Abstract
This
study investigated the Influence of Parental Involvement on the Promotion of
Family Life Education in Mushin
Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. The purpose of this
research was to determine the level of family success in the promotion of the
family life education and to assess the challenges affecting the family life
education Five questions and hypotheses were stated for the study, the study
employed a descriptive survey research design. An instrument titled: Influence
of Parental Involvement on the Promotion of Family Life Education. (IPIPFLE)
was used to collect relevant data for the study. The sample respondents involved were selected
based on simple random sampling technique and the statistical tools was
employed to analyse the data collected, frequency counts and percentage used to test the stated research
question. Fifty (50) individuals were randomly selected from each
establishment. The total sample is one hundred and fifty workers (150)
individuals. 5 research questions and hypotheses were designed and formulated
for the purpose of the study. The study revealed that there was a significant
difference between parents’ involvement in family education and the success of
family life education. It also revealed that there was a significant difference
between parents’ occupational status and the promotion of family life
education. The study further revealed that there was a significant relationship
between educational level and their involvement in family life education. Based
on the findings it was concluded 71% percents of the respondents strongly
agreed that parents should be more involved in the promotion of family life
education. The recommendations were made based on the findings of this study which include the following: parents
should be involved in their children’s education, by volunteering at School;
parent involvement theory and exemplary parent involvement programs recognize
the value of creating meaningful partnerships among homes and schools in order
to enhance parent involvement; act as teachers: Parents should create a home
environment that promotes learning, reinforces what is being taught at school
and develops the life skills.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title
page i
Certification
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgement
iv
Abstract v
Table of
Contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Statement of the problem 7
1.3 Purpose of study 8
1.4 Research Questions 8
1.5 Research Hypotheses 9
1.6 Significance of the Study 9
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study 11
1.8 Operational
Definitions of terms 11
CHAPTER TWO:
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0
Introduction 13
2.1 The concept of parental involvement in
education 13
2.2
Parental Influence and Family Life Education 22
2.3
Child Bearing and Education 28
2.4 Family Size and Children’s Academic
Performance 32
2.5 Family size, Rural Poverty and Access to
Basic Education 37
2.6 Challenges
in Family Life Education 41
2.7 Influence of Socio-economic
Factor on Academic Performance 43
2.8 Summary of Review 45
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 47
3.1 Research
Design 47
3.2 Population
of the study 47
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Technique 48
3.4 Instrumentation 48
3.4.1 Validity of
the Instrument 49
3.5 Method
of Data Collection 49
3.6 Method
of Data Analysis 49
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSES AND RESULTS
4.1 Introduction 50
4.2 Descriptive Analysis of Respondents’
Gender and Age Range 50
4.3 Hypotheses Testing 56
4.4 Summary of Findings 60
4.5 Discussion of Findings 60
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, SUMMARY,
CONCLUSIONS
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1
Introduction
64
5.2
Summary
of the Study 64
5.3 Conclusions 65
5.4 Recommendations 66
5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 67
REFERENCES 68
APPENDIX 71
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Preparing individuals and families for the roles and
responsibilities of family living is nothing new. Because knowledge about human
development, interpersonal relationships, and family living is not innate,
societies have needed to develop ways through which they may transmit the
wisdom and experience of family living from one generation to succeeding ones.
Some societies transmit his knowledge through formal means such as puberty
initiation rites. For the most part however, individuals learn about family
living in the family setting itself as they observe and participate in family
activities and interactions in their own and other families
As societies change and become more complex, this pattern
of informal learning about living in families becomes inadequate.
The development of new knowledge, advances in technology,
and changing social and economic condition create situation where the teaching
of previous generation are no longer appropriate or sufficient. In this
circumstance, societies must find or create new ways to prepare individuals for
their family roles and responsibilities.
Clark (2003) opines that when parents and family get
personally involved in education, their children do better in school and grow
up to be more successful in life. According to Clark, parent’s involvement
includes a lot of different types of activities. Some parents have time to get
involved in many ways; others may only have time for one or two activities.
Aluede (2000) contends that the earlier in a child
educational process, parent involvement in family life education begins, the
more powerful the effects. The most effective forms of parent involvement are
those which engage parent in working directly with their children on learning
at home. Parent may get involved in family life education by ensuring better
school attendance by their children, increased motivation, and better
self-esteem.
Although most parent do not to know how to help their
children with their education with their
guidance and support they may become increasingly involved in home
learning activities and find themselves with opportunities to teach, to be
models for and to guide their children. Parent participation in education was
twice as predictive of academic success as family socio-economic status,
(Uwakwe, 2000). When schools encourage children to the practice reading at home
with parents the children make significant gains in reading achievement
compared to those who only practice at school. The more intensely parent are
involved, the more beneficial the achievement effects. Parent who read to their
children, have books available, take trips, guide TV watching, and provide
stimulating experiences contribute to student achievement. The more parents
participate in family life education, in a sustained way, at every level-in
advocacy, decision making and oversight roles and as home teachers- the better
for children’s academic achievement.
The society depends primarily upon the family institution
for the production of children who constitute young members of the society.
Also, the family is seen as the primary agent of socialization where the norms
and values of a society are internalized by the new members of the society that
is children, teaching and behavioral pattern and ways of life. In addition, the
family performs the functions of provision of basic necessity of life like
food, shelter, clothing, education etc.
Arqqawal (1981) asserts: “It is the
home not the school that determines the quality of the direction of any child’s
life, and that teacher’s works is fulfilled or destroyed by the operation, for
good or ill this major factor in the education of any child.”
(page 19)
Adeyemo (1998) and Akinboye (2000) have observed that
children from unstable homes have less adaptability to school situation, less
initiative and possess a less measure of emotional self-control. The anxiety
level of home and the pattern of parental communication with children may
affect learning. For instance, a child that is frequently upset over parent
quarrels are at risks for lower levels of education achievement (Krohn and
Bogan, 2001).
Infants whose parents lack warmth and stability and fail
to provide educational stimulation (e.g teaching and child new words) are at
risk of learning and emotional problems (Werner and Smith, 1992: 24). Infants
who suffer from neglect may also be at risk of health and developmental problems
(Kenpe and Goldbloom, 2007:312).
In a study of young people from low-income black homes
with varying family structures,
Clark (1993) finds that parents of high academic
achievers set firm but not harsh rules, seek information about their children’s
academic progress, enhance literacy skills through activities such as reading
and word games, and model an optimistic assertive approach to life. In Clark’s
study, the two-parent and single-parent families that had these attributes
produced higher achieving students, while the two-parent and single-parent
families that lacked these characteristics produced less successful students.
Similarly, Goldenberg (2009) describes how assertive parent involvement may
significantly influence student achievement, over the course of Goldenberg’s
case study, the children who improved their reading skill received
encouragement and /or home tutoring from their parents.
Preparing individuals and families for the roles and
responsibilities of family living is nothing new, because relationships, and
family living is not innate, societies have needed to develop ways through
which they may transit the wisdom and the experience of family living from one
operation to succeeding ones. Some societies transmit this knowledge through
formal means such as puberty or initiation rites. For most part, however
individuals learn about family living in the family setting itself as they
observe and participate in family activities and interaction in their own and
other families (Aluede, 2002). As societies change and become more complex this
pattern of informal learning in families becomes inadequate. The development of
new knowledge, advances in technology and changing social and economic
conditions create situation where the teaching of previous generations are no
longer appropriate or sufficient, in these circumstances, societies must find
or create new ways to prepare individuals for their family roles and responsibilities.
One of these new ways is family life education (Alueze and Ikechukwu, 2002).
The desire that Nigeria should be a free, just and
democratic society, a land full of opportunities for all its citizens, able to
generate a great and dynamic economy, and growing into a united and self
reliant nation, cannot be over-emphasized; to achieve these goals, education in
Nigeria is an instrument par excellence for effective national development
Federal Ministry of Education (2004). With changes in the society, every child
desires to become a millionaire within a day. It now seems to be difficult for
majority of the children to really concentrate on their studies in this
country. Good community committee (2005) observed that the seed of academic
under-achievement among children have been imbibed from childhood. Many
children fail to find self-respect or self-discipline and capacity to cope with
problems in ways that are constructive or have any appreciation on the
importance of skills needed for learning. In other words, it seems to be true
that the causes of academic-achievement among the youths are multiple, complex
and interrelated. Good community committee (1995) and Schewertz (2005)
identified single-parenthood, poverty, youth v iolent (crime), drug problem,
school instability and rebellion as causes of children under-achievement in
schools. Sewel (2000) include among many other reasons for students drop out as
no liking school, being suspended or being expelled. Other reasons include
economic reasons socio-economic status of the family. Influence from friends
who are also school drop-outs, personal reasons such as pregnancy for girls. In
addition, school drop-outs had lower grades in school, more disciplinary
problems, and lower rate of home work completion externalized sense control.
