ABSTRACT
This aim of this study is to investigate the perceived inhibiting factors affecting sports development and performance among secondary school students using Ijebu North Local Government Area as a case study. since the importance of Sports cannot be overemphasized, in fact scientists attests to the fact that physical education which is part of Sports is essential for healthy living. Thus, it is pertinent to make provision for sporting facilities and equipment including curriculum in schools in order to make physical health education not an opportunity but a right for all.
The target population for this study consists of 10 randomly selected secondary schools in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State using random sampling technique, a total of two hundred (200) respondents . A Self-structured questionnaire was developed to elicit information from the respondents. This questionnaire was validated and three hypotheses were raised based on the research questions and were analyzed using chi-square analysis.
Based on the findings, it was therefore recommended that equally, the school authority should provide sports facilities for the students; this would serve as motivational factors for the students at least to encourage them towards participating in sports. The school authority should make it mandatory to provide sporting equipment for the students which will be in conformity with their interest. It is very imperative to organize seminars, symposia and lecture series that will serve as a forum of educating the parents on the importance of sports, what sports entails and reasons why they should allowed their children to engage in sporting activities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The school is a social institution entrusted with
the formal education of the youth in the society. Sporting activities have been
known to be an integral component of the educational programs of the most, if
not all nations of the world.
In Plato’s Republic, physical education was included
as an integral component of the educational system. It is therefore the
function of the school to socialize the individuals. Here in Nigeria, physical
education programs are not much emphasized at all levels of the educational
system, in fact, the recognition of physical education as a part of the
secondary school curriculum by the national policy on education in 1982 formally
and wholly integrated physical education into the educational program of the
country (Ojeme, 2003; Orunaboka, 2005).
In most advanced countries of the world; education
authorities have realized the benefits accruing from participation in sports
programs and they have not hesitated in including physical education in their curriculum
as a part of the learning experiences offered to the students. The implication
is that a lot of resources (finance) were put into physical education to enable
the youths enjoy a worthy sports programme for their healthy development.
Sports activities have been seen as an instrument for national unity.
This role has
been epitomized by the biannually organized “All Nigeria Sports Festival and
Nigeria Schools Sports Festival”, which aimed at bringing people from various
states and schools in Nigeria together through a healthy competition. There is
a clear indication that the authorities responsible for administration of
sports in Nigeria have realized the contributions of the school physical
education programs towards sports development in Nigeria and are sparing no
effort to encourage secondary schools to set up well structured physical education
and sports programs. This implies that Nigeria secondary schools are now looked
upon as one of the fertile grounds for breeding the Nation’s future sportsmen
and women. In order to achieve this objective, the government through the
ministry of Youths and Sports provided standard facilities, supplies and
equipment to all the secondary schools through their state government, but the
problems of facilities, and equipment management in the secondary schools in Nigeria,
are the issue of concern by many sports researchers, sports managers and
practitioners, as an area that merits investigation.
The value of sports on behavior is quite
overwhelming. It is in this context that the accrued benefits may be adequately
harnessed. Over the years, sport has been monolithic in nature and practice.
The Coubertin era with its promotion of one dimensional competitive culture
gave credence to this approach. Against this narrow perception, Harvey, (2002)
has argued that the roles of sports are potentially many given its highly
symbolic, metaphoric nature. Consequently, in this regard, Constant as cited in
Harvey (2002), identified three dimensions in which sports can make
contributions. These are social cohesion, citizenship and moral qualities
dimensions. However, this can only be made possible when it is perceived as
shared common values in which everybody has a stake in the challenges and
belong to the same culture.
Today’s society is growing technologically, hence sports
and physical education can be utilized as tools to affect functional
effectiveness in this technological era. In this regard it becomes imperative
for experts in physical education and sports to research and identify issues
and problems peculiar to their locality as well as to a wider global context so
as to ascertain how these could lead to the development of physical education
and sports. There is no doubt that utilization of such information technology
to drive a technologically sophisticated society will enhance better humanity.
