ABSTRACT
The study aimed at examining the
influence of family background on students’ academic performance in public
secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria. To investigate
this study, seven (7) research questions was raised and answered, while six (6)
hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study
adopted the descriptive survey research design. The Population was 9,751
students from 118 secondary schools in seven local governments in the District
comprising Ikpoba-Okha, Oredo, Egor, Ovia South West, Ovia North East,
Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode. A sample of four hundred and eighty eight (488) students
in public senior secondary schools was used, representing 5% of the total
population of the study. Questionnaire was used to gather data on influence of
family background on students’ academic performance. The data collected were
analyzed using percentage to answer the questions and t-test was used to test
the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that family background
influences students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo
South Senatorial District. The findings of the study also revealed that
academic performance of students in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial
district was poor. The study found that there was no significant difference in
the academic performance of students in English and Mathematics. It therefore
recommended that parents play active part in the academic upbringing of their
children by monitoring the academic progress of their children especially in
the two key subjects (English Language and Mathematics).
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
A
family is an institution, the primary socializing agent of which a child is a
member since it is in the family the child is born. Obayan (2003) stated that
the family is the bed rock of any society the foundation for the academic
achievement of the child. A stable and well developed child can be guaranteed
by a stable family. The current bad economic status of the country has exposed
children to undesirable challenges that have negatively affected their academic
performance in school.
The
quality of an educational institution is measured by the academic performance
or success of the students. Over the years, improvement in academic performance
of students in school has become the common concern of parents, legislators,
teachers, counselors and psychologist. According to Bell
Education
is frequently concerned about the need to improve students’ academic
performance and achievement. Academic performance, most especially of secondary
school students has been largely associated with many factors. Most students in
secondary schools in Nigeria
Family
background includes parent’s educational status, marital status, occupational
status, financial status, parental discipline and family size. Parental
educational status is the educational level attained by parents of the
students. This will be one of the major factors to be investigated by the
researcher because of the influence it can exert on students’ academic
performance. The level of educational attainment of parents influences the
academic performance of their children. In a family where both the mother and
father are educated, their children are always taken good care of in their
academic activities. They may go through their children exercise books after
school or may employ a private teacher to teach them after school. While others
in this categories arranges for their children to attend extra-mural classes
after school hours in order to enhance their academic performance at school. By
so doing their academic performance will be improved. In the case of illiterate
family, the need to supervise their children’s exercise book is not there,
hence their children’s low academic performance in school. There is evidence
that parents education can positively rub off on student’s academic performance
because the parents are in a good position to be second teachers to their
children. Their assistance in this regard spurs their children’s interest in
learning and thereby enhances their academic performance in school. Educators,
students, parents, guidance counselors, curriculum planners, government and the
society has lamented that the maternal and parental deprivation of the
essential needs of the young students have prompted their poor performance in
public examination, such as Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination,
West African Examination Council, and National Examination Council.
Marital
status is the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage
state. Person’s marital status indicates whether the person’s is married or
single. Observation has shown that not all the parents of the students who
attend the public secondary schools are living together with their children as
husband and wife. This leaves a gap in the child’s emotional development; which
may in turn take its toll on the child’s self-esteem and academic performance.
Studies show that children from intact families that is, with two continuously
married parents tend to fare better on a number of cognitive, emotional and
behavioural outcomes than children living in other family forms.
Occupational
status of parents is another factor that tends to influence on students’
academic performance. According to Yee and Eccles (1988), Career modeling from
parents could make a noticeable impression on the children’s intellectual
development. For example mothers who engage in menial jobs like hair dressing,
sewing, petty trading, farming, catering, among others are more likely to have
less contact hours with their children. This can affect the vocabulary and
communication skills of their children. These mothers will most likely want
their children to toe the line of the trade and as a result may not bother to
lay much emphasis on the early intellectual development of their children.
