Influence Of Family Background On The Academic Achievement Of Senior Secondary School Student In Babcock University High School, Ogun State
Absract
The study examined the influence of family background on the academic achievement of elderly secondary academy pupil in babcock university high academy, ogun state.
More specifically, the study sought to assess the academic performance within sound family background and paltry family background in elderly secondary seminaries.
The study correspond of all elderly secondary academy scholars in Babcock high academy( SSS1- 3), simple arbitrary slice fashion was use to pick the repliers and 122 elderly secondary academy scholars were named.
100 repliers properly shared in the check. A well- developed questionnaire was designed to evoke information from the repliers.
The data collected were anatomized using the descriptive statistics fashion and the analysis of friction( ANOVA) was employed to test the stated suppositions at0.05 significance position.
Result from the study indicated that parents ’ educational position, occupation, family size and position of provocation are crucial variables of family background that significantly influences the academic achievement of scholars.
Also scholars ’ from sound family background naturally tend to perform better than their peers from paltry family background.
Base on this, the study advised that scholars should be encouraged, covered, motivated and supported by their parents and preceptors.
Chapter One
Preface
Background of the Study
Education is the stylish heritage a nation can give to her citizens especially the youths. This is because education is veritably important in the development of any nation or community. Education is the process of transmitting what’s worthwhile to members of the society. According to Okafor( 1981). Education embraces all those gests of the existent through which knowledge is acquired and intellect enlightened. For Nwabachili and Egbue( 1993) education is what goes on from one generation to another generation. In this environment, education is the process of fraternizing the child to grow up as a fulfilled member of the society through informal, formal andnon-formal process. Informal education is the process of acquiring knowledge about the terrain and beyond through living with one another. According to Nwabachili and Egbue( 1993) formal education is a purposely planned form of socialization in a formal setting similar as academy. They stressed thatnon-formal education involve all those methodical programme? and processes of education and training that’s done outside formal education settings. All these forms of education can not be achieved without the influence of the family.
Family is the first social terrain the child finds itself. According to Clifford( 1981) family remains the primary terrain of the child. The author emphasized that family terrain has further chances of adding or dwindling the intellectual achievement of the child. Akubue and Okolo( 2008), defined family as a small association structural group with the crucial function of natural socialization of the new born. also, in Okunniyi( 2004), family is defined as a primary social group of parents, seed and conceivably other members of the ménage.
Family background refers to all the conditions and circumstances in the family which impact the child physically, intellectually and emotionally Muola( 2010). Children coming from different family backgrounds are affected different by similar family conditions, that’s why some children have good family background while some have poor background. Citing fleege, Eke( 1999) noted that with some families, the background way vary from time to time for the same individualities.
Formal education thus remains the vehicle for mortal development which must start from the family. There are different orders of families. The major orders of families according to Anderson and Taylor( 2000) includes Traditional families where the father is the major breadwinner and mama at home parenting children; disassociated families- families that have been reconstituted following the breaking of marriage; single parent families likely headed by women; step families with new siblings and new parents stemming fromre-marriage.
A family could also be distributed as extended or nuclear. Extended families are those in which large group of affiliated kin in addition to parents and children live together in the same ménage. This is the type of families current in African countries. Nuclear families are families where wedded couple resides together with their children. Thin type of family is common in Western countries( Andersen and Taylor 2000).
Families are of colorful sizes. Family size has to do with the total number of people in a single family which may include the father, mama , children and indeed the extended members all living in one village. According to Alio( 1995) family size has recrimination for education. The author emphasized that the size of the family determines to a great extent the relative quantum of physical attention and time which each child gets from his parents. Large families are more common among the lower class of the society. Children in large families may suffer poverty and warrant maternal stimulant and encouragement which motivate their academic achievement( Eamon, 2005). also, lower family size has been linked with high academic achievement( Majoribank 1996) Majoribank further stressed that scholars with smaller siblings are likely to admit further maternal attention and have support that leads to better academy performance Family( small or large size) remains the primary terrain of every child. The families begin the process of education and give physical and cerebral requirements of the child. This supports the view of Maduewisi( 1982), that the environmental gests from family, peer group and academy position have great influence in determining child’s intellectual capability. She maintained that bright children from under-privileged family terrain may turn dull due to impoverished family terrain. She added that internal development influence, intellectual development. This is in line with Hebb( 1987) who observed that the ingrain capabilities of children can not be attained without acceptable stimulating family terrain because the child can not do well intellectually. The recrimination is that a proper stimulating family terrain with intellectual implicit and applicable tutoring styles will surely enhance maximum performance of the child.