Notably, sport and physical activities are closely related with man’s
existence, history, culture, economy and politics (Park, 2003). The question
therefore is to what extent has this been fully exploited? Much may not be said
of the primitive days of man, but with the advent of civilization, the
expectation is that much may have been achieved. This also stem‘s from the
conception that physical activity play a significant role in attaining the
desired social construction.
This may also be one reason why physical education
and sports was introduced into the school curriculum. There is the tendency
that sport ensures wholesome development of the students. Against this
background, policies in education and sports were formulated to ensure that the
needed potentials are adequately harnessed. The extent, to which these issues
are realized, will be explored in this paper along with the factors that is
inhibiting against sport development in Ogun State.
Statement of the Problem
The
importance of Sports cannot be overemphasized, in fact scientists attests to
the fact that physical education which is part of Sports is essential for healthy
living. Thus, it is pertinent to make provision for sporting facilities, Sports
equipment and curriculum in schools in order to make physical health education not
an opportunity but a right for all. However, it has been discovered that sport
in Ogun State secondary schools today has failed to meet up with the required
standard. This indeed has affected the standard of Sports in the State.
Moreover, this research work will look into how lack of necessary facilities,
lack of proper maintenance of equipment and inadequate finance/ funding as factors
that might have affect on Sports development and performance in Ogun State.
Research Questions
This
study is set out give answers to the following research questions:
1. What
is the effect of inadequate sports equipment on the development of sports among
secondary school students in Ogun State?
2. How
does the school curriculum help in the development of sports in Ogun State secondary
schools?
3. Does
lack of proper management of sports equipment work against students’
performance in sports among secondary school students in Ogun State?
Research Hypotheses
In line with the above question
stated, the following hypotheses are to be tested:
1. There is no
significant relationship between availability/adequate sports equipment and
sport development.
2. There is no
significant difference between school curriculum and sports development.
3. There is no significant
relationship between sport growth and management of sports equipment.
Significance of the Study
No
doubt, Sports has been part of man from the history of man till date and has reserved
it uniqueness right from then till date. This indeed has actually called for
the provision of sports equipment in all secondary schools.
However, this research project will
provide the government with the factors that are inhibiting against sports
development and performance in Ogun State secondary schools along with the
possible solutions to problems.
It will also provide the school
administration and the public with the necessary suggestions on how to maintain
the available sporting equipment and facilities as well as what should be the students’
attitude toward the maintenance of this facilities.
Delimitation of the Study
The study will focus on
the inhibiting factors in sport growth and development among the secondary
school students in Ogun State. Therefore, this study is delimited to ten
secondary schools in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State. The ten
secondary schools are:
i.
1. Abusi Odumare Academy,Ijebu
Igbo
ii.
Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo
iii.
Itamerin Comprehensive High School Oru-Ijebu
iv.
Ago Secondary School, Ago Iwoye
v.
Fowoseje Secondary School, Ago Iwoye
vi.
Muslim High School, Ago Iwoye
vii.
Beje Secondary School, Ijebu-Igbo
viii.
Obanta Secondary School, Mamu- Awa
ix.
Japara Secondary School, Ijebu-Igbo.
x.
Methodist Secondary School, Ago-Iwoye.
Limitation
of the Study
The
limitations that the researcher may experience in the quest of finding the
truth in this study are as follows:
i.
The responses that would be provided by
the people to some of the questionnaires formed may be incompletely filled or inaccurate.
Effort would be made by the researcher in persuading respondents to fill the
questionnaire appropriately. Other limitations in the course of this study
would be adequately taken care of by the researcher.
ii.
Study will be restricted to the secondary
school.
Operational Definition of Terms
The
following terms will be used in the course of this study:
Curriculum:
This refers to the set of coursework on sport and their content, offered at
school and the provision of these on the time table.
Development:
This refers to the level of growth and direct positive change in school
sporting activities.
Facilities:
These are the equipment put in place to facilitate or make sport activities
possible in secondary schools.
Management:
This is the judicious use of sporting equipments in secondary schools.
Performance:
This means the achievement or accomplishment of students in sporting
activities.
Sports:
This refers to any athletic activities that that uses physical skill, often
competitive in nature.
Sports equipment:
These are materials that are used in athletics activities or in sporting
competition.