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ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDE TO LEARNING ARABIC LANGUAGE IN LAGOS STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

As human beings we have to live in a society or in a particular place surrounded by a lot of people. The environment that surrounds us is called social context. The environment we live in has a great effect on our minds. Arabic is a language which is used internationally, therefore, to cope with the current world we have to learn Arabic. In a developing country like ours we are trying to learn Arabic not only as a foreign language but also as a second language. We try to teach the learners how to speak fluently in Arabic but do we know, that the place/ environment we are living works as a motivator as well as discouraging factor for the learners while learning Arabic as a second language? The impact of environment on the lexical choices of students is severed as can be noticed in students’ writing and communications.

Normally the process of second language learning is different from the first language or native language acquisition (Atwill, 2007), but it is mostly understood that aspects affecting someone’s ability to acquire a second language (e.g., motivation) do not play a role in native-language development (Dörnyei, 2001). On the other hand, it is a well-known fact that knowledge of second language influences the ability to manage the information in the first language (Marian & Spivey, 2003). Cognitive and psycholinguistic models of bilingualism vividly displays that the two languages interact with each other, even during language-specific processing (Dijkstra& Van Heuven, 2002). Aspects of early age learners and immersion in the language of the environment are very important in the EFL learning process. The current study exhibits that environment plays a pivotal role in the second language learning especially as there are different language environments.

            The environment of a learner has a very significant role to play in the choice of words he uses to interact or communicate; this environment cuts across his peer group, parents, learning environment, social environment, language of immediate environment, teacher’s method of teaching language, cultural norms, the social media as well as his mother tongue.

            Chomsky (2000) proposed the best known accepted theory of language acquisition termed language Acquisition Device (LAD). Chomsky is of the opinion that a learner is not born blank; rather he or she has the linguistic predisposition to acquire the language of his immediate community. This linguistic endowment has been described as the language faculty or the language acquisition programme. The language faculty provides the learner with a set of procedures for developing an internal grammar of his language on the basis of speech input which the learner receives- “The triggering experience”.

Arabic Language is an essential aspect of Islamic education in Nigeria, and it is being taught as a subject in both primary and secondary schools. Arabic language is an important subject of study in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of the country, where it is widely spoken and taught. However, the study of Arabic language is not limited to the northern part of Nigeria, as it is also a subject of study in the south-western part of the country, particularly in Lagos state. However, the achievement and attitude of students towards learning Arabic Language are influenced by various environmental factors.

Research has shown that environmental factors play a significant role in students’ achievement and attitude to learning Arabic language. One of the major environmental factors that affect students’ achievement and attitude to learning Arabic language in Lagos state is the availability of qualified and competent teachers. According to Aremu (2015), the quality of teaching and learning in Arabic language is greatly influenced by the quality of the teacher. If the teacher is not competent or lacks the necessary qualifications, students may not be motivated to learn and may perform poorly in the subject. According to Ogunbiyi and Adejumo (2014), teachers’ competency and teaching methods affect students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic Language. Therefore, teachers’ ability to teach effectively, motivate and engage students in learning, and create a conducive learning environment are critical to students’ achievement and attitude towards the subject.

One environmental factor that affects students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic Language is the availability of learning resources such as textbooks, audiovisual materials, and instructional technology. A study by Oyewole, Adeniyi, and Owolabi (2019) revealed that the lack of instructional materials and teaching aids in Arabic Language classrooms in Nigeria affects students’ achievement and attitude towards the subject. According to Ibrahim and Alabi (2017), the availability of learning resources greatly enhances students’ understanding of the subject and improves their motivation to learn.

The learning environment also plays a significant role in students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic Language. A study by Yusuf and Salisu (2017) revealed that the physical condition of the classroom, the availability of appropriate furniture, and the classroom setting affects students’ achievement and attitude towards the subject.

Furthermore, parental involvement and support can also influence students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic Language. According to Adeyemo (2019), parents’ interest, encouragement, and involvement in their children’s Arabic Language education have a positive impact on students’ achievement and attitude towards the subject. Furthermore, the socio-economic status of students and their families also plays a significant role in their achievement and attitude to learning Arabic language in Lagos state. According to Adeyemi (2018), students from low socio-economic backgrounds may face challenges in accessing learning resources and may be less motivated to learn compared to their peers from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

Therefore, various environmental factors such as the availability of learning resources, the quality of teaching, the learning environment, and parental involvement and support affect students’ achievement and attitudes to learning Arabic Language in Lagos state.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The teaching and learning of Arabic language in Lagos State, Nigeria, is facing a number of challenges that may be affecting students’ achievement and attitude towards the language. The rate of failure in Arabic as a subject at the secondary school level in both external and internal examination has become a source of concern to researchers and educational stakeholders. Over the years, a lot of factors have been attributed to this rate of failure. However, less attention has been given to environment as a cause of poor performance in Arabic language among secondary school students. It is safe to say that human beings are greatly affected by heredity, in the same way affected by environment. Physiologists are of the view that the environment in which a child finds himself contributes a great deal to his acquisition and use of language. Abedo (2003) notes that a child requires sustained interaction with other language users in order to bring the latent language faculty into operation within a given language. It is therefore, in the light of this that the research was necessitated with the aim of finding lasting solution to this problem. By identifying and addressing these environmental factors, it may be possible to improve students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic language in Lagos State.