Durosaro and Durosaro( 1990) in their study tried to probe the’ relationship between scholars’ family size and their academic achievement; they set up out that family size told academic achievement. Their study reveals that children from small size families performed more at academy than their counterparts from both average size and large size families. likewise, Yoloye( 1989) conducted a study to see if the family background variables might be useful in explaining their academic achievement. Some aspects of family background variables examined in the study include family size and parents’ educational status. His findings were that the polygamous family sizes which were naturally large, reduces the chances of children going to academy in the first case. In addition, children from similar backgrounds who are in seminaries have reduced chances of achieving their pretensions. Thirdly, parents of similar families are substantially illiterate and unable of furnishing acceptable provocation for their children in seminaries as compare with the knowledgeable nuclear families.
The economic implication of large family size is better explained in Okuniyi (2004) who observed from his study that as families get larger, parents cannot give their children the same amount of individual attention. They could not afford to provide them with so many of the things which will help them to make the best possible use of their years at school such as educational aids, and quiet comfortable rooms in which to do homework undisturbed by the television, outings to places of interest, leisure lime pursuits, and opportunities for traveling. What is most probably important of all, according to him is the fact that the parents of large families were found not to talk with their children to the same extent as parents of small families.
Another aspect of family environmental factor is the structure of the family. Structurally, a family is either broken or intact. A broken family in this context in one that is not structurally intact for various reasons; such as death of a parent, divorce, separation, desertion and illegitimacy in which case, the family was never completed (Coukline 1996). Life in a single parent family can be stressful for both the child and the parent and such families are faced with the challenges of diminished financial resource?!, assumptions of new roles and responsibilities, establishment of new pattern in intra- familial interactions and reorganization or routines and schedules, (Agulanna 1999).
In single parent families, children may suffer some psychological and social problems which affect their academic performance. Danesy and Okedian (2002), in theirstudy, lamented that street hawking among secondary school students have psychologically imposed other problems, such as sex networking behavior, juvenile delinquent behavior, which take much of the student school time that necessitated the poor academic performance and drop out syndrome noticed among young school students. They also lamented that the maternal and paternal deprivation of essential needs of the young students have promoted their poor performance in public examination as JSCE, WASSCE and NECO. Similarly, (Okunniyi 2004) asserted that a child who suffer maternal and paternal deprivation may experience academic problems including truancy in the school. This is because the child may lack some necessities like school fees, books and uniforms. These conditions, according to the authors, are not conducive for effective parenting because when the single parents are overburdened by responsibilities and by the own, emotional, reaction to their situation, they often become irritable, impatient and insensitive to their children’s needs.
Apart from the structural pattern of the family, another powerful variable in the family that determines the students’ academic achievement is the family socio-economic status (SES). According to (Jeynes 2002), the socio-economic status of a child h most commonly determined by combining portent’s educational level, occupational status, and income level. Social class and economic status of the parents determine the type of school and the standard of training they desire for their children. The occupation or profession of the parents, the educational level and whether the mothers are working or non-working mothers places them at an advantage or disadvantage to evaluate their children’s academic work and monitor their progress.
Status is often determined by the individuals’ economic attainment, though it is sometimes ascribed on the individual. Okunniyi (2004), identified three distinct socio-economic groups or status which are common in many countries. They are: upper class- which is made up of rich business men and top government officials among others; middle class- which consists of skilled workers, professionals and middle ranked government workers and the lower class- which is made up of manual workers, petty trader and low income government officials.
Francis (2007) opines that the lower income families may be aware of the importance of education in the society, but at the same time, they are also aware of their limited resources to measure up with such educational demands. According to the author, a family that can scarcely provide for the basic needs of the family which include rood, shelters and clothing will hardly motivate the academic excellence of their children, instead they will pressurize their children so seek for job opportunities with the little education they acquired so far to support the family. The implication of the agreement is that for families are likely to give their children poor academic background because- ol lack of financial support.
The socio-economic status of a family is capable of affecting the behavior of the children and determines their aspiration. Families with high socio-economic status often have more success in preparing their children for school because they typically have access to wide range of providing their young children with high quality child-care books and encourage children in various learning activities at home. They also have easy access to information regarding their children’s health, as well as social, emotional and cognitive development (Ojo and Yilma 2010),
Ojo and Yilma also noted that in all socio-economic groups, parents face major challenges when it comes to providing optimal care and education for their children and these challenges are more pronounced in poor families. This, according to them, is because sometimes, when the basic necessities are lacking, parents must place top priority on housing, food, clothing and health care, regarding education materials and books as luxuries. They added that poor families may also have inadequate or limited access to community resources that promote and support children’s development and school readiness. They further asserted that these disadvantages can negatively affect families’ decisions regarding their children development and learning. This situation, according to Ojo and Yilma, may also expose the infants in poor families to a greater risk of entering kindergarten schools unprepared, unlike their peers from rich families.
Parents’ motivation is another family background factor which influence the academic achievement of students. Students under motivated condition, exhibits purposeful behavior aimed at achieving academic set goals. The achievement of these goals determines the motive, Hickey and Lindsey (1995) clearly distinguished two- perspectives of motivation; these are situational and dispositional perspectives. According to them, disposition perspective asks questions about students’ general orientation to learning which relates the students’ priority and students’ nature. The situational perspective according to the scholars focuses on learning context. These scholars further identified to factors that greatly influence students’ motivation. These are: interpersonal factors such as curiosity, perseverance, and autonomy (intrinsic-factors) and environmental factors such as parents, peers and sibling (extrinsic factors).
Research shows that supportive and attentive parenting practices positively affect academic achievement (Eamon, 2005). In addition, high parental aspirations have been associated with increasing students’ interest in education (Majoribanks, 2005). The effect of parental motivation and involvement in their children’s school has on academic achievement is less clear (Domina 2005), parental motivation and involvement in schoolhas been linked to both positive and negative influences on academic achievement (McNeal, 2001, Domina, 2005). Explanations for this discrepancy are not conclusive. It is thought that the type of involvement and motivation may make a difference and that in some cases parents become involved after their child has already academic difficulties (Domina, 2005, McNeal, 2001). Other recent research has found more conclusively that while parental motivation may not help academic achievement, it does help prevent behavioral problems (Domina, 2005).
Students with fewer siblings are likely to receive more parental attention and motivation and thus have more access to resources than children from large family. The additional attention and motivation leads to better school performance (Majoribanks, 1996, Thondike, 1997 and Samon, 2005).
Thondike reorganized seven ways of motivating students viz: awareness on the part of the parents of the value of education whether such parents are literature of illiterate; existence of books, newspapers, comic books; good nutrition am’ sleeping habit; adequate facilities for sleep, for study and for rest; satisfaction physical needs like food, shelter and clothing; objects in the home which challenges the child’s curiosity.
Douglas (1984) established a positive correlation between children’s academic achievement and motivation. The author laid considerable emphasis upon interest as a factor governing children’s chances of being awarded grammar school admissions. For the author, the simple most important factor that influence educational attainment of children appears to be the degree of parents interest in their children’s education. Douglas further stated that middle class parents express great interest in their children’s education as indicated by more frequent visits to school to discuss children’s progress, buying relevant textbooks and other necessary materials needed in the school for their children. The author also found from his study that parental interest and encouragement become increasingly important as a spur to high attainment as the children grow older. He also attached importance to the child’s early years, since in many ease:*, performance during the first years of school is reflected throughout the secondary school. He suggested that during primary socialization, middle-class children receive greater attention and stimulus from their parents. This forms basis for high achievement in the educational system.
