ABSTRACT
This study examined dysfunctional family and academic performance of adolescents in public secondary schools of South South geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The states in the South South geopolitical zone of Nigeria include: Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. Seven research questions guided the study and five hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Ex post facto research design was adopted in this study, simple random sampling was used to select the states used from the area of study and sample size. The sample size used for this study was 1379 adolescents from South South Geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The instrument used for the study was structured questionnaire of four-point rating scale and sixty achievement test questions on home economics for junior and secondary schools. The questionnaire comprised of two sections, section A which contains the demographic information and section B which contains the research questions. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and mean distribution was used to analyze the research questions while the hypothesis was analyzed with z-test distributions. The findings of the study revealed that the features of dysfunctional families include divorce of parents, separation of parents, neglect of children by their parents, poverty, and mental illness of one or both parents. The study shows clearly that some of the physical effect of dysfunctional family include inflicting of physical injury, starvation; the social effect included keeping of bad companies, peer group influence, bad environmental influence. The findings of the study also show that the economic effect of dysfunctional family include inability to afford three square means per day, and poor funding of academic needs of the adolescents. Dysfunctional family affects the emotional state of the adolescent students through absent mindedness in classroom, drug abuse and depression. The work also revealed clearly that there is no significant difference in the mean response of adolescents on extent dysfunctional family influences the academic performance of adolescents in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The general conclusion of the study is that there is a significant negative impact of the identified effect of dysfunctional families on the academic performance of adolescents in public secondary schools in South South Zone of Nigeria. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made the following recommendations: parents should do all possible to make sure they stick together and raise their children and the religious bodies, non- governmental organizations and other family stakeholders should be preaching a message of peace to homes to avoid the degeneration of dysfunctional families. Also, government should create a conducive economics atmosphere to ensure adequate standard of living for families.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Declaration iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables viii
List of Figure ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the
Problem 8
1.3 Purpose of the Study 10
1.4 Research Questions 11
1.5 Research Hypotheses 11
1.6 Significance of the
Study 12
1.7 Scope of the Study 14
CHAPTER
2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 15
2.1.1 Concept of Family 15
2.1.2 The adolescent 17
2.1.3 The concept of dysfunctional family? 20
2.1.4 What constitutes dysfunctional families? 27
2.1.5 Effects of dysfunctional family on adolescents 33
2.1.6 Concept of academic performance 51
2.1.7 Influence of dysfunctional families on
academic performance of
adolescents
51
2.1.8 Strategies for dysfunctional family 54
2.2 Theoretical Framework 56
2.2.1
Parental attachment theory 56
2.2.2
Self-determination theory 57
2.2.3
Rational emotive parent education
theory 57
2.3
Empirical Studies 58
2.4 Summary of the Review of Related
Literature 66
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.
1 Design of the Study 68
3.2 Area of the Study 69
3.3 Population of the
Study 71
3.4 Sample and Sampling
Techniques 71
3.5 Instrument for Data
Collection 72
3.6 Validation of the
Instrument 72
3.7 Reliability of the
Instrument 72
3.8 Method of Data
Collection 73
3.9
Method of Data Analysis 74
CHAPTER 4:
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Questionnaire
Distribution 75
4.2 Demographic
Distribution 77
4.3 Answering
of Research Questions 77
4.4 Test
of Hypotheses 89
4.5 Discussion
of Findings from Research Questions 94
4.6 Discussion
of findings from Hypothesis 99
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study 102
5.2 Conclusion 104
5.3 Educational Implication of the
Findings 106
5.4 Limitations of the Study 106
5.5 Recommendations 107
5.6 Suggestions for
Further Studies 108
References
Appendices
LIST OF TABLES
4.1:
Questionnaire of respondents according to distribution 75
4.2 Distribution
of respondents according to demographic characteristics 76
4.3 Mean responses of
adolescent students on what are
the features of
dysfunctional families 77
4.4: Mean responses of
adolescent students on the physical
effect of
dysfunctional families in South South
zone of Nigeria 78
4.5: Mean and
standard deviation of responses by adolescent students on
social causes of dysfunctional
families in South South zone of Nigeria 79
4.6: Mean responses of
adolescent students on economic
effects of
dysfunctional families in