1.3. Purpose of the Study

            The main purpose of this study is to examine the environmental factors affecting students’ achievement and attitude to learning Arabic language in Lagos State. Other specific objectives of the study are to:

1. Determine the factors that influence students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.
2. Examine the role of teaching methods and materials in enhancing students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.
3. Find out how students’ attitudes towards Arabic language affect their achievements in Lagos state.
4. Discuss how the teaching of Arabic language can be improved in Lagos state to enhance students’ achievement and attitude towards learning.

1.4 Research Questions

            The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. What are the factors that influence students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state?
2. What is the role of teaching methods and materials in enhancing students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state?

• How do students’ attitudes towards Arabic language affect their achievements in Lagos state?

1. How can the teaching of Arabic language be improved in Lagos state to enhance students’ achievement and attitude towards learning?

1.5. Hypotheses

1. H0: There is no significant relationship between factors influencing students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.

H1: There is a significant relationship between factors influencing students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.

1. H0: There is no significant relationship between teaching methods and materials and students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.

H1: There is a significant relationship between teaching methods and materials and students’ achievement in learning Arabic language in Lagos state.

iii. H0: There is no significant relationship between students’ attitudes towards Arabic language and their achievement in Lagos state.

H1: There is a significant relationship between students’ attitudes towards Arabic language and their achievement in Lagos state.

1.6 Significance of the Study

            The importance of this study cannot be underestimated. This is because of the great importance given to Arabic language in Nigerian and the global society. If students continue to perform poorly in Arabic language, then one day, we will go back to our native language because there will be no international intelligibility of the Arabic language we speak. No wonder some of the graduates of today are so terrible when it comes to speaking, writing and even reading in Arabic language. Therefore, this study will be of importance to all educational stakeholders which include, parents, government, teachers, curriculum planners and students as well who are the main reason for this research.

            The study will be of benefit to the curriculum planners because they will come to understand that the environment has profound effect on the performance of students in Arabic language. Therefore, they will structure learning experiences to abate or annihilated the lapses caused by environment in the teaching-learning of Arabic language.

        To the teachers as implementers of the curriculum, they will help the students or encourage them to speak and write in Arabic language as often as possible to overcome these effects of environment on the lexical choices of students. It will contribute a great deal in helping teachers known why their students speak or write the way they do. Therefore, the teachers will assist in finding the most effective way to teach in order to make students use the standard type of Arabic.

            The government who are the purse string of education will benefit from this study because when they are situating a school, they will consider the environment where the school will be. They will also provide instructional materials and textbooks which will help in helping students overcome effects of environment on the lexical choices of students.

        Parents on the other hand will encourage their children to speak good Arabic, irrespective of the environment they find themselves in. this will go a long way in enhancing their mastery in the Arabic language and also enrich their Arabic lexis.

            The students who are the central part of this research will benefit from this research as the recommendations made from this study will be used to help them overcome effect of environment on the diction of students.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

        This study focused on environmental factors affecting secondary school students’ achievement and attitudes to learning Arabic language. The study is restricted to selected secondary schools in Ifako Ijaye Local Government Area of Lagos State. The study shall cover factors that influence students’ achievement in learning Arabic language, the role of teaching methods and materials in enhancing students’ achievement in learning Arabic language, how students’ attitudes towards Arabic language affect their achievements and how the teaching of Arabic language be improved to enhance students’ achievement and attitude towards learning in Ifako Ijaye Local Government Area of Lagos State.

1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms

            The following terms are operationally defined as they are used in this study:

Environmental factors: For the purpose of this study, environmental factors refer to the external conditions or circumstances that affect students’ achievement and attitude towards learning Arabic language in Lagos state. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the socio-economic status of students, the availability of learning resources, the quality of teaching, and the cultural attitudes towards Arabic language in Lagos state.

Students’ achievement: In this study, students’ achievement refers to the level of success that students attain in learning Arabic language, as measured by their grades, test scores, and other academic performance indicators.

Attitude towards learning: Attitude towards learning refers to students’ feelings and perceptions towards the process of learning Arabic language. It encompasses aspects such as motivation, interest, engagement, and willingness to learn.

Arabic language: Arabic language refers to the language spoken and written in the Arab world, and in this study, specifically the teaching and learning of Arabic language in Lagos state.

Teaching methods: Refers to the strategies, techniques, and approaches used by teachers to deliver Arabic language instruction in Lagos state. This includes methods such as lecture, discussion, demonstration, cooperative learning, and problem-based learning.

Teaching materials: Refers to the resources and tools used by teachers to support Arabic language instruction in Lagos state. This includes textbooks, workbooks, audio and video materials, and other instructional aids.