TITLE PAGE

INSECURITY AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES IN SOCIAL

STUDIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN SANKERA AXIS OF BENUE

STATE, NIGERIA

BY

AGWAZA SONTER HENRY

17062944425

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL

SCIENCE EDUCATION (SOCIAL STUDIES), COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, KATSINA-

ALA, IN AFFILIATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR, CROSS RIVER

STATE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD

OF B.SC (ED) DEGREE IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE.

AUGUST, 2022

i
 CERTIFICATION
This project titled: Insecurity and Students’ Academic Performances in Social Studies in

Upper Basic Schools in Sankera Axis of Benue State by Agwaza Sonter Henry, with

Matriculation No: 17061944425 in the Department of Social Science Education, Centre for

Undergraduate Studies, College of Education Katsina-Ala, In Affiliation with the University of

Calabar, has been approved by the examiner.

________________________ _______________________
Adamgbe Kenneth PhD Date
Project Supervisor

________________________ _______________________
Mrs. Asema Patricia N. Date
Head, Department of Social Science Education

________________________ _______________________
External Examiner Date

ii
 DECLARATION

I, Agwaza Sonter Henry hereby declare that this project work was carried out by me and that it

is a record of my own research work. It has not been presented in any form whatsoever in any

previous application for the award of a degree by any university or any other institution. All the

sources of information cited have been duly acknowledged.

________________________ _______________________
Agwaza Sonter Henry Date

iii
 DEDICATION

This project work is dedicated to my father and mother Mr. and Mrs. Agwaza Terver

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My profound gratitude goes to God Almighty for his love, mercy and countless blessings

that enabled me acquire my first degree.

Special mention must be made of my parents Mr. and Mrs. Agwaza for their support

towards my success in life. I also cherish without limit the concern of lectuer Dr. Adamgbe

Kenneth and my siblings Agwaza Mkeghter, Agwaza Ngutor, Agwaza Tomuter, Agwaza

Suughter.

To my dearest friends Shimave Tobias, Tertsea Msendoo, Mzughulga Ngufan, Anun

Solomon, Mzughulga Salome, Anun Joy, Akpan Sesugh, Tortiv Kante and Bikire Fide for their

friendly advice throughout my stay in the university.

Lastly, I appreciate the efforts of my relatives Mr. Agwaza Andoo, Mr. and Mrs. Akper

Shaseer, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Shimave, Mr. Ability Terkuma, Mrs. Saaondo Terdem, Mr.

Kator Barnabas and Mr. Adawa who have helped me in one way of the other during my stay in

the university.

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 ABSTRACT

The major aim of this study was to investigate the Insecurity and Students’ Academic
Performances in Social Studies in Upper Basic Schools in Sankera Axis of Benue State, Nigeria.
A total of 1000 made up of 500 each of male and female students responded to a self-structured
validated questionnaire designed for the study. Four research questions and two hypotheses were
formulated to guide the study. Means and standard deviations were calculated to answer the
research questions and independent samples t-tests were used for testing the hypotheses. Major
findings revealed that insecurity of school environment significantly affects the academic
performance of secondary school students while students' gangsterism, smoking of Indian hemp,
abusing other hard drugs, cult and related violent activities were some of the factors that
constituted insecurity of the school environment which eventually cause boys to leave school and
join trading while leading girls to drop out and settle for marriage. Based on the findings, it was
recommended that owners of schools and other stakeholders in education should take bold steps
to fence and protect school environments from intruders to ensure safety of the students.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i

Certification ii

Declaration iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgment v

Abstract vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Theoretical Framework 4

1.3 Statement of the Problem 4

1.4 Objectives of the Study 6

1.5 Research Questions 6

1.6 Hypotheses 7

1.7 Significance of the Study 7

1.8 Scope of the Study 7

1.9 Definition of Terms 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 Conceptual Framework 9

vii
2.2.1 Concept of Insecurity 9

2.2.2 Concept of Social Studies 12

2.2.3 Concept of Academic Performance 15

2.2.4 Education and Insecurity in Nigeria 19

2.3 Summary of Literature Reviewed 22

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction 23

3.2 Research Design 23

3.3 Area of Study 23

3.4 Population of the Study 24

3.5 Sample and SamplSrag Technique 24

3.6 Instrumentation 24

3.7 Method of Data Collection 25

3.8 Method of Data Analysis 26

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction 27

4.2 Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation 27

4.3 Testing of Hypothesis 31

4.4 Discussion 32

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Introduction 35

5.2 Summary of the Study 35

5.3 Conclusion 36
viii
5.4 Recommendations 37

5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 37

References 38

Appendices 41

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Mean rating and standard deviation of the factors constituting school 28
environment insecurity that affect students' academic performance

Table 2: Mean rating and standard deviation of effect of insecurity of school 30

environment on the academic performance of the students

Table 3: T-test analysis showing the difference in the insecurity of the school 31
environment between rural and urban secondary schools in Benue
State

Table 4: Insecurity of School Environment, Academic Performance and 32

Students' Gender

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Insecurity in schools has been studied in diverse ways in the literature. For instance, in

most sub-Saharan African countries, insecurity in schools has been studied at the state level,

especially where the state uses its repressive mechanisms to quell student rioters and put student

leaders in prison under torture (O'Malley 2007). On the other hand, in Middle Eastern countries

such as Iran and Palestine, focus has been on attacks on educators as well as how wars can stop

children from getting an education (O'Malley 2007). For example in countries like Afghanistan

and Palestine, statistics have recounted numbers of teachers killed as a result of violent conflict

and abductions (Fluman Rights Watch 2006). In North America and Europe, the interest in

schools and insecurity has mostly been directed at war-torn countries like

Afghanistan, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Iraq. In these countries,

O'Malley writes, "schools, places that should be safe for children have increasingly become the

prime target of attacks by armed parties" (2007, 7).

Insecurity has been identified as being an anathema to education patronage and

development. (Hausler, Urban & McCorquodale, 2011; The World Bank, 2011; Abdulrasheed,

Onuselogu & Obioma, 2015) as neighbourhood become insecure (Abdulrasheed, Onuselogu &

Obioma, 2015); and schools and colleges are looted, destroyed and abandoned, teachers

assassinated, scholars threatened, and students recruited as child soldiers (Hausler, Urban &

McCorquodale, 2012; Jones & Naylon, 2014).

