International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Inadequate teaching facilities remain a persistent challenge in many public secondary schools in Nigeria, undermining effective teaching and students’ learning outcomes. While prior studies have examined the impact of poor school infrastructure on educational performance, limited empirical attention has been given to how teaching experience shapes teachers’ coping strategies and perceptions in resource-constrained classrooms, particularly in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Objective: This study examined the impact of teaching experience on students’ learning in schools with inadequate facilities. Specifically, it explored teachers’ perceptions of facility constraints, identified contextual factors influencing their coping strategies, and assessed the perceived effects of these strategies on teaching outcomes.
Method: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 7,484 public secondary school teachers across the eleven Local Government Areas in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A sample of 300 teachers was selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Teacher Experience, Perceptions, and Coping Strategies in Resource-Limited Schools (TEPCS-RLS). Content validity was established through expert review, while reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.71. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (One-Way ANOVA and independent t-test) at a 0.05 level of significance.
Result: Findings revealed that teachers perceive inadequate facilities as having a significant negative effect on student engagement and academic performance. Collaboration among colleagues and participation in professional development activities emerged as key contextual supports for coping. Teaching experience was found to significantly influence teachers’ coping strategies, whereas gender showed no statistically significant difference.
Conclusion: Teaching experience enhances teachers’ capacity to adapt to and manage resource-constrained classroom environments. However, persistent infrastructural deficiencies continue to pose a major barrier to achieving optimal teaching effectiveness and improved student learning outcomes.
Unique Contribution: This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the moderating role of teaching experience in shaping adaptive coping strategies within resource-limited educational settings, an area that has received limited empirical focus in the Nigerian context.
Key Recommendation: The study recommends that educational policymakers prioritize the provision and improvement of school facilities while also investing in continuous professional development programmes that equip less-experienced teachers with practical coping strategies for resource-constrained environments.