Flooding and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Flood-Prone Areas of Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of flooding on academic performance of secondary school students in flood-prone areas of Anambra State, Nigeria. The study was anchored on Environmental Distraction Theory by Higgins (1990), which posits that environmental hazards such as flooding can disrupt the learning environment and negatively affect students’ concentration and academic outcomes. Three research objectives guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 31,450 secondary school students in 82 public secondary schools located in flood-prone Local Government Areas of Anambra State. A sample size of 395 students was determined using the Taro Yamane formula and selected through stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Flooding and Academic Performance Questionnaire (FAPQ)” and students’ terminal results. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and linear regression at the 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that flooding has a significant negative impact on students’ academic performance (β = −.623, p < .05), particularly through prolonged school closure and loss of learning hours. It was also found that flooding significantly contributes to poor attendance and increased dropout rates (β = .587, p < .05). Furthermore, destruction of school facilities and learning materials significantly reduces students’ concentration and test scores (β = −.694, p < .05). The study concluded that flooding constitutes a major environmental barrier to effective teaching and learning in flood-prone areas. It was recommended that the government should build flood-resilient school infrastructure, provide temporary learning centres during flood seasons, and incorporate flood preparedness into school management policies in Anambra State.