The 2011 World Bank Development Report found that people in fragile and conflict-

affected states are more than three times as likely to be unable to send their children to school as
1
those in other developing countries. Access to education has been identified as the panacea to the

persistent challenges of insecurity facing Nigeria (Ndoma-Egba, 2014). In the same vein, falling

education coupled with illiteracy have been identified as the main cause of insecurity in the

northeastern part of Nigeria (Asaolu, 2012; 2015, Murray-Bruce, 2013). Although Nigeria has

the world's worst record of having some 10 million children out of school with nine out of these

ten millions coming from the North (Nyesom Wike quoted in Naij.com, 2015), data on

prevailing literacy level in Northeastern Nigeria suggest that basic education has been

experiencing serious problems in the region before the insurgences. For instance, basic education

in Borno State were shown to had shortage of classes for teaching and learning, shortage of

instructional materials and teachers (NUT, 2007); teachers' salaries were not paid, leading to

frequent strike by basic school teachers (NUT, 2008). As at 2013, Yobe and Borno have the

highest illiteracy levels in the country. A whopping 83.3% of boys over 6 and adult men in Yobe

state have no formal Western education. The figure for Borno which is number two on the list is

63.6%.

The concept of insecurity connotes the state or quality of being insecure. Security in

simple terms means protection of lives and properties from destruction. According to Onifode,

Imhonopl and Uorim (2013) security is the dynamic condition which involves the relative ability

of a state to counter threats to its core values and interest and their primary beneficiaries are the

citizens. In addition, sharing the view Abraham Maslow, Iyenger (1977) stated that an insecure

person perceives the world as a life threatening jungle, feels unsafe, unhappy, rejected, hostile,

and pessimistic, shows a sign of tension, conflict and guilt, and tends to be neurotic and

generally egocentric. It therefore seems that when a student studies in an environment that is

characterized by insecurity, the student may suffer socially, mentally and emotionally and it
2
makes sense hypothetically to state that all these are likely to affect not only his behavior and

psychosocial adjustment but may also affect his academic performance.

According to Ojukwu and Nwanma (2015), insecure school environment, including the

dilapidated conditions and teachers' negative attitude to condone and accept the emotional needs

of students, which will lead to undue influences and clashes of a local community interfering

with school business. Also, they stated that in insecure school environments the psychological

problems of the students are never met or carelessly handled, there are always segregations in the

school community along religions, tribal and sectarian lines as students may ignore teachers'

directives and may also challenge the teachers on certain concepts and school properties may

likely be deliberately damaged by the students to show their disapproval of managements

decisions (Ojukwu & Nwanma, 2015).

Also Ojukwu and Nwanma (2015) reported that in a school environment characterized by

insecurity, lateness is the norm in school and students are allowed to freely use handsets and

phones. Annually, the external results of the school are always bad as a result of poor teaching

climate of the school as having been shown by 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 WAEC results

cited above. Other instances of insecurity of the school environment include that sometimes

female staff and students complain of being raped or impregnated leading to school dropout

(Ojukwu & Nwanma, 2015). Also, parents complain that their children are bullied and injured

and the classrooms are overcrowded, poorly ventilated and lit (Ghazi, Shahzada, Tariq & Khan,

2013). The above painted school environment may most likely affect students' academic

performance.

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1.2 Theoretical Framework

Maslow Motivational Theory

The theory was developed by Abraham Maslow (1970) and popularized by many

researchers. According to Maslow, motivation is constant and never ending, fluctuation and

complex. He assisted that man needs to satisfy his needs. These needs, according to him are

arranged in a hierarchical order starting from the basic or lower order needs to higher order needs

vizly: physiological, safety, belongingness, self-esteem, selfactualization and aesthetic needs.

Security (safety) is very prominent solution to reduce the rampant insecurity in the educational

institutions. The rate of insecurity confronting teachers and students such as thuggery, cultism,

rape and kidnaping affecting sanity in the teaching and learning environment, that makes learners

perform assigned tasks, and meeting predetermined standards. It energizes an atmospheric

culture that regulates and sustain behavior among social studies students exhibiting purposeful

behaviour aimed at achieving set predetermined goals.

The theory is relevant to this study because performance of upper basic students on social

studies needs security (safety), which is very prominent solution to reduce the rampant insecurity

in the educational institutions.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

Recently major stakeholders in Education such as government, industries, communities,

parents, schools even students and many others have been lamenting over the poor quality of

Nigerian students in both learning and character suggesting a poor academic performance.

Researchers and authors have speculated reasons for the failure on the part of the Nigerian

students in secondary schools including those in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State to acquire the

necessary social, psychological and academic skills to cope with demands of life and living in
4
and outside the school. Their findings and suggestions tend to point at those issues which tend to

waste students' time and then have false notions about true life situations. Others have focused on

teaching and learning materials as well as students themselves. An area that seems to have been

neglected by past researchers is the effect insecurity of school environment will have on the

academic performance of the secondary school students. Educators have long emphasized that

many students perform poorly in their academic work not because they do not possess the mental

ability to do well. An area that seems to have been neglected by researchers is the issue of

insecurity of the school environment and the effect it could have on the academic performance of

the secondary school students.

According to Ojukwu and Nwanma (2015), since the inception of democracy in Nigeria

in 1999, insecurity has become a major issue of concern to every citizen. On a daily basis the

media has continued to highlight and discuss incessant cases of armed robbery, kidnapping,

bombings, abductions, rape, cultic activities and a high rise in ethnic and communal clashes,

which have become regular occurrences and have characterized life in Nigeria (Nwangwa,

2014). Media report are awash with the number of lives lost as a result of terrorist, insurgent and

other attacks that seem to be alarming. As if some places in the country can be walled off from

the negative impact of insecurity, our academic (schools) institutions have also become hot spots

where cases of insecurity are recorded (Ojukwu & Nwanma, 2015). The main interest,

motivation and problem of this study therefore is to investigate the effect of the insecurity of the

school environment on the academic performance of secondary school students in Katsina-Ala

LGA, Benue State Objectives of the Study

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1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to:

1. Determine the factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment that may

influence academic performance.

2. Determine the effect of insecurity on the academic performance of secondary school

students in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State.

3. Determine the statistical significance of the difference between the environment of

insecurity of rural and urban secondary schools in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State.

4. Investigate the statistical significance of the difference between male and female students

academic performance due to insecurity of the school environment in Katsina-Ala LGA,

Benue State.

1.5 Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study.

1. What are the factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment in Katsina-Ala

LGA, Benue State?

2. What impact does school environment have on academic performance of secondary

school students in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State?

3. What determine the statistical significance of the difference between the environment of

insecurity of rural and urban secondary schools in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State?

4. What are the statistical significance of the difference between male and female students

academic performance due to insecurity of the school environment in Katsina-Ala LGA,

Benue State?

6
1.6 Hypotheses

Insecurity of does not significantly affect the academic performance of secondary school

students in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State.

Hoi: There is no significant difference in the insecurity of the school environment between

secondary schools in rural and urban areas in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State.

Ho2: There is no significant difference between male and female students' academic performance

due to the insecurity of school environment in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State.

1.7 Significance of the Study

Considerable attempts have been made at researching on some variables or factors

affecting students' academic performance but little or none has focused on the effect of insecurity

on the academic performance of secondary school students. Also, given the wide ranging effects

of students' poor academic performance and its connection to social and destructive emotional

effects on the students, parents, society and the nation It is appropriate and should be a welcome

development to investigate the effect of insecurity of the school environment on the academic

performance of secondary school students in Katsina-Ala LGA, with the view of proffering

solutions for a better performance by students.

