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Investigate The Factors Influencing The Performance Of Secondary School Students In Sports
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In their own contribution, Wikerson and Dodder study (as cited in Wuest & Bucher, 2000) conducted research to find out what sport does for people. They came out with seven functions of sports in society:
• Emotional release: Sport is way to express emotions and relieve tensions; it acts as a safety valve and catharsis to relieve aggressive tendencies.
• Affirmation of identity: Sport offers opportunities to be recognized and to express one’s individual qualities.
• Social Control: a means of control over people in a society where deviances is prevalent
• Socialization: Sport serves as a means of socializing those individuals who identify with it.
• Change agent: Sport results in social change, new behavior patterns and is a factor that changes the course of history. For example, it allows for interaction of all kinds of people and for upward mobility based on ability.
• Collective consciousness: Sport creates a communal spirit that brings people together in a conclusive manner in search of common goals.
• Success: Sport provides a feeling of success both for the participant and the spectator when a player or a team with whom one identifies achieves success. To win in sport is also to win in life.
By this, therefore, it becomes established that sport is very important to individuals and the students in particular.
State of Sport in Nigeria Secondary Schools
Sports programme in Nigeria secondary schools is currently organized at three levels. Ojeme (2000) specified the levels to be:
Instructional sports programme: This promotes acquisition of basic knowledge and skills in different motor activities. Skills acquired in instructional programme are applied in intramural sports. This programme ensures that students in secondary schools learn basic skills of sport. However, it appears not much has been achieved as the programme is plagued by inadequacies of facilities, equipment and personnel. At the instructional level, the rules and regulations of sport are taught and these experiences could be carried outside the classroom. It was stated that good character and good behaviour learned within sports context can be transferred from the school community to the society at large.
Intramural sports programme: This promotes broad-based participation in sports activities. This programme democratizes sports participation by all students. In the schools however, it appears that intramural sports activities in Nigerian secondary schools are no longer effectively organized. The development of intramural sports will enable majority of the students to engage themselves fully in any sports activities of their choice. Students who are involved in sports are constructively engaged and their attention will be diverted from deviant acts. There will also be possible transfer of fair play in sports to other aspects of their school life and this makes sports an indispensible instrument for controlling deviant acts in schools. If intramural sport activities are properly organized, they will enhance the social relationship among secondary school students.
Extramural Sports Programmes: This programme provides opportunities for the most athletically talented students in the schools to excel in their chosen sports through organized sports competition. Ekeh (2002) maintained that well organized extramural sports provide certain educational values such as reaction under pressure, quick thinking, immediate decision and response to emergencies on the field of play. Students also learn to play according to the rules of the game and obey constituted authorities. Consequently, secondary school students who have the opportunity to acquire these values are likely not to act deviantly.
Factors Influencing Students Participation in Sport
It is however, important to analyze some fundamental factors influencing students’ performance in sports in Nigeria secondary schools. The issues boarder on the following:
i. Sports Awareness: It seems that a great number of Nigerians secondary schools administrators are not aware of the value of sports. As a result, planning sports programme is a waste of time to them. In some of the schools where sports programmes are present, a great number of students and staff alike are ignorant of the potentials of sports. They are either too busy to play or regard sports participation as a waste of precious time.
ii. Perception of Sports in Secondary School Curriculum: The National Policy on Education places physical education of which sports is an integral part as optionally compulsory subject in the secondary school curriculum. The attention given to sports is far below that required and consequently there is low students participation or no participation at all. They viewed sports and physical education as no academic; they are for non-doing well students.
iii. Perception of Sports by Parents: Most parents have wrong conception of sports programmes in schools. They not only discourage their wards from studying physical education as a subject but even go further to forbid them from participating in sports and games. Most parents feel that time for sports should be spent on other academic activities. This is a misconception and these parents need proper education on the potentials of sports.
iv. Sports Facilities and Sports Personnel in Secondary Schools: If students in Nigerian secondary schools are to be gainfully involved in sports at all, there must be that enabling environment. Sport facilities, equipment and sports personnel are factors that make participation in sports worthwhile. Sports facilities, equipment and sports personnel are required for planned sports programmes in schools. sports facilities in Nigeria secondary schools are in pitiable situation and in most cases they are not in existence.
v. Formation of Sports Clubs: it is rare to find sports clubs being organized in Nigerian secondary schools. Sports clubs if formed will bring students together to play under one healthy environment. Team spirit and understanding for each other’s differences will be built.
vi. Recreational Activities: Recreational activities in Nigerian secondary schools seem to be neglected and this is because recreational facilities are lacking. It appears that no meaningful effort is made in the direction of providing these facilities.
Besides these aforementioned factors, there are, indeed, various other factors affecting the performance of student athletes, and these include Psychological factor, Physiological factor, Nutritional factor and Factors of equipment and facilities.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]ABSTRACT IS COMING SOON ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER ONE - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]Purpose of the Study   The general purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the performance of secondary school students in sports. Specifically, the work intends:i.   to find out whether availability of sporting facilities affect students’ performance in sportii.   to investigate whether the socio-economic status of the students influence their performance in sportsiii.   to reveal whether parental attitude of the students affects the studentsâ€â ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER THREE - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]CHAPTER THREERESEARCH METHODOLOGYThis chapter is concerned with the method of collecting related and relevant information needed for this work. It presents the research methodology adopted in this study. It has been presented under these sections; Population, Sample and Sampling Techniques, Research Instrument, Instrument Validation, Procedure for Data Collection, and Data Analysis Techniques. Research DesignThis study is a descriptive research of the survey type. A descriptive research describ ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FOUR - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]CHAPTER FOURSUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONSThis chapter presents a summary of study after which it gives a brief conclusion based on the findings of the result derived from the data analysed. Therefore, the chapter presents some recommendations with the hope that if they are implemented, there will be further success in the use of school sports.SummaryThere has been general perceived decline in students’ performance in sporting activities in and outside their schools. The poor per ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FIVE - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]CHAPTER FIVEConclusionSport in Nigeria has grown from its humble beginning as an entertainment and recreational pastime to a prominent phenomenon whose influences are felt in all facets of lives of citizens. It is a very useful tool for all-round development especially of the students. It is used in Nigeria to foster national unity and socio-cultural integration. It is one of the most important phenomena which cut across all human endeavours and ethnic divides. Its invaluable role in studentsââ ... Continue reading---