South South zone of Nigeria 80
4.7: Mean of responses
of adolescent students on emotional
effect of
dysfunctional families in
South-South zone of Nigeria. 81
4.8a: Mean response of
adolescent students on the
influence of dysfunctional
family on the
academic achievement of adolescent students in South
South zone public secondary schools of
Nigeria. 82
4.8b: Examination performance by local
government areas in South South, Nigeria 84
4.8c: Overall performance by local government
areas in South South, Nigeria 85
4.9: Mean response of
adolescent students on the ways
to reform dysfunctional
Families 87
4.10: Result of Z-test for Ho1 89
4.11: Result of Z-test for Ho2 90
12:
Result of
Z-test for Ho3 91
13:
Result of
Z-test for Ho4 92
14:
Result of
Z-test for Ho5 93
LIST OF FIGURES
4.1:
Performance of adolescence in public secondary school 85
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
The home of a child lays a more formal and belonging
place to be and emotionally, suitable for exercising all forms of knowledge. A
home has a lot of influence on the life of a child among which includes
socialization of the child, child care, protection, emotional and social
support (Acs, 2007). The adolescent and families are interactive members of a
large system of social institutions, such as the school, the workplace and the
community (Dwairy, 2004). The family provides environment where adolescent
learn the culture of the society which they belong to. The home is volitionally
teaching the adolescent the horoscope with the aspects of culture as values,
norms and languages. The home is said to be safe harbor, a supportive
environment for personal growth and expansion.
The home executes necessary duty of giving a child or
an adolescent a name and rules in the society. When we hear a deserted child or
adolescent, one wonders: whose child or adolescent are theirs and where do they
come from? A child’s family is able to provide a positive feeling of worth that
is fundamental to functional emotional development that meets the basic needs
for love, affection, company, and security. This could not be found in a family
that experience otherwise. The family has been very instrumental to development
of culture and nations (Bianchi and Casper, 2000). It is also being the primary
social institution for raising of adolescent. In most societies, social unit as
family is the principle institution for socialization for adolescent. The
family gives a child an identity, a cause of belonging and a feeling of being
valued. Carolyn (2007), stated that family is pictured as a place of refuse
from the trial and tribulations of everyday life. But some families are faced
with a lot that believe these values. One of the primary functions of family is
providing a frame work for the development of persons emotionally, socially,
and mentally. Sharing one’s life with a happy functional family is for many
people, sound vital goals. These primary functions include effective
communication, appreciation, spending time together, commitment, good coping
skills, values and convictions. Functional families for some reasons lack these
qualities and that brings about a lot of friction in the family unit thereby
leading to dysfunctionality.
Family disruption has been defined in various ways,
including recurrent residential moves, separation from parent figure and
marital dissolution or divorce (Adam & Chase-Landdale, 2002). The adolescent
as a result, acquire early knowledge or facts among members of the family.
Agulana (2000) pointed out that the family lays the moral, spiritual and
psychological, foundation in the overall development of the child or adolescent.
Child or adolescent are an essential union consisting of nuclear family. If the
functional group refused to uphold their responsibility to the adolescent or
adolescents the family might suffer. Poor home administration from parents will
affect a child or an adolescent’s behaviour, insufficient monitoring, poor supervision
and inconsistent discipline are common in dysfunctional families but not found
in functional families (Kumpfer and Alvarado, 2003).
Structurally, family functioning comprises of
functional or dysfunctional family.
Functional family can be said to be a family that is stable, healthy and
ideal. Functional family is that family that lives in harmony and have good
coping skills as challenges arises. Walsh (2003) defined functional family as a
key factor prosocial development of adolescent and adolescents. He supported
this by saying functional family provides an early and sustained impact on
family bonding, conducting orders, choice of peers and absences of delinquency.
According to Daiad (2015) extremely
supported functional family because is the social unit of the formative years
of early childhood. Functional family serves as avenue of arousing knowledge
from both parents, as both parents are there providing physical necessities.
A dysfunctional family can be seen as a family of
instability due to non-acceptance of one’s failure. According to Frazer (2004),
psychological family conditions mainly arise from illegitimate adolescent, from
divorce or broken homes and parental denial. These situations in the family bring
devastating effects academically on the adolescents. A dysfunctional family
often means parents fail to adequately provide for their adolescents emotional,
psychological or physical needs. According to Hart (2007) adolescents often
suffer from low self-esteem all their lives.
