Effect of Physical Infrastructures and Environment on Academic Achievement of Technical College Students in Nigeria

Abstract

The study focused on the effectiveness of physical infrastructure and environment on the academic achievement of technical college students in Nigeria. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study population consists of principals and teachers in technical colleges in Nigeria, numbering 38,180. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by six technical education experts and two measurement and evaluation lecturers. The test-retest method, aided by Cronbach Alpha, was used to determine the reliability of the instrument, which yielded a 0.74 index. Responses to the research questions were analyzed using the mean rating and standard deviation, while the t-test was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed, among others, that the physical infrastructure and environment affect the academic achievement of technical college students to a great extent. Similarly, tests of hypotheses showed no significant difference between the responses of teachers and principals on the extent to which physical infrastructure and environment affect the academic achievement of technical college students. The study recommended, among other things, that adequate physical infrastructure and a healthy environment should be put in place for technical colleges in Nigeria.