School Services as Predictors of Students’ Academic Achievements in Secondary Schools in Kwara State, Nigeria

School services remain vital services that are needed for achieving the aims and objectives of education. It has been said that the provision of these services is key to the effective implementation of school programmes. It is on this premise that this study examines school services as predictors of students’ academic achievement in secondary schools. The study population consists of all students in senior secondary schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State. Quota and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select 372 students in 10 secondary schools. An instrument tagged “School Services Questionnaire” (SSQ) was adapted from previous studies to collect data. Also, results in five subjects were collected to measure students’ academic achievements. Findings of the study revealed the existence of a nexus between health services and academic performance, guidance and counseling services and academic achievements, and library services and academic achievements. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the importance of school services cannot be underestimated, hence the need for these services in schools so that the goals and objectives of secondary education can be achieved. It was recommended that adequate and quality school services should be provided as they may enhance students’ academic achievements. A substantial budgetary allocation should be voted for the availability of various services in schools.


INTRODUCTION
Education is unarguably the investment that a society can have as it is the greatest force that can be used to bring about change (Andrews, Kakooza-Mwesige, Almeida, Swartling Peterson, Wabwire-Mangen, Eliasson & Forssberg, 2020). Through the process of education, individuals are prepared to become useful and acceptable members of the society. In preparing individuals for useful living, the school as a social institution has a great responsibility of educating the members of the society. It is generally assumed that economic and social developments are increasingly driven through the advancement and application of knowledge (Egbo, 2011).
School services are one of the major concepts in education and most especially in educational management because it contributes significantly to the success of students (AjegbomSalaam, 2011;Al-Sinai, 2013).
Scholars observed that there are key essential services that are provided in schools to enhance the performance of the students in their academic pursuit. The services consist of library, transportation, food, accommodation, health, extracurricular, academic, counseling etc. The availability of these services makes the school realize the goals that they are to achieve and the non-availability or inadequacy of these services may make the goals of the school unattainable (Bauserman, 2009;Chepkwony, Kariuki & Kosgei, 2013;Jan & Anwar, 2019).
The administration of school services is an integral part of school administration but is quite distinct from instructional work and very essential in the school. In the school system, adequate provision of these services is often seen as a correlate of students' academic performance. It also promotes good atmosphere for effectiveness in education (Alani, Okunola & Subair, 2010;Lewis, 2010;Mitra, 2009;Vargas, 2010). For this reason, school services are supposed to be provided in school, and educational administrators are to ensure the management of these services in order to produce excellent students. To ensure that this noble aspiration of using education as an effective tool for social development is achieved, it becomes necessary to provide these services so as to help the students in the process of learning (Bolt, Decker, Lloyd & Morlock, 2011;Klein, Spratford, Redfern & Walker, 2019.). Gallant and Zhao (2011) recognized three outstanding objectives of school services, namely, to assist each student to develop fully his/her potentials through efficient and effective use of resources; to seek to develop responsibilities in individuals for his/her own growth and development in education through these services; to enable personnel services officers motivate and stimulate the students so that they can make use of these services in school.
In Nigeria, it has been documented in the National Policy of Education (Section 8) that availability is a must at all levels of education. The policy states that school services do not only facilitate the implementation of educational policy, but also help in the attainment of policy goals and the promotion of effectiveness of the educational system. Specifically, the highlights of the goals of school services as enshrined in the policy include: to develop and improve educational programmes; to enhance teaching and improve the competence of teachers; to provide a conducive environment for learning; to make learning experiences more meaningful and realistic for children; and to enhance access to learning. Also, Section 8 (paragraph 127) of the policy states that for the goals of school services to be achieved, library services, health service, guidance and counseling service, sports and recreational service among others shall be provided (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). According to Ajegbomogun and Salaam (2011), adequate provision of school library service can be used to predict the academic success of students. Library materials should be constantly provided in secondary schools for the smooth running programmes (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). In view of the foregoing point, this study examined school services as predictors of students' academic achievement in secondary schools.