Students from low socio-economic status families may not be strongly motivated to do well in school and may not be knowledgeable about techniques of being successful in school. High socio-economic status parents who have benefited in a variety of ways from education serves as effective and enthusiastic advocate of schooling (Carlson, 2003). In line with this Qkwulanya (2003) opines that motivation from educated parents strengthens the academic aspiration and language development in their children to perform better in their academic work. According to the scholar, some children may come from homes were academic is much valued, where there are books around them and most of the time, they see their parents reading. Their parents may give them books as Christmas presents. They encourage them to read many books wither by organizing mini, library for them at home or by encourage to use the state library. The author went further to emphasize that some children may come from illiterate homes, where no importance is attached to books. In such families children scarcely see their parents at home.
In all, the experimenter’s conclusion is that motivated scholars are likely to engage in an exertion more roundly and more effectively than unmotivated one. provocation is always thing acquainted. The significance of maternal position of education to academic achievement of scholars can not be over emphasized. scholars from professional and to a lower extent directorial occupational backgrounds parade advanced academic performance( Gary, 2001). In support of this view, Onochie and Okpalla( 1985) editorialized that educational position of parents which is an index of socio- profitable status has direct influence on child’s values and academic achievement in the academy. They mentioned that children from illiterate families may learn little or nothing from home that can help them develop interest in academic. This is in discrepancy to what’s accessible from children from literature families where parents give atmosphere conducive for the conformation of good study habits( Qeca, 1980).
Maternal occupation is also an important family background variable. The occupation of one’s parents may determine to a large extent bone ‘s occasion to attend secondary academy or not. Ezeji( 2001) noted that parents like their children to take to their occupation, like parents who are attorneys, croakers , musicians among others. exemplifications of similar people in the country include Gani faweiheni, the prominent mortal right counsel, Oliver Akalite( Oliver De coque) and Osita Osadebe who were notorious musicians each of these great men had one or further of his children in his type of occupation. Uwaomn( 2066) asserted that utmost vocational scholars were children whose parents are planter or tradesmen. In Nigeria most children whose parents can not go to pay for high cost of formal education enroll into internship programmes similar as carpentry, slipup laying, petting trading and others. In the study area, there’s a evident general poor performance among secondary academy scholars. Attestations of the poor performances are seen in both scholars’ internal and external examination. For case, the available records of WAEC affect analyses from 2005 to 2011 indicate downcast trends in pupil’ academicachievement. According to the analyses, the achievement situations of scholars bow as follows 2005-27.53, 2006-15.56, 2007-25.54. 200813.76, 2009-25.99, 2010-24.94 and 2011-30.99( source WAEC Lagos).
It’s against this background that the experimenter is interested probing the influence of family background on scholars academic achievement in Nsukka education zone of Enugu state. The experimenter intends to probe the variables in the family background with a view of assessing their relative influence on academic achievement of elderly secondary academy pupil in Nsukka education zone.
Statement of the Problem
utmost scholars in Nigerian secondary seminaries are in lesser threat of poor academic achievement in both internal and external examinations( WAEC and NECO). For case, the available records of WAEC affect analysis from 2005- 2011 show a nonstop decline in scholars overall performance in academy instrument examinations.
Government, parents, preceptors and scholars condemn one another for scholars’ poor performance in seminaries. Parents condemn preceptors for lack of fidelity to duties. The preceptors condemn government for poor hires hence they’re inadequately motivated, parents also charge government for not equipping the seminaries with literacy accoutrements , government blame parents for not doing good schoolwork and the scholars are criticized for lack of discipline and fidelity to their studies.
In light of the below issues, the outstanding and applicable question is what’s the influence of family background on academic achievement of secondary academy scholars?
Purpose of the Study
Generally, the purpose of the study was to find out the influence of family background on scholars’ academic achievement among elderly secondary academy scholars in Nsukka.
