THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
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THE INFLUENCE
OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS
ABSTRACT
The study
examined the influence of socio-economic status of parents on students’
academic performance at the secondary level in selected public secondary
schools in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State. Also, this study
reviewed some relevant and related literatures under sub-headings. The
descriptive research survey was applied in this study for the assessment of the
opinions of the selected respondents for this study, with the use of the
questionnaire and the sampling technique. A total of 200 (n=200) respondents
were sampled for this study. Five null hypotheses were formulated and tested,
with the application of the t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation tools
at 0.05 level of significance. Some of the research hypotheses that were formulated
and tested are as follows: there is a significant influence of parental
socio-economic status on students’ social orientation; there is a significant
relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and children’s academic
achievement in the school; there is a significant relationship between the
academic performance of children who come from high socio-economic status
families and those from low socio-economic status homes.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Background
of the Study
Parents are
the greatest single influence on their children’s development in two
indisputable ways. Parents act as socializing agents in providing goals and
value system from which the child develops various patterns of behaviours.
In some
situations, parents adopt care free attitude towards the learning of their
children, even their social orientation, and this has in many instances, caused
the low academic performance of children even their maladaptive behaviours in
their immediate society (Hake, 1999). According to Ndubuisi (2005) there is a
positive correlation between parental attitude and children’s social
orientation and academic achievement. Ndubuisi is of the opinion that parents’
dimensions of value placement on their children’s well-being or otherwise,
significantly affects the child’s positive or negative adaptation to his/her
society and even the way he/she carries out his/her academic work in school.
Many factors
contribute directly or indirectly to the educational development of a child
both within and outside the school system. These factors stem from either
heredity or environment. Many psychologists such as Freud and Adler now
de-emphasize the significant role of heredity in the total development of the
child while underlining the prominence of the environment. Craft et al (2002),
made some contributions to the understanding of the relationship between the
child’s home background and his academic performance in school. A child is the
product and reflection of the society. While the school runs the formal education
system, the home provides formal and non-formal educational experiences.
Many
psychologists have advocated that the immediate environment (Home) should be
made quite stimulating so as to enhance the development of a child’s intellect
and good academic performance. According to Locke (1970) we are like a clean
slate at birth and that the environmental influences determine what fills the
vacuum. This is what he referred to as “Tabula Rasa”. In other words, whatever
we inherited from our parents may be enhanced or dampened by the kind of
environment we live in.
Studies
carried out by Mudock and Mudock (2004), show that the first six years of a
child are very important because whatever goes wrong at this stage will have
long lasting effect on the child when he grows up. It is during this early
period that the personal characteristics and mental health of the child are
established. The child learns how to love and be loved and how to cope with
sibling rivalry. Also, it is at this time that the child develop feelings of
hostility and aggression if the environment is not conducive. This early
socialization process is important because it helps a child adjust to places
outside his home.
Psychologists
and sociologists like Jersild (2005), Hurlock (2006), believe that if solid
foundations are not laid for the acquisition of basic skill when the child is
young, learning becomes a problem later in life as it is often unsuccessful.
Joyce and
others (2005) have long established that in effective schools where high quality
education is provided, there is usually frequent communication between the
school and parents and this is mainly positive, such as at award days and
parent days and two-way, with parents often initiating contact with the school.
This should
involve parents monitoring efforts to accountability and acting as advisors in
school improvement efforts. This may be achieved by having parents serve on
standing and ad-hoc special committees and boards of the school such as special
events committee, disciplinary committee and governing board. This way, parents
get first hand knowledge of the needs and problems of the school and work
co-operatively with the school in resolving them (Aloe, 2006).
When parents
possess the necessary knowledge and skills relevant to the school curriculum
such parents may serve as information sources, the audience for school academic
activities and/or class assistants. There also seems to be ample evidence to
suggest that parental involvement in home work and assignments may improve
children’s performance in school.
Parental
positive and co-operative attitude towards the development of the school has
been found to influence positively on children’s learning outcomes in school.
Such parental behaviours are reflected in good attendance at PTA meetings,
sending children to school on time, fees are paid on time, children are made to
complete homework on time and parents visit the school regularly to monitor the
progress of their children. Teachers have a remarkably difficult job and will
appreciate any one who supports them and acknowledges their work.
