ABSTRACT
This
study examined the impact of broken homes on academic performance and
psychosocial adjustment of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government
Area of Lagos State. The descriptive survey design was used in this study. The
research instrument used for this study was a questionnaire tagged (BHAP) which
was adapted by the researcher. The population of this study covered the
teachers in selected secondary schools at Kosofe Local Government, area Lagos
State where data was collected using simple random sampling. Collected data was
analyzed using chi-square and descriptive statistics. Demographic data such as
gender, age, and qualification were used. Findings showed that broken homes has
a significance on student’s academic performance. It was concluded that there
is a significance difference between students from broken homes and students
from intact homes. It was therefore recommended parents should be educated on
the importance of living together and the negative effect of broken home on the
academic, social and emotional state of the child.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Pages
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of content vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 7
1.3 Purpose of the Study 9
1.4 Research Question 9
1.5 Research
Hypotheses 10
1.6 Significant
of the Study 10
1.7 Scope
of the Study 11
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 11
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction 14
2.1 Concept
of Broken Home 14
2.2 Causes
of Broken Home 15
2.3 Concept
of Psychosocial Adjustment 17
2.4 Concept
of Academic Performance 18
2.5 Broken homes and Student Academic
Performance 20
2.6 Broken
Homes, Intact Homes and Academic Performances 21
2.7 Broken
Home and Students Psychosocial Adjustment 24
2.8 Gender,
Broken Homes and Student Psychosocial Adjustment. 25
2.9 Summary
of Literature Review 26
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction 28
3.2 Research
Design 28
3.3 Population of the Study 29
3.4 Sample
Size and Sampling Technique 29
3.5 Research
Instrument 29
3.6 Validity/Reliability
of Instrument 29
3.7 Method
of Data Collection 30
3.8 Method of Data Analysis 30
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT AND
DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction 31
4.2 Descriptive
Analyses of the Demographic Data of Students 31
4.3 Test of Hypotheses 37
4.4 Discussions of Findings 41
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS,
CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
5.1
Summary of Findings 44
5.2 Conclusion 45
5.3 Recommendations 45
5.4 Suggestion
for Further Studies 46
REFERENCES 47
APPENDIX
54
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Family is the basic unit of a society and it’s the
most important component of the society. According to Alfred Adlers (1973), a
family which parent are separated or divorced would affect the individual
because every child has a problem in which both the mother and father are to
attend to, for example the mother is supposed to teach the child some moral
attitudes or behavior while the father is supposed to teach the child (son) how
to be a responsible man and to be responsible for the society and to be able to
overcome the individual psychological problems like problems of work, problem
of friendship, problem of love. It may be alternated to the word “house” but a
house is more appropriately referring to the material structure whereas home
refers to the intangible things that bind together the family members. It has
the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father and their
children. The family is an essential factor for a human well-being, everything
about a man, his background, attitude, all his achievements, his honour and
dignity, rallies on the structure of the man’s family. Marriage on the other
hand can be seen or viewed at as a legal union of two people i.e. a man and
woman in love as husband and wife. In Nigeria marriage is regarded as an
institution which every person gives much importance.
Umahi, (2009) states that, marriage is a system by
which a society recognizes a man and a woman bounded by love to stay together as
couples, have a sexual relationship and expect children which they will bring
up together. In Nigeria when a person is married he or he is expected not only
to have children but also to give them the psychological emotional, moral and
economic support with adequate education which will be of help to them in
future. Couples have the duty to give their children education which will
enable them live happily, be stable emotionally, and acquire worthwhile
knowledge, understanding and skills.
Egbo (2012), views broken home as a place where the
parents engage themselves in quarreling, fighting suspecting, keeping late
hours to the detriment of the children’s primary drive for food, sleep and
other basic needs. Broken homes could be due to divorce, separation or death.
If there is no love, understanding and peace in the home children suffer and
pay severely for it. Those children may be defective behaviorally and often
they are not given worthwhile education training and skills which in turn may
have a carryover effect which is always detrimental to the progress and
stability of the society. Studies have shown that divorce though frowned at is
on the increase amongst our youths. Hake (2000) lamented that after couples
have made solemn and sacred contracts before the public, friends well-wishers
and family members as their witness to be together till death put them apart,
the same couples fall victims to broken home within a short period in our modem
society.
When a home is broken, affected in many ways for
example are the girls who may run into men in order to pay their school fees.
Some of them may get pregnant in the process which might which might warrant them
to quit schooling entirely (Okoye, 2001). Nwosu (1991) noted that some girls
take to prostitution in a bid to also pay their school fees which may be
difficult for their single parent. Boys also may give in to robbery roistering
in the school, joining criminal gangs and exhibiting all form of social vices.
