INFLUENCE OF PARENTS’ SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is the most valuable legacy a country can leave to its people, particularly its youth. This is because the growth of any nation or community is dependent on its youth. Education seeks to develop a well-integrated individual capable of functioning in society. As a result, in addition to teaching subject matter information, the goal of education may be defined as instilling in an individual board personality modifications such as attitudes, interests, ideas, ways of thinking, work habits, personal and social adaptability, and so on (Priscilla, 2003). A child’s education in the family begins at a very young age. The parents are a child’s first teachers. Informal education refers to this type of instruction. Education is a powerful tool for social change. Children are first instilled with these values in their homes. The socioeconomic status of parents has a significant impact on students’ academic achievement and social behavior, and this should be considered (Esther, 2005). Parents, policymakers, and school administrators are concerned about the performance variation and the increasing negative trend in secondary school biology student performance. The widening achievement gap and poor performance of students in Delta State’s Burutu local government area have raised serious concerns about the socioeconomic factors that influence children’s academic performance. Regardless of other factors such as genetic influence, school environment, governance, and education policy, sociocultural aspects may improve children’s academic performance. However, the most important factor influencing motivation and achievement is the attitude of parents toward their children’s education. Secondary school academic standards (Olujimi, 2007). People in every community are classified according to the social classes to which they belong. They can be classified according to their wealth, power, reputation, poverty, and intellectual ability. Danladi (2005) defines society as being divided into two classes: rich and poor. Some students come from wealthy families, while others come from low-income families. Whatever family they come from, their social class has an impact on their secondary school behavior and academic performance. Johnson (1996) bemoaned the fact that parents become impoverished to the point of being unable to provide shelter, clothing, and specific school needs for their children, such as textbooks, school uniforms, and adequate medical care. There is a high rate of parental and maternal deprivation. The country’s poor socioeconomic circumstances have forced farmers and other rural dwellers into enormous financial difficulties, such as a lack of funds to purchase working materials for their children (Bege, 2006). Many rural and sub-urban residents are also unable to pay their students’ school fees, forcing children to engage in subsistence farming, work as housemaids, or engage in other mental vocations to fund their academic pursuits (Peter, 2005). As a result, many students regard schooling as a secondary obligation and attend on a regular basis. A problem has arisen as a result of poor academic performance in school tests such as the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) (WAEC). This tendency is causing major problems. Parents, the government, political parties, and educational stakeholders should all be involved. According to PISA (Program Internal Student Assessment) (2000), children’s home environment influences their academic and educational performance as well as their schoolwork, whereas socioeconomic status influences teachers’ and students’ actions and functioning. As a result of the foregoing, it is possible to conclude that the quality of a student’s parents and home environment go a long way toward predicting the quality and consistency of a child’s functional survival and academic demands. Low parental care combined with severe deprivation of a child’s social and economic needs frequently leads to poor academic achievement. Similarly, effective parenting combined with a solid financial foundation can improve a child’s academic performance (Jose, 2005). This also foretells Academic success occurs when a child receives appropriate guidance in choosing a course and career that matches his mental ability, interest, and capability. Children raised by illiterate mothers will end up on the streets, working to make ends meet (Jane, 2007). A learning environment free of barriers, impediments, or distractions, such as noise, gas/smoke pollution, and so on, may be harmful to students’ attention or perceptual or conceptual focus (2005). As a result, for optimal learning and academic achievement, schools in both rural and urban areas, as well as sub-urban and metropolitan areas, should be located away from areas characterized by smoke/gas pollution, market centers, or garages. A favorable learning environment facilitates learning, comprehension, and excellent perception. environment. According to Danes (2004), excellent teaching, good counseling, good administration, good seating arrangement, and good building complement environment and socioeconomic elements to promote high academic accomplishments and performance. Danes, on the other hand, bemoaned the fact that innovative environments promote early learning and mental perception. It has also been demonstrated that students who are taught in a simulative environment with laboratory equipment or who are taught with rich instructional aids, pictures, and are allowed to demonstrate using functional nerves such as the eyes, hand, and sense of taste outperform those who are taught under the theoretical and abstraction canopy. As a result, teaching and learning should take place in an environment that is well-organized, well-planned, and well-fortified, with learning instructional aids to stimulate students’ sense of accomplishment. conception and focus, allowing for systematic comprehension and knowledge acquisition (Phil, 2004). Furthermore, research has revealed that several family elements have a significant impact on a student’s academic success. Among them are parental educational background, income, exposure, parental connection, family strength, population, religion, sex difference, occupation, and others. All of these factors have a greater impact on a child’s readiness to learn (Eche, 2003). Other factors, such as mental and physical illnesses, can, however, contribute to poor academic performance in biology. Overall, the family background, as an umbrella in the child’s inflating into the world, should create favorable conditions that will boost the child’s academic success, regardless of the limitations he or she may face in his or her life.

