Home background variables and the Academic performance of senior secondary school students in English
Language in Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Every parent want his or her child to do well in school. Parents expects
their children to imbibe acceptable norms, value and attitude of the society.
No parent is happy to see his or her child live contrary to the norms of the
society.
The society, in general expect its
citizenry to be loyal and literate. This is why the formal National Policy on
Education (2002) has among its aim is out “To inculcate the right type of
values and attitudes in the child”. The school is a mirror of the society and
parents depend upon the school to make their children what they are supposed to
be.
Many informed Nigerians, government,
educationist and the public alike are deeply worried over the problem of poor
performance in schools as reported in the 1995 Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board Examination results (Jamb 1995). They argue that if the
issue of poor performance in Nigerian schools is left unchecked in our school
system that the aims and objectives of education as stipulated in the National
Policy on Education (2006) would perpetually remain an illusion.
However, the blame of this poor
performance is place only on the school. For example the poor performance in
the West African Examination Council researched by Albert (2001) university of
Nsukka, Nigeria. It is necessary to realize that the school is not the only
agency for the education of the child. Parental background of the child equally
plays significant role and there is a family-school relationship as stipulated
in the family-school relationship model, Ryan and Adams (2000). It is within
the family that the child acquires and organizes his first experience and then
move to the school for his or her secondary experience, Ryan (2000). It is also
a proven fact in psychology that intelligence and most types of ability are not
necessarily innate but that they are usually modified by environmental factors
such as learning motivation, nutrition and encouragement of both parents,
schools and the alike Spencer and Aber (2004).
The well-being of Nigerian children
has become a focal concern for a variety of political, governmental, schools
and parenting groups. One question often addressed by such groups focuses on
children’s academic success and the effectiveness of the school in assisting
intellectual development, mental health and well-being. As community, leaders,
teachers and parents become more involved in their children academic growth,
there is increased consideration of how the parents and school have unique and
interacting influences on children’s academic success.
It is intending and explicitly clear
that poor performance of some students may entirely not be attributed to the
school environment alone. It is generally acknowledge that family environment is
the most powerful influence in determining a child’s academic success and
motivation, Ceci (2004). This is as a result of the confusing situation that
prompted the researcher to carry out the study. The interest of the researcher
is in determining if parents socio-economic status, parental attitude towards
the child academic success, the type of family structure a child is reared,
have similar or different predictable influence on secondary school students
personal characteristics and academic success.
1.2 Theoretical background
For
the purpose of this research, home background are those environmental variables
in the home which in one way or the other influence the child’s upbringing and
achievement in school. This includes, the socio-economic status of parents,
parental attitude, the type of family structure. The relationship between
parental background and child’s Academic performance has
generated great concern in educational research.
The theoretical framework for this study is based on
learning and behavioural theory.
The learning theory – (E. L. Thorndike 1913)
Thorndike, the educationalist who emphasizes trial and
error as the means of solving problem, in this respect, differs with those who
emphasize insight. Trial and error learning as conceived by Thorndike was
explained through the gradual increase in the efficiency of a cat finding its
way out of a puzzle box.
This
study also deals with how individuals grow and learn. Educational psychologists
all work from some personal perspective with the hope of providing prospective
for teachers with the strategies they can use in the classroom.
Skinner
(1938) in his experiments with a Pigeon was concerned with overt peripheral
muscular responses, habit formation intervening variables and trial and error
approaches to problem solving. This theory shows relations to this study
because social studies deals with
problems that have eaten deep into the fabrics of the nations and the need to
sole them. Hence, the effectiveness of the teacher to introduce concrete and
abstract problems to students and their ability to response will lead to
students achievement which can lead to
solving national burning issues of unity.
The behavioural theory ( J. B. Watson 1925)
Behaviour
is an action, and for the observable actions they are committed to a method of
science. This insists that the main independent and dependent variables that
are dealt with should be observable and subject to a test for the reliability
of observation.
Behaviourists
generally believed that all behaviour are determined. The individuals unique
genetic history and prior learning experiences determine what is brought to a
new learning situation and what interacts with the stimulus variables,
operating in a new situation.
To the
behaviourists, instructional methods can do much to reduce individual
variations in the outcome of instruction. They believed that, the importance of
individual ‘history’ is a major factor in determining what is learned. This can
be reduced as the instruction becomes more effective.
This
theory is related to this study because learning is a change in behaviour and
for the students to achieve; there must be positive change in behaviour, which
can happen without teachers effectiveness. The teacher should employ the methods
available within his reach in order to achieve positive permanent change of
behaviour among students.
1.3 Statement of the problem
Nigeria is a country with many ethnic groups such as situation is bound
to provide people of different outlook both in political, economic, social,
moral and academic circle. When these people come together in schools, there
is a tendency to display a variety of behaviour in terms of Academic
performance . As a result of this situation; teacher only are often blamed. Most
parents think that education is only what goes on in school and that a
student’s Academic performance depends entirely on his ability to learn. But
if one takes a look at what is happening in the society, it will be seen that
some students from different families and schools perform better academically
than others under the same society.