Financial income of parents is also a factor
influencing students’ academic performance. Parents whose financial income are
either high ranging from N100,000 and above per month or low income below
N100,000 have been identified as having a positive effect on student’s
persistence and academic performance.
Parents who discipline their children
are giving their offspring the best chances in life. The attitudes and
aspirations that parents have concerning their children’s schooling and success
undoubtedly influence the way they behave towards their children attending
school. Children, who are discipline, respond to teaching and learning of the
formal school successfully, they use their own effort and skill in
accomplishing the desired outcome in education. While ineffective monitoring of
students has been associated with poor academic performance. Parents in their
bids to discipline their children have been found to be authoritative,
democratic or permissive. Children whose parents are authoritative more than
not live in constant fear of such parents and may most likely transfer such a
fear to significant others in the school environment. Such children have low
self-worth, insecurity, and may found it difficult to consult with teachers.
Family
size refers to the total number of children in the family. Information from
literature depicted that children from larger families are found to do worse
than children from smaller families. Research on the effects of sibling’s size
and position has been based on a theory of the allocation of parental
resources. The size of the family in which a child grows affects his
intellectual development. In a large family a child may not be given maximum
attention especially in his academics. The issue of home works, payment of
school fees, attending Parent Teachers Associations and many more may not be
convenient for the parents as they have to cater for many children. While
children are well catered for and perform better in small size family. The case
of large family is more prevalent in third world countries which make it
difficult for children from this country to perform optimally in their academic
pursuit.
Statement of the Problem
Although,
scholars have identified the correlation between parental influences on
children academic performance in the primary school, it must be noted that
secondary school students are different from the typical elementary –aged
children and therefore reacts differently to direct parent involvement in their
academics. Education generally, is a continuous process of enculturation, which
begins from cradle (birth) and ends in grave. The type of education one
receives determines his future potentials. Parents and guardians are
ill-feeling about the harming rate of poor academic performance of students in
schools. What they do eventually is to call the teachers to questions the
student’s poor performance. Little do they know that other factors apart from
teacher’s abilities such as family background do influence student’s poor
performance. The family being a primary unit of socialization and where most of
children learning take place cannot be single or left out in identifying course
of poor academic performance of a child.
In
addition to these is poor study habit, students competence in English,
students’ attendance in the class, the learning environment, peer group
influence, poor memory, individual intelligence, lack of motivation, low
self-concept, state of health, learning facilities, anxiety, extra-curricular
activities, distance of schools, poor
teaching methods, poverty and lack of
interest in education, communication, poor concentration, poor coordination,
poor diet, finance, trauma, poor ability to follow through on projects, proper
guidance, family stress, knowledge, ability, lack of vocation goals, low
socio-economic status of the family, poor family structure, accommodation and
living condition, students/lecturer rapport, poor quality teachers, inadequate
and out of date instructional materials, negative attitude to work by teachers
among others. The focus and indeed the intent of this study concern the
influence of family background on students’ academic performance in public
secondary schools.
Research
Questions
For
the purpose of this work, seven research questions were raised and answered.
1.
What is the influence of family
background on students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District?
2.
Is there any influence of parent’s
marital status on students’ academic performance of English language and
Mathematics in Edo South Senatorial District?
3.
Is there any influence of parent’s educational
level on students’ academic performance of English language and Mathematics in
Edo South Senatorial District?
4.
Is there any influence of Parent’s
occupational status on students’ academic performance of English language and
Mathematics in Edo South Senatorial District?
5.
Is there any influence of Parent’s
financial income on students’ academic performance of English language and
Mathematics in Edo South Senatorial District?
6.
Is there any influence of parental
discipline on students’ academic performance of English language and
Mathematics in Edo South Senatorial District?
7.
Is there any influence of family size on
students’ academic performance of English language and Mathematics in Edo South
Senatorial District?
Hypotheses
The
following hypotheses were formulated:
1.