1.8 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on insecurity and students’ academic performances in Social Studies

in upper basic school in Sankera Axis of Benue State, Nigeria. The respondents for this study

will be obtained from selected secondary schools in Katsina-Ala Local Government area of

Benue State.

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1.9 Definition of Terms

Insecurity- The state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection.

Academic Performance: In this study academic performance of a student could be defined as

the learning outcomes of the child. This includes the knowledge, skills and ideas. acquired and

obtained through their course of study within and outside the classroom situation

Insurgency: a usually violent attempt to take control of a government or a rebellion or uprising.

Terrorism: is unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or

coerce a government or its citizens to further certain political or social objectives."

8
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter reviews the literature on insecurity and Students’ Academic Performances

in Social Studies in Junior Secondary School in Sankera Axis of Benue State. It discusses issues

arising from the topic of interest as viewed from different perspectives, with a view of giving a

concept of: insecurity, causes of insecurity in Nigeria, education and insecurity in Nigeria, nexus

between education and security, academic achievement and summary of literature reviewed.

2.2 Conceptual Framework

2.2.1 Concept of Insecurity

The concept of insecurity would be best understood by first presenting the concept of

security. In the view of Akin (2008) security refers to "the situation that exists as a result of the

establishment of measures for the protection of persons, information and property against hostile

persons, influences and actions". It is the existence of conditions within which people in a

society can go about their normal daily activities without any threats to their lives or properties.

It embraces all measures designed to protect and safeguard the citizenry and the resources of

individuals, groups, businesses and the nation against sabotage or violent occurrence (Ogunleye,

et al, 2011).

According to Igbuzor (2011) it demands safety from chronic threats and protection from

harmful disruption. Security however, can be described as stability and continuity of livelihood

(stable and steady income), predictability of daily life (knowing what to expect), protection from

crime (feeling safe), and freedom from psychological harm (safety or protection from emotional

stress which results from the assurance or knowing that one is wanted, accepted, loved and
9
protected in one's community or neighbourhood and by people around. It focuses on emotional

and psychological sense of belonging to a social group which can offer one protection). This

description structured the concept of security into four dimensions. However, these dimension

can be weaved together to give a composite definition of security as the protection against all

forms of harm whether physical, economic or psychological. It is generally argued however that

security is not the absence of threats or security issues, but the ability to rise to the challenges

posed by these threats with expediency and expertise. Insecurity on the other hand, is the

antithesis of security. However, because of the very many ways in which insecurity affects

human life and existence, the concept of insecurity has usually been ascribed different

interpretations in association with the various ways which it affects individuals. Some of the

common descriptors of insecurity include: want of safety; danger; hazard; uncertainty; want of

confidence; doubtful; inadequately guarded or protected; lacking stability; troubled; lack of

protection; and unsafe, to mention a few. All of these have been used by different people to

define the concept of insecurity. These different descriptors, however, run into a common

reference to a state of vunerability to harm and loss of life, property or livelihood.

Beland (2005) defined insecurity as "the state of fear or anxiety stemming from a

concrete or alleged lack of protection." It refers to lack or inadequate freedom from danger. This

definition reflects physical insecurity which is the most visible form of insecurity, and it feeds

into many other forms of insecurity such as economic security and social security.

Causes of Insecurity in Nigeria

In recent times, this country has suffered plaques of crisis, each leading to loss of lives

and destruction of properties. The insecurity crisis in Nigeria include kidnapping, armed robbery,

and insurgency among others. Perpetrators of these heinous crimes in the country, always
10
attribute their actions to penury and unemployment. Otite (2012) submits that the state of

insecurity in Nigeria could be attributed to security lapses on the part of security agents.

Abubakar (2005) pinpoints failure of government to provide or manage the basic human needs of

their citizens, ethnic disagreements, and national resource contentions as some of the factors

responsible for insecurity in Nigeria. Udoh (2015) is of the view that insecurity in Nigeria is

caused by porous borders, illegal arms importation, proliferation of illegal arms, ethnicity,

emergence of ethnic militia groups, corruption, marginalization, poor leadership, religious

fanaticism/extremism, and unemployment. In the same vein, Olawale (2016) pinpoints

unemployment, imbalanced development, corruption, weak judicial system, and porous coastal

borders as causes of insecurity in Nigeria. Nadabo (2013) sees bad leadership, corruption, and

illiteracy among other factors breeding insecurity in Nigeria. Odidi (2014) points to politics of

bitterness in which ascendance to political power is seen as a do-or-die business. This invariably

leads to political thuggery and insecurity.

Akintokunbo (2011) links insecurity in Nigeria to massive and unchecked corruption,

greed, selfishness, unpatriotism, lack of political will and conscience, and of course, lack of

vision and purpose. King (2016) states the causes of insecurity in Nigeria to include a

combination of the following factors: lack of institutional capacity, lack of basic necessities,

pervasive material inequalities and unfairness, ethno-religious conflicts, weak security system,

loss of socio-cultural and communal value system, porous borders, rural/urban drift, anti-social

and irresponsible companies, unemployment, and poverty. There is no doubt that the above

mentioned factors have correlation with state of education in the country.

11
2.2.2 Concept of Social Studies

Globally, Social Studies is conceived by Dhand and Lyons (2007) as "the study of people

and their relationship with their social and physical environments which could provide the

learner with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for effective participation in society”

Orungbemi (2008) sees it as a discipline based on the belief that it can be a solution to man's

social problems which cut across all facets of life. In the conception Okonkwo (2004), sees

Social Studies as program of study which a society uses to instill in students the knowledge,

skills, attitudes and actions it considers important concerning the relationships human begins to

have with each other, their world and themselves". Akintunde (2004) for instance, asserts that

Social Studies is interested in everything about man in relation to all aspects of reforms and

innovations geared towards the sustenance of man's environment. Folade (2007) also asserted

that Social Studies enable man to learn about the challenges of survival in his environment.

Social Studies therefore, enable man to be a functional member of the society; useful to himself

as well as to the community in which he finds himself.

From whatever perspective Social Studies is considered. suffice to say that it is a study of

man and his physical environments and how man as a holistic being interacts with his fellow

human beings. To further express this, Okonkwo (2004) admits that, since Nigeria's philosophy

of education is based on the integration of the individual for effective citizenship, then the

quality of instructions at all levels has to be oriented towards inculcating the following values:

i. Respect for the worth and dignity of the individual;

ii. Faith in man's ability to make rational decisions;

iii. Moral and spiritual values in interpersonal and human relation;

iv. Shared responsibility for the common good of the society and
12
 v. Promotion of the emotional, physical and psychological health of all children.

