LIBRARY SERVICES AND LEARNING RESOURCES AS DETERMINANT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS

LIBRARY SERVICES AND LEARNING RESOURCES AS DETERMINANT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS

Background to the Study

Library did not come into existence by magic. It was created by human beings living in the society. According to world book Encyclopedia (2000) library can be defined as a collection of books, periodicals, films, recordings, computer database or other media. Patil and Kooganuramalb (2008) see library as a collection of books and housed knowledge. It is also a collection of books and non-book materials housed and processed for easy retrieval and dissemination of information. Abolaji (2009) is of the opinion that library is not only a collection of text books it includes other sources like reference material, books relating to school curriculum, general books not relating to a specific subject area, periodicals, newspapers, audio visual materials, government publication and electronically stored and retrievable materials.

These resources enable libraries to play a crucial role in the success of life long education of communities and society in general. They can also meet the broad and viewing needs of people living in the society for information, knowledge, recreation and intellectual enjoyment. Makoju (1995) stated that ‘’the school library today not only services the curriculum needs of students and teachers but also provides materials for the professional growth of teachers and students’’. The school library helps teachers and students to keep abreast of the best ideas and practices I education and use materials to broaden their own knowledge to derive personal enjoyment.

According to Kolade (2000), the school library can be described as the nerve Centre of the school, the school library is expected to play an important role in the school curriculum since it has unlimited jurisdiction in the field of knowledge. Oluwakayode (2008) defined the school library as a facility in the school where books, periodicals are stored in a sequential order for the purpose of research study evaluation and recreation by both students as well as teachers who are ready to make use of the library.

Nowadays, libraries have become the intellectual store house where all forms of publications, manuscripts, books, newspapers, diaries and other printed works one documented and kept. Every school needs a standard library as the backbone of academic achievement and that is why the importance of the school library cannot be over emphasized.

Mathematics is the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity and arrangement. Mathematics is all around us, in everything we do. It is the building block for everything in our daily lives, including mobile devices, architecture (ancient and modern), art, money, engineering, and even sports. Since the beginning of recorded history, Mathematics discovery has been ta the fore front of every civilized society, and in use in even the most primitive of cultures. The needs of Mathematics arose based on the wants of society. The more complex a society, the more complex the mathematical needs. Primitive tribes needed little more than the ability to count, but also relied on the mathematics to calculate the position of the sum and the physics of hunting. If educational aims and objective are to be effectively realized, the development of our school libraries should be seen as an indispensable part of our plans and policies in effective educational system. Every state ministry needs to provide for the establishment of libraries in all our educational institutions and train personnel to be to be librarians and library assistants for these services as well stickled. School libraries make students become less dependent on the teacher as the master of all; instead of this, they can work on their own in order to boost their performances in Mathematics.

For the past few years, mass failure of students have been increasing tremendously especially in standardized examination like General Certificate Examination (G C E) and Joint Matriculation Examination (J.M.E), College of education Entrance Examination and recently University Matriculation Examination (U.M.E) in Mathematics. Many factors are responsible for this mass failure, ranging from poorly equipped libraries and absence of libraries in some schools.

The assertion could be supported by the paper presented at the proceeding of the course for teacher libraries by Orisan (2004) at University of Ibadan that libraries provide materials that supported and enriched the curriculum, enlarge the horizons of the learners and stimulates their critical and imaginative facilities. According to the Minister of education, Professor Jubril Aminu in an address delivered at 25th annual conference of the Nigerian Library Association held at Abeokuta from March 16 to 18, 1987. ‘’The role which libraries were call upon to play was tremendous, responsible and challenging effective library services could be used as an instrument in the society.

Many reasons account for the establishment of libraries in our secondary schools but the main reason according to Obi (2000) is that ‘’Library is to motivate and help the students academically to widen their knowledge, create a quite environment for reading, borrowing of their knowledge’’. Most secondary schools in Ondo West Local Government are yet to set up a library of their own especially in the rural areas. Whereas the conditions of those existing leave much to be desired, they are not well organized and there is a shortage of personnel. Some were situated in unconducive environment and most of the time there is no encouragement from Government.

This study therefore intends to examine critically the relationship between library services and academic achievement of secondary school students in Ondo West Local Government Areas and find out whether the school libraries in the area of study are performing their functions well or below standard.

 

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study intended to focusing attention on the examination of the following major issues:

1. How adequately have library services helped and improved the academic performance of the students in secondary school Mathematics?
2. To what extend have problems of poor accommodation, financial constraint, lack of adequate stock-texts and personnel affected the library services in the study area.
3. How adequately has school libraries been kept and maintenance in the secondary schools?
4. To what extend has the government encourage publishers and writers to write and publish enough books for the libraries?

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purposes of the study are as follows:

1. To determine the roles being played by the teachers, parents, philanthropists and government in keeping libraries in secondary schools.
2. To ascertain whether school libraries are giving enough fund for running and maintenance or not.
3. To know the number of secondary schools that have well established school library.
4. To know the percentage of the students population that a school library can accommodate at a time.
5. To identify how the school libraries are being manned in the area of study.
6. To know that the school libraries re-adequately stocked or not in the area of study.

1.4 Significance of the Study

It is the belief of the researcher that the position of the school libraries can be determined in relation to the whole school system that is, the relationship between library services and students’ academic performance in secondary schools mathematics that one can be ascertained whether the school libraries are performing up to expectation or below the standard.

It is hoped that recommendation and suggestion based on the findings of this study will be useful in assessing the usefulness of libraries in secondary schools and improve the services of the school libraries in the area of study.

The study will also help to know the expectation of the people or schools where libraries are kept and used effectively in the area of study. Also, the study is intended to come out with useful recommendations for policy makers on education, educationalists, government and keeping libraries in secondary schools in the area of study.

1.5a    Research Questions

1. Do library services and library resources have any impact on students’ academic achievement in mathematics?
2. Is there any significant difference between the academic performance of students whose schools have library and those without?
3. Are the school libraries adequately equipped with current textbook and non-book materials that enhanced the students’ academic achievement?
4.  How often do students go to library to read and to borrow textbooks for use?  

1.5b Research Hypothesis

1. Ho Library services and learning resources does not make ant significant difference in the impact of library services and learning resources on academic achievement of mathematics students.
2. Ho there is no significance difference in the performance of students whose schools have library and those without.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study covers the entire Ondo West Local Government Area. The study is however limited to finding out the library services and learning resources as Determinants of students’ Academic Achievement.

1.7 Definition of Terms.

Library: A library is an institution which holds books and/or other forms of stored information for use by the public or qualified people.

Services: service is an act of being assistance to someone.

Learning: This is an act in which something is learnt through transferring of knowledge. It is the process of giving knowledge and experience, for example by studying.

Academic: This relates to education, especially in colleges and universities

Achievement: This refers to the act of achieving or performing a successful performance, i.e. a particular thing that someone has achieved.

Determinant: A determining factor, an element that determines the nature of something.

School: A school is an institution dedicated for teaching and learning.

Students: A student is a person who studies a particular academic subject. A person enrolled at a college or University

Books: A collection of sheet of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.

Secondary: Relating to the education of children between the ages of 11 and 16 or 18.

Secondary school: A school for children between the ages of 11 and 16 or 18.

Local government:  Any form of government whose remit covers an area less than that of the nation and, in some cases, less than that of a state.

Mathematics: This is the study or use of numbers and shapes to calculate, represent, or describe things.

Ondo West: A local government area in Ondo State.

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