Empirical evidence has equally shown that children
from intact-homes will be well taken care of and better socialized life for
example a child with a good mother and father care whereby serves as a good
model to the child in which the child does not turn into a deviant and more also,
peer pressure challenges would be avoided through the supervision and help of both
parent. This is due to the fact that the process of socialization depends on
both parents playing complimentary roles in raising such children; which will
definitely impact positively on the later during school years. On the other
hand children from single parent homes are likely to suffer deprivations and
denials of some rights and opportunities that will have negative psycho-socio
impact on them in school years. Studies have equally shown that children from
broken homes are usually associated with anti-social behaviours and poor
academic records.
Adolescence in simple terms is a distinct phase of
life. From Literature it is a period of 13-18 years of an individual’s life. It
is a period of rapid psychological and social expansion. Agubosi (2003) stated
that it is the era of peer grouping when the adolescents spend most time with
their age group. This stage is a period of storm and stress (Bolarin 1999,
Olayinka 1997) and identify formation (Osarenren 2001) Adolescence is a
transitory period between childhood and adulthood. During this period an
individual is seen neither as a child nor an adult. Hall in Salami &
Alawode (2000) claimed that adolescents are characterized by emotional
instabilities and hyperactivities, which cause them to experience storms and
stress. Erickson in Salami & Alawode (2000) opined that identity formation
creates tension in the adolescents to the extent that some of them become
confused about their personality.
The period of adolescence is very important to
development of an individual. Any laxity on the part of the parents in
assisting and guiding the adolescents may result in academic backwardness and
development of unwholesome behaviours. The foundation of what a person becomes
in the society is laid in the home and at the initial stage of life. Parents
therefore have important roles to play in seeing to it that the youths acquire
the appropriate social, psychological, moral and academic development.
In Nigeria, the parental roles are culturally
determined. Maternal role is that of childcare and home making while the
paternal role is that of economic responsibilities and discipline of children.
Generally, it is the responsibility of the family, to train and bring up the
child in the norms and values of the society. They are to be responsible for
the psychological and emotional welfare of the child. The parents are mainly
responsible for the educational and career development of their children.
However, divorce and separation of various kinds or death of one spouse may
leave the role in the hands of a single parent. Single parenting can be defined
as a situation in which one of the two individuals, involved in the conception
of the child is being responsible for the upbringing of the child Henslin
(1985). The family lays the foundation of education before the child goes to
school and the personality that the child takes to school is determined by the
home Maduewesi & Emenogu (1997). Fadeye (1985) in Salami & Alawode
(2000) pointed out that both parents have roles to in child education. The
father is to provide the necessary tools for the educational advancement while
the mother is supposed to supplement the father’s efforts in this regard. When
the father is absent and the mother is not privileged enough to cater for all
the basic needs as well as supervise the academic performance of the child
he/she (the child) will be backward or withdrawn. The same thing occurs when
the mother is absent and the father is not privileged enough Ortese (1998).
A single parent faces doubled responsibilities
requiring time, attention and money of the parent. Hence, less attention is
paid to the psychological well-being and education of the child. Children from
single-parent homes are commonly described as more hostile, aggressive,
anxious, fearful, hyperactive and distractible than children from intact
families Nwachukwu (1998). The concept of adjustment is associated with what
may be called living systems: system of organs, psychological systems or
personality systems, In the process of adjustment, forces are balanced
naturally within the system with forces originating from the environment. The
immediate goals of the process may be characterized generally as a type of
equilibrium with the system and in the interaction of the system with the
environment. Generally, adjustment refers to an individual’s general adaptation
to his environment aid the demands of life such as the way he relates to other
people that is interpersonal behaviour, handles his responsibilities, deal with
stress, for example inadequacy in learning, growing up and meeting his own
needs and life satisfactions.
Adjustment is not a one way process in which the
individual conforms to the duties and requirement of others but rather a two
way process, for it is the ability to be oneself, hold on to one’s own and make
reality adapt itself to one’s requirement and needs. It does not imply a state
or condition of contentment or pure mind. Since life is constantly changing,
the ability to revise ones attitude and behavior appropriately is essential
ingredient of adjustment. Psycho-social adjustment is easier when the individual
is educated & free from family conflicts. There are several issues an
individual needs to adjust to in life, academic, psychological, social-life,
marital life, job experience etc. For the adolescence academic challenges &
problem: from home are one of (he issues they may need adjustment.
Secondary school students that are from broken homes
are likely not to perform well and are usually withdrawn, shy and anti-social
among their mates. The psychologists theorize that individual who is
emotionally healthy is the one who has learned to cope effectively with himself
and his environment since the environment is in a constant state of flux and
the adolescent is continuously developing and changing; psychological
effectiveness or good mental health is an ongoing process and not static
achievement. The term mental health is really a description of behavior. If a
person’s social and personal behavior appears to be reasonably well integrated,
he/she appears to be reasonably happy. If the society approves of his/her
behavior, his/her means of coping therefore, with himself and his environment
may be more effective. Thus he/she may be psychologically healthy or well
adjusted (Mickelson, 2001). This study therefore seeks to highlight and
enumerate the impact of broken home on academic performance and psychosocial
adjustment of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There is a global awareness of the importance of the
home environment on student’s academic achievement. In Nigeria, most homes are
not intact as a result of incompatibility of the couples, death of a parent and
the quest for oversea trips to make more money, and at times marital
infidelity. This has resulted in the separation of couples and children. In some
states in the federation, this is quite clear that most young ladies abandon
their homes, and embark on oversea trips with a view to making money. Also,
some men who travel abroad, abandon their homes and would not communicate with
the families back-home, so, children from such homes are in dilemma, especially
in terms of adjustment. Chador (2008) notes that the environment in which a
student comes from can greatly influence organization of the family and by
extension; effect a child’s emotion, personality and academic achievement.
Bearing in mind the role of the family, a child’s education, the failure of the
family to perform its duties could hinder the child’s academic achievement. Any
nation that is desirous of advancing technologically will no doubt ensure that
the future of her future leaders (the adolescents) is well guided, protected
and guaranteed.
Furthermore, a single parent faces doubled
responsibilities requiring time, attention and money. Hence, less attention is
paid to the education of the child. The teacher commonly describe children from
single parent homes as more hostel, aggressive, anxious, fearful, hyperactive
and distractive than children from intact family (Nwachukwu, 1998). Children
from broken home exhibit behaviours like drug abuse, smoking, drunkenness,
sexual abuse, truancy and disrespect for elders at the detriment of themselves,
their family and the society as well.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the
impact of broken home on the academic performance and psychological adjustment
of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The specific objectives hence are:
i)
To determine the
impact of broken homes on students’ academic performance
ii)
To establish if
there exist any difference between students from broken homes and their peers
from intact homes in academic performance
iii)
To determine the
impact of broken homes on student’s psychological adjustment
iv)
To ascertain the
gender impact of broken home on students’ psychosocial adjustment
1.4 Research Questions
In order to realize the above objectives, the
following research questions were raised.
1.
To what extent
will broken home impact students’ academic performance?
2.
What is the
diffidence between students from broken homes and their peers from impact homes
in academic performance?
3.
To extent do
broken homes impact students’ psychosocial adjustment?
4.
What is the gender
of broken home on students’ psychosocial adjustment?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.
There is no
significant impact of broken homes and students’ academic performance
2.
There will be no
significant impact of student from broken homes and their peers from intact
homes in their academic performance.
3.
There will be no
significant impact of broken homes and students’ psychosocial adjustment
4.
There will be no
significant gender impact of broken home on psychosocial adjustment.
1.6 Significant of the Study
The study will assist teachers, counsellors, child
psychologists and administrators to have a better understanding of the factors
that affect secondary school students from broken homes in relationship with
their academic performance and psychosocial adjustment, so that they can better
appreciate the behaviours and attitudes of the children they teach or counsel.
More also, children in broken homes would be limited
due to the awareness cut across by the impact of broken homes on children
psychosocial and academic performance. This knowledge will put them in a good
stead to help and add value to the life of these adolescents. It is also hoped
that the result of this study will help practitioners to develop appropriate
counselling techniques and programmes which if implemented will decelerate the
speed at which broken homes is increasing; seeing that broken homes does not
lend itself to the balanced moral, emotional, physical, social and educational
development of children of such background.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study will be carried out at Kosofe Local
Government in Lagos State, which is located in South West region of Nigeria in
West Africa. The study will be limited to Senior Secondary school students (SSS
II) in selected schools in Kosofe Local Government.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
The following terms used in the study, have been
operationally defined:
Academic
Performance: This is how pupils are
ranked in terms of educational achievement.
Family: It is a social unit made up of people related to each
other by blood, birth or marriage.
Adjustment: A small alteration or movement made to achieve a
desired fit, appearance, or result.
Impact: This means to have a powerful effect on something or
someone. It can also refer to a force that drives someone into behaving in a
certain way. \
Adolescence: The transitional period between puberty and adulthood
in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating
legally when the age of majority is reached.
Broken Home: A family in which the parents are divorced or
separated. Psychosocial adjustment can be defined as the adaptive task of
managing upsetting feelings and frustrations and preserving an emotional
balance.
Marriage: Marriage is the approved social pattern whereby two
people establish a family. In another point of view, marriage is a legally and
socially sanctioned union between a man and a woman that is regulated by laws,
rules, customs, beliefs and attitude that prescribe the rights and duties of
the parents.
Nuclear Family: The nuclear family is a small unit consisting of a
man, his wife and unmarried children. In the nuclear household the parents are
sole authorities and emotional relations among family members are concentrated
and intense.
Intact families: Refer to families in which both biological parents are
present in the home
A home: The place where one lives permanently, especially as a
member of a family or household.
Academic
Performance: This could be seen as
students reporting of past semester CGPA/GPA and their expected GPA for the
current semester
Psychosocial
Adjustment: This is the
psychological and social aspect of a child’s behavior which has been affected
by his/her environment
Gender: This is the differentiation between male creatures
from female ones biologically.
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