SCHOOL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND INSECURITY AS CORRELATES OF ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among the school physical environment, insecurity, and academic engagement of Business Education students in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study, and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population comprised 590 Business Education students in the four public tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The census sampling technique was used. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire validated by three experts: two from the Faculty of Technology and Vocational Education and one from the Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, all from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using the Cronbach Alpha method, and the following reliability coefficients were obtained: 0.81 (school physical environment), 0.72 (insecurity), and 0.79 (academic engagement). The study utilized the direct method of questionnaire administration. Pearson product- moment correlation was used to analyze the research questions. Simple linear regression statistics were used to test the hypotheses. The study found that school physical environment and insecurity were correlates of academic engagement of business education students. The study recommended that tertiary institution administrators should improve the learning environment by providing adequate classroom facilities to enhance students’ academic engagement