Empirical Studies
Research to date indicates that studies have been conducted on the importance of school services (Allen-Meares, 2006;Walker, Alloway, Dalley-Trim & Patterson 2006;Lewis, 2010). For instance, Baker-Tate (2010), Bolt, Decker, Lloyd and Morlock (2011) while using the university as the focus of their studies, established that school services are necessary ingredients needed to support the implementation of school programmes. They averred that the services in schools include library, health, internet, academic facilities etc. Lewis (2010) found that school services are very essential in any educational system. The study concluded that the services, if adequately provided, will enable students to achieve measurable academic success. Wayne, Fortner, Kitzes, Timm and Kalishman (2013) assessed health services as predictors of academic performance in school and found a link between health services and academic performance. They concluded that health service is as important as other related services in school and that adequate availability of health facilities will improve the well-being of both staff and students. Owens and Fabiano (2011) conducted an investigation into the relationship between school-based health services and students' academic outcomes. A positive relationship was found between health services and the academic performance of the students. Likewise, Bharadwaj, Lokeren and Neilson (2013) studied the relationship between early health care and students' academic performance in schools. They found that providing health care for pupils at infant age has correlation with their academic performance by the time they enroll in schools. Similarly, Cooper (2005) and Eigenbrood (2005) found a relationship between comprehensive health services and learning outcomes in the school system. They conclude that students' academic performance will increase when comprehensive health services are provided for them. The services ensured that students were exposed to good learning conditions in the schools (Ludeman, 2002). Thus, the state of health of students seemed to be determined by their academic performance in schools. Students must be attended to from time to time by the school clinic to help proffer solutions to their health problems (Valdez, Lambert & Lalongo, 2011).
For guidance and counseling services, it was found that these services in schools have a positive impact on students' performance.
The importance of counseling services is very obvious and they are tools for educational processing (Blakely, 2009). The outcome of the study correlated with one conducted by (Mckenzie et al., 2011;Rupani, Haughey & Cooper, 2012). Also, Modo, Sanni, Uwah and Mogbo (2013) researched on guidance and counseling coping styles and academic achievement in secondary schools in Nigeria and found a relationship with academic achievement in secondary schools. Thus, guidance and counseling coping styles should be employed in addressing the problems of students in the school environment. Oye, Obi, Mohd and Bernice (2012) believed that the provision of guidance and counseling in schools will be helpful to the students most especially, in the area of their career.
Furthermore, the study conducted by Ch (2006) also revealed a significant relationship between counseling and students' success. The study concluded that more research should be conducted on other students' services in schools. Likewise, the research conducted by Dwyer and McNaughton (2004) on guidance and counseling needs of the students in schools states that school counselors must increase their efforts in helping the students to achieve their dreams. Assisting students socially, psychologically and morally lies in the hands of the school counselors, this will enable students to excel in their academic endeavors. Thiede, Essex, Massat, Kelly, Waller, Lewellen and Ormand (2005) examined the connection between counseling and academic success and established a significant relationship between counseling service and academic goals. The findings corroborated other studies which also established that the presence of counseling services increased students' academic skills in the school (Baker-Tate, 2010;Sheldon, 2007;Openshaw, 2008;Sink, Akos, Turnbull & Mvududu, 2008). Ajegbomogun and Salaam (2011) found that libraries help to guide students in their choice of books for learning purposes. A library provides aesthetic experiences and develops a sense of appreciation in students. The availability of a library in schools develops students' skills and resourcefulness so that they can make profitable use of the library. Openshaw (2008) established a relationship between library services and academic achievements. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between library services and academic achievements. Further studies were suggested for future research on the need to investigate multi-dimensions of students' personnel services as they link with academic performances of students. Lance and Hofschire (2012) also found a significant relationship between school library staff and academic achievement. They opined that the library staff assists the students to make use of the library and that the library staff members are there to assist the students in searching for materials to enhance their academic activities in school. Lance (2002) is of the view that library programs have a direct impact on students' academic achievement in public secondary schools. He concluded that much research needs to be done on the various library services in the school. He opined that quality library services enhance the students' capability. Farmer (2006) posits that students' assessment of the school library has a correlation with their academic performance in schools. Mitra (2009) found that a library is a predictor of student success.
From theoretical perspectives, this study is anchored on the theory of needs as propounded by Abraham Maslow. The theory postulates that within every human being, there are five essential needs that human beings want in life and those needs are arranged according to their significance. The needs follow in sequence and when one need is fulfilled, it decreases in strength and the higher need then dominates the behavior (Jerome, 2013; Ștefan, Popa, & Albu, 2020). Therefore, a satisfied need is no longer a motivator. Specifically, there are five basic needs that motivate human beings; they are psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem and self-actualization needs. Relating these needs to the school system implies that the hierarchy of needs as postulated by Maslow is in tandem with the school services which are needed for students to excel. For example, guidance and counseling, library, remedial programmes and orientation services can be categorized under self-actualization. Recruitment, sports, evaluation and assessment fall under self-esteem, while student unionism, club and religious activities encompass social needs. Also, security guards, fire extinguishers and discipline are under security needs, while health, accommodation, food and water are under psychological needs (Fallatah, & Syed, 2018;Suyono & Mudjanarko, 2017).
Taken the above studies together, it has been observed that past studies focused on one or two dimensions of school services. Some of the authors who studied one or two dimensions of school services include Lee (2011), Lewis (2010) Owens andFabiano (2011), Chen et al. (2013) and Lance and Hofschire (2013). Based on the foregoing, the present study examined three aspects of school services (health, guidance and library) to determine their relationship with students' academic achievements. The figure below depicts the conceptual framework of the study: What is students' perception on availability of school services? 2. What is the relationship between school services and students' academic achievements?

