LIBRARY USAGE AND PART-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The effects of school libraries on student achievement have been extensively studied for over 75 years. Although early research generally showed a correlation between the presence of a library or librarian and higher student achievement”most notably in reading”recent research has helped identify the specific functions of school libraries and librarians that most affect achievement (Oni, 1992).

Library is an essential factor in teaching-learning process. It forms one of the most important educational services. The educational process functions in a world of books. The chief purpose of a school library is to make available to the pupil, at his easy convenience, all books, periodicals and other reproduced materials which are of interest and  value to him but which are not provided or assigned to him as basic or supplementary textbooks (Farombi, 1998).

According to Oni (1992), facilities constitute a strategic factor in organizational functioning. This is so because they determine to a very large extent the smooth functioning of any social organization or system including education. He further stated that their availability, adequacy and relevance influence efficiency and high productivity.

In his words, Farombi (1998) opined that the wealth of a nation or society could determine the quality of education in that land; emphasizing that a society that is wealthy will establish good schools with quality teachers, learning infrastructures that with such, students may learn with ease thus

bringing about good academic achievement. Writing on the role of facilities in teaching, Balogun (1982) submitted that no effective science education programme can exist without equipment for teaching. This is because facilities enable the learner to develop problem-solving skills and scientific attitudes. In their contribution, Ajayi and Ogunyemi (1990) reiterated that when facilities are provided to meet relative needs of a school system, students will not only have access to the reference materials mentioned by the teacher, but individual students will also learn at their own paces. The net effect of this is increased overall academic performance of the entire students.

The importance of library has been demonstrated by the government when she expressed in the National Policy on Education (NPE) that every state Ministry needs to provide funds for the establishment of libraries in all her educational institutions and to train librarians and library assistants. As a resource, it occupies a central and primary place in any school system. It supports all functions of school-teaching and provides service and guidance to its readers.

According to Fowowe (1988) a library must be up-to-date and at the same time allow access to older materials. It must be properly supported financially to fund materials and services among others. The academic library has been described as the heart of the learning community, providing a place for students and faculty to do their research and advance their knowledge. The librarians and library staff provide numerous services to these users, addressing their diverse needs, characteristics, and interests.

Library facilities have been observed as a potent factor to quantitative education. The importance to teaching and learning of the provision of adequate instructional facilities for education cannot be over-emphasized. The dictum that teaching is inseparable from learning but learning is not separable from teaching is that teachers do the teaching to make the students learn, but students can learn without the teachers. According to Akande (1985), learning can occur through one’s interaction with one’s environment. Environment here refers to facilities that are available to facilitate students learning outcome. It includes books, audio-visual, software and hardware of educational technology; so also, size of classroom, sitting position and arrangement, availability of tables, chairs, chalkboards, shelves on which instruments for practical are arranged (Farrant, 1991 and Farombi, 1998).

According to Oni (1992), facilities constitute a strategic factor in organizational functioning. This is so because they determine to a very large extent the smooth functioning of any social organization or system including education. He further stated that their availability, adequacy and relevance influence efficiency and high productivity.

In his words, Farombi (1998) opined that the wealth of a nation or society could determine the quality of education in that land; emphasizing that a society that is wealthy will establish good schools with quality teachers, learning infrastructures that with such, students may learn with ease thus bringing about good academic achievement. Writing on the role of facilities in teaching, Balogun (1982) submitted that no effective science education programme can exist without equipment for teaching. This is because facilities enable the learner to develop problem-solving skills and scientific attitudes.

In their contribution, Ajayi and Ogunyemi(1990) reiterated that when facilities are provided to meet relative needs of a school system, students will not only have access to the reference materials mentioned by the teacher, but individual students will also learn at their own paces. The net effect of this is increased overall academic performance of the entire students.

Statement of the Problem

In many public libraries, the budgetary allocation released as at when due, and this in turn delays the implementation of the programs of those libraries when funds are eventually released. There is inadequate funding of library facilities by the state government which provides about 80% of the funds required by the public libraries.

Shortage of funds has resulted in shortage of relevant text books as currently being experienced by students and researcher who are in need of the materials. Inadequate provision of funds has prevented the provision of current materials needed by the staff and clientele in public libraries.

The library has failed to effectively expand to the 36 state capitals of the federation as designated by the library decree of 1970. In concert with the lack of facilities in the state capitals, a lack of adequate social amenities for the library staff in some state capitals is another obstacle to the library’s development.

There is also a lack of sufficient professional librarians. The library failed to effectively protect itself by training students in library science, today the few graduates of library science gravitate towards jobs in the publishing business.

