SCHOOL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES AS PREDICTORS OF BIOLOGY STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT This study investigated the school learning environment variables as predictors of biology students’ academic achievement in senior secondary schools of Taraba State, Nigeria. Six objectives, six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the correlational research design. The population was 11,837 SSS III Biology students. The sample of the study was 400 SSS III biology students drawn from the entire using population. A total of 16 senior secondary schools were selected from four education zones using multi-stage sampling techniques. Two instruments were used for data collection namely: School Learning Environment Variables Questionnaire (SLEVQ) and Biology Students’ Academic Achievement (BSAA). Cronbach Alpha was used to obtain the reliability coefficient of School Learning Environment Variables Questionnaire and Kuder-Richardson 21 formula (KR-21) was used to compute the reliability coefficient of Terminal Biology Students’ Academic Achievement (BSAA). The reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained for School Learning Environment Variables Questionnaire and 0.80 was obtained for Biology Students’ Academic Achievement. Instrument was subjected to face validation. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while, the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using simple linear regression and multiple linear regression an. The analyses findings of the study revealed that there is positive significant relationship between school learning environment variables combined (class size, home environment, students-teacher relationship, biology laboratory facilities and school location) and biology students’ academic achievement in senior secondary schools of Taraba state (P-value 0.00). It was concluded that class size, teacher-students relationship, home environment, biology laboratory facilities and school location make a positive significant prediction on biology students’ academic achievement in senior secondary schools in Taraba state. Therefore, it was recommended that Government, parents, teachers, individual and school principals should ensure that school learning environment variables: are given proper attention for better academic achievement of students in Taraba State senior secondary schools.