1.2Statement
of the Problem
The problem
of low socio-economic status among parents, and its attendant effect on the
academic achievement of students cannot be overemphasized. Most parents in
Nigeria today are poor, and majority of them are unemployed. This can be linked
to poor economic situation in the country and the world economic recession. As
a result, parents lack the wherewithal to maintain themselves and their
children. Most Nigerian parents fail in their duties to send their children to
school. Many of them whose children are in school, do not take adequate care of
them because they lack the financial power to carry or foot their children’s
school bills. This has caused many children whose parents are poor to
constantly absent themselves from school, while majority of the children have
finally dropped out of school. These parents do not purchase relevant books for
their children or foot other school expenses for the child (Jimoh, 2006).
Not only
that, the children of the poor are not properly cared for. For instance,
children whose parents are not rich, do not feed well before and after school.
Thus most of them go to school on an empty stomach, and while in school, they
do not pay attention to what is going on in the classroom. A child needs proper
feeding to complement cognition, but children of the poor do not feed
adequately not to talk of balanced diet. For lack of money, children whose
parents are poor, are meant to live in an unfriendly environment where they are
incapable of reading freely and the materials to study are not available for
them to carry out meaningful academic work. As a result of these, the children
record poor academic achievement at school. The above problems therefore,
necessitated this study.
1.3Purpose
of the Study
The main
purpose of this study was to examine the influence of socio-economic status of
parents on the academic achievement of students in selected five senior
secondary schools in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.
The specific
objectives of the study include:
1. To examine whether parents’
socio-economic status affect their children’s social orientation.
2. To determine whether parents’
socio-economic status affects their children’s academic achievement.
3. To examine whether there is
relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and children’s academic
achievement.
4. To investigate whether gender
difference exists in the academic performance of students due to parental
socio-economic status.
5. To determine the difference between
the academic performance of children who come from high socio-economic status
and those from the low socio-economic status families.
1.4Research
Questions
The
following research questions were raised in this study:
1. Does parents’ socio-economic status
affect their children’s social orientation?
2. Does the socio-economic status of
parents affect their children’s academic performance in the school?
3. Is there any relationship between
parental socio-economic status and children’s academic performance?
4. Does gender difference exist in the
academic performance of students due to parental socio-economic status?
5. Is there any relationship between
the academic performance of children who come from the high socio-economic
status families and those from the low socio-economic homes?
1.5Research
Hypotheses
The
following research hypotheses were formulated to guide this study:
H01: There is no significant influence of parental
socio-economic status on student’s social orientation.
H02: There is no significant relationship between
parental socio-economic status and academic performance children in the school.
H03 There is
no significant relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and
children’s academic achievement in the school.
H04: There is no significant gender difference in
the academic performance of students due to parental socio-economic status.
H05: There
is no significant relationship between the academic performance of children who
come from the high socio-economic status families and those from the low
socio-economic status homes.
1.6Significance
of the Study
This study
will be of great benefit to the various segments of individuals and group of
individuals in the society. For instance:
(1) The students will benefit from this
study because its findings and recommendations will help them to appreciate
that they need parental care and positive values for them to be successful in
school and society at large. It will make the students to be more adaptive to
parental control and care.
(2) Parents would also benefit from this
study because it will enable them to be up and doing in the upbringing of their
children if they want them to be successful in both academics and in life. This
study will enlighten parents on the best methods of bringing up a child in the
home.
(3) Teachers would be beneficiaries of
this study because, it will enable them to be more enlightened on how best to
train their children in the home and at school, as surrogate parents.
(4) The society will undoubtedly, benefit
from this study because it will enable the adults members of the society to
learn that parental value system has something to do with the child’s behaviour
and his/her academic success in the school.
1.7Scope of
the Study
The study
examined the influence of socio-economic status of parents on the academic
achievement of students in selected five senior secondary schools in Surulere
Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.
1.8Definition
of Terms
Operational
definitions of terms were appropriately provided in this study. Virtually, all
the variables in the study were defined accordingly.
(1) Parents: This means father, mother or
ancestors e.g. our first parents (Adam and Eve).
(2) Students: This means a person who is
studying at a college, polytechnic or university; boy or girl attending
schools; anyone who studies or who is devoted to the acquisition of knowledge.
(3) Academic Performance: This refers to
the level or rate at which students in school perform in their academic career.
It also shows the level at which students carry out their school works at a
given period of time and the result of it.
(4) Socio-Economic Status: This refers to
the level of social stratification of individuals in a given society. It is the
socio-economic distinction amongst members of the society.
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