Academic Achievement of Senior Secondary School Students in Relation to their School Environment Dissertation
Academic
Achievement of Senior Secondary School Students in Relation to their School
Environment
Dr. Mrs. Agnese
Dhillon*& Jyotsna Thakur**
Abstract
The present research was undertaken to find out the
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to their
school environment. The sample for the study comprised 200 students (100 were
from government and 100 from private schools) of Chandigarh. School environment
inventory by K.S. Misra was used to collect data. The results indicated
significant difference in academic achievement of students from government and
private schools. Significant differences were also observed in government and
private schools with regard to some components of school environment.
Introduction
The children are greatly influenced by the environment in which they
grow up and are taught. Academic achievement is prime and perennial
responsibility of a school or any other educational institution. The brilliant
academic records are deemed to be the most widely used index of its worth and
index. In fact school environment plays an influential role in a child’s
development. School is regarded as the most significant and comprehensive
formal agency of education, which is expected to provide the students with all
kinds of experiences that they need in order to develop and sharpen their
capacities. Academic
achievement or (academic) performance is the outcome
of education — the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has
achieved their educational goals.
Academic achievement is commonly measured
by examinations or continuous
assessment but there
is no general agreement on how it is best tested or which aspects are most
important — procedural knowledge such as skills or declarative
knowledge such as facts.
School environment is the physical environment of school
buildings and school grounds is a key factor in the overall health and safety
of students, staff, and visitors. School buildings and grounds must be designed
and maintained to be free of health and safety hazards, and to promote
learning. Studies have shown that student achievement can be affected either
positively or negatively by the school environment. Policies and protocols must
be in place to ensure food protection, sanitation, safe water supply, healthy
air quality, good lighting, safe playgrounds, violence prevention, and
emergency response, among other issues that relate to the physical environment
of schools.
Ghaith and Finnan (2003) reported that
positive school environment promotes cooperative learning, group cohesion,
respect and mutual trust or a climate for learning.
Indu
(2004) and Sharma (2005) have reported that good school environment has
positive influence on the academic achievement of the students.
Joshi
(1975), “referred to school climate as the academic atmosphere or as learning
climate. It was the environment in which the intellectual creative and
productive power of the individual blossomed and flower to their full.”
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1) To study and compare the academic
achievement of senior secondary school students studying in government and
private schools.
2) To study and compare the school
environment of senior secondary school students in government and private
schools.
3) To study the academic achievement of
senior secondary students in relation to their school environment.
1) There will be no significant difference
in the academic achievement of senior secondary students studying in government
and private school.
2) There will be no significant difference
in the school environment of government and private schools.
3) There will be no significant difference
in the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to
their school environment.
DESIGN
OF THE STUDY
In the present
study descriptive survey method will be employed to collect data.
SAMPLE OF THE STUDY
In the present
study stratified random sample techniques will be employed. The sample
comprised 200 students of senior secondary classes of Chandigarh. Out of these
200 students 100 will be taken from government schools and 100 will be taken
from private schools. Further 50 male and 50 female students will be taken from
each type of school i.e. government and private.
TOOLS USED
1) Academic Achievement scores of final
examination of previous class.
2) School Environment Inventory (SEI) by
Dr. Karuna Shankar Misra (Allahabad)
Statistical Techniques
1) t-test
Results
and Discussion
Table
1: Mean differentials between academic achievement of senior secondary school
students studying in government and private schools.
Group
|
Mean
|
Standard
Deviation
|
t
value
|
Level
of significance
|
Government
|
7.31
|
.77
|
4.393
|
0.01
|
|
6.76
|
.98
|
||
Table 1 shows that mean
differentials between government and private schools with respect to academic
achievement is significant at 0.01 level of significance. The high mean scores
of government school students (M=7.31) than private school students (M=6.76)
employs that senior secondary school students studying in government schools
achieved higher than those studying in private schools.
Table
2: Mean differentials in the school environment of senior secondary school
students studying in government and private schools.
Areas of School Environment
|
Mean
|
S.D.
|
t-value
|
Level of significance
|
||
Govt.
|
Private
|
Govt.
|
Private
|
|||
Creative Stimulation
|
51.45
|
48.68
|
8.48
|
7.06
|
2.50
|
0.05
|
Cognitive Encouragement
|
27.52
|
28.38
|
4.18
|
4.12
|
1.46
|
N.S.
|
Acceptance
|
25.19
|
26.18
|
3.66
|
3.76
|
1.88
|
N.S.
|
Permissiveness
|
24.82
|
25.07
|
3.86
|
2.91
|
.517
|
N.S.
|
Rejection
|
22.06
|
20.45
|
4.05
|
3.57
|
2.98
|
0.01
|
Control
|
19.73
|
15.35
|
5.33
|
3.30
|
6.98
|
0.01
|
Total School Environment
|
170.63
|
162.52
|
20.00
|
16.52
|
3.03
|
0.01
|
It is clear from the table 2 that with respect to Creative
Stimulation dimension of school environment the mean scores of government and
private schools were 51.45 and 48.68 respectively and SD was 8.48 and 7.06
respectively and the t-value was 2.50 which is significant at 0.05 level.
With respect to Cognitive Encouragement dimension of school
environment the mean scores of government and private schools were 27.52 and
28.38 respectively and SD was 4.18 and 4.12 respectively and the t-value was
1.46 which is not significant.
With respect to Acceptance dimension of school environment the
mean scores of government and private schools were 25.19 and 26.18 respectively
and SD was 3.66 and 3.76 respectively and the t-value was 1.88 which is not
significant.