Research Hypotheses
1. There is no significant relationship between health services and students' academic achievements. 2. There is no significant relationship between guidance and counselling services and students' academic achievements.
3. There is no significant relationship between library services and students' academic achievements. 4. There is no significant relationship between school services and students' academic achievements.

Population and Sampling Technique
The research design adopted in this study was a survey of quantitative approach. A survey was used so as to elicit comprehensive information that was used in providing answers to the research questions and hypotheses generated to guide the study. The population for the study comprised 10,245 public and private senior secondary school students in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria based on the data obtained from the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission. The sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) sampling table to get a 372-sample size needed for the study. Quota and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 372 students in ten schools that are situated in the Local Government.

School Services
Health Services Guidance and Counseling Services Library Services Academic Achievements

Instrumentation
An instrument tagged "School Services Questionnaire (SSQ)" was adapted from Lewis (2010). The instrument was used to elicit information from students. The questionnaire was divided into two sections. Section A of the questionnaire consists of items on the personal data of the respondents, while section B consists of items used to elicit information on the students' services. The rating scale used was the four Likert rating scale, which ranges from 1 to 4: 1= strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = disagree, 4 = strongly disagree. Also, students' results were used to measure academic achievements using three core subjects (Mathematics, English Language and Economics). To ensure the revalidation of the instrument, it was given to experts in Educational Management for observations. In the same vein, reliability of the instrument was carried out with a pilot study, using 50 students, that was not a part of the main study. The outcome of the pilot study revealed adequate reliability of 0.89 for health services; 0.83 for guidance and counseling services and 0.87 for library services.

Data Collection and Analysis Procedure
Before administering questionnaires to the respondents, permission was taken from the principals of the selected schools on the need essence of the study. After securing the permission, questionnaires were administered to the respondents using the cross-sectional method of data collection. This made it possible to explain some of the items and collect the completed questionnaires.
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22) was used to analyze the data. Specifically, descriptive, correlation and regression methods were adopted for analysis to provide answers to the two research questions that were formulated to guide the study.

