Housing as a Stimulus to Students’ Academic Deliverables: A Study of Federal University of Technology, Akure

Housing as a Stimulus to Students’ Academic Deliverables: A Study of Federal University of Technology, Akure

ADEYEMI, Babatunde Alex, ADEMAKINWA, Olasunmbo Olajumoke & ADEYEMI, Iniubong Sandra

Department of Architecture, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2024.90345

Received: 08 February 2024; Revised: 15 March 2024; Accepted: 05 March 2024; Published: 22 April 2024

ABSTRACT

Learning environment has been a topical issue over years, most especially with rise in student population due to increasing interest in the higher institutions of learning over the years. No doubt, the existing housing facilities around higher institutions of learning in Nigeria have been stretched to overcrowding, poor maintenance culture sometimes to obsolescence. This exerts negative impact on learning outcomes as well as the overall performance of the students.  The broad objective of this paper is to investigate how housing stimulates students’ academic deliverables in Nigerian higher institutions of learning with special reference to Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State. And the specific objectives are to examine the background information of the study area; examine the housing characteristics in the study area; examine the effects of housing on moral discipline of the students in the study area; determine the link between students’ housing condition and their academic deliverables. Questionnaires were used to collect information from student populace and data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.  The study revealed that there is significant relationship between housing condition and students’ performance, poor housing condition affect the academic deliverables of student of the study area adversely.

Keywords: Academic Performance, Housing, Off-Campus, Stimulus, Students’ Hostel

INTRODUCTION

The origins of the university can be traced back to the Medieval Cities of Paris and Oxford, around the year 1200 AD, as documented by Mbazor (2021). University education has consistently attracted individuals from diverse ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds worldwide who come together for the purposes of learning and research. In the early stages of university education, students did not reside within university campuses but instead lived within the local communities surrounding the institution, as pointed out by Mbazor (2021). Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), was no exception to this practice of providing housing. Both on-campus and off-campus housing options remained available for FUTA students after its establishment in the 1990s. On-campus housing is provided by the educational institution within its premises to cater to its students, while off-campus housing typically comprises privately-run hostels and other accommodation options where students live in exchange for a specific fee.

Housing is a vital component of any society, it is one of the primary needs that makes life worth living for man (Milala et al. 2021; Agyemang and Morrison, 2018; Agbugah-Ezeana 2019; Odunsi .2018; Veras, 2018; Ekpo, 2019).  By every standard, housing is expected to satisfy certain biological, psychological, social, cultural and economic needs of the people within a given environment (Gillespie, 2018 & Sanni, 2018). Ezeanah (2021) also notes that housing is an issue that touches on the life of individuals as well as that of the nation; a great importance is ascribed to the role it plays in engendering human comfort by both nature and society. Ezennia (2022) and Aluede et.al (2005) equally stress the fact that housing as a unit of the environment has a huge influence on the health, efficiency, social behaviour, satisfaction and general well-being of the community, as well as performance of individual. Rolfe et al. (2020) avows that quality housing contributes a whole lot to the attainment of physical and moral health of a nation and stimulates the social stability, the work efficiency and the development of the individual. Hence, housing is at the centre of our social and economic activity. Therefore, it will not be tantamount to overstatement that housing is more than mere shelter or abode in all its ramifications.

The lack of affordable housing may lead to high rent burdens, overcrowding, substandard housing and housing insecurity for most of our higher institutions of learning. Living in a distressed environment intensifies the effects of poor performance on individual educational achievement and other measures of well-being. Ezennia (2022) observed that an individual’s residence played a significant role in shaping their productivity. In line with this, Mbazor (2021) stresses that lower educational performance has also been found to be associated with low housing quality. This may be due to the effects of overcrowding, poor access to resources and a lack of social networks, and in this sense, housing type may also be a measure of neighbourhood influence. A recent Australian study based on 12 students from 10 state schools, found that neighbourhood effects were an important influence on students’ educational plans to continue further post-secondary education, after controlling for a range of individual and family socioeconomic characteristics (Aluko, 2011).

The importance of efficient and suitable student housing facilities at higher education institutions cannot be overstated. This is because students require a supportive and comfortable living environment to maintain a healthy state of mind, which in turn enhances their performance in academic pursuits. As pointed out by Adama et.al (2018) and Pat-Mbano et.al (2012), there is a direct connection between students’ housing conditions and their academic achievements. It has been observed that academic performance among students in Nigeria is on the decline, and this unfortunate trend can be attributed to the subpar housing conditions they experience, both on and off-campus. This issue extends beyond Nigeria and is also prevalent in other developing countries, as highlighted by the Centre for Global Education in 2002.

