Influence of Schools’ Climate Effectiveness on Secondary School Student’s Behavioural Outcomes in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Sulaiman N. I., Okereke V. E., Lawal A. O.

Abstract


The first major purpose of a school is to create and provide a climate that is hospitable to human learning (Barth 2001). Children and adolescents spend a considerable amount of their time in school, and the school environment is therefore of importance for child behavioral outcomes. Generally, school climate effectiveness comprises of physical dimensions, social dimensions and academic dimensions.  This study was an attempt to investigate the influence of school climate on students’ behaviour outcome. Survey design was employed in this study. The area for the study covered all public secondary schools in Bauchi metropolis.  The population for the study comprises all SS2 (583,251) students in public schools in Bauchi metropolis. Four hundred students were drawn from eighteen schools using Yemanes sampling technique. Four objectives, four research questions and four hypothesis were stated and formulated respectively to guide the study. The data was analysed by using mean, chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance by ranks. The instrument was a structured questionnaire adapted from School Level Environment Questionnaire Developed by Johnson and Stevens (2006) which was pilot tested and reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s Alpha) of 0.61 was obtained which shows that the results was acceptable. An adapted integrated model of school climate effectiveness (scheerens, 1990) was adapted to reflect the interaction between the school climate dimension and students behavioural outcome. The theory that anchored this study was system theory propounded by Ludwing Von Bertalanffy (1973). Findings have revealed that all most the school failed to provide favourable climate for learning as a mediator of students’ behavioural outcome. Also a synergy should be created in the forms of annual assessment of the school climate and the results should be published to the schools and the community at large.  


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