There is no significance difference
between parent’s marital status and academic performance of students in
secondary schools.
2.
There is no significance difference
between parent’s educational level and academic performance of students in
secondary schools..
3.
There is no significance difference
between parent’s occupational status and academic performance of students in
secondary schools..
4.
There is no significance difference
between parent’s financial status and academic performance of students in secondary
schools.
5.
There is no significance difference between
parental discipline and academic performance of students in secondary schools.
6.
There is no significance difference between
family size and academic performance of students in secondary schools.
Purpose of the Study
The
Overall aim of this study was to examine the influence of family background on
students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo South
Senatorial District, Nigeria.
Specifically, the study sought to:
1. Examine the influence of parent’s marital status
on students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria.
2. Determine the influence of parent’s educational
level on students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District,
Nigeria.
3. Ascertain the influence of parent’s occupation on
students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria.
4. Find out
the influence of parent’s financial income on students’ academic performance in
Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria.
5. Investigate the influence of parental
discipline on students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District,
Nigeria.
6. Examine
the influence of family size on students’ academic performance in Edo South
Senatorial District, Nigeria.
Significance of the Study
This
study would be of significance to parents, students, educators, guidance
counselors, curriculum planners and government. The parents will benefit from
this work because the findings of this study would make them aware of the
influence of family background and how it affects or improves students’
performance. This knowledge will motivate Parents to provide warm, social
climate for their children at home; form accurate belief and expectation
regarding their children’s performance so that they can excel in post schooling
endeavor. The students will benefit from this study because the findings would
motivate them towards learning and studying; preparing them to cope with
challenges that could hinder academic performance. This finding would benefit
the educators because theories with different topics such as intrinsic
motivation, self-concept, attribution, goal orientation, self-efficiency and
expectation have been established to help them perform better, improve their
productivity and understand student’s domains of educational learning.
The
guidance counselors through the findings of this study would be aware of the
type of counseling service to render to students and parents for better
efficiency and performance. The findings of the study would help curriculum
planners to plan school curriculum that will cater for all categories of
students that will enhance their academic performance in school; ensure
adequate learning facilities, incentive, qualify manpower to educate the
students for better tomorrow. The findings of the study would motivate the
government to create the needed environment in public secondary schools that
will accommodate students’ from different family background.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This
study covered all the public senior secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial
District. This comprised of Ikpoba-okha, Oredo, Egor, Ovia South West, Ovia
North East, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas of Edo State. Using
only English Language and mathematics subjects of the public Senior Secondary
schools. The study was delimited to only public senior secondary schools in Edo
South Senatorial District. The senior school promotion examination results
conducted by the schools in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 sections were used to
determine family background influence on students’ academic performance in
English language and Mathematics for two years in public senior secondary
schools in Edo south senatorial district of Nigeria
Operational Definition of Terms
The
following terms were operationally defined by the researcher to give clarity to
the understanding of the content of this study:
Family Background: Is the parents’
status to which the child belongs. Such as marital status, educational status,
occupational status, financial status, parental discipline and family size.
Students Academic Performance:
Academic attainment is an important parameter in measuring success in students.
It is measured using grade A, B, C, D. of students’ in S.S.3.
Marital Status of Parents:
Marital status is the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her
marriage state. Person’s marital status indicates whether the person’s is married
or single.
Parental Educational Status:
The Educational level attained by parents of the students is: High: those
educated more than degree level and those less than degree level.
Parental Occupational Status:
The type of job or employment parents depends upon for living. Employed- civil
servant, banker and those not having job-unemployed: farmer etc.
Parental
Financial Income: High parental finance– those who take home above N100,
000 per month and Average income – those who take home below N 100,000
per month.
Family Size
(of students): The total numbers of children in the
family in addition to the child. Large family size above six (6) children and
Average family size below six (6) children.
Parental Discipline:
Daily routines generally structured to respond to children’s need. Parents that
is either authoritative or democratic
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