The high population and population growth rate in Nigeria also serves as a contributing factor to the housing shortage. The existing state of supply of student accommodation in public universities has witnessed unimaginable shortfalls, which is continually aggravated yearly by the high increase in student enrolment. The short supply of student accommodation has overwhelming effects on the student populace, the university authorities and government who has constantly been constrained with inadequacy of funds in meeting their obligation. It is essential for student housing to provide the basic infrastructure facility needed by the student. Such facilities include, toilets, running water, electricity, reading room, canteen, buttery, kitchenette and a recreation area and provision of these facilities in good working order is something that is not always readily available. It is a fairly common occurrence for these facilities to either be unavailable or in a state of disrepair (Adama et.al, 2018).

Housing is very fundamental to the welfare, survival and health of individuals. Thus, the need for an effective and conducive students’ housing facility in Federal University of Technology, Akure goes a long way in determining a healthy and sound state of mind to excel in their academic endeavour. Since student housing provides not only physical protection but also a healthy social and behavioural stability, the productivity of a set of students may not be totally unconnected with their student housing condition and quality. The premise of this paper is that a sound environment is essential to realizing the full potential in students in higher institutions of learning. In other words, the absence of a sound environment can significantly undermine the promise of academic deliverables. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how housing stimulates students’ academic deliverables in Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State. Additionally, the particular goals of this study are to:

1. examine students’ housing condition in Federal University of  Technology, Akure;
2. examine the effects of housing on moral discipline of the students of Federal University of Technology, Akure;
3. identify the connection between students’ housing condition and their academic deliverables and
4. prescribe necessary recommendations on the improvements of students housing conditions.

LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Student housing or accommodation serves as the place where students reside while pursuing their academic programs. (Mbazor, 2021). The housing experience offers many opportunities to grow through educational and social programming, living-learning communities, and a wide-range of leadership roles and student activities both in the residence halls and campus wide. However, Nigerians are confronted with a number of housing problems, Nigerian cities currently have a massive lack of housing; there is an immediate need of hundreds of housing units with a 16 Million housing unit deficit (BVER, 2013), which are essentially connected with the hardships they face in securing and retaining a descent residence. This situation is particularly evident in the school environment or settlements where higher institutions of learning are sited, which has placed great demands not only on housing but also on physical and social amenities (Adama et.al, 2018 and Okenla,1998).

This astronomical rise in students’ population has brought pressure on housing facilities in Nigerian higher institutions of learning. Thus, this increase in students’ population propelled most school authorities to change its original policy on hostel accommodation from full residential to dual-residential or non- residential. All over the world, the provision of accommodation to the students’ population takes different models such as: non-residential, where students source for their own accommodation; residential, where the university houses all its students and dual-residential, where the university houses its student population for a period of time only, probably the first and final year, while the students during the remaining period source for their own accommodations. The experiences of students in tertiary institutions in sourcing for or securing  their own accommodation around university communities are likely to be interesting and significant (Adama et.al, 2018).

Nissi et.al (2021) emphasized that despite being an essential aspect of student personnel management, on-campus accommodation has not received the attention it deserves and often suffers from inadequate maintenance. This is because students require comfortable lodging to effectively engage in their primary pursuit of learning. Adam et al. (2018) examined the students housing as influencing Factors and Effect on Academic Performance in private universities in Nigeria, revealing that the major factors influencing students’ choice of residence are: accommodation fee, quality of the environment, need for privacy, influence of friends/desire to be close to friends, and number of students within the building.

Housing as a Stimulus of Academic Deliverables

A number of researches have linked decent homes to improved communities, reducing crime, improving employment opportunities and educational achievement (CSSP, 2011). Students’ reading abilities, cognitive development, physiological indicators, and motivational tasks are affected by exposure to certain conditions in which housing occupies a centre stage. There is extensive research that links good housing and environment with academic performance. Among the physical factors tested in most of the researches, housing has been found to be significantly associated with academic performance, as good housing forms an important aspect of environmental health (Krieger & Higgins, 2002; Kamaruddin et.al,2009). Akinpelu (2015) states that housing is one of the traditional areas of concern for public health, though it has been relatively neglected over recent decades. Hence, housing is important for many aspects of healthy living and well-being. Housing conditions affect performance.

