INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AS CORRELATES OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN YENAGOA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated infrastructural facilities as correlates of academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A correlational survey research design was adopted to guide the study, which was anchored on four research questions and four corresponding null hypotheses. The target population consisted of all 23567 students in 44 public secondary schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State during the 2023/2024 academic session. From this population, a sample of 390 students was selected using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure adequate representation across schools. Data were collected using a structured and validated instruments titled “Infrastructural Facilities Questionnaire (IFQ)” and “Students’ Academic Achievement Scale (SAAS)”, developed by the researcher. The reliability of the instruments was established through the Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.94 and 0.87 respectively. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic analysis, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was employed to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that classroom, laboratory and library facilities each had significant and positive relationships with students’ academic performance. The study concluded that infrastructural facilities are critical factors that contribute to academic success among students. It was recommended that educational stakeholders improve school infrastructure to enhance students' learning outcomes.