El–sheikh (2006) explained that family
dysfunctionality can have a devastating effect on adolescents because the more
discord the adolescence perceptions of their parents’ improved health lower
stress, but even mild levels of stress were found to be harmful. In dysfunctional
families, adolescents are pushed into conflicts; they may be ignored,
discounted, criticized or abused. The parents also may be inappropriately
intrusive, overly involved and protective. Many adolescents of dysfunctional
families criticize the attitudinal behaviour of their parents with regards to
emotionally distance and uninvolvement. Some adolescents may be physically
abused or emotionally abused and sent out of the house. Most adolescents get
angry, leave home at a very beginning age because dysfunctionality affects adolescents
most.
Most cases of dysfunctional families are as a result
of terrible transgressions which is not limited to habitual drunkenness of
parents, abandonment, among others. In the past, adultery and physical cruelty
were mostly the only basis for divorce among couples. The influence of
dysfunctional family on adolescents results to many factors which drug abuse
and negative behaviours are not an exception. The truth is that every
adolescent need and deserves the love, care and provision from a mother and
father. This means also that ideal home is that which provides a child or an
adolescent an identity, growth, discipline, care, support and education that
are essential for their individual development. According to Chiu and Ho (2006) reported that
adolescents from dysfunctional family earned lower grade and their peers rated
them as dull students. Chiu et al
(2006) further stated that parental relationship in a family plays a
significant role in determining acquired knowledge of their adolescents in
schools. This attitude could contribute to the reasons for lack of
effectiveness and efficiency of the adolescents.
An adolescent has been said to be a person between
childhood and maturity. Roberts (2005) stated that adolescence is associated
with teenage year. The onset of adolescence is considered as a crucial period
of their life. It exhibits or typify the critical transition in the life span
and is characterized by a tremendous space in growth and change. The adolescent
depends mainly on their parents for economic, social, emotional support and
direction. Adolescence have a unique stage in every person’s life. The puberty
stage is considered as a trial time of their life; it exhibits one of the most
critical transitions in the life span and is characterized by a tremendous
space in growth and change (Kadurumba, 2005).
Roberts (2007) stated that adolescence is generally agreed
to be the period within ages of ten to eighteen (10- 18), it is a period among
humans where lots of physiological as well as anatomical changes take place
resulting in reproductive maturity in adolescents. Many adolescents manage this
transformation process successfully while others experience major stress of
their time and find themselves engaging in behaviour such as sexual
experimentation that place their wellbeing at risk. Exploration, curiosity,
experimentation and identity search are what adolescence is known for. Part of
such a quest involves the use and abuse of substance, some risk-taking, which
are drugs that exert their major effects on the brain resulting in stimulation
or change in mood of the individual (Okoye, 2001). However, all of the
developmental changes experienced by adolescents prepare them to experiment
with new behaviour. In some countries, adolescence is generally agreed to be
the period between the ages of thirteen (13) to Nineteen (19) years (Aldgate,
2010). In Nigeria it is agreed to be the ages of thirteen (13) to nineteen (19)
years (Okapko 2004). An adolescent is said to be the last stage or period
before early adulthood. This study adopted 12-19 years as adolescent in line
with (Ukoha, 2015). At this period, a lot of challenges occur as a result of
dramatic physiological changes they experience. The advert of these physical
changes affect adolescent’s life in every aspect.
The way and manner the adolescents
try to face challenges has probably given rise to their peculiar behavioural
patterns which in turn positively or negatively interrupt in their academics.
Anderson (2002) found that adolescents from single parent families were
involved in higher rates of eloquent behaviour and that minorities from single
parent families were especially enveloped completely to certain types of
delinquency than other adolescents. According to Aremu and Sokan (2003) stated that
there is deficiency in or insufficient related to low motivational orientation,
low self-esteem, emotional problems, poor study habit, and poor interpersonal relationships,
from dysfunctional family. Past researchers reported that adolescents who are
exposed to high level of parental conflict had more problems in academic
compared with adolescents who had not experienced parental conflict.
Adolescents found in this type of family are in the likelihood of leaving school
(Kelly, 2000).
Academic achievement is synonymous with academic
performance. Academic accomplishment comes from education. It is the range at
which students, teacher, or institution accomplished their educational or
instructional achievement or results. The social and economic development of
the parents is directly linked with adolescent’s academic performance.