Currently, hostel accommodation for students in Nigeria is in short supply in Nigerian higher institutions. The nature of housing demand in these institutions have ranged between administrative, residential, financial, specialized, recreational, social and even religious with all encapsulated into a particular community called the academic community. Conversely in Nigeria, a degenerated scenario is observed where in recent times, many staff and students of tertiary institutions live off campus and shuttle long distance away from their work or learning places (Mbazor,2021) except for a small population who are either indigenes or successful in securing accommodation nearby. Education in general, and higher education in particular, are fundamental to the construction of knowledge, economy and society in all nations. No doubt, Nigerian tertiary educational institutions are established with the view to giving students a very sound and qualitative education, to be able to function effectively in any environment in which they may find themselves with the view to making them productive (Ezennia, 2022). Also, in realization of the goals that the National Policy on Education (NPE) formulated in 1977, which was reviewed in 2004 has as its policy as follows: (a) the acquisition, development and inculcation of the proper value-orientation for the survival of the individual and society; (b) the development of the intellectual capacities of individuals to understand and appreciate their environment; (c) the acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to develop into useful members of the community; and (d) the acquisition of an objective view of the local and external environments, healthy housing environment must be provided for our students at all level, most especially those in higher institutions of learning (Aluko,2011; Hassanain,2008)

Academic productivity is one of the most important components that leads to success especially in tertiary institutions and this is a function of facilities and services for the students (Mbazor,2021). Students’ accommodation is considered of much importance to controlling students’ moral discipline and plays a vital role in increasing students’ academic performance. As earlier noted, decent housing environment is one of the basic facilities which can enhance the academic productivity of students of tertiary institution, as this creates conducive atmosphere for studying. Works such as Adama et.al (2018) and Mbazor (2021) have established that physical environment that is conducive for students expand their intellectual abilities and also help to achieve social cohesion and responsible citizenship.

Nissi et.al (2020) note that the hostel accommodation, along with other facilities determine the wealth of the school and the extent to which educational objectives are achieved in universities. Hostel accommodation is considered the most essential of all enabling school environmental factors. Hence, accommodation or housing is one of the physiological needs that is pre-requisite to the quality survival of the students in terms of health, academic performance, and learning. Rolfe et al. (2020) declared that accommodation is the pivot, around which, all the activities of users revolve.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The data was sourced through primary and secondary sources. Personal interview: oral or verbal interview and administration of questionnaire in the study area constitutes the primary data. Structured questionnaires were useful to source relevant information from the undergraduate students of Federal University of Technology, Akure. The questionnaire issued to the student was based on their perceptions of relationship between housing and students’ academic deliverables. The rationale behind enumerating only the undergraduate students is to avoid any form of bias in order to have an objective conclusion. Most of the secondary data were sourced largely via internet obtained from extensive information from texts, local and foreign journals articles, dissertations or thesis, technical papers, local and foreign documents on housing, and housing motivations.

The study is limited to undergraduate students, residence both on the campus of the Federal University of Technology, Akure and off campus areas such as North gate and South gate off campuses were covered and 192 questionnaires were administered to gather relevant information from the respondents. Existing statistics from the school’s website, gave the undergraduate students’ population at 17,550 out of which about 30% live on-campus.

Table 3.1: Live On-Campus Students’ Population

Source: Students’ Affairs Unit of the University (2023).

The total of bed spaces at Federal University Technology, Akure (FUTA) for undergraduate students is One Thousand nine hundred and twenty-three (1,923), of which 1133 spaces (59%) were for males while 790 (41%) were for females. This shows the enrolment proportion of male to female students, which may be due to the fact that it is a school of technology. There is no bias in allocating bed spaces to students in these halls of residence, apart from the new entry (100 level) and final year (500 level) students. Disabled students, student union officials and athletes who represent the university in various game competitions are also considered. In actual sense, bed spaces are allocated based on first come, first serve that is students that apply first at the beginning of academic session.

Based on this criterion, the study selected its population sample from the total number of bed spaces available in the halls of residence, which is 1,923. Approximately 10% of this population, specifically 192 individuals, were chosen to participate in interviews as representatives of the study sample. The method used in administering the questionnaire was the simple systematic random sample, whereby students who had lived on-campus, but now residence off-campus were interviewed at regular interval. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive techniques such as tables, percentages, and cross tabulation.

