their classroom

environment achieved significantly better than their counterparts with negative

perception. In addition, Adebule and Aborisade (2013) posited that lack of social

amenities in rural areas impinges on the education services, such amenities are

electricity, pipe borne water, technical resources, safe and secure facilities that are

essential to successful educational programmes. Similarly, Ogunleye and Adepoju

(2011) contended that the location of a school has an important role to play in the

educational attainment of students in the school. However, some areas where

schools are located are neither urban nor rural. A peri-urban area is the transition

zone or interaction zone where urban and rural activities are juxtaposed and

landscape features are subjected to rapid modifications, induced by human

activities. Therefore, the location of school has tremendous influence on students’

academic achievement.

Empirical Studies

There is no doubt that good academic performance is linked to the positive

study environment. Numerous studies have therefore demonstrated that study

environment is significantly related to students’ academic performance.

24
 Akindahunsi, (2020) investigated the influence of study environment on

academic achievement of business education students in public Universities in

Ekiti State. The design for the study is descriptive of the survey type. The

population comprised of 1500 business education students from the two public

universities offering business education. The sample size for the study was 200

business education students who were selected through simple random sample

technique. Three research questions were raised to guide the study and two

hypotheses were formulated. The study revealed that staff office, classroom spaces

for teaching students and staff common room represented the major areas that to a

great extent affect the academic performance of students in public schools, with

regard to buildings. It was also revealed that desks, current books and presence of

library assistants constituted the areas of influence to the academic achievement of

the students with regard to library services in the public secondary schools. The

study revealed that there was significant relationship between school facilities and

students’ academic achievement. The study concluded that school environment

have great influence on academic achievement of business education students in

public universities in Ekiti State. The study therefore recommended that there

should be provision of adequate conducive classroom to promote effective

teaching and learning of students in order to improve on their academic

achievement. Office accommodations should be provided for lecturers to enable

25
them have appropriate space and time for their lectures and other related academic

activities. Furthermore, efforts should be made by stakeholders to provide schools

with functional libraries and well equipped with current reading reference

materials as well as employed qualified library assistant that is capable to direct

students to the proper chef where to get relevant materials.

Godstime and Josep, (2019) carried out a study on the influences of school

environment on students’ academic performance in technical colleges in Rivers

State. Four research questions were raised which guided the study. The study

adopted the descriptive survey design. The study population was 561, comprised of

141 teachers and 420 year III students in four technical colleges in Rivers state that

were used as respondents without sampling. The instrument used was a

questionnaire and the reliability of the instrument was established by administering

copies of the instrument to 30 respondents at Federal Technical and Science

College, Ahoada who are not part of the study population but has similar

characteristics with the study population. The data collected from the respondents

were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions

and decisions were taken based on real limit. The study found that to a high extent

school buildings, technical workshop, library facilities, and location of school

influences students’ academic performance in technical colleges in Rivers State. It

was recommended among others, that adequate and conducive classroom building

26
to be provided in the public schools to help promote effective teaching for

students’ improved academic achievement.

Aernyi and Odeh, (2017) examined the influence of Library Facilities on

Students' academic achievement in Colleges of Education in North Central Zone of

Nigeria. The study looked at availability of Library Facilities, the utilization of

Library Facilities on Students' academic achievement in Colleges of Education in

North Central Zone of Nigeria. Three specific objectives were looked at while

three research questions were raised and three hypotheses formulated and tested at

0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a survey research design with 3,800

students were proportionately sampled based on their numbers in the respective

institutions. Two instruments were used for data collection, Influence of Library

Facilities on Students' Academic Achievement Questionnaire (ILFSAAQ) and

'Academic Record Profoma (ARP) was given to exam officers for collection of

students grades between 2007/2010-20011/2014 sessions in English Language,

Mathematics, Christian Religious Knowledge, Physical and Health Education

(P.H.E) and Integrated Science for five academic sessions. The data collected was

analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research questions

were answered using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation

while the hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation

Coefficient (PPMCC) at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the findings

27
among others revealed that, language laboratories facilities were available in the

Colleges of Education in North Central Zone of Nigeria to a moderate extent,

however students’ utilization of language laboratory facilities was to a low extent.

Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that, Provost of colleges

of education should always ensure that Library Facilities in their colleges are

available to a high extent and Students utilization of the facilities should be

improved to a high extent to positively influence their academic achievement.

Okafor, Maina, Stephen, and Ohambele, (2016) examined the impact of

building typology/environments on academic performance of students. The survey

was carried out using 232 senior secondary school students as well as physical

measurements/documentation of the secondary school was used to obtain the

students’ view of their school building, how it affects them and if their school

building was built for school purposes or not. Interviews were also conducted to

get more information from the students on the subject matter. The data was

analyzed using SPSS version 21 for descriptive statistics from questionnaire

responses. Study findings reveal that performance of students would improve with

the provision of adequate and conducive school environment with emphasis on

facilities such as classrooms and toilets. It further revealed that good indoor air

quality, good visual comfort and sufficient space within and outside learning

spaces are factors that affect performance of students amongst others. The

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implication of these findings to designers is that the building typology (be it

originally residential or institutional) plays a significant role in the overall

academic performance of students in the study area.

Summary

This chapter reviewed some of the previous works related to the theme of

this study. The literature was reviewed under the following headings: concept of

study environment, relevance of study environment, components of study

environment, concept of academic performance, study environment and academic

performance, school building and academic performance, library facilities and

academic performance, school location and academic performance, empirical

studies and summary. However, in the light of the proceeding literature reviewed

with its revelation concerning the relationship between the study environment and

academic performance of students of OTM in tertiary institutions, the study would

no doubt add to the knowledge of the readers upon the findings highlighted in this

literature review.

From the discussions presented in this chapter, it is clear that conducive

study environment can have positive effect on the academic performance of

students. For example, it was shown that facilities such as library, school building,

school location and a host of others can positively improve the performance of

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students. Empirical studies perused came from Nigeria and they all stressed the

strong relationship that exist between study environment and students’ academic

achievement.

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