IMPACT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCIES ON FEMALE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PROGRESS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Since it prepares them for the world of work and life, education is crucial for the development of young people. As young people spend longer periods of time in school as part of their natural development, sexual exploration and maturity increasingly coincide with secondary education (Panday, 2009). Many teenagers continue to experiment, and there is evidence that they use some form of contraception while they are still in school if they have sex (Ngabaza, 2010). But for many young women, it results in pregnancy, HIV infection, and other STDs (Mwaba, 2000). Future educational opportunities are impacted by a student’s pregnancy or motherhood. Procreation is one of a woman’s duties as prescribed by God. However, there are particular conditions that must be satisfied before a Women may start having children. The act of marriage is highly revered and contracted in our current civilizations because reproduction in the African context is a duty of mature young adults who have been judged to be physically, economically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically mature (Makiwane, 2010). Girls between the ages of thirteen and nineteen are currently becoming pregnant at an alarming rate in both industrialized and developing countries, and there are girls as young as ten who are sexually active and occasionally become pregnant and give birth. Teenagers start having sex at a young age and have a high fertility rate, claim studies by Briggs (2001), Onuzulike (2003), and others. The common name for this disorder is teen pregnancy. A young woman who becomes pregnant between the ages of thirteen and nineteen is said to be experiencing a teen pregnancy. The phrase primarily refers to pregnant people who are underage in everyday speech (Oguguo, 1995). Teen and adolescence are frequently used interchangeably. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 1997 that secondary sex traits appear between the ages of 10 and 19. Adolescence, according to Helms (1993), lasts from the ages of 13 to 19. Adolescent girl pregnancies seem to be one of the social problems that Nigeria and a number of other nations around the world are dealing with. Kinby (2001) asserts that victims of adolescent pregnancy either lacked knowledge about safe sex or were likely given insufficient instruction in this area by their parents, schools, or development organizations. which might have equipped them to handle peers who pressured them into early sex. He continued by stating that teenage pregnancies are more common in children of single parents. Teenagers who are exposed to pornographic material, sex chart rooms, sexual content on television, and sexuality in the media are more likely to engage in sexual activity (Park,2008). Teenage pregnancy has also been linked to accepting a gift for sex and some adults purposefully exploiting poor children and pressuring them to engage in sex ( United Nation, 2001). Greenbaum (2002) states that roughly 60% of adolescent mothers are poor when their children are born, and “about 73 percent go on welfare within 5 years of giving birth.” Adolescent
Motherhood is linked to shame, disgrace, and dropping out of school, which can put one’s aspirations of achieving greater things in jeopardy.
Statement of the problem: 1.2
In Nigeria, teen sexual behavior is also on the rise (Okafor,1997). Unwanted pregnancies, which can end in abortion, delivery, or even death, are a common fallout from teens engaging in more sexual activity. No matter your age, getting pregnant can be a life-changing experience that cuts across your socioeconomic status, educational level, and race (Kost, 2010). One’s life is subject to obligations as a mother that did not previously exist due to the woman’s birth. The goals and dreams of a girl who should be in school may be dashed when she becomes pregnant, potentially upending her entire life. Kost (2010) claims that teen parents are parents who between the ages of thirteen and nineteen. According to Maynard (1997), adolescent pregnancy is a criminal act that results from a young girl’s anxiety, hatred, malice, boredom, and dissatisfaction with her family environment. One of the other risk factors is sexual promiscuity, along with drug and alcohol addiction. Studies show that adolescence is the most difficult and stressful time of life (Deegan, 1989). At this age, teenagers are supposed to acquire the knowledge and skills they’ll need in the future. On the other hand, a lot of young women have premarital affairs, which puts them at risk for STIs and teenage pregnancies (Umeano, 2003). When it happens at a suitable age and in the context of marriage, pregnancy is typically welcomed. Instead, it is extremely undesirable.
When it happens outside of marriage or during adolescence, when the individual should be learning skills in both formal and informal settings. According to Audu, poverty, pornography, the media, and peer pressure are all factors that contribute to adolescent pregnancy (1997). Pregnancy is a risk for all young people who engage in premarital intercourse. Teenage pregnancy is no longer a new phenomenon in any civilization, developed or developing. Various explanations have been advanced for its existence, but the fundamental issue is its persistence and geometric progression, despite all efforts made by the government, schools, religious bodies, and non-governmental organizations to address some of the identified factors that contribute to our societies’ cancerous or decadent state.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The overall goal of this study is to investigate the impact of adolescent pregnancies on the academic advancement of female students, using Oye-Ekiti LGA as a case study. The specific goals are as follows:
i. Determine whether pregnant schoolgirls can handle the academic demands of school.
ii. To determine whether adolescent pregnancy affects pregnant schoolgirls’ academic performance.
iii. Determine whether there is a relationship between adolescent pregnancy and female student dropout rates.
iv. Determine whether teen pregnancy endangers the class’s overall success.
v. Determine whether adolescent pregnancy affects the financial stability of pregnant schoolgirls.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
i. How can pregnant schoolgirls cope with the academic demands of the classroom?
ii. What can be done?
Does adolescent pregnancy affect pregnant schoolgirls’ academic performance?
Is there a relationship between adolescent pregnancy and female student dropout rates?
iv. How can pregnancy jeopardize the overall success of the class?
v. What effect does adolescent pregnancy have on the financial stability of pregnant schoolgirls?
1.5 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE
The findings of this study are critical for schools, parents, and guardians. It could be used to teach children about the risks of premarital sex and how adolescent pregnancy could jeopardize their academic goals. According to research, one of the leading causes of adolescent pregnancy is a lack of awareness, and it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to teach their children about sex. Despite the fact that the number of adolescent pregnancies among female secondary school students has decreased,
Concerning students, it is critical to educate female students on how to avoid sexual activity.
The findings of this study can also be used as a resource for other researchers who are likely to conduct research on a similar topic.
1.6 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE
The scope of this study is limited to the impact of adolescent pregnancies on the academic achievement of female students in a case study of Selected Local Government Areas. It was decided that a few secondary schools would be used.
1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
The researchers faced significant challenges in conducting this study, including a lack of time, respondent unwillingness to provide information, and limited resources.
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