By Dr Edwin Okpa Bassey
Abstract
The study examined the perception of teachers on the influence of environmental factors on academic performance of secondary school students in Ikom Education Zone of Cross River State. Descriptive survey research design was employed in the study. The total population of the study was 1,829 teachers with a sample of 344 teachers. The instrument used for data collection was a researcher developed questionnaire titled “Environmental Factors Influencing Academic Performance of Secondary School Students Questionnaire (EFIAPSSSQ)”.The questionnaire was validated by two experts in Measurement and Evaluation from National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Reliability of the sets of items of the instrument yielded a coefficient of 0.73 using Cronbach Alpha. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The study revealed that positive, supportive and culturally conscious school environment can influence the performance of students. The study concluded that there are several environmental factors that could influence students’ academic performance in secondary school. Recommendations were made that schools should be strategically located to positively influence academic performance of students and regulatory bodies should take into account various environmental factors before granting approval to any structure at school at any level.