SCHOOL POPULATION AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

The research work examined school population and effective learning, teaching and learning in primary school in the Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. For the purpose of this study, the target population was made up of the pupils in primary schools. It was realized that population explosion of pupils in primary hindered their academic progress, welfare and quality in the level of education. It was also realized that inadequacies in human and non-human resources placed various problems on teaching and learning, thereby the need  for our government and education agencies to arise to check the rate at which pupils are admitted into our primary schools. More facilities for learning should be provided in primary school so as to facilitate effectiveness in teaching and learning in primary schools. More primary school should be built by the government and the communities.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0    Background to the Study

It is a propitious time with regard to question about class six. After years of debate, speculation and research that yield only partial and less- than – definitive answers a major longitudinal study provides answer to question “Do smaller classes result in greater academic achievement in the primary schools?

            The conclusiveness of the finings are discussed as well as implications for the findings are discussed as well as implications for students at risk and for education policy in general. The approaches that have been taken to assess the costs and benefits of reducing school population and process additional dimensions that need to be considered, and the explores the implication of school population for classroom management and instructional strategies, with particular attention to the need to increase the academic engagement of pupils at risk. The agenda focus largely on the effect of small classes and large classes in the primary school.

            The state of research will respect to small classes in the upper grades in fragmented and even contradictory, leaning little to say that is based on substantive research result. There are good reasons for starting research and intervention projects in the early grades. The issues persists because of the powerful common sense appeal to small classes to alleviate problems indigenous to our classrooms. Small classes are an integral component of nationally subsidize programs including special education classes for children living in poverty. Small classes or population working with one teacher or tutor also are kept element of programs targeted most often at student risk.

            As seen in Nigeria today that the standard of education has fallen, when compared to the olden days in which standard size holder is more competent than the university graduate of nowadays.

            This implies that, the administrator and population size of primary school should be properly manifested because primary school level is the bedrock of any educational attainance of any country.

1.1    Statement of the Problem

The intention of the investigation was to make a survey on the school population and effective teaching and learning with peculiar reference to Odeda Local Government in Ogun State.

Although, from observation, there have been some research work carried out in Odeda Local Government as regarded the local educational system but none has a given a deep look into the school population and effective teaching and learning.

The study therefore, attempts to investigate the school population and effective teaching and learning such as inadequate staffing of school, lack of books, insufficient equipments and materials to be used and structure of the school.        

1.2    Purpose of the Study

This research work is an attempt to:

1.            examine the school population and effective teaching and learning or otherwise to look also at the various ways of arranging the classrooms, pupils for better understanding and effective learning to take place.

2.            consider academic effect of small class size and at the same time large class size.

3.            examine the advantages and disadvantages of both small class size and large class size.

1.3    Significance of Study  

It is hoped and believed that the findings of this study will be able to provide meaningful suggestion on how the school population is affecting the academic performance of the pupils in primary and how to check the population of the class for effective teaching and learning.

The research work will provide suggestions on better class arrangement of the primary school pupils. Similarly the findings and recommendation in this study will be of significant assistance to the state and nation at large.

1.4    Research questions

This study provides answers to the following questions:

(1)          Are smaller classes better than larger classes?

(2)          Do pupils learning in small class size better than pupils in large class size?

(3)          Does large class size affect the academic performance of pupils?

(4)          Does high population of pupils in a school affect the effective teaching and learning?

1.5    Scope of the Study

This study is limited to some schools in the area of Odeda Local Government because may difficulties and problems were encountered during the study, such problems includes; taking under risk of traveling from the college to the respondent time factor because during the time of writing the project the researcher is also expected to be receiving lectures.

This study examined the effect of large class size and small class size. The method of controlling large class of pupils, advantages and disadvantages of large and small class size. And how to control the class population.    

1.6    Definitions of Terms 

School:                     Is a place where children are taught how to read and write.

Population:              This is the total number of pupils in a particular school.

Teaching:                 Is the work of profession of a teacher in other to impact knowledge to pupils.

Learning:                  Knowledge gained through reading and studying.

Primary School:      This refers to elementary stage of education consisting of nursery and primary one to six