ABSTRACT
The
focus of this research has been to investigate the effects of birth other on
the Educational Development of students. Five Secondary Schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State have been used for the study.
Four
research hypotheses focusing on the relationship between birth-order and
students academic performance and educational development, the relationship
between family size and students educational development, the relationship
between social-economic status of a child's family and his educational
development, the difference in the performance and educational development of
the first, middle, last born child.
Two
hundred (200) students were randomly drawn from the Five Secondary Schools.
The
instrument used in the study was a set of Questionnaire. The researcher
administered the instrument on the subject after seeking and obtaining
permission from the principals of the schools used. The required data was
collected after the researcher had explained and given instruction to the
students on what to do with the instruments. Pearson's Product Moment
Correlation Co-efficient and chi-square analysis were used in analyzing the
data.
In
the course of the study, it was discovered that factors like birth order,
family background, socio-economic background of the child, parental interest
and attitude towards children's education, parental level of education, and the
level of interaction between parents and their children affect students
educational development either positively or other wise.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
1.2 Statement of
the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the
Study
1.4 Significance
of the study
1.5 Research
Questions
1.6 Hypotheses
of the Study
1.7 Scope of the
Study
1.8 Limitations
of the Study
1.9 Definition
of Terms
CHAPTER TWO -
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Family Size
(Forms of Family) Socio-Economic Status
2.2 The Relationship
Between Home Environment and intelligence Quotient
CHAPTER THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Population
of the Study
3.3 Sample and
Sampling Techniques
3.4 Research
Instrument
3.5 Validation
3.6 Reliability
3.7 Method of
Data Collection
3.8 Method of
Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR – DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 Data
Analysis
4.2.1 Hypothesis
One
4.2.2 Hypothesis
Two
4.2.3 Hypothesis
Three
4.2.4 Hypothesis
Four
4.3 Summary and
Findings
CHAPTER FIVE – DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Research
Hypothesis One
5.2 Research
Hypothesis Two
5.3 Research
Hypothesis Three
5.4 Research
Hypothesis Four
5.5 Conclusion
5.6
Recommendations
5.7 Suggestions
for Further Studies
REFERENCES
APPENDIX 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Birth
order is significant in child rearing, consequently the family is first in the
life of the child in several ways. As Cooley put it "the family is the
cradle of personality". It is primary in point of time in the processing
or induction of the child into society and culture.
The
new individual's basic drives and need can reach fruition only with the setting
provided by these people who surround him. His interpersonal relationships will
be reflected not ire terms of any cultural determinant alone but in terms of
the various individual differentials represented by family members. Therefore
it is pertinent to note that intellectual development in social studies as a
subject area has to be viewed closely putting into consideration the family
unit as being the key ingredients in the formation of eventual IQ growth, along
with environment variable of a student's family.
A
child’s personality or socialization trend may depend on his sibling position
or birth order. The impact of ordinal birth position upon the child and sibling
relationship has received considerable exploration nation wide, certain
generalizations may now be made if we remember that all of their birth
positions are incident to the social and emotional Climate of the home. And
this depends largely on the types of homes, like the nuclear family, which can
be looked at as a democratic home with a minimum frustration. And the extend family
with it accompanying frustration. Again of these types of families, the socio-economic
status also counts in determining its correlation to personality development of
the individual student in general and their performance in social studies in
particular.
In
this study these generalization .will be grouped into the oldest child(as first
born child) whose position in the family structure is a unique one though
various studies and writers ascribe- different effects on the position.
The
youngest child or the last child in the family whose position is also a crucial
position depending on the economic condition of the family and accompanying
cultural advantages for him.
The
study of these age differentials will go along way in helping teachers, parents
and the society at large to carry. out effective investigation of the effects of
birth order on students performances in social studies.
Birth
order as an integral part of a child formative and development stages is the
much that will be focused on as it affects the learning ability and assimilation
rate of the students in social studies.
Coupled
with this is the home and parental status and environmental factors
militarizing against students achievement in school generally and social
studies in particular will also be focused as an area of study, being an
essential and a strong determinant of measuring students performance in social
studies. Coupled with this is the home and parental status and environmental
factors militating against students achievement in school generally and social
studies in particular will also be focused as an area of study, being an
essential and a strong determinant of measuring students performance in social
studies.
Birth
order or order of delivery of children in this case will be further viewed or
analyzed from the perspective of the first born child, the middle born child
and the last born child as earlier indicated.
Huni
(1966), supports the motion that the environment of the child has a great
influence on the acquisition of basic knowledge and skill.
Kernes
( 1997), points out that for the child to grow intellectually and socially with
increased independence-to meet daily-life situation, the child must be provided
a conductive environment which helps him develop adequate motor skills and be
motivated to learn.
The
home is the foundation of education because it plays a central role in
socializing the child. The child spends his early years and learns his language
at home.
The
importance of the family was stressed by Data (1984) that the environment of
the home remains a principal settings in which the child's initial experience
have an enduring impact on the physical, intellectual and personality
development of the child". According to Datta, the early social and
physical environment that home provides for the child has an impact on his
later social and cognitive development.