However, in conjunction with this philosophy, the educational policy spells out the

following aims for Social Studies education destined to help the individual develop physically,

socially and be able to contribute to what Orungbemi (2008) referred to as "national

development and reconstruction" this entails "preparation and production of effective and

functional citizen, peaceful co-existence, responsible leadership, equipment of thinking skills,

critical and decision making skills, healthy attitudes and desirable values and elimination of

social vices".

From the above expression, one can reliably say that Social Studies objectives are derived

from the national and educational objectives. In the direct words of Okonkwo (2004), the two are

similar because they aim at the achievement of similar goals such as national consciousness,

national unity, development of positive attitudes towards democratic values and citizenship,

trained, development of skills and acquisition of knowledge (e.g. facts, concepts and

generalizations). Synonymously, both, according to Danlod (2006) cover the three Educational

Domains i.e. (cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains), thus, the researcher deems

it is nutshell to comment that Social Studies in terms of its objectives (which are much more

limited and are usually more specific to what can be achieved within a lesson than aims which

are general statements) is the most adequate subject for the realization of the national educational

objectives. In view of the above analysis, Adeyoyin (1982) distinctively puts the general

objectives of Social Studies education which in the perception of the researcher underpins the

utilization of information technology in teaching Social Studies. They are:

i. The creation of an awareness in the Students about their surroundings

13
 ii. The development of specific fundamentals such as the attitudes, values and norms of the

society

iii. The promotion of effective and active citizenship

iv. The promotion of an understanding of the social problems of their locality and finding

possible solutions to them

v. Ability to relate favourably to the products and peoples of the nation

vi. Helping the Students to develop the right attitudes towards the leaders and the

government

vii. The creation of an understanding of their role during elections, especially on how to

discharge their duties efficiently

viii. The development of the ability to think reflectively and come to independent conclusion

ix. The development of an understanding of how the lives of the people who lived in the past

affect our present day lives and how we can improve the present for the future

x. The demonstration of the flexible and is willingness to accept necessary changes within a

system le education, government, or low. For the good of all

xi. The appreciation of the rules and regulations that guide behaviour for mutual respect as

very important regardless of our differences

xii. The creation of an awareness that discipline is essential for an orderly society, and

xiii. To develop in the students mind the spirit of appreciation to his cultural heritage and a

desire to preserve it (Jacob, 2000),

From the general objectives mentioned above, it is quite clear that, if Social Studies is

taught with these general objectives in view, a good and useful, individual life, an ideal society

and a perfect state will emerge, because it will according to Singh (2008) help the child acquire
14
the right attitude, knowledge, understanding, social competence in his interaction with his

environment and promotion of international understanding. This international cohesion

according to him will enable the child Develop an understanding of the interdependence of all

people and the need for international cooperation for promotion of world peace.... That Social

Studies seeks to destroy prejudices in existing nations. It may overplay the fundamental unity

and interdependence among nations and underplay the sources of diversity, so that people of the

world may develop understanding and sympathy for each other, as it prepares the child's ability

to understand the global relationships, in the modern world and prepare him for world pence,

2.2.3 Concept of Academic Performance

Academic performance of a child could be defined as the learning outcomes of the child.

This includes the knowledge, skills and ideas, acquired and obtained through their course of

study within and outside the classroom situation (Epunam, 1999). It is the outcome of

determination, hard work, of student in academic pursuit. Pandney, (2008) defined academic

achievement as the performance of the students in the subjects they study in the school. This

determines the students' status in the class. This gives children an opportunity to develop their

talents, improve their grades and prepare for future academic challenges.

Academic performance is the extent to which a student has achieved his/her educational

goals. Ezeh (2014) defines academic performance as the assessment of outcome of formal

instruction in a cognitive domain within defined subject matter that is explicitly taught. The

author maintained that this instruction is expected to produce observable changes in behaviors ot

those who are being instructed. Ezeh asserted that schools are established with the aim of

imparting knowledge and skills on students in enhancing good academic performance.

According to Ezeh (2014). academic performance is frequently defined in terms of

15
examination performance on students. Academic performance is commonly by examination or

continuous assessment. There is no general agreement on how it is best tested or which aspects

are most important. Academic performance refers to what the students have learned or what

skills the students has learned and is usually measured through assessments like continuous

assessments and examinations.

Kyoshaba (2009) stated that academic performance in an educational institution means

how well student meets standards set out by school board and institutions to make sure that

students perform well in both internal and external examinations. Different test exams will be

conducted from the school to ensure that students are up to the task. In this context, academic

performance refers to the rate in which students perform in their examinations and other extra-

curricular activities in the school system.

Academic performance refers to a person’s performance in a given academic area (e.g.

reading or language arts, social studies, science and other areas of human learning. Academic

performance relates to academic subjects a child studies in school and the skills the child is

expected to master in each (Kathryn, 2010).

Ocho (2001) defines academic performance as examination performance on students. He

stressed that academic performance refers to what the students have learned or what skills the

students has learned and is usually measured through assessments like standardized tests,

Performance assessment and portfolio assessments.

Academic performance refers to excellence in all academic discipline, in a class as well

as extra-curricular activities. It includes excellence in sporting behaviour, it includes excellence

in sporting behaviour, confidence, communication skills, and others. Steinberger (2005) posit

that academic performance encompasses students' ability and performance; it is

16
multidimensional; it is intricately related to human growth and cognitive, emotional and social

physical development; it reflects the whole child; it is not related to a single instance, but occurs

across time and levels, through a student s life in public school and into post secondary years and

working life. Academic performance refers to how well a student is accomplishing his tasks and

studies.

It has been proved that teachers have an important influence on students' academic

performance. Teachers celebrate and are rewarded when their schools and teaching subjects are

highly ranked. While appreciating the value of rewarding teachers who produce better results,

teachers should also not escape a portion of blame when students perform poorly. Consequently,

teachers cannot be dissociated from the schools they teach and academic results of the schools.

It is believed in some societies that the overriding aim of man is the achievement of

internal happiness. Every well-meaning individual wants to achieve success. Achievement might

be viewed as the attainment of one's objective. It is the coming to fruition of an individual's

expectation or heart's desire. Achievement is the materialization of one's dream. Hunt (1997)

opined that achievement corresponds to mastery of tasks. It is the attainment of an outlined goal.

The author believed that achievement might equally be taken as an outstanding feedback on

success recorded. This implies that achievement follows a successful execution of a job or task.

Genuine achievement does not emanate from haphazard or uncoordinated actions. Great

achievers are always focused, resilient, organized and goal oriented.

The quality of behaviour exhibited will justify or prove if the individual painstakingly

and effectively followed the sequential steps towards carrying out the task. Keller (2001) stated

that achievement is the act of performing or obtaining by exertion; something accomplished by

valour or relentless effort, a praiseworthy feat. The implication of the above statement is that
17
achievement is often borne out of determination and hard work. It often involves physical and

mental exertions in order to attain one's goal. Achievement entails dissipation of time, energy

and resources. This explains why achievement often calls for praise and encouragement.

In other words, achievement in some areas calls for commendation, recognition or

applause. Achievement has no relationship with wishful thinking or fantasy. For an individual to

record meaningful achievement he has to adopt the twin policy of determination and hard work.

In the context of this study, achievement is seen as the materialization of one's desire and the

fruit of one's endeavour that usually comes with joy and sense of fulfillment. Academic

achievement is a mark of success regarding the students' activities in the school. The definition

of academic achievement varies among researchers, policy makers and other educational stake

holders.

Cosden, Morrison, Gutierrez and Brown (2004) were of the view that the degree of

mastery of learning activities relates to academic achievement. The authors further added that

academic achievement, in most cases, concerns the level of performance in school studies and

assignments. The yardstick for measuring academic, achievement according the authors, is the

degree of accomplishment of learning objectives. Academic achievement occurs across time and

levels throughout a student's life in primary, secondary and post-secondary school years and

working life. Academic achievement makes it possible to monitor the progress of students in a

school; and also to compare the capabilities of students within a particular school and among

schools. In other words, academic achievement explains how well a student has complied with

lesson objectives. Singh (2004) wrote that academic achievement refers to the achievement of

objectives related to various types of knowledge and skills. These objectives are socially

established based on the age, prior learning and capacity of the individuals with regards to
18
education, socialization and qualification. Academic achievement makes it possible to monitor

the progress of student's work. It has to do with the quality and quantity of a student's work. The

emphasis is not on basic native intelligence, inherent common sense, latent talent or potential.

The focus is actually on what the individual has achieved after exposure to a course of study.

Academic achievement is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment (Abe

and Onuka, 2012). However, there is no general agreement on how it is best measured or tested

or which aspects are most important-procedural knowledge such as skills or declarative

knowledge like facts.

Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger and Vohs (1992) enunciated ten characteristics of high

academic achievers that can provide a blue print for families to be more effective in their roles of

ensuring that their children attain greater success in school. They are: a feeling of control over

their lives, frequent communication of high expectations to children, a family dream of success

for the future, hardwork as a key to success, an active, not a sedentary lifestyle, a twenty-five to

thirty-five home-centred learning hours per week, the family viewed as a mutual support system

and problem solving unit, clearly understood household rules, consistently enforced, frequent

contact with teachers and emphasis on spiritual growth. Academic achievement also makes it

possible to carry out a comparison of students' ability within a school and with other students in

other school. (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger and Vohs, 1992). Without academic achievement,

it will be difficult to monitor the progress of students in the school. Academic achievement might

compel learners to make a level of involvement and diligence which will facilitate the

completion of a course of study or programme.

2.2.4 Education and Insecurity in Nigeria

Dambazau (2014) quoting Act 26 of 1948 on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
19
sees education as not only a public good, it is also a human right that is essential for the exercise

of all other human rights, especially in promoting individual freedom and empowerment. Zukang

cited in Dambazau (2014) links education acquisition of genuine wealth and happiness whereas

lack of it exacerbates one's level of ignorance and leads to blunders, poverty, unhappiness, and

sometimes the commission of crimes. To him, the relationship between lack of education,

poverty and poor health conditions diminishes opportunities to social and economic

advancement which often leads to criminality. Education is also essential in the military and

para-military organizations which include the police that is saddled with the security of the

nation. Dambazau (2014) stresses that education is used more as a strategic tool for advancement

of technology needed for nation's economic and socio-cultural development. In the military, it

helps the armed forces to appraise situations; to estimate the battlefield; to examine the courses

of action; to interpret the international environment; to project future warfare and design the

battlefield; and requirement to analyze security threats. Education in the military is not all about

warfare, it also contributes to national development, and at the same time enhances national

security.

Dike (2003) submits that the socio-political and economic development of a nation and or

her health are in many ways determined by the quality and level of educational attainment of the

population. He, however, laments that the state of education in Nigeria cannot produce the

critical and creative minds Nigeria needs to guide and manage democratic system and survive as

a viable nation. Lack of quality education and unemployment in Nigeria would contribute to

many social ills, including crime, prostitution, and the breakdown of law and order. He suggested

that education in Nigeria should be treated as a public-health issue, thus:

…without treating education as a public-health issue that requires serious

20
 attention, the youths will continue to receive inferior education; they will continue
to suffer mass unemployment and armed bandits will continue to rise; the society
will continue to have illiterates and mediocres as political leaders; the society will
continue to have political parties without ideology, and Nigeria will continue to
fall behind economically, socially and politically.

From the foregoing, it is neither exaggeration nor understatement to say that the higher a

nation attains education, the stronger the nation's security. Hence, education contributes to the

security of the nation.

Nexus between Education and Security

In securing lives and property of every nation, education is an essential tool. Sadiq (2013)

asserts that an educated population is an asset to a nation due to the fact that education promotes

national security as it inculcates desirable human traits like honesty, sincerity, hard- work,

punctuality, productivity, innovation, patriotism, selflessness, brotherhood, friendship, etc. It also

empowers people by inculcating lifelong skills and know-how thereby liberating the individual

from poverty and want. In a similarly vein, Fahd al-Qudah cited in Ekpo and Ishaq (2014)

submits that:

if a nation is successful in developing (educating) its people as strong and

complete individuals, it will be able to realize a glorious future for herself
promote peace within her boundary and defend her sovereignty. However; if a
nation fails to develop (educate) its citizenry and make them deficient in carrying
out some of the activities of life effectively, then that nation is doomed to
weakness, destruction and obscurity.

In addition, Jonathan (2016) stresses the relationship between education, poverty and

security, as he pointed that top ten most literate nations in the world are at peace, while almost all

of the top 10 least literate nations in the world are in a state of either outright war or general

insecurity. Lower education levels are linked to poverty and poverty is one of the chief causative

factors of crime whether it is terrorism or militancy or felonies. To Jonathan, counter insurgency

21
strategies are short term tools for securing a nation from insecurity while education provides a

long term solution.

Malala (2016) submits that eradicating global terrorism goes beyond proliferation and

development of guns and drones, rather spreading quality education across the globe irrespective

of regions and culture because "through wars and weapons we can only kill terrorists - but this

ideology of terrorism can only be ended through education", hence, swapping of textbooks and

other educational materials for drones and guns (Malala cited in Jayalakshmi, 2014). Malala also

submit that education is key to global security, therefore, there is need for change in policies in

every nation of the world to cater holistically for education of every citizen which in turn could

enhance tolerance, patience, love for each other, and friendship and harmony in society. It could

be concluded that sustainable global security can only be achieved when education is made a

priority by states and their institutions. When properly realized, education can be a global asset

to fight poverty, inequality, insecurity, and disease (Al-Rodhan, 2007).