Often times, when children fail their promotion examinations, they would rather
prefer going to farm and obtain or acquire plots of land to plant cocoa and
become cocoa farmers. During cocoa season in such parts of South-West Nigeria,
children and parents’ common slang is ‘Oga teacher, how much is your salary?
Two kilos (Kilogrammes) of cocoa will pay your salary. This local syndrome might be responsible for
students drop-out in many rural areas. The rate of drop out appears to be worst
among boys with the emergence of commercial motor cycling known as Okada. Also,
some boys become bus conductors or illegal timber contractor know as
‘Payabayaba’.
According to Ayodele (2007), there was a case of a male student who was
arrested for social ills (stealing) and during interrogation; he said that he
dropped out from school because his school fees was not paid and his mother
gave birth to nine children for different nine fathers. Ayodele says further that in the study of
some female students, it revealed that when they fail in school or their fees
were not paid, they seem to experience fear, anxiety, inferiority complex and
guilt among their mates and this seems to give them some psychological problem.
This leads female children to get involve in pre-marital sex and hurriedly get
married.
Owuamanam (2002) contends that some people go into
marriage when there is no money to pay school fees or take care of their
children’s needs. Another problem observed to be rampant among female children
is the issue of regular meeting. As soon as some female children see their
drop-out friends with expensive wears and their babies, the next thing they do
is to copy their colleagues so that they too can dress like friends and look
nice among their peer groups, this usually results to termination of their
academic career.
It seems that if parents were not educationally oriented,
their interest towards the education of their children might be negatively
affected. Adaba (2001) noted that parents do not encourage the education of
their female children because of erroneous belief that investing money on the
education of female children may end up to be waste when they get married
because they lose family’s name and the husband’s family would reap the fr uits
of their labour. Adaba also said that some parents were unable to pay school
fees and provide necessary materials needed by their wards and that this
contribute to children’s under-achievement in schools. Alonge (2003) opined
that some parents are harsh and wicked to their children if they do not perform
well or fail their examinations.
In another development, if children do not have a stable
family life and have bad school experiences, they may end up as school
drop-outs.
The true influence of children’s background on
achievement can be estimated better if one takes into account those family characteristics-
parental values and press for the child to achieve and the child’s own efforts
and perceived efficacy-that appear to operate independently of convectional
aspects of class (for the few countries in which these factors have been
studied) and better indicators of the material and social aspects of class.
The national desire that Nigeria should be a free, just
and democratic society, a land full of opportunities for all its citizens able
to generate a great and dynamic economy and growing into a united and self
reliant nation, is an important pointer to the role education has to play in
the polity. To achieve these goals, education in Nigeria is an instrument per
excellence for effective national development, Federal Ministry of Education
(2004). With changes in the society,
every child desires to become a millionaire within a day. It now seems to be
difficult for majority of the children to really concentrate on their studies
in this country. Good community Committee (1995) observed that the seed of
academic under-achievement among children have been imbibed from childhood.
Many children fail to find self respect or self-discipline and capacity to cope
with problems
This background emphasizes the need to bring
into focus the present study which sought to explain parental involvement,
successes and challenges in the promotion of family life education.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Meaningful
family involvement is a powerful predictor of high student achievement.
Students attain more educational success when families work together to
motivate, socialize, and educate students. Students whose families are involved
in their education typically receive higher grades and test scores, complete
more homework, have better attendance, and exhibit more positive attitudes and
behaviors than children whose parents do not show care nor concern about their
education and these lead to poor academic performance of such students. When
parents do not motivate, socialize and educate their students their academic performance
tends to be negatively affected. Research has provided ample evidence that
parental involvement affects achievement in core subjects such as reading,
mathematics and science, and the behaviour of students, their school attendance
and their attitude and adjustment to school. According to Jerry Trusty (in
Henderson and Mapp, 2002), student perception of their parents’ involvement and
expectations are also highly effective and influential in their education.
Moreover, students who feel their parents’ support for their education and have
good communication are more likely
to continue their studies past high school. When parents show little or no
concern about their children education, the students withdraw from school,
perform poorly academically and may play truancy in attendance to school. The
family size has a great role to play on the overall development and promotion
of family life education and academic performance of the child in particular.
