ABSTRACT
The study looked at social support and interpersonal competence as predictors of academic success among senior secondary school students in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, using a case study of two private and two public schools. The survey design and purposive sample technique were used to recruit 450 students from all faculties for the study. The data was collected from the respondents using a well-designed questionnaire that was shown to be valid and reliable. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the data collected during the administration of the questionnaires.
The findings revealed that social support and academic achievement have a favorable and significant link (r=0.772; p0.05). Furthermore, interpersonal competence and academic performance have a favorable and significant link (r=.896; p0.05). Furthermore, there is a favorable and significant association between social support and health.
Social support and interpersonal skill are important characteristics and substantial indicators of academic performance among senior secondary school students, according to the findings.
According to the findings, parents should provide financial assistance to their children so that they are not embarrassed when they visit their friends; The government should provide scholarships to all outstanding secondary school students, as this will improve their academic performance. At times, children should be given free reign at home and in school to allow instructors and parents to see what they are capable of, which will be viewed as a competency test. Parents should invest in their children’s education, either through banks or insurance firms, as this will boost the student’s future confidence, even if the parent dies.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Academic performance, as defined by O’Donnell, Reeve, and Smith (2005), is the extent of an individual’s knowledge in a given school task. Academic performance refers to a student’s ability or level of success in their academic work ( which could either be excellent or poor). In order to obtain greatness or success in their academic work, students should put out personal effort in their academic work. Parental variables, peer factors, instructor factors, and interpersonal competency have all been linked to student academic achievement in studies. The impact of social support and interpersonal competency on students’ academic achievement will be investigated in this study.
Social support is defined as an individual’s impression of general support or space for supportive behaviors (available or enacted) from others in their social network, which improves their functioning and may protect them from negative outcomes (Malecki and Demaray, 2002). People in one’s social network are the first source of social support, and for students, these possible resources may include parents, friends, and teachers. Furthermore, social support can be expressed in a variety of ways, including emotional or caring support (expressing love or trust), instrumental assistance (giving time or resources), informational support (offering important information), and assessment support (providing feedbacks).
Support from parents and families
Several research and review papers released over the last 50 years show how vital parental assistance is in the lives of children (Lamborn). Parents play an important role in their children’s academic achievement and performance across a wide range of ages, groups, and settings, according to research. Parent-child communication and support are major determinants of academic performance, according to findings from parental monitoring studies (Verner, 2007). Support (maternal and/or paternal) is connected to markers of pro-social adaptations in teenagers such as academic success (Bean, Bush, Mckenry, and Wilson, 2003; Kim, Brody, and Murry, 2003) and self-esteem in minority families (i.e. African American and Hispanic). These findings reinforce the idea that social support is necessary for children and adolescents of various ethnic backgrounds to develop normally. Furthermore, characteristics of parent-child connections, particularly parental emotional support, are among the biggest determinants of a child’s behavior.
The family (parents in particular) is often the most essential and influential source of support for early children (Hall and Brassard, 2008). Individuals spend more time outside of the home as they progress from early childhood to later childhood and adolescence, engaging and building relationships with others such as classmates and peers.
As children go from middle school to larger high schools, the adjustment to high school can be challenging since they go from being the oldest and most physically mature in their school to being the youngest and least physically developed and recognized (Newman et al,2007). Peer support is crucial for teenage academic achievement throughout this transition, since studies have established a beneficial association between helpful peer relationships and improved academic performance. According to researchers, teacher support is defined as “the extent to which pupils feel supported, respected, and appreciated by their teachers” (Doll, Zucker and Brehm, 2004). Positive, supportive teacher-student interactions have regularly been established in the literature to be essential for generating optimal academic achievements (Hamre and Pianta, 2006). Positive teacher-student connections, for example, can be a valuable resource for children who are at risk of academic failure, whereas clashing, unpleasant relationships can aggravate that risk (Ladd and Burgess, 2001). Teachers have been shown to have a significant impact on students’ academic performance, and they also play an important role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating policy into action and principles based on practices during interactions with students (Afe, 2001). Both teachers and students rely on them.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
It is impossible to deny that social support and interpersonal competency have a significant impact on students’ academic achievement. It has also been noticed and proven that a student’s social support and interpersonal competence play a significant role in his or her success. In light of the foregoing understanding, it is reasonable to conclude that, barring unusual circumstances, students from affluent backgrounds perform better in school than their impoverished counterparts. This does have an impact on the performance and achievement of kids from opposing/dissimilar backgrounds.
In other words, the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation required for academic achievement is inadequate. There are insufficient amenities in the government or public schools, Similarly, the well-educated or parents from a higher social level send their children to private schools where everything they need to learn is given. Relevant academic materials are made available, such as internet services, textbooks, and the like. This group of pupils enjoys a positive learning environment and is frequently eager to learn. There is a growing belief that some of these youngsters from well-off families do not perform well in school. They are spoon-fed, over-pampered, indolent, and frequently lack the discipline to study or work hard, to name a few reasons. They show up at school and refuse to learn anything. They only want to satisfy their parents’ wishes. Some of them belong to the
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study’s overall goal is to see if social support and interpersonal competency can predict academic performance. The precise goals are as follows:
To see if social support has a major impact on secondary school pupils’ academic progress.
To determine the impact of interpersonal competency on secondary school students’ academic progress.
To see if there is a link between social support and interpersonal competency and academic success in pupils.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study was guided by the following research questions:
(1) Will students’ social support have a substantial impact on their academic progress in senior secondary school?
(2) Is interpersonal competency a good predictor of senior secondary school students’ academic performance?
(3) Will social support and interpersonal ability influence senior secondary school students’ academic performance?
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
The following hypothesis has been proposed:
(1) Among senior secondary school pupils, there is no substantial association between social support and academic success.
(2) Among senior secondary school pupils, there is no substantial association between interpersonal competence and academic success.
(3) Among senior secondary school pupils, there is no substantial association between social support and interpersonal skills.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The family (particularly parents) is often the most essential and influential source of support for early children (Hall and Brassard, 2008). Individuals spend more time outside the home engaging and building relationships with others as they progress from early childhood through later childhood and adolescence.
As kids go from middle school to larger high schools, they transition from being the oldest and most physically mature in their school to being the youngest and least physically developed and recognized (Newman et al,2007). Peer support is crucial for teenage academic achievement throughout this transition, since studies have established a link between helpful peer relationships and improved academic performance.
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