2.3 Summary of Literature Reviewed

The review was done in line with Insecurity and Students’ Academic Performances in

Social Studies in Junior Secondary School in Sankera Axis of Benue State. The conceptual

framework was done under the following sub- headings:- concept of insecurity, causes of

insecurity in Nigeria, concept of social studies, concept of academic performance, education and

insecurity in Nigeria, nexus between education and security and concept of academic

achievement. The review presented a conceptual analysis of Insecurity and Students’ Academic

Performances in Social Studies in Junior Secondary School. From the above literature reviews,

one could find out that insecurity has influence not only intellectually but on the totality of the

students’ personality.
22
23
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

Chapter three deals with the methodology used in this study, This includes the following;

research design, area of the study, population of the study, sampling techniques, sample,

instrumentation, validity of instrument, procedure for data collection, procedure for data

preparation and coding, and, procedure for data analysis.

3.2 Research Design

The study has a descriptive survey design that utilized questionnaires to obtain data from

the respondents. Descriptive surveys aim at collecting data from a given sample of population

and described probably certain features of the sample as well as generalizing them to the entire

population. This study is regarded as a descriptive survey because the researcher collected data

from a large sample of students from Benue state secondary schools. It describes how insecurity

of school environments affected academic performance of students in Benue state.

3.3 Area of Study

Benue state is made up of twenty three local government areas of which Katsina-Ala,

Logo and Ukum are a part. Both local government areas have a combined population of 612,024

as at 2006 census (Katsina-Ala-225,471; Logo-169,570 and Ukum-216,983). Their combined

population projection is 826,200 according to 2016 Population Statistics (Katsina-Ala_304,400;

Logo-228,900 and Ukum-292,900). The three local government areas fall within what is known

by the Tiv geo-political delineation as the Sankera Axis (It should be noted that Tivland is geo-

politically delineated into five units namely; Jeghchira, Jeghmgbagh, Kwande, Minda and

Sankera.
24
 The local government areas are culturally uniform with extensive arable land. The local

government areas are populated majorly by the Tiv who are aggressive farmers. They

collectively share boundaries with Wukari LGA (in Taraba state) in the North, Takum LGA

(again in Taraba state) and northern Kwande LGA (in Benue state) in the East, Guma LGA in the

west. The study area also shares boundary with Buruku and eastern Kwande LGAs in the south.

As already stated, the people are aggressive farmers. Major crops grown include yams,

maize, rice, groundnut, beans beniseed, soyabeans, millet/sorghum, etc. The major periodic

markets to which agricultural products are taken to for sale include Zaki-Biam (Ukum LGA),

Ugba, Anyiin (Logo LGA), Amaafu, Abaji and Tor-Donga (all in Katsina-Ala LGA). The study

area has a favourable climatic condition for the production of both food and cash crops.

3.4 Population

The targeted population was all the upper basic school students in the 3 Local

Government Areas in Sankera in the 2020/2021 academic year.

3.5 Sample and SamplSrag Technique

The sample of the study was 1000 senior secondary school students who were in their

upper basic II and in the 2020/2021 academic session. They were made up of 500 each of males

and females. The study made use of simple random sampling, proportionate stratified random

sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Using proportionate stratified random sampling,

10 schools were selected from the 3 Local Government Areas of the axis

3.6 Instrumentation

The instrument used for the collection of data was a 25 item structured questionnaire. The

questionnaire used a 4-point Likert method of strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly

disagree. It had 3 sections. Section A included demographic questions, section B comprised

25
questions on insecurity while section C was composed of questions on relationship between

insecurity and students' academic performance. The points of 4, 3, 2 and 1 were assigned to each

scale respectively in the questionnaire. Measure of academic performance was the academic

achievement grades of the participating students in English language and Mathematics obtained

from the examinations and records section of obtained were correlated using Pearson's Product

moment coefficient. An acceptable coefficient of r=0.78 was obtained thereby indicating that the

instrument was adequate for the study. Additionally, a Cronbach alpha value of r=0.88 was

recorded for the instrument indicating its acceptable internal consistency.

T- test formula;

Where x sample mean

S2= sample variance

N = sample site

μ = Specific population mean

t=Student t quartile with n-1 degree of freedom

Pearson's product moment co-efficient

r = n¿¿

cor ( x , y )
∴ Px ,y =
σx σy

3.7 Method of Data Collection

The instrument was administered to the students with the assistance of three research

assistants who were undergraduate students and four secondary school teachers from the

26
participating schools. They were briefed on the administration procedure. The questionnaires

were all collected, coded and scored.

3.8 Method of Data Analysis

The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for answering research

questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Mean cut-off point was 2.5. All items with

mean of 2.50 were regarded as agreement and accepted while those less than 2.50 were regarded

as disagreement and were accordingly rejected. In the analysis 'strongly agree' was merged with

'agree' while 'strongly disagree' was merged with 'disagree' to give 'disagree'.

27
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction

Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected

during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed

questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy

references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions

for this research study.

4.2 Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation

Research Question One:

What are the factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment in Benue State?

To establish factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment that may

influence students' academic performance in Benue State, the respondents' mean scores and

standard deviation were analyzed. The mean cut off used was 2.50. All items with mean 2.50 and

above was regarded as agreement and accepted for the purpose of analysis as factors that

constitute insecurity of the school environment.

28
Table 1: Mean rating and standard deviation of the factors constituting school environment

insecurity that affect students' academic performance

(N = 1000)

S/N Items Mean S.D

1 I have not suffered any form of bulling in my school 3.45 1.04

2 There is inadequate security in my school. The school 3.89 0.86

compound is not fenced and protected.
3 Students' properties are not tampered with after school. 3.40 1.04
4 I have not been sexually harassed or raped in school by 3.07 1.04
teachers or senior students.
5 I have not seen any students with guns within the school 3.08 1.03
premises or outside school.
6 I have heard a gunshot around my school compound 3.42 0.72
sometimes.
7 There is no manifest cult activities in my school. 3.24 0.18
8 Some students smoke Indian hemp and other hard drugs 3.64 0.92
within the school compound and outside school.
9 There are some student gangsters in my school whose 3.21 0.76
activities affect and disrupt school activities.
10 I have heard of kidnapping from our school. 3.20 0.76
11 Students have been kidnapped from our school. 2.62 0.74
12 There have been cases of violence and cult activities 3.42 0.72
within our school.
13 There has been reported case of armed robbery attack in 3.01 0.61
or near our school compound.