Obanya
(1981) further asserted that the environment of the learner affects his
attitude to schooling as well as his performance in school.
Uche
(1984) claims that there: is enough evidence from past research findings, that
child's school performance is related to their background and to activities
which go on in a child's home is related to the social status of their parents.
He
also believes that many tower class parents fail to provide even the minimum
level of reinforcement and stimulation for their children intellectual development.
1.2 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of the study is aimed at stressing the indispensable effects of birth
order on students performance educational development. Consequently, that parents,
teachers and. the society Will be able to appreciate the various differences in
the students throughout their schooling periods. Thus, it is expected that
through this study that glaring effects of Birth order be enumerated enough for
parents and the society at large to take redress where necessary, and maintain
an appreciated standard of breeding children so as to attain a desired result
of intelligent, well-motivated children as a product of education.
The
study will also help the teachers understand why a student learns in the way he
does and their performances in social studies and also make the students aware
of the various variables that determine their academic achievement in social
studies.
1.3 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The
specific statement of the problem is to analyze the extent to which birth order
of the children or their positions in the family affects the child's
performance in sue: along with
the socio-economic status of the family.
Analysis
of the position of the children, that is, the first child, middle child and the
last born child in the family will be studied closely in order determine their academic performance in social.
In
order to ascertain the reasons for the different levels of performance of the
students with respect to their individual positions in the family.
Miner
(1969) has pointed out that the socio-economic status of the child was related
to the level of achievement attained.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The
fundamental question which are considered in this study are -
1. Is there be any significant relationship
between birth order and
students
performance in educational development?
2. Is
there be any significant relationship between family size and students performance in school?
3. Is there
be any significant relationship between socio-economic status arid students educational
development?
4. Is
there be any significant difference in the performance and educational
development of the first child, middle child and the last child ?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
OF THE STUDY
1. There
is no significant relationship between birth order (first, middle and last born
child) and students educational development.
2. There
is no significant relationship between family size and students educational
development.
3. There is no significant relationship
between socio-economic
status
of a child family and his educational development.
4. There
is no significant difference in the cc of the first child, middle child and the
last born
1.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The
study take a look at the effect of Birth order on students performance and
educational development
1.7 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
The
research experience some forms of limitation in the process of the
study.
The
researcher experienced financial constraints which inhibited the number of
contacts that were made at the various destinations and the number of
questionnaires that were provided and administered.
There
was also general reluctance to give information and other factors like
accessibility to source of information due to the formal protocols required by
the Principals. Also insufficient availability of Secondary data poses a
constraint to the study.
Parents'
reluctance to give information or respond to questionnaires also militated
against this research work.
The
research is also limited to mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. Thus
there is a limit to which the result of the student could be generalized.
1.8 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
significance of the study lies in the fact that, it would create a sort of
awareness about birth order in education achievement.
Obviously,
it would give an insight into the reasons why certain students perform
excellently in social studies than the others. At the long run, the finding of
this study will help educationists, parents and teachers and the society at
large to realize the fact that students'. academic performance is not based on
intelligence alone, neither is it base solely on the socio-economic back ground
of the students nor on family size.
Thus,
this study may be useful to-educational planners, administrators, educational
policy makers and other societal issues.. This will make them to be aware of
the fact that apart from intelligence. quotient(IQ), attitude of the child and
the parents' education and standard of the school the child attends, others
factors such as socio-economic status of the family, Birth order produces an impact
on the academic performance of students in the school.
To
the parents, this study will also be significant in child rearing. Parents tend
to discipline their borns more than their other children and give them more
attention.
Bringing
out the real picture of the contribution of the family to the academic
performance of the child, thus making the parents to bear a part of the blame
that would normally be on the child alone for his or her poor performance in
school.
The
school principals will find study invaluable in that it will help in understanding
the child better so as to know why he or she performs in a particular way.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Nuclear Family: A family which
consists of a man, his wife and children. This is a smaller family unit living
a separate existence in contact with relatives but not inter-dependent on them.
Extended Family: The extended family may be a nuclear family or a
polygamous family, it includes, aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents, wives of
sons and their children as all members of the family.
Polygamous Family: In a polygamous family a man is legally married to
more than one Wife Thus polygamous family is made up of a man, his wives and
their children.
Socio-Economic
Status: This refers to the
social and economic position of an individual can find himself or herself. It
is regarded as the most significant predicting factor responsible for the
academic achievement of students depending on the family.
Environment: This is the immediate physical surrounding of the
child in the physical environment, there exist forces such as temperature,
humidity and pressure which affect the individual and consequently his
learning.
Academic
Performance: It can be defined as
the result or out come of a student during the course of study. It can also be
said to be a phenomenon used to grade the successful out comes of students in
particular.
Intelligence Quotient(IQ) can be said to mean
Judgment, good sense, the ability to comprehend and to reason well and to adapt
one self to circumstances.
Home
Environment: This is used to refer
to the atmospheric nature of an environment of which a
Family Size: This include the total number of children and
parents in an immediate family or extended family.
Birth Order: It is the order of child delivery, the position in
which a child comes e.g. first, second and third.
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