her academic efforts. Students’ academic performance in biology appears to have deteriorated in recent years, leading to the selection of this study’s topic, which is to assess the influence of parents’ socioeconomic level on students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

1.2 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM

Examining bodies such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB have discovered that a large number of secondary school students continue to perform poorly in biology exams. This has been a source of concern for all stakeholders in education. The socioeconomic status of students’ parents appears to have an effect on their secondary school performance. However, it is believed that a student’s academic success is influenced by the socioeconomic status of his or her family (Danes, 2004). A is said to be a

The socioeconomic status of a student’s family influences his or her academic success. However, it is not always true that children from affluent families outperform those from low-income families academically. In light of this, the researcher has decided to investigate the impact of parents’ socioeconomic status on the academic performance of biology students in secondary schools in Delta State’s Burutu Local Government Area.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The goal of this research is to determine the impact of a parent’s socioeconomic status on a student’s academic achievement in secondary school.

The purpose of the research is to learn more about:

i.To ascertain the impact of biology students’ socioeconomic status on their academic achievement in the L.G.A. of Burutu, Delta State.

ii.To determine the extent to which a parent’s employment influences

The academic success of a biology student.

iii.To investigate how the educational backgrounds of parents influence their children’s academic performance in biology in Burutu. L.G.A. from Delta State.

iv.To find a solution to the impact of a student’s socioeconomic status on academic achievement.

1.4 QUESTION FOR RESEARCH

i.How does biology students’ socioeconomic status affect their academic achievement in Burutu, Delta State’s L.G.A?

ii. How much does a parent’s employment affect the academic achievement of a biology student?

iii. How do the educational backgrounds of parents affect their children’s academic performance in biology at Burutu. Delta State’s L.G.A?

iv. What is the solution to a student’s socioeconomic status influencing their academic achievement?

1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Nigeria is a developing country whose future is entirely dependent on the oil industry.

the level of education it can provide to its people. The significance of this research in the educational system cannot be overstated. If the study’s findings are effectively applied, students, teachers, parents, and the government will benefit.

i.The research project will introduce students to the various effects of socioeconomic status on the academic performance of biology students.

ii.The study’s findings will help parents understand the importance of providing proper parental care to their school-aged children.

iii.The findings will inform teachers on how to respond to students from diverse families, as well as school officials on how to adjust their timetable.

iv.The study also attempted to offer solutions to bridge the academic divide between affluent and poor families, so that children from both groups could succeed academically.

Regardless of their backgrounds, both parents can achieve high academic standards.

1.6 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE

The study will be carried out in Delta State’s Burutu Local Government Area. The study is limited to the effect of parents’ socioeconomic status on the academic performance of senior secondary biology students.

1.7 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Biology is the study of life and living organisms, including their structures, functions, and growth.

Secondary school, also known as high school, is a learning environment for students under the age of 18.

A student is someone who goes to school to learn new things.

Impact is defined as anything that occurs as a result of a cause or an action. It is

Also, a change that occurs as a result of an action or other natural or artificial factors.

A person’s legal, social, or financial standing in society is referred to as their status.

Socio-economic: This term refers to a combination of social and economic factors that define one’s income and social standing, as well as how one’s status is measured.

Upper Class: This is the wealthiest economic category, which may include employees in grades 10 and higher. Among them are professional managers, corporate tycoons, and certain graduate employees.

Professionals and business owners are classified as middle-class, which is defined as a socioeconomic group that is neither extremely wealthy nor extremely poor.

These are the lower classes. People who are impoverished. They could be in grades 0 through 6 or younger. Among them are petty traders, subsistence farmers, messengers, typists, drivers, and workers.

 

 

Leave a Comment