As stated above mean cut-off was 2.50. All items with mean of 2.50 were regarded as

agreement and accepted while those with less than 2.50 were regarded as disagreement and

rejected. In effect the responses were either accepted or rejected as an insecurity factor that may

affect academic performance. Accordingly Table 1 above shows results obtained from answering

29
research question 1 for the study. Following from the data on table 4.1 it could be safely

concluded that some factors that constitute insecurity in the school environment in Benue State

which may affect academic performance include: Inadequate security in the school environment

inform of school compound not being fenced and protected with a mean of 3.89 and standard

deviation of 0.86, sporadic gun shots within and outside school compound 3.42 and 0.72 (mean

and standard deviation respectively). Others include smoking of Indian hemp and other hard

drugs by students within and outside school premises, mean 3.64, students' gangsterism which

disrupts school activities, kidnapping of students and parents confrontation of teachers as a result

of corporal punishment meted to their wards. Also there have been cases of violence, cult

activities and armed robbery activities within and around school premises.

It should be noted that the items that were negatively constructed also received positive

mean scores which means that they are equally factors that constitute insecurity of the school

environment that may affect academic performance of secondary school students. Such factors

include: bulling by senior students, tampering with school properties, sexual harassment or rape

by teachers and senior students, manifest cult activities and students carrying guns within and

outside school premises.

Research Question Two:

What effect does insecurity of school environment have on academic performance of secondary

school students in Benue State?"

To determine the effect of perceived insecurity of school environment on academic

performance of the secondary school students, the students' respondents' mean responses,

standard deviation were analyzed and the result of which is summarized in Table 4.2 below:

30
Table 2: Mean rating and standard deviation of effect of insecurity of school environment on the

academic performance of the students

(N = 1000)

S/N Items Mean SO

1 I feel insecure in the school. 3.03 0.61

2 I have skipped school sometimes 2.92 0.87
3 I missed certain lessons those days I absented from school 3.57 0.60
4 Those lessons I missed affected me in my examinations 3.39 0.75
5 I performed better in any session I did not miss school 3.16 0.61
6 Anytime I feel secure, I am more attentive in class. 3.44 0.54
7 At times I avoid my teachers who have punished or 3.01 0.57
sexually harassed me.
8 Anytime my parents confront my teachers or harass them, 2.94 0.46
I experience set-back in my academic performances
9 I will do better if my school environment is safe and 3.16 0.70
secure.
10 Students lose interest in school and academic activities. 3.89 0.87

11 Students practice truancy which affects academic

2.98 0.78
performance.

Results from Table 2 show effect of insecurity of school environment on the academic

performance of secondary school students. From the table it can be seen and concluded that as a

result of perceived insecurity of the school environment students are afraid and feel insecure in

the school, sometimes skipped school, mean 2.92; as a result missed certain lessons 3.57 which

affects them in their examinations 3.39.

However, students opined that they perform better when they did not miss school and that

31
they pay better attention when they feel secure and perform better when they perceive a better,

safe and secure school environment. Also students lose interest in school and academic activities

as a result of perceived insecurity of the school environment, they also practice truancy and some

boys leave school and take up trading while girls dropout and get married.

4.3 Testing of Hypothesis

Hypothesis One:

There is no significant difference in the insecurity of the school environment between rural and

urban secondary schools in Benue State.

To verify the authenticity of the above hypothesis a t-test analysis was ran and the result of

which is summarized in Table 3:

Table 3: T-test analysis showing the difference in the insecurity of the school environment

between rural and urban secondary schools in Sankera.

Location of school N M SD t df P
Urban 500 26.56 5.92 4.59 998 0.04

Rural 500 24.95 5.87

The t-test revealed a significant difference between the scores of respondents from urban

and rural secondary schools in Benue State. Consequently, the null hypothesis was rejected; it

was concluded that there is a significant difference between insecurity of school environment

between secondary schools located in urban and rural areas in Benue State with the urban

secondary schools feeling more insecure.

32
Hypothesis Two:

There is no significant difference between male and female students' academic performance due

to the insecurity of school environment in Benue State Senior Secondary Schools.

This hypothesis was also tested using independent samples t-test and the results are summarized

in Table 4.

Table 4: Insecurity of School Environment, Academic Performance and Students' Gender

Gender N M SD T Df P

Males 500 25.20 5.74 4.233 998 0.03

Females 500 26.48 6.50

The results indicated that female students' academic performance (M = 26.48, SD = 6.50)

was affected more than that of the male students (M = 25.20, SD = 5.74) by the insecurity of the

school environment. The t-test results t (998) = 4.233, p<.05 showed the insecurity of school

environment will lead to significant differences between the academic performances of male and

female students in Benue State

4.4 Discussion of Findings

Findings from this study revealed that insecurity of school environment significantly

affects the academic performance of secondary school students. Consistent with these findings,

Grifft (1999) maintained that a sense of competency will often emerge in an environment that is

fair and consistent which will in turn provide appropriate academic support and expectations. In

this line, Glew et al. (2005) suggested that improving students' behavior and academic

performance will generally require changing school environment.

33
 The result also showed that the following are factors that could constitute insecurity of

the school environment which affect academic performance: smoking of Indian hemp and other

hard drugs by students within and outside school premises, students' gangsterism, cult and

violent activities which disrupt school activities as well as kidnapping, students and parents

confrontation of teachers in school and outside as a result of teachers meting out corporal

punishment to the students. Other factors include sexual harassment, rape, becoming bullied by

the senior students, students carrying and shooting guns within and outside school premises and

finally armed robbery attacks within and around school premises. The process through which

these could affect academic performance of the students' cannot be over emphasized. According

to Lehr (2004), the noble goals of education can never be achieved in a vacuum. They would be

achieved in a conducive and peaceful school environment and if there is a feeling of insecurity

within and outside the school environment both teachers and students are likely to be afraid and

this may inhibit academic performance of the students.

In addition, a situation where parents confront teachers in school will affect academic

support which students are expected to receive from their teachers. Wang (2010) stressed that

students' who perceive strong academic support in school are more likely to be academically

motivated as they perceive that their teachers are supportive, responsive and care about them

hence higher motivation and better academic performance.

Other findings of the study showed that as a result of the school environment students are

afraid and feel insecure, skip school, miss certain lessons which affect them during their

examinations. Besides, they lose interest in school and academic activities which leads to truancy

as well as boys leaving school to take up to trading while girls drop out and settle for married life

because they feel insecure within their school environment. This finding lends credence to the
34
finding of Ojukwu and Nwanma (2015) who reported that as a result of insecurity of the school

environment that sometimes female staff and students complain of being raped or impregnated

leading to their being dropped out of school.

Findings also reveal a significant difference between insecurity of school environment

between secondary schools located in urban and rural areas. Urban secondary school students

feel more insecure than students in schools located in the rural areas. This finding is not

surprising because in Nigeria crimes and insecurity are more pronounced in the urban areas than

in the rural areas.

Finally, the study showed that insecurity of the school environment has a significant effect

on the academic performance of male and female students. This finding also supports the

findings of Ojukwu and Nwanma (2015) who reported after individual analyses of the items in

their questionnaire that more girls were involved in premarital sex, rape and suicidal attempts

than boys. Girls also usually suffered more from emotional trauma and depression due to failure

than the boys. They also suffered from sexual attacks by male teachers and their follow male

students (Ojukwu & Nwanma, 2015). All the above will certainly affect female students'

enrolment as well as their academic performance.