With respect to Permissiveness dimension of school environment the
mean scores of government and private schools were 24.82 and 25.07 respectively
and SD was 3.86 and 2.91 respectively and the t-value was 0.51 which is not
significant.
With respect to Rejection dimension of school environment the mean
scores of government and private schools were 22.06 and 20.45 respectively and
SD was 4.05 and 3.57 respectively and the t-value was 2.98 which is significant
at 0.01 level.
With respect to Control dimension of school environment the mean
scores of government and private schools were 19.73 and 15.35 respectively and
SD was 5.33 and 3.30 respectively and the t-value was 6.98 which is significant
at 0.01 level.
The total mean scores of government and private schools were
170.63 and 162.76 respectively and total SD was 20.00 and 16.52 respectively
with regard to school environment and the t-value was 3.03 which is significant
at 0.01 level.
Results entered in table 2 show
that calculate t values with regard to different areas of school environment
i.e. cognitive encouragement, acceptance and permissiveness were not
statistically significant. This suggests that senior secondary school students
studying in government and private school do not differ significantly with
regard to cognitive encouragement, acceptance and permissiveness areas of
school environment.
Further significant t-values with
regard to creative stimulation, rejection and control and total school
environment suggest that government and private schools differ significantly
with regard to creative stimulation, rejection and control and total school
environment. The higher mean scores of government schools than the private
schools indicate that government schools have somewhat better school
environment as compared to private schools.
Table
3: Group statistics with regard to Academic Achievement of senior secondary
school students in relation to their School Environment.
Dimensions of school environment
|
M1
(High)
|
M2
(Low)
|
SD1
(High)
|
SD2
(Low)
|
t-value
|
Level of Significance
|
Creative Stimulation
|
7.15
|
6.82
|
0.91
|
0.76
|
2.00
|
0.05
|
Cognitive Encouragement
|
6.93
|
7.10
|
0.92
|
0.72
|
1.05
|
N.S.
|
Acceptance
|
7.01
|
7.02
|
1.00
|
0.86
|
0.04
|
N.S.
|
Permissiveness
|
7.15
|
6.83
|
0.96
|
0.87
|
1.82
|
N.S.
|
Rejection
|
7.34
|
6.83
|
0.80
|
0.90
|
3.09
|
0.01
|
Control
|
7.25
|
6.70
|
0.82
|
0.99
|
3.12
|
0.01
|
Total SEI
|
7.30
|
6.72
|
0.82
|
0.84
|
3.62
|
0.01
|
It is clear from the
table 3 that the mean scores of academic achievement of senior secondary school
students in relation to school environment with respect to high and low
Creative Stimulation dimension were 7.17 and 6.82 respectively and the SD was
0.91 and 0.76 respectively and the t-value was 2.00 which is significant at
0.05 level.
The mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with respect to high and low Cognitive Encouragement dimension were
6.93 and 7.10 respectively and the SD
was 0.92 and 0.72 respectively and the t-value was 1.05 which is not
significant.
The mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with respect to high and low Acceptance dimension were 7.01 and 7.02
respectively and the SD was 1.00 and 0.86 respectively and the t-value was 0.04
which is not significant.
The mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with respect to high and low Permissiveness dimension were 7.15 and
6.83 respectively and the SD was 0.96 and 0.87 respectively and the t-value was
1.82 which is not significant.
The mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with respect to high and low Rejection dimension were 7.34 and 6.83
respectively and the SD was 0.80 and 0.90 respectively and the t-value was 3.09
which is significant at 0.01 level.
The mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with respect to high and low Control dimension were 7.25 and 6.70
respectively and the SD was 0.82 and 0.99 respectively and the t-value was 3.12
which is significant at 0.01 level.
The total mean scores of
academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation to school
environment with high and low school environment dimensions were 7.30 and 6.72
respectively and the SD was 0.82 and 0.84 respectively and the t-value was 3.62
which is significant at 0.01 level.
Entries made in table 3
shows that the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in relation
to creative stimulation, rejection and control dimensions of school environment
inventory is significant but cognitive encouragement, acceptance and
permissiveness dimensions are not significant. But in total it is significant
and hence null hypothesis is rejected.
Education
Implications
1.
It is useful to know the environment of
the school provided by the school administration and the teachers. It helps the
teachers to develop a positive attitude towards adolescents.
2.
The appropriate curriculum activities
should be introduced in the schools by the school administrators and planners
to enhance the level of environment in order to make it lively and attractive
to the students. It is very important for the school administration to maintain
effective school environment in order to improve the education level of the
school.
3.
The parents and teachers should mutually
co-ordinate and make efforts to make conducive school environment.
References
Ghaith, S.& Finnan, V. (2003). The
psychology of adolescence. New York : The Macmillan.
Indu (2004). Effect of Academic
stress on mental health and self of secondary
school students. Unpublished M.Ed. Dissertation, Chandigarh: P.U.
Joshi,
S. (1975). A study of teacher’s attitude towards evaluation system. Journal of
international research,1(3&4).
Lata, S. (2005). School organizational climate: mental health
implications and a proposed process for psychological consultation. Dissertation Abstracts International,
36(7), 4042A.
Misra, K.S. (2002). Manual for school environment inventory.
Sharma,J. (2005). The influence of physical environment of school on social
development academic achievement. M.Ed. Dissertation, Chandigarh:P.U.
Vamaderappa, H.V. (2005). Impact of parental involvement on academic
achievement. Journal of Education and
Extension, 42(2), 23-33.
Walberg, H.J. and
Anderson, G.J. (1968). Classroom Climate and individual Learning. Journal of
Education Psychology, 59, 414-419
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