Response Rate
Out of a total number of 420 questionnaires that were distributed to students, only 334 were returned, while 13 were unusable questionnaires and 321 represented usable questionnaires that were used for the final analysis. Therefore, the response rate of the study is 80%, indicating a good response rate. Table 1 below indicates the analysis of the response rate of the study:

Demographic Information
This part describes the demographic information of the respondents that participated in the current study. The demographic information includes gender, age, and religion. The Table below presents the demographic information of the respondents based on the data collected and analyzed using the descriptive method. The demographic information as displayed in Table 2 shows that based on gender, male (187 respondents) were more than female (134 respondents), meaning that the majority of the respondents are male. Based on age, the Table shows that respondents with less than 15 years of age (106 respondents), 16-20 years (211 respondents), and 21years and above (4 respondents). The foregoing indicates that respondents within the age bracket 16-20 years are more than other categories of age brackets. Based on religion, the majority of the respondents are Muslims (248 respondents) compared to 73 respondents that are Christians.

Research Question One: What is students' perception on the availability of school services?
The descriptive analysis was performed to establish students' perception on the availability of school services in secondary schools. The services include health, guidance and counseling services, and library services. The tables below indicate the availability of the services:  Descriptive analysis of the data indicates students' perception on the availability of guidance and counselling services in secondary schools. Precisely, the table revealed the availability of counseling unit and materials, availability of school counselors, access to counseling services, and the nature of counseling services provided in secondary schools. The table above revealed the students' perception on the availability of library services in secondary schools. They include the availability of a school library, functional library, library personnel, books and other materials, students' access to the school library, and nature of library services provided. Furthermore, a further analysis was performed to know the students' perception of the services provided in secondary schools.
Specifically, the Likert scale that was used in this study was classified into three categories (low, moderate and high). The score of less than 2 values is considered as low, score of 3 is regarded as high, while those between low and high scores are considered moderate as suggested.
The table below shows the mean and standard deviation to determine students' perceived level of services provided in secondary schools:

Research Question Two: What is the relationship between school services and students' academic achievements?
After assessing the students' perception on availability and level of school services provided in secondary schools, analysis on the relationship between school services and students' academic achievement was performed via correlation and regression methods. Correlation was used to determine the nexus between health services and students' academic achievement, guidance and counselling services and students' academic achievement, and library services and students' academic achievement. In addition, regression analysis was performed to determine the joint contribution of school services on students' academic achievement. The tables below indicate the results of the hypotheses that were formulated to guide the study: Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between health services and academic achievements  Table 7 shows the calculated r-value is greater than the critical-value at .05 level of significance for 198 degrees of freedom. The null hypothesis is therefore rejected. Thus, there is a significant relationship between health services and academic achievements in secondary schools. Hypothesis 2: There is no significant relationship between guidance and counselling services and academic achievement   Table 9 shows that the calculated r-value (.326) is greater than the p-value (.164) at .05 level of significant and for 198 degrees of freedom. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected. It indicates that there is a significant relationship between library services and academic achievements.
Hypothesis 4: There is no significant relationship between school services and academic achievements

