EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL PLANTS MAINTENANCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between school plants maintenance and academic achievement in Plateau State, Nigeria. School plants, encompassing all physical amenities in a learning environment, are crucial for creating conducive spaces for teaching and learning. However, maintenance of these facilities is often overlooked, impacting student performance. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the correlation between school plant upkeep and academic success. Students show good English and Mathematics proficiency and high classroom maintenance indicates dedication to providing learning spaces. The study found varying correlations between maintenance aspects and academic achievement, with classroom, library, and laboratory maintenance showing positive correlations. The study will adopt multi-stage sampling techniques. The data for this study were collected using two (2) instruments. The first instrument is titled, School Plant Maintenance Questionnaire (SPMQ), while the second instrument is titled Student Academic Achievement Proforma (SAAP). The instrument proposed for the study is the School Plants Maintenance Questionnaire (SPMQ) is valid and reliable and was used in the study. The study suggests several recommendations to improve the maintenance of school infrastructure in public senior secondary schools in Plateau State. These include investing in maintenance, providing training and capacity-building programs for staff, implementing regular inspections and monitoring to identify areas in need of repair, and fostering community engagement to encourage participation in maintenance activities and support for school maintenance initiatives. These measures aim to enhance the learning environment and academic achievement.