The size of a family has a significant effect on interrelationship among its
members but must be considered as only one part of a larger picture. The large
number of children can have negative effects on promotion of family life
education. A small family group enables a greater degree of democratic
participation by all the children, something not possible in larger families.
The small family rests upon the ideas of planning, individualisation,
democratic co-operation, social isolation and intensive pressures.
1.3 Purpose
of study
The main
purpose of the study is to examine the influence of parental involvement on the
promotion of family life education. The specific objectives include:
1. To determine the level of family success
in the promotion of the family life education
2. To assess the challenges affecting the
family life education.
3. To find out the extent to which the
educational level of parents influence their involvement in Family Life
Education.
4. To determine the extent to which the size
of family affects the success of family life education.
5. To examine whether the occupational status
of parents can affect their involvement in family life education
6. To find out whether or not the incidents
of separation and divorce in families
have any negative or positive effect on the success of family life education.
1.4 Research Questions
The following questions are posited to guide the study.
1.
How would parents’ involvement in family
education promote the success of family life education?
2.
How would parents’ occupational statuspromote
their involvement in family life education?
3.
Would parents educational level affect their
involvement in family life education?
4.
Would the size of a family (small or large
size) affect involvement in family life education?
5.
What extent would the family status (intact
or non-intact) of a home affect family life education?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses will be tested at the 0.05 level
of significance:-
i.
There is no significant difference between
parents’ involvement in family education and the success of family life
education.
ii.
There is no significant difference between
parents’ occupational status and the promotion of family life education.
iii.
There is no significant relationship between
educational level of parents and their
involvement in family life education
iv.
There
is no significant relationship between the size of a family (small or large
size) and its involvement in family life education.
v.
There is no significant relationship between
family status (intact or non-intact) and the family life education.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The outcome of this study would provide basis for
effective promotion of Family Life Education.
The study would assist to enlighten parents on the need
to know and understand the effects of home background on the academic performance
of children. Also, it would enlighten the adolescent as to the variables that
would contribute to their academic performance in schools.
It will also bring about awareness for decision making
bodies and even teachers to look into the problems facing teaching and learning
in secondary schools in terms of the identified variables.
It would create awareness for schools the need to provide
a conducive environment for teachers and parents interaction through the
Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings. It will bring about awareness for
parents after Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings the need for the
parents to provide necessary facilities needed by their wards for use in
schools. This study will create the opportunity and forum to discuss how home
climate set-ups could enhance or hinder parental involvement in family life
education.
Through this study, practicable solutions would be
proffered to correct the unfavorable home climate in order to help the youth to
live in a good and conducive home environment that will guarantee high quality
education, performance and attainment. This study would serve as reference work
and launching pad for further researchers on the extent to which the identified
variables (parental involvement success and challenges) promote family life
education. The result of the study is expected to provide the empirical basis
for advising governments, policy makers, administrators, teacher and other
stakeholders in the education system on how to promote family life education.
The study will provide basis for developing a more
effective pedagogic theory for promoting family life education.
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of
the Study
This study examined ‘Parental involvement in the
promotion of family life education. The major constrained was time, finance and
mobility; the research was carried out in selected public and private
institutions in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. This
study was delimited to the Entire Members of Mothers’ Association of Regina Mundi
Catholic Church (Mushin Dioceses), Members of Parents’ Teachers Association
(PTA) of Eko Boys High School (EBHS) Mushin and Married medical Personnel of
Regina Mundi Catholic Hospital Mushin.
1.8 Operational
Definitions of terms
The following terms were operationally defined to reflect
the meaning as used in this study.
1. Academic
Performance: This is
the extent to which a student is able to exhibit what he has leant. The tools
used in measuring academic performance include examination, test etc. High
child’s academic performance entails individual enriched education, skills and
knowledge in relation to specific works, relevant to the individual and
society.
2. Parent: is defined as a father or mother who is
involved in the up-bringing of a child or children and for the purpose of this
study, parent is taken to be a father or mother of a student who he or she
stays with and is directly involved in the education of that child.
3. Home
Background: Home is
a place where one lives. As regards this study, home environment is where the
parents and the children live which may directly or indirectly affect the
student’s educational performance.
4. Environment: Consists of all situations or events people
or things in one’s surroundings
5. Socio
Economic Status/Background:
This is the term used to summarize the varieties of factors which include
parents’ level of education, occupation income of the parent and the social
positions of parents in a community.
6. Family
Life Education: It
encompasses informal and formal training and education parents give to their
children at home.
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