Adolescent’s academic measurement has received attention to research, it is
challenging aspects of academic literature (Hussain, 2006). He went on to say
that adolescent’s academic performances are measured through several ways like
test result, exams result through the result of particular subjects. According
to Desforges and Abouchaar (2003) parental absence among other variables seemed
to affect learning experience of adolescents in schools. This is so because
adolescents are born with some psychological, emotional and intellectual needs
such as need for love and security, the need for new experience, the need for
praise, acceptance and recognition, and need for unavoidably, influences
adolescent’s performances academically. Academic performance of students are
ranked in terms of educational achievement. It is how people fair in their studies
as compared to others among the class.
Scortt (2012) stated that academic performance of students
is shown by what they were able to accomplish their studies. Grades are used as
an indicator or means of academic achievements. Grades most frequently go with
average of an assignment and test scores. Grading methods differs by school;
common scales used in most secondary schools in Nigeria are percentages or
systems of letters A - F. Rodgers and Rose (2001) examined the relationship
between family factors and academic performance among a sample with mean age 15
years old from functional, divorced and blended families. The study revealed
that adolescents of divorced families reported less parental support and
monitoring which strongly predicted their deficiency in academics. The
intention here is on how to improve academic performance of the adolescents
from the dysfunctional families since education starts from home.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigeria, most families are not intact as a result of
issues of incompatibility of the couples (parents). The parents should provide
the necessary needs for the adolescent and the entire family. This has resulted in the separation of
couples and adolescent. In some states in the federation, especially in the south-south
states, out of 80% and above married, there is 14% increase of
divorce/separation rate as of 2014-2018 (Igbinosa, 2014), and some men who
travel abroad, abandon their homes and would not communicate with the families
back-home, so adolescent from such homes are in dilemma, especially in terms of
adjustment. However, the effects of dysfunctional family may impact greatly on
the internal organization of the family and by extension affect adolescent
emotion, wellbeing, and academic performance.
Unfortunately, most students in South-South of Nigeria
secondary schools are in greater risk of poor academic performance in both
internal and external examinations (WASSCE and NECO). According to Uwadiae
(2011) mass failure was recorded as only 31% of candidates made a good result,
also out of 1.5 million candidates who sat for WASSCE examination 2011, only
472,906 made a good result. For instance, the available records of WASSCE
result analysis from 2005 – 2011 recorded a decline in Student’s overall performance
in school certificate examinations. There is a growing concern of the society
about the realization of secondary education objectives due to doubt that there
has been steady decline in student’s academic performance in external
examinations like WASSCE, NECO, and NABTEB. For instance, in 2013, a total of
529,425 candidates, representing 31.28% obtained credit in five (5) subjects
and above including English and Mathematics. When compared to the 2014 and 2015
May/June WASSCE, there were marginal decline in the performance of the
candidates as 38:81 percent was recorded in 2016 and 36:57 percent in 2013. In
2017, NECO examinations, 43,905 cases of malpractice were recorded and the
number of schools involved for mass cheating was 194 while the results of candidates
involved were cancelled. Worse still, experience and observation have it that
some of these students that performed came from dysfunctional families. When families are in conflict, it affects
adolescents in their physical, cognitive, affective and even spiritual growth.
Their lives are enclosed or imprisoned if they continue being exposed to a
violent environment (Lisa and Cecilis, 2016). For some, such an environment
means that they have no access to formal education and affective developments are
tampered with, thereby making them to indulge in dirt activities like stealing,
burglary, raping and prostitution, teenage pregnancy, street fighting, pipeline
vandalism among others.
The problem becomes more compelling when one discovers
that the influence of dysfunctional family on academic performance of
adolescents in public secondary school in South South geopolitical zone of
Nigeria has not been investigated. Bearing in mind the role of the family in
adolescent’s education, the failure of the family to perform its duties could
hinder the adolescent’s academic performance. Any nation that is desirous in
advancing technologically will no doubt ensure that the future of her future
leaders (the adolescents) is well guided, protected and guaranteed.
However, no work has been done in the area of
dysfunctional family and academic performances in public secondary school South
South geo-political zone. Therefore, it is the intention of this study to fill
this gap.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of the study is to examine
dysfunctional family and academic performance of adolescents in public
secondary schools in South South Zone of Nigeria.