The influence of parental
background, that is, the socio-economic status of parents in the Academic
performance of their children have been
posing very serious problem to many people in our society. It is argued in some
quarters that children from rich parents perform better academically than those
children from poor parental background in the classroom situation. But some
people hold the opposite view by arguing that most of the children from rich
families are way-wards in school academically than children from poor and
average families. In the classroom here in Isolo Local Government Area, the teacher teaches
pupils together irrespective of their family background.
It is against this foreground that this study seeks to
investigate the influence parental background variables on English Language achievement of senior secondary school student
in Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.4 Purpose of the study
The major purpose of this study is
investigate the home background variables and the Academic performance of senior secondary school students in English
Language in Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Specifically,
the study is aim at investigate whether:
i. Parents’
socio-economic status influence students’ Academic performance .
ii. Parental
marital status influence students’ Academic performance .
iii. Family
structure influence students’ Academic performance .
iv. Parental
educational background enhance student academic performance
1.5 Research questions
i.
What is the
difference in the Academic performance of students from upper socio-economic status
and students from lower socio-economic status?
ii.
Does parental marital
status influence students Academic performance ?
iii.
Is there any
difference between the type of family structure and students Academic
performance ?
iv.
To what extent
does parental educational background influence students academic performance?
1.6 Statement of hypotheses
For the purpose of this study to be realized the following hypotheses
are going to be tested.
i.
There is no
significant difference in Academic performance between students from upper socio-economic
status and students from lower socio-economic status.
ii.
There is no
significant difference between parental marital status and students Academic
performance .
iii.
There is no
significant difference between the type of family structure and students Academic
performance .
iv.
There is no
significant influence of parental educational background on students academic
performance.
1.7 Significance of the study
This research work intends to be a great benefits to many people who
will come across it with reference to parents, counsellors, teachers, students,
educational planners, lecturers and the nation at large.
The study will make parents to be
aware of the influence of their home background on their children negatively or
positively in relation to their Academic performance . The study also suggest
to parents and guardians and people alike to make good use of the home to make
their children or wards comfortable in school or at least encourage them to
bear with their sponsors inability to provide them all the necessary school
materials.
To the educational planners, the
study will enlighten them on the importance of planning the school curriculum
with flexibility to suit different cultural environments and the importance of
providing quality teachers and adequate classroom factors. Teacher and
lecturers can gain a lot from this research. It will inject into the teaching
profession a good understanding of why the students perform the way they do
academically and otherwise and this will enable the teachers adopt a variety of
teaching technique and manage this class factors properly as to allow the
different type of students benefit from their study.
To the counsellors, it will yield a good basis for
students counselling on educational placement and vocational choice.
To the nation, adherence to the
recommendations of the study will breed a set of qualified and socially natural
youths.
1.8 Assumptions
For the purpose of this study the following assumptions are made.
i.
Students are
taught under the same teaching and learning condition and the teaching method
respects the students individual differences.
ii.
The method of
evaluating the students is valid, reliable and consistent.
iii.
Students scores in
the achievement test items are genuine and unbiased.
iv.
Placement of the
students in the class is not based on their level of intelligence.
v.
Result of the
promotion examination for the academic year 2007/08 represent the real students
Academic performance .
vi.
The respondents
(students) are honest, objective and reliable in the supply of information.
1.9 Delimitation of the study
The findings of the study will be limited to senior secondary schools in
Isolo Local Government Area Area because of dearth of money and time to
carry out the research to other local government areas of the state.
1.10 Limitation
Since the study is an after the fact study, it cannot
be concluded with confidence that it is only the home background variable that
can affects students Academic performance . It can also be claimed that there is a
relationship between the named parental background factors and students Academic
performance .
The study only identifies how home background variables
correlates with students Academic performance and
does not identify the cause and effect relationship.
By nature, the study is less rigorous because there is
less control over the independent variables. i.e the chosen parental,
background factors.
1.11 Definition of terms
The following terms will be used in the study as they are operationally
defined:
Home
background: these are the home factors
which in one way or the other affects one’s life. In this study, it include:
socio-economic status, parental attitude and type of family structure.
Academic
performance : this is defined in this study as the assigned grades
attained by students in a test of students achievement in school.
Socio-economic
status: is defined in this concept as
the amount of money, material goods one posses, the level of education and self
esteem, prestige and social acceptability of one in the society.
Types
of family structure: this is defined
in the study as the number of parent present in the family or whether is family
is intact or broken family.
TO
GET THE COMPLETE MATERIAL (CHAPTER 1 TO 5, REFERENCES AND QUESTIONNAIRE),
SIMPLY DEPOSIT N2000 WITH ECOBANK
ACCNT
NAME: UMOH UMOH ASUQUO
ACCT.
NO.: 3351064296
For more
information: 08038828403, e-mail: eduresearchhome@gmail.com: www.eduresearchhome.gnbo.com.ng
No comments:
Post a Comment