ABSTRACT
The focus of this
research is to investigate the environmental influence on academic performance
of learners in some selected secondary schools under Agege Education District
(LED) in Lagos State. Five secondary
schools are used, out of a population of twenty (20) secondary schools. Two
research hypothesis focusing on socio-economic status of the country and the
parents, the children’s academic performance and parental education, interest,
motivation, encouragement are posed. One hundred and fifty (150) students drawn
randomly from the five secondary schools representing more than ten percent
(10%) of a set are sampled. The instrument used in the study is questionnaire
designed by the researcher and validated by the researcher’s supervisor. The
researcher goes to the schools involved and administers the questionnaires to
the students after seeking and obtaining permission from the principals of the
schools used. The required data is
collected after the researcher had explained and given instruction to the
students on what to do on the questionnaires. Frequently distribution, simple
percentage and the T-test are the type of statistical processes employed in
analyzing the data. At the end of the
study, the investigation revealed that there is high correlation between
parental and/or country socio-economic status and academic performance of the
learners. It also revealed that parental education, attitude, interest,
encouragement and motivation affect academic performance of the students. As a result, the researcher makes a
recommendations to the parents, teachers and the government.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title
page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table
of contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction 1
Background
of the study 1
Statement
of the problem 10
Purpose
of the study 12
Research
Question 12
Research Hypothesis 13 Significance
of the study 14
Scope and Delimitation of the study 15
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction 16
Conceptual
Framework 16
Teaching 17
Learning 18
Factors
affecting learning 19
Factors
affecting teaching 20
The
school 20
Intelligent
Quotient 24
Examination
situation 24
The
family 25
Family
size and Academic Performance 28
Parents
Education 32
Educational
Policies 33
Parent’s
Class 38
Conclusion 40
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Population
of Study 42
Sample 42
Research
Instrument 43
Method
of Data Collection/Procedure 44
Method
of Data Analysis 46
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND
PRESENTATION OF RESULT
Introduction 47
Results 47
(i)
Frequency Distribution Table 47
(ii)
T-Test 57
CHAPTER
FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
Summary
and Discussion of Findings 61
Recommendation 67
Conclusion 70
Bibliography
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Education is derived from the Latin word
educare
which means “to draw out”. Education,
therefore, can simply be defined as “the process of drawing out and developing
the potentialities of an individual”. In
order words, education is a systematic process whereby an individual is exposed
to and provided with the opportunity of acquiring knowledge, skills, values and
attitudes which develop cumulatively with a view to; Prepare him well to enable
him satisfactorily integrate effectively in the society; Enhance his Pursuit of
a career; and to; Sharpen his quest for continuous learning.
Background to the Study
Nigeria’s
educational system has its origin in the Missionary activities which preceded the assumption of the
Country’s Administration by the British Government. Schools followed the church; and education
was the only instrument designed by religion to produce catechists, pastors,
church-wardens, teachers, Christians and converts.
Western education in Nigeria is the
consequence of colonialism. It was born
out of the need to exploit the resources of the colony. It was also necessary to support and maintain
the political authority. They were, of
course, mainly interested in commerce. But they nevertheless realized that if
the Africans were to be good customers they must have some rudiments of
education and accept Christianity – the two civilizing agencies considered most
important by European Merchants, Civil authorities and Missionaries at that
time.
The missionaries depended on the
Europeans for help in keeping the rebellious African chiefs in their places and
under control, while the European authorities hoped to conquer by religious
persuasion what they failed to achieve by force of arms. On the other hand, the traders depended
heavily on both force of arms and missionary endeavours to achieve peaceful
trade relations with the Africans. Christianity, Commerce and Colonialism, or
the Bible, Business and Bullets, respectively, combined to exploit the
African’s soul, his goods and his land.
The various missionary groups that came
into the Country have schools, which they run through the assistance received
from the parent-body at ‘home’. Each of
the dominations had the opportunity to teach the doctrines of the church to
prospective members and students. The
Muslim schools were meant to teach Islamic religion and the Quran.
The funds to run the schools were
provided by the parent body in their home country. The schools at that time required huge
financial support to function properly so that they can achieve the aim and
objectives of establishing them.