RESULT ANALYSIS

The general socio-economic characteristics of the students showed that male students outnumbered in the proportion of 55.7% and 44.3% respectively in Federal University of Technology, Akure. This conformed to the fact that enrolment proportion of male students is more than the female students, which may be due to the fact that it is a school of technology as there fewer females than males in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The age structure is another indicator of active participation in learning. Table 4.1 showed that 58.3% of the students constitute the majority that falls within the age group of 20-24 years. This is an indication that this age group is most active, in that vascular proportion of the student population in our tertiary institutions as of today fall within this age group.

Table 4.1: Age Structure

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Table 4.2 showed household size of the students living on campus, the official number of students allocated per room is four (4).  However, students are in the habit of squatting with their friends and course mates, thereby increasing the number of residents. From this table, 82.8% of the male resident on campus is found in the household size of 5 persons and above. While the female student population found in this category is 48.7%.

Table 4.2: Household Size On-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

 As compared (Table 4.3) with what obtains off campus where the household ranges between one and four persons. It is established that overcrowding is a notable feature of on campus housing, and this goes a long way affecting the academic deliverable of the students.

Table 4.3: Household Size Off-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Thus, Tables 4.4 and 4.5 showed performance of students on campus and off campus respectively. Generally, some factors are responsible for the performance level of students such as housing condition, overcrowding, proximity to facilities and others.

Table 4.4: Performance of Students while Living On-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Table 4.5: Performance of Student Off-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Table 4.6 gave information on the general problems perceived in student housing to include: privacy with grand mean of 2.8; poor utilities 2.4 grand mean; overcrowding of 2.6 grand mean and access to transportation means of 2.4 grand mean. The notation of the analysis indicated as follows: > 4.5 = Excellent; 3.5 – 4.4 = Very good; 2.5 – 3.4 = Good; 1.5 – 2.4 = Fair; < 1.5 = Poor. In this regard, privacy; overcrowding and proximity to school or learning facilities are rated ‘good’, while utilities and access to means of transportation are of ‘fair’ rating. Accessibility to necessary facilities to learning is also a factor of performance.

Table 4.6: General Problems of Student’s Housing.

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Note: > 4.5 = Excellent; 3.5 – 4.4 = Very good; 2.5 – 3.4 = Good; 1.5 – 2.4 = Fair; < 1.5 = Poor

The housing quality in this work was judged based on the necessary household facilities present, that which Table 4.7a and 4.7b showed.  On the overview assessment of the students housing condition, Table 4.8 revealed that the student housing in Federal University of Technology, Akure had more than average number of the total facilities in the range of extremely poor to fair conditions, with 12.5% as excellent facilities, 19.8% as good facilities and 67.7% in the range of fair to extremely poor facilities in the study area. The implication of this is that students in poor facilities in the students housing are challenged in several areas and this therefore affects their academic deliverables.

Table 4.7a: Availability of Necessary Household On-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

Table 4.7b: Availability of Necessary Household Off-Campus

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

The findings of the study revealed that environment goes a long way to determine what becomes of a person. It is reflected by this study that housing is a determinant factor to moral discipline and academic performance of the students all over the world. Good housing conditions and the presence of basic infrastructure such electricity, water supply and other are motivations to learning for the students of the study area, and thus this affects their performance. It can also be inferred that the proximity to the study facilities is equally a factor of students’ deliverables at Federal University of Technology, Akure. Thus, the finding of this study is in compliance with the result of Nissi et al, 2020; and Adam et.al, 2018 studies.

Table 4.8: The Overall Assessment of Facilities within the Students Housing in FUTA Environment

Source: Field Survey, April 2023.

CONCLUSION

Studying in poor housing conditions has an undeniable impact on students’ general wellbeing. The evidence is particularly strong on the effect of overcrowding and lack of basic amenities that could have aided learning. Reviews of the evidence from literature have concluded that poor housing condition is injurious to learning and performance of the students which underscores the conclusion of Mbazor (2021) and Schwartz (2010) that School facilities affect learning. Spatial configurations, noise, heat, cold, light, and air quality obviously bear on students’ and teachers’ ability to perform. This suggests that there is the long-term impact on student learning in poor housing conditions.

RECOMMENDATION

Student accommodation should also have a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. Both undergraduate and graduate students believed it is important for the university to provide housing to various student groups, regardless of housing choices they personally have made. Developers need to be innovative in their approach to design, supplying functional accommodation, which incorporates the basic needs of students and provides additional facilities and services including laundry, internet services, relatively constant electricity, water supply, shuttle services, etc. The academic communities should be at the forefront of promoting sustainability; this should be reflected in development and management of our academic environment.

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