Education zone
Specifically, the purpose of the study is to find out
1. The influence of maternal position of education on academic achievement of elderly secondary academy scholars.
2. The influence of maternal occupation on scholars’ academic achievement,
3. The influence of maternal income on scholars academic achievement.
4. The influence of family size on scholars’ academic achievement.
5. The influence of maternal provocation on scholars’ academic achievement.
Significance of the study
Theoretically, the findings of this study are considered significant because it can help in furnishing empirical information in relating and explaining the colorful family background variables and the influence of the variables on scholars academic achievement. This will help in better understanding of the miracle. also, it’s anticipated that the findings will help to explain the functionality of the theoretical presumption Maslow’s motivational proposition. According to Maslow, provocation is veritably important in literacy, and a learner under motivated condition, exhibits purposeful behaivour aimed to achieving the set thing. The scholars is motivated to learn when their physiological need like sanctum, food, water, rest and safety needs like love and belonging. The satisfaction of these requirements leads to the hunt to satisfy advanced requirements which lessee on tone- regard and tone- fruition. The understanding of this proposition especially as it relates to scholars preceptors and parents would be of particular significance to experimenters in the field of education and family studies.
virtually, the finding of this study will be useful to the following the preceptors, scholars, parents, academy guidance counselors, Parents preceptors Association( PTA), educational directors and the society at large.
The finding of the study will be of immense help to the preceptors. The preceptors will realize the necessity of marking their tutoring by structuring their tutoring styles and educational coffers to take care of the divergent maternal backgrounds of the scholars. This system may yield more positive result than the traditional system which assumes that all children have analogous family background. The findings of the study will also help preceptors to exercise tolerance with slow- leaners as they vary styles of instruction to accommodate divergent family background.
The findings will be of immense significance to scholars. The scholars will realize that their poor performance might not inescapably be their fault alone, especially those from low statusfamilies.-similar knowledge will go a long way to reduce frustration in the scholars and also reduce drop- outs which do as a result of frustration. Rather, thestudents should be made to acclimate and help themselves by studying hard at home and also make proper of the books and accoutrements that are handed for them at the academy library.
Through the findings of this study, parents will realize the import acne of perfecting their educational standard so as to impact their children’s academic performance. Parents will also understand the need for them to ameliorate their socio- profitable status so as to be suitable to give the necessary provocation in form of literacy accoutrements and other effects which will enhance their children’s literacy and their academic performance. They will inversely admit the significance of positive provocations andencouragement and give some, by making the family terrain more conducive for their children.
The academy guidance counselors will also profit from the findings of this study. They will be in position to guide and counsel scholars in the area of particular social relations, academic performance and career choice.
The findings of the study will help Parents Teacher Associations( FTA) of academy in promoting the academic performance of pupil. This is because FT A snorting, parents know their functions and liabilities at home, to help break their children’s problems both home and academy terrain.
The findings of the study will be of immense help to educational directors. They will use the findings in the expression of policy that will regulate equal educational openings for all children irrespective of their family background in the distribution of outfit, installations and amenities to seminaries.
The findings of this study will help the society at large in relating how family environmental variables similar as what parents’ position of education, parents’ income, parents’ occupation, parents’ provocation and family size on pupil’s academic performance. This will act as a check on adding low academic performance among scholars, occasioned by the fact that some parents, preceptors and counselors don’t have acceptable knowledge/ input needed of them.
compass of Study
The study is limited to Babcock University High School Students. The environment compass of this study is limited to chancing the influence of family background on academic achievement of scholars with particular respects to maternal position of education; maternal occupation, maternal income, family size and maternal provocation.
exploration Questions
The study will give answers to the following exploration questions
1. What’s the influence of maternal position of education on scholars’ academic achievement?
2. What influence does maternal occupation have on scholars’ academic achievement?
3. What’s the influence of parents’ income on scholars’ academic achievement?
4. What’s the influence of family size on scholars’ academic achievement?
5. What influence does maternal provocation have on scholars’ academic achievement?
exploration Hypotheses
The following suppositions will guide the studying and will be tested at0.05 position of significance.
H01 Parents ’ education position has no significant influence on the academic achievement of Babcock University High School Students.
H02 Parents ’ occupation has no significant influence on the academic achievement of Babcock University High School Students.
H03 Parents ’ income position has no significant influence on the academic achievement of Babcock University High School Students.
H04 Family size has no significant influence on the academic achievement of Babcock University High School Students.
H05 Parents ’ position of provocation has no significant influence on the academic achievement of Babcock University High School Students.
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