35
 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AMD RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Introduction

This chapter summarizes the findings on the impact of insecurity on academic

performances of social studies students in secondary school students in Sankera Axis of Benue

State using some selected secondary schools in Sankera Axis of Benue State as a case study. The

chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.

5.2 Summary of the Study

In this study, our focus was on insecurity and academic performances of social studies

students in secondary school students in Sankera Axis of Benue State using some selected

secondary schools in the area as a case study. The study is specifically set to determine the

prevalence factors of insecurity among schools in Benue State, ascertain whether insecurity in

the school environment affects students class attendance, ascertain whether insecurity in the

school environment affects students concentration and motivation to learn, and determine

whether insecurity has a significant impact on the academic performances of secondary school

students in Benue State.

Major findings of the study showed that insecurity of the school environment

significantly affects the academic performance of secondary school students while smoking of

Indian hemp, hard drugs, student's, cult, violent activities, kidnapping, armed robbery, parents

confrontation of teachers, sexual harassment, rape, using of guns and bullying of junior by senior

students among others are major factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment. It

was also revealed that there is a significant difference in insecurity of the school environment

between schools located in urban and rural areas while insecurity of the school environment has
36
significant effect on the academic performance of male and female students

5.3 Conclusion

In conclusion, the results from this study have extended and called for more research

regarding insecurity and the school environment vis-a-vis student's academic performance.

Student's poor academic performance has for some time been attributed to factors such as

teacher's ineffectiveness, poor intelligent quotient of the students and poor mental alertness of the

students among others with less or no reference to the effect of insecurity of the school

environment and its related factors. However, in the global search for the poor academic

performance of Nigerian secondary school students, educators and psychologists have realized

that many students perform poorly in their academic work not because they do not possess the

mental ability to do well but because they have been affected by other factors. Hence, this study

investigated the effect of insecurity of school environment on the academic performance of

secondary school students in Benue State.

Major findings showed that insecurity of the school environment significantly affects the

academic performance of secondary school students while smoking of Indian hemp, hard drugs,

student's, cult, violent activities, kidnapping, armed robbery, parents confrontation of teachers,

sexual harassment, rape, using of guns and bullying of junior by senior students among others

are major factors that constitute insecurity of the school environment. As a result of the

insecurity of the school environment, students become afraid of school as they feel insecure and

hence they skip school, miss lessons which eventually affect them during examinations. Besides,

they lose interest in school and academic activities which eventually lead to truancy and boys

leaving school to take up trading while girl's dropout and settle for marriage. It was also revealed

that there is a significant difference in insecurity of the school environment between schools
37
located in urban and rural areas while insecurity of the school environment has significant effect

on the academic performance of male and female students.

5.4 Recommendations

Based on findings of this study, the researcher makes the following recommendations:

i) There should be concerted peace effort and education by the government and its

leadership. There should be constant inter- clan dialogue between clan elders, youth and

women as well as trust-building with the local administration, to try and bring an end to

clan animosity that was the cause of clashes.

ii) Curriculum should infuse aspects of peace education in the upcoming Competency

Based Curriculum and teach the value and importance of peace in the society. The

curriculum should reform and prepare young community members to be agents of peace

and change in the society. The curriculum should also equip learners with skills such as

peace building and problem solving in the society.

iii) Efforts should be made by school owners as well as stake holders in education to ensure

that school environments are fenced and protected to ward off intruders from the school

premises so that students can have a sense of security which will allow them to

concentrate and improve on their academic performance

5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies

The researcher suggest that since insecurity is a known global problem, the government

and the general public should be assist and encourage to carry out more research on impact of

insecurity and academic performance of student in Benue State and the nation in general and

how to reduce or alleviate its prevalence.

38
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 APPENDIX A

INTRODUCTION LETTER
Department of Social Science Education,
Centre for Undergraduate Studies,
College of Education, Katsina-Ala,
In affiliation with the University of Calabar,
Cross River State.
Dear Respondents,
REQUEST TO FILL QUESTIONNAIRE
I am an undergraduate student of the Centre for Undergraduate Studies, College of
Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State in Affiliation with the University of Calabar, Cross River
State carrying out my final year research work.
The questionnaire below aims at gathering information on the “Insecurity and Academic
Performances of Social Studies Students in Secondary School Students in Sankera Axis of Benue
State”.
It is purely an academic exercise for the award of B.Sc. (Ed) Social Studies. Therefore, the
information provided will be treated with strict confidence and will only be used for research
purposes. Please tick in the correct box that applies to the answer you may wish to give.
Your sincere and honest response would enhance the quality of this research work and will
be highly appreciated.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Yours faithfully

Agwaza Sonter Henry

42
 APPENDIX B

QUESTIONNAIRE

Instruction: Please tick or fill in where necessary as the case may be.

SECTION A

(1) Gender of respondent

(a) Male { }

(b) Female{ }

(2) Age distribution of respondents

(a) 11-13 { }

(b) 14-17 { }

(c) 17-20 { }

(d) 21 and above { }

SECTION B

Instructions: Read each statement and think about it

Please tick (√) in the column that best describes your current level as it relates to the study

statement or question.

Keys

SA = Strongly Agreed

A = Agreed

U = Undecided

SD = Strongly Disagreed

43
D = Disagreed

Factors Constituting School Environment Insecurity that Affect Students' Academic

Performance

S/N Items SA A D SD
1 I have not suffered any form of bulling in my school

2 There is inadequate security in my school. The school compound

is not fenced and protected.
3 Students' properties are not tampered with after school.
4 I have not been sexually harassed or raped in school by teachers
or senior students.
5 I have not seen any students with guns within the school premises
or outside school.
6 I have heard a gunshot around my school compound sometimes.

7 There is no manifest cult activities in my school.

8 Some students smoke Indian hemp and other hard drugs within
the school compound and outside school.
9 There are some student gangsters in my school whose activities
affect and disrupt school activities.
10 I have heard of kidnapping from our school.
11 Students have been kidnapped from our school.
12 There have been cases of violence and cult activities within our
school.
13 There has been reported case of armed robbery attack in or near
our school compound.

44
Effect of Insecurity of School Environment on the Academic Performance of the Students

S/N Items SA A D SD

1 I feel insecure in the school.

2 I have skipped school sometimes
3 I missed certain lessons those days I absented from school
4 Those lessons I missed affected me in my examinations
5 I performed better in any session I did not miss school
6 Anytime I feel secure, I am more attentive in class.
7 At times I avoid my teachers who have punished or sexually
harassed me.
8 Anytime my parents confront my teachers or harass them, I
experience set-back in my academic performances
9 I will do better if my school environment is safe and secure.

10 Students lose interest in school and academic activities.

11 Students practice truancy which affects academic performance.

45