DISCUSSION
On research question one, findings of the study revealed the availability of school services, which include provision health services, guidance and counseling services, and library services. Results also showed students' high perception concerning the services provided for them. This is in consonance with the study of Eigenbrood (2005) who reported that availability of school services is needed for effective implementation of school programmmes.
Based on research question two, four hypotheses were generated to guide the study. Hypothesis One predicted that there was no relationship between health services and students' academic achievements in secondary schools. Findings reveal a relationship between health services and students' academic achievements. The finding is synonymous with the work of Wayne et al. (2013) who found that health services contributed to students' academic performances. The relationship between health services and the academic performances of students increased when health services were provided for them. The study is also in consonance with the findings of Owens and Fabiano (2011) who found a positive relationship between school health service and academic performances in schools. In the same vein, a prompt provision of basic health needs help the students perform in their learning (Bharadwaj, Lokeren & Neilson, 2013). Also, the study connotes with the outcome of the research conducted by Cooper (2005) who established that health of the students cannot be compromised; hence, there is a need for health services in schools. This will make the students withstand the rigor of school tasks. Additionally, the current finding is synonymous with Abraham Maslow's needs theory. The theory postulates that there are five basic needs that human beings want in life. Those needs are arranged according to importance. The needs follow in sequence and when one need is satisfied, it decreases in strength and the higher need then dominates the behavior. The needs include security needs, self-esteem needs, self-actualization, social needs, and psychological needs (Jerome, 2013; Ștefan, Popa, & Albu, 2020). Hypothesis 2 predicted that there was no relationship between guidance and counseling services and academic achievements. Findings of the study revealed that there was a relationship between guidance and couselling services and students' academic achievements in secondary schools. The findings of this hypothesis add to the literature by confirming that guidance and counseling service is a correlate of academic achievements. It shows that guidance and counseling services provided by the schools have helped students to do well in their academic performances. This finding is in line with the work of Dwyer and McCaughey (2004) who found a positive relationship between counseling needs of students and teachers in the school. Thus, the school counselors must be aware of this if they want to be effective in their roles to assist students to improve their skills and capabilities. Therefore, with proper guidance and counseling, it can be a useful tool in the educational process (Blakely, 2009) as well as paved the way towards their future career (Oye, Obi, Mohd & Bernice, 2012). The finding correlates with the research conducted by Modo et al. (2013) who found positive relationship between counseling services as the panacea to the academic achievement in schools. They agreed that counseling services can be used as the coping strategies for solving the problems of students with juvenile delinquencies in schools. In the same way, the finding of the study on guidance and counseling services and academic performance relates with the finding of Ch (2006). Further, counseling programs such as information, career and placement in school influences the performance of students. These programs should be included in the guidance and services to be provided so as to improve students' performance (Sink et al., 2008).
Hypothesis three predicted no relationship between library services and students' academic achievements in secondary schools. The findings of the current study established a significant relationship between library services and students' academic achievements. The finding demonstrates that the provision of library services enhanced students' academic achievements. This is similar to that of Lance and Hofschire (2013) who investigated the relationship between library staffing and academic achievement of students in schools. Likewise, the finding is also similar to the work of Strong (2013) who conducted empirical research on the relationship between improved library services and academic achievements in schools. The study asserts that library services and academic performances are like conjoined twins which cannot be separated from each other. It is important for schools to put in place a well-equipped library so that students will have access to quality learning materials. Adewusi (2013) concluded that it is through reading there learning materials that will develop good reading habits and thus help students to broaden their knowledge as well as help improve their academic performances. Librarians should assist students on how to use the library and this in turn helps students to maximize the resources in the library.
Lastly, hypothesis four predicted no relationship between joint contributions of school services on students' academic achievements. The regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between joint contributions of school services as important predictors of students' academic achievements in secondary schools. The finding is in tandem with the work of Ajegbomogun and Salaam (2011) on how educational facilities contribute to the success of students in school.

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
In view of the findings of the study, it reported the existence of a link between health services, guidance and counseling services, library services and students' academic achievements. Also, there is a relationship between the joint contribution of school services and academic achievements. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that school services are key predictors of students' academic achievements. Therefore, it can be said that when health services, guidance and counseling services, and library services are provided, it would enhance students' academic success. This indicates that those services are indispensable services and are very crucial to the goal attainment of secondary education. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made: 1. The provision of school services should be guided by the needs and aspirations of the schools and students concerned.
2. Government's substantial budgetary allocation should be allocated for the provision of school services in school.
3. Key services such as health, library, and counseling services should be adequately provided for students.
4. School services provided should be adequately maintained.
5. Other school services (e.g. admission, accommodation and internet) should be provided to students in the school for their comfort.

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTION
Based on the findings of the study, there are several directions for future research. First, the current study examined the relationship between school services and students' academic achievements in secondary schools.
Therefore, future research should focus on school services at the preschool, primary and even at higher institutions of learning to identify whether these services will have an influence on students' academic achievements. Secondly, since the present study employed a survey method to investigate the relationship between school services and academic achievements, future studies on school services could employ mixed method approaches (survey and interview) to get comprehensive information as regards the usefulness or otherwise of the school services. Thirdly, the scope of the study was limited to Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, thus additional studies are needed in all the remaining 15 local governments of the state to ensure generalizability. Lastly, since the present study focused on three aspects of school services (health, library and guidance and counseling), future research could focus on other aspects of school services (e.g. admission service, accommodation services transport service, extracurricular service, teaching service) to understand how they contribute immensely to students' academic success.