Specifically, the study vis;
1.
examined the features of dysfunctional family
2.
discovered the physical effects of dysfunctional families on academic
performance of adolescents
3.
determined the social effects of dysfunctional families on academic
performance of adolescents
4.
identified the economic effects of dysfunctional families on academic performance
of adolescents
5.
ascertained the emotional effects of dysfunctional families on academic
performance of adolescents
6.
determined the extent dysfunctional family influences the academic
performance of adolescents in public
secondary schools in south south geopolitical zone of Nigeria
7.
strategies for averting dysfunctional families.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
This study was guided by the following research
questions:
1.
What constitutes dysfunctional families?
2.
What are the physical effect of dysfunctional families in South South
geopolitical zone of Nigeria?
3.
What are the social effect of dysfunctional families in South South
geopolitical zone of Nigeria?
4.
What are the economic effect of dysfunctional families in South South
geopolitical zone of Nigeria?
5.
What are the emotional effect of dysfunctional families in South South
geopolitical zone of Nigeria?
6.
To what extent does dysfunctional family influence the academic
performance of adolescents?
7.
What are the strategies for averting dysfunctional families?
1.5 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses were tested at 5% level of
significance.
Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean response of junior and
senior secondary students on the effect of dysfunctional family on physical wellbeing
of adolescent’s students in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical
zone of Nigeria
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean response of junior and
senior secondary students on effect of dysfunctional family on social wellbeing
of adolescent’s students in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical
zone of Nigeria
Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean response of junior and
senior secondary students on effect of dysfunctional family on economic well-being
of adolescent students in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical
zone of Nigeria
Ho4: There is no significant difference in the mean response of junior and
senior secondary students on effect of dysfunctional family on the emotional
state of the adolescent students. in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical
zone of Nigeria
Ho5: There is no significant difference in the
mean response of junior and senior secondary students on extent dysfunctional
family influences the academic performance of
adolescents in public secondary schools in South South geopolitical zone
of Nigeria
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study will be
beneficial to the following group of people; adolescents, students, family,
parents, religious bodies, counselors, home economists, future researchers and
government.
The study will be
beneficial to adolescents especially the adolescents in public secondary school
students in South South Zone of Nigeria who are experiencing poor academic
performance as a result of dysfunctional family issues. They (adolescent
students) will be counselled on their academic challenges in the counseling
unit of their respective schools and instructed on how to surmount their
challenges and perform well in school. The adolescents can also be taught in
schools to appreciate the need to be of good conduct both at home and the
society for optimum academic performance.
The findings should
help the family comprehend that family dysfunction negatively affects the
academic performance of adolescent students, and so empathize and treat their adolescents
with love and care. The results and findings will equally help to stabilize a
lot of families that are dysfunctional through public campaigns in the market
squares, churches, mosque and sensitization meetings, thereby reducing many
irresponsible acts in the family. This means that both parents and adolescents should
have fathomed their different roles in the family and appreciate family values
and understand how to handle problems as they arise in the families and never
allow any problem to be there unresolved.
The findings of the
study should help parents realize that there are some forms of problems in the
family that may require an expert (home economists and trained counselor in schools
for them to overcome it and stop believing that they know it all and can handle
all problems in the family. Examples of the experts are marriage counselors.
This will be achieved through church meetings and parent teachers meeting
(PTA).
The findings of the study should be used by
counselors for family dysfunction in seminars and workshops for both couples
and singles to sensitize them on the danger of dysfunctional families and the
need to have stable families. This can be achieved through health talk, and
marriage counseling in churches, mosque, and at crusades or conventions.
The findings will
equally be useful to Home Economists by organizing workshops, seminars and conferences
on family and adolescent’s academic performance. The findings can add to
literature in the teaching of the course as one of the objectives of Home
Economics Education at the tertiary level, which is to train and raise good
home makers and family counselors.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This study was delimited to the dysfunctional
family and its effects on academic performance of adolescents in public
secondary school in South South geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. It ascertained
the constitutes of dysfunctional families. The study emphasized at the
physical, social, economic, and emotional effects of adolescents from
dysfunctional families in South South geopolitical Zone of Nigeria.
Finally, the work reviewed the influence of dysfunctional
and academic performance of adolescents in secondary school in South South
geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and the strategies of reforming the dysfunctional
families.
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