The lack of adequate amenities provided by the library also does not help in recruitment. There are also insufficient storage devices for audio or visual collections.

Also poor appreciation of the service of the library by those at the helm of affairs, low societal rating of the libraries in the public libraries in  Nigeria pose problem to funding of public libraries.

Aim and Objectives Of The Study

The main purpose of this research is to examine Library Usage And Part-Time Undergraduate Students’ Academic Performance. Other objectives include:

1. To examine the psychological effect of library facilities on students performance.
2. To find the major source of funding of library facilities in University Of Lagos Sandwich Programme.
3. To find alternative source of funding library facilities in University Of Lagos Sandwich Programme.
4. To highlight problems associated with inadequate funding of library facilities.
5. To make recommendation on how to overcome inadequate funding of library facilities.

 Research Questions

In assessing the purpose of the study, this research project will answer the following questions:

1. What are the psychological effects of library facilities on students’ performance?
2. What are the major sources of funding of library facilities in Nigeria?
3. What are alternative source of funding library facilities in Nigeria?
4. How can the problems of inadequate funding of library facilities be examined?
5. What are the steps to be taken to resolve inadequate funding of library facilities?

Research Hypotheses

In carrying out this research work the following theoretical statements are buttressed to serve as a direction on which the work will be premised:

1. H_o: Library facility does not contribute to the academic performance of students.

H₁: Library facility contributes to the academic performance of students.

1. H_o: Library facility does not have a psychological effect on the academic performance of students.

H₁: Library facility has a psychological effect on the academic performance of students.

 

Significance of the Study

This study will enable government to know the state of library facilities in Nigeria, providing an insight through which the problems could be resolved.

It will also be of great importance to the students by broadening their knowledge about the effect of library facilities on academic performance.

It will also help the society to appreciate an effective library facility as an agent of political, social and religious development of a community which can compel them into passing the right judgment and taking the right decision that affect their lives and existence.

 Scope and delimitation of the Study

The research work examines Library Usage And Part-Time Undergraduate Students’ Academic Performance: An Assessment Of University of Lagos, Faculty of Education, University Of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos. The research is confined to the institution under study.

 Limitation of the Study

There are some constraints encountered by the researcher as a student in the course of carrying out the research work. The limitations are as follows:-

1. INADEQUATE MATERIAL: Inadequate material constituted one of the limitations of the research work. The non-availability of materials like journals, textbooks etc for the research study.
2. FINANCE:- The researcher also encountered some financial constraints which contributed in limiting the work in the sense that fund available was not enough to carry out the research to a logical conclusion.
3. TIME: Time is also another factor or limitation that affected the research work, time did not give the researcher enough opportunity to do more rigorous work.

 

Definition Of Term

• Book: A book is a set of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of ink, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side.
• Facility: This is something designed, built, installed, etc., to serve a specific function affording a convenience or service e.g. transportation facilities; educational facilities
• Library: This is an organized collection of resources made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to material, and may be a physical building or room, or a virtual space, or both.
• Strategy: A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a vision. Strategy is all about gaining (or being prepared to gain) a position of advantage over adversaries or best exploiting emerging possibilities.
• Student: A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term (or its cognate in another language) is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English (or an equivalent in other languages).
• Performance: The accomplishment of a given task measured against preset known standards of accuracy, completeness etc

REFERENCES

Abdulahi, A. (1998). The Role of Libraries in Primary and Secondary Education in Nigeria.Teaching Education Today 8(1 & 2) pp. 21-26.

Aguolu, C. C. and Aguolu, I. E. (2002). Libraries and Information Management in Nigeria. Maiduguri: ED-INFORM services. Pp212-218

Akande, F. (1985). Usage pattern of library resources among secondary school students: users survey of Abadina Media Resources Center.  Nigeria School Library Journal 3 (122) p.30.

Farombi, J. G. (1998). Resource Concentration, Utilization and Management as Correlates of Students’ Learning

Fowowe, A. (1988).  School Library Resources Center for Educational excellence. Ibadan: Federal Ministry of Education p.13.

Ajayi, D. and Ogunyemi, F. (1990). Agents of Primary School Library Development. State Primary Education Board: Nigeria. School Librarianship: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Edited by Elaturoti, D.F. Ibadan: Nigeria School Library Association. Pp. 237.

Oni, J. O. (1992). Resource and Resource Utilisation as Correlates of School Academic Performance. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of Ibadan.

Rosenfeld. E. (2005). Good news for school libraries in Canada: State aid to education.Teacher Librarian 32:5: 55

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