School Environment and Students’ Enrollment in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Abim District

Abstract

The study was about School Environment and Students’ Enrollment in Government-Aided Secondary Schools in Abim District. It was guided by three objectives: to investigate the influence of the social environment, to examine the influence of physical environment, and to examine the influence of learning environment on students’ enrollment in secondary schools in Abim District. Using a cross-sectional survey design with a mixed-methods approach, the study sampled 165 teachers and 12 head teachers from a total population of 308 respondents. Data collection involved closed-ended questionnaires for teachers while interviews were for head teachers. The instruments were validated with a content validity index of .72, and reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .729. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive, inferential and relational statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Findings indicate that that all the three control measures were statistically significant, with the Total Learning Environment making the strongest unique contribution to explaining the students’ enrolment: recording a higher beta value (β = .925, p = .000) than the Total Physical Environment Scale (β = -.689, p = .000) and Total Social Environment Scale (β = .356, p = .001). This means that all the three control measures made a unique, and statistically significant, contribution to the prediction of Students’ Enrolment. Qualitative data also indicate school environment as measured by social, physical and learning can affect either positively or negatively students’ enrolment. The study therefore concluded that social environment—particularly parental involvement and socio-economic factors greatly influence students’ enrolment, enhancing physical conditions in schools appears to be a promising avenue for improving enrollment outcomes and enhancing learning environment could be a key strategy for improving enrollment outcomes. The study, therefore, recommended that the government, policy makers, school administrators and all the school stakeholders should mobilise, invest and allocate resources to improve school environment to improve on students' enrolment.