COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SMART GREEN SCHOOLS AND CONVENTIONAL SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE: EVALUATING STUDENTS' HEALTH AWARENESS, ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOURAL PRACTICES, INFRASTRUCTURAL DESIGNS AND MAINTENANCE EFFECTIVENESS

The study delved into the comparative analysis of smart green schools and conventional schools by evaluating students’ health awareness, environmental behavioural practices, infrastructural designs, and maintenance effectiveness. The study was carried out in Enugu urban. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical survey research design as its research methodology. Four research questions were formulated and addressed in line with the purpose of the study, and one hypothesis was tested. A questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data. The data collection instruments underwent validation by three specialists in measurement and evaluation, and their insights were thoughtfully integrated into the final instrument. The instrument was also tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha and the reliability coefficient was 0.86. The population for the study was 1,797 teachers from government secondary schools in Enugu Urban and 185 teachers from privately owned secondary schools. A sample of 37 teachers from five privately owned green schools and 300 teachers from ten conventional schools was drawn through purposive sampling. The data collected were analysed using the mean and standard deviation, and the percentage proportion for the checklists and hypothesis was tested using the Independent Samples T-test. The findings from the study indicated that green schools enhance students learning more than the conventional school. It was recommended among others that conventional schools in Enugu State should be upgraded with green features and smart nature to develop quality education