THE IMPACT OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND MOTIVATION ON STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

THE IMPACT OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND MOTIVATION ON STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

Teachers, counselors, psychologists, researchers, and school administrators in Nigeria have historically expressed interest and concern in studies into the factors/effects affecting students’ motivation and academic achievement.

Since the beginning of time, Nigerian students’ academic performance at all levels has received harsh criticism from a wide range of sources. In Nigerian institutions, Bamidele (2014) observed a decline in students’ academic performance. She saw that the system needed to be reorganized. Bamidele (2014) went on to say that in order to increase the bar for academic success among students, the government must make a deliberate effort to empower and oversee the system.

Educationalists, and specialists in guidance and counseling in particular, have long been interested in students’ academic development. This is as a result of widespread opinions about the nation’s subpar educational levels. There have been substantial setbacks to the nation’s individual growth as a result of the country’s declining educational standards and graduates with limited technological understanding. Many factors, including the student’s internal state (intelligence, health, motivation, anxiety, etc.) and their surroundings (availability of a suitable learning environment, sufficiency of educational infrastructure like textbooks and well-equipped laboratories), can affect a student’s academic progress at a university. Investigating these elements has led to a variety of findings for researchers.

The way a household or family is set up is referred to as the “family structure” in this meaning. Due to the possibility of having a single parent, two parents, or even stepparents, every family is different. The parental unit (single or dual) sets the psychological, moral, spiritual, and motivational foundations for the child’s whole development. It is impossible to exaggerate how important the mother is to this whole process (Adebule, 2007).

The way a household or family is set up is referred to as the “family structure” in this meaning. Due to the possibility of having a single parent, two parents, or even stepparents, every family is different. The parental unit (single or dual) sets the psychological, moral, spiritual, and motivational foundations for the child’s whole development. It is impossible to exaggerate how important the mother is to this whole situation.

The family, which has a significant impact on pupils and is the main socializing factor, may either aid or impede the child’s academic development depending on the social milieu of the family. Academic achievement may be correlated with variations in psychosocial and emotional sturdiness within the family unit. Given the impact of both high and low socioeconomic status and students’ emotional stability, both of which are essential for academic success, this element of study has not been adequately investigated in Nigeria, where this family system is present (Adesehinwa, 2013). As a result, parenting is a shared responsibility that necessitates the complete participation of both parents in order to assure the complete growth of their children.

The importance of the home environment, or the drive and organization of the family, on a student’s academic success is recognized. The psychological, emotional, social, and economic wellbeing of students is greatly influenced by the family. Ajilate & Olutala (2006) assert that as parents are a child’s first socialization influences, the status of one’s home has an impact on the individual. This is due to the fact that a child’s upbringing and environment have an impact on his level of performance and how he reacts to situations in life.

The child’s experiences at home have a big impact on how he develops as a person and what he becomes, even if the school is responsible for what happens at home. A single parent family is one that is not structurally intact due to a variety of factors such as the death of a parent, divorce, separation, desertion, or illegitimacy, in which the family was never completed (Adebule, 2007). Although the home environment or family has been acknowledged as having a significant impact on students’ academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how family dynamics and motivation affected kids’ academic success.

SITUATION OF THE PROBLEM

Teachers, the government, and parents have long been concerned about and interested in researching the differences in pupils’ academic achievement in Nigeria. This is due to the fact that there is general consensus regarding the falling status of education in Nigeria and the crucial role that education plays in the development of the nation (Adebule, 2007). Numerous factors influence academic success, which can either positively or negatively impact a child’s enthusiasm and capacity to succeed in school. Academic progress is further hampered for students who reside in high-poverty metropolitan regions with dysfunctional families (Murray & Malingren, 2005). Understanding the relationship between pupils from positive and negative motivated households and the effect it has on students’ academic progress is the goal of this study.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

Examining the effects of family structure and motivation on kids’ academic attainment is the main goal of this study. More specifically, the study’s additional goals are:

i. To determine how much a student’s family structure affects their academic achievement.

ii. To determine how much motivation affects students’ academic achievement.

iii. To ascertain how a student’s family structure affects their academic performance.

iv. To find out if kids from families with high levels of motivation and those with low levels of motivation differ in their academic achievement.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

In this investigation, the following research queries will be addressed:

i. How much does a student’s family structure affect their academic performance?

ii. How much does a student’s motivation affect their academic performance?

What impact does family structure have on a student’s academic success?

iv. Do kids from families with high levels of motivation and those with low levels of motivation differ in their academic performance?

1.5 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER STUDIES

From many different angles, this work is significant. For parents, educators, lawmakers, curriculum designers, and academics, the study’s conclusions are of utmost importance. Students will get a better knowledge of their role as students and make conscious attempts to counteract the negative influences of their families while maximizing their positive effects on academic success. It is also hoped that the study will act as a source of data for the government in order to organize and address the obstacles standing in the way of students’ successful academic achievement and, once more, to increase the number of school counselors working in higher education institutions to provide guidance services to students, particularly those from single parent families.

Additionally, this research will help lawmakers create legislation that will aid and psychologically support pupils from families with negative motivation and single-parent households in overcoming their emotional challenges. The study will also help parents understand the effects of parental motivation and separation, enabling them to use all of their resources to lessen the effects of the circumstance. Kids might find this motivating. According to the researcher, the findings of this study will provide important information that will help the general public improve single parent university students’ academic success. The conclusions’ possible recommendations might be applied to deal with social problems.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE

In general, this study looks at how students’ motivation and family structure affect their academic success. The study aims to ascertain the degree to which family structure affects students’ academic performance, the degree to which motivation affects students’ academic performance, the effects of family structure on students’ academic achievement, and whether or not there are any differences in academic performance between students from families with positive motivation and students from families with negative motivation.

Participants in the survey for this study would be Jos South teachers and students in Plateau State.

Limitations of the study: 1.7

In general, the scope of this study is restricted to investigating how students’ motivation and family structure affect their academic performance. The study’s specific objectives are to ascertain the degree to which family structure affects students’ academic performance, the degree to which motivation affects students’ academic performance, the effects of family structure on students’ academic achievement, and whether there are any differences in academic performance between students from families with positive motivation and those with negative motivation.

Participants in this study will be teachers and students at Jos South High School in Plateau State. As a result of the small sample size and the fact that only a small number of respondents agreed to participate in the survey, the findings cannot be applied to secondary schools in other states.

1.8 TERM DEFINITION

Impact: A noticeable outcome or effect.

Family members who are related through marriage or bloodlines are referred to as having a family structure.

Motivation: An explanation for why someone acts or behaves in a certain way.

Academic achievement: The degree to which a student, instructor, or institution has reached their short- or long-term educational goals is known as academic achievement or academic performance. Academic achievement is the completion of educational milestones such secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees.