Impact of Boarding Secondary Schools on Students' Achievement In
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Tropical Journal of Education, 2(1/2), 45-54, 2020 ISSN: 2550-7907 (Print) 2550-7915 (Online) Available online at credencepressltd.com, http://doi.org/10.47524/tje.v2i1.6 Impact of boarding secondary schools on students’ achievement in mathematics in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. John Aduwa, PhD Department of Science, Government Secondary School Ogbia Town, Bayelsa State, Nigeria Email: [email protected] Cell: +2348068353230 Abstract The study examined the impact of boarding Secondary Schools on students’ achievement in mathematics. The study was conducted in Ogbia Education Zone of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Two research questions and their corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. A post-test only of quasi- experimental research design was adopted. Furthermore, a purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 219 senior secondary school class 1 (SSS 1) mathematics students from a mixed model boarding secondary school. This school consisted of both boarding and day students. A Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was used to collect data from the students after a period of instruction that lasted for one full academic term. All data collected were analysed by the methods of mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics. The finding indicated that the establishment of the model boarding secondary schools by the Bayelsa State Government had a very significant impact on students’ achievement in mathematics. The study recommended that more model boarding secondary schools should be established by the Bayelsa State Government. Key words: Boarding students, Day students, Impact, Mathematics, Model, Secondary schools, Students’ achievement. Introduction relatively very expensive compared to the Mathematics is one of the core subjects in boarding schools managed by the the secondary school level of education in governments (Keystone, 2016). Nigeria. It is a subject that required the On the definition of boarding critical reasoning of the learners to learn it school, British Council (2020) defined better. For the development of the critical boarding school as a residential school reasoning of the students, government at where pupils live and study during the all levels, private individuals and school year. Based on this definition, the mathematics researchers have developed students in the boarding schools were different methods or ways that will enable accommodated in the school compound by the learners to learn the subject the management of such schools. This appropriately. In addition to the teaching implies that the school management takes methods or strategies adopted by full care of the students under their mathematics teachers, government or control, both academic and feeding during private individual has resulted to another the academic session. Also, Linden way of educating the students. One of such Boarding School Tours (2020) saw ways was the introduction of boarding boarding school as a college preparatory school’s system. institutions where students and teachers Boarding schools are schools live and study together in a safe and secure where the owners of schools take the full school environment. Linden Boarding custodian of both upbringing and academic School Tours (2020) definition of boarding well- beings of the learners under their school indicated that staff of such schools care during the academic session. The should be equally accommodated owners of schools may be governments or alongside with the students in a more private individuals. Although, boarding secure and conducive school environment. schools owned by private individuals are Boarding school is a school equipped with 45 John Aduwa: Impact of boarding secondary schools on students’ achievement in mathematics in Bayelsa State, Nigeria rooms where the students live instead of attracted parents to enroll their children in living in their homes (Cambridge the boarding schools despite the expensive Dictionary, 1996). Also, Merriam-Webster nature of the schools. Furthermore, parents (n.d) viewed boarding school as a school believed that the academic achievement of that provides meals and lodging for the students in the boarding schools will be students. In addition, Hornby (2010) saw better than those students in the non- boarding school as a school where students boarding schools. can live within the school academic year. A study carried out by Sparks On the meaning of day school, it is (2015) and discovered that boarding a school where the students come directly schools had potential ability of benefiting from their homes to school and left back strong students in mathematics. According home when school has closed for the day to Sparks (2015), strong students gained during the academic year. Ode (2019) more knowledge in mathematics than the quoted Ajayi (2002) and stated that, the weak students. In some cases, weak day school system was embraced by students were left out because their parents parents because it enables them the were not residing in the school premises. opportunity of helping children in their In addition, boarding school is a disruptive school homework which eventually form of schooling for students (Sparks, resulted in the improvement of the 2015). students’ academic achievement. Meanwhile, in the boarding A study conducted by schools, motivation, engagement, Chaisemartin and Gurgand (2017) on the achievement, personality and effects of boarding school for psychological well-being of the students disadvantaged students in France. were put under control by the school According to the authors, the result reveals management (Martin, Papworth, Ginns & that the disadvantaged students from Liem, 2014). According to the authors, boarding schools performed better than the boarding schools had all it takes to day students in mathematics. improve both the academic and well-being Boarding schools offered the of the learners when compared to the day students the opportunity to learn on their schools. own without distraction from their parents, Although, there were some especially in the evening. Since the school problems associated with the boarding management takes care of their both schools. One of such problems was academic and feeding, the students were bullying behaviour among the learners. strictly monitored by the school. Even in This behaviour was common to both some cases, extra classes were organized boarding and day students but was more for students in the boarding schools during among the students in the boarding schools the academic session and even when the (Pfeiffer & Pinquart, 2014). According to academic is not in session (holidays) by the researchers, one of the reasons why the owners. this bullying behaviour was common There were some schools that mostly among the students in the boarding operated both boarding and day schools. In schools was as a result of selecting effects. a similar way, there were some schools Pfeiffer and Pinquert (2014) further stated that operated boarding schools only. With that if this ugly behaviour was not properly respect to school facilities, studies have checked, it may have had negative effect shown that boarding schools possessed on the life of the learners during and after more facilities than the non-boarding the secondary education. schools (Maphoso & Mahlo, 2017). The Okoye and Nnamani (2018) did a availability of these basic facilities study on the extent of academic Tropical Journal of Education, Volume 2, Numbers 1/2, 2020 46 John Aduwa: Impact of boarding secondary schools on students’ achievement in mathematics in Bayelsa State, Nigeria achievement of day and boarding type. Holding a mobile phone is against secondary school’s students in Anambra the constitution of boarding schools in the State, Nigeria. The two researchers State. employed a descriptive research design for A comparative study of student’s their study. At the end of the data analyses, performance in mathematics in boarding Okoye and Nnamani (2018) discovered and day secondary schools in Pankshin that boarding students did academically Local Government Area of Plateau State better than the day students. One of the (Fwinpak & Dirgak, 2017). Fwinpak and reasons given by Okoye and Nnamani Dirgak (2017) employed a comparative (2018) for the finding was that, day research design in their study. According students were distracted at home by their to Fwinpak and Dirgat (2017), the finding parents and others but boarding students indicated that there was a significant were properly controlled by the difference in the performance of students management of the schools to face their in boarding and day secondary school’s studies seriously. Okoye and Nnamani external examination in mathematics. In (2018) concluded that lack of finance, addition, there was a significant difference educational facilities and inadequate between the performance of female infrastructures were the challenges that boarding and day students in mathematics affected the academic achievement of both external examination. Fwinpak and Dirgak the day and boarding students in Anambra (2017) recommended that government State. In addition, the two researchers should be fair in distributing educational recommended that students should be materials to both the boarding and day allowed to attend boarding schools and secondary schools. Also, according to the also the Anambra State Government researchers, qualified mathematics should intervene by providing schools with teachers should be recruited and posted to academic and boarding facilities. On the both