However, each denomination emphasized
its own importance and spared no pains to prove that some domination was better
than the others. Consequently, right
from the advent of Christianity in Nigeria, dissension and disunity were
rampant among the Christian missions and, to the bewildered Africa, it was hard
to believe one white mission would discredit another in a desperate attempt to
win converts and send glowing reports back to the home mission. The element of competition was very much in
evidence right from the beginning. The
Methodists and Church Missionary Society fought for ascending in Badagry,
Abeokuta, Lagos and Ibadan in the 1840s and 1850s. This rancor were aided and
abetted by their home mission. Except
for this unsavory aspect, the Christian Missionaries carried the same message
of Christ the Saviour everywhere they went and were therefore united in
purpose.
The first government school was
established in Lagos in the year 1899, and was originally meant for Muslim
children who were not admitted into Mission schools. Since then, the government have been playing
increasingly dominant role in the educational system. Historically, government’s participation in
education dates back to 1882 when the first education ordinance was
enacted. This was replaced in 1887 by
another education code, which laid down standards of examination and specified
the conditions for grants-in-aid. The
government took education serious because of the need to have educated and enlightened
people to fill several political offices for the day-to-day running of
government business.
In 1973, a Nigerian National Policy on
Education was formulated following a National Seminar on the nation’s
educational system. The policy was
revised by the then President Shehu Shagari administration between 1979 and
1983. It was further revised by the
Military in 1984 and enforced from that year.
The policy provided for a 6-3-3-4 system of education in place of the
former 6-5-4 system. Education in its
entire ramification is being given prominence in the country, even in the
entire countries of the world. The
yearly fiscal budget of the federal and the states attest to this fact. The need to educate the child was crucial for
national development.
For any country to develop and function properly,
it must put education in its rightful place so that she will not have
illiterate as citizens. It is the
absolute right of every child to go to school, or be educated from the primary
level to any level so desired. Some did
start from nursery or kindergarten level.
There were provisions for adult education to teach the adults that were
not priviledged to have formal education early in life. These were the avenues to make every one
literate. Though it was expensive to be
educated but there is a popular saying that “he who thinks education is
expensive should try ignorance”.
Education seeks to engender the personal
character needed by the members of the society that will enable them to become
creative participants in the society.
Many people realized that education was contributing factor to their
personal and/or corporate progress and development. For anyone to be in time with what is
happening globally and be able to make meaningful contribution whenever
necessary, one’s educational attainment would be a vital element that would
help to facilitate this. It would be
necessary to say that education would be an important way of an individual’s
socialization.
The reason would be that an idiot or
illiterate would find it extremely difficult to contribute to burning
issues. The disparity in educational
level would surely breed inferiority complex among peers, thereby isolation
and/or restriction would set in leading to limitations in interactions.
In 1955, the first major step to
revolutionize the educational system was taken when the government of Western
Nigeria Promulgated a free education scheme for primary and secondary
schools. Eastern Nigeria also began free
education in 1957, but was later abandoned for lack of funds. However, in 1977, the Federal Military
Government launched the Universal Primary Education (U.P.E) which was free
throughout the country. Initially, the
cost of the U.P.E scheme was fully borne by the Federal Government but it later
withdrew its financing when the 1999 constitution vested primary education on
states and local government.
In 1979, another major milestone was
reached when the Lagos State, Ogun State, Oyo State, Ondo State and Bendel
state governments introduced free education at all levels, due to the victory
at a general election of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) (in the states
gubernatorial election) which had made the subject an election issue. This measure led to an explosion in student
population in the five states which the UPN won the elections. In the other states, although education was
not free at all levels, there was considerable development and the number of
pupils, students and schools increased.
Following the coup d’etat against the civilian government in 1984, the trend of
expansion and development was halted and in some cases reversed. Payment of school fees was re-introduced in
all the states except Lagos State. The
supply of textbooks by the Government was also abolished.
To have qualitative education, there is
need for the government to make funds available. The provision of basic amenities and
materials required for teaching and learning are of paramount importance for
the teacher to give his best and thereby enjoy his chosen profession. The students also learn fast and enjoy the
environment if everything is provided irrespective of their socio-economic
background. The salary and incentives of
the teachers need to be paid promptly.
The failure of the authority concerned to do this has forced the
teachers to look elsewhere to make ends meet.
From experience, many people dropped out
of school because they could not afford the luxury of education. They find it extremely difficult to purchase
the required textbooks for most of the subject being taught, and this
automatically affected their academic performance because they lack the
necessary learning materials to aid their learning. These categories of students were at
different occasions driven out of school because of their inability to pay the
levies imposed by the Government, the Parent Teacher’s Association (P.T.A.),
pay for and attend extra-moral classes, provide audio-visual cards and so
on. This in a nutshell hindered some
students attendance of school, and the classroom, some would come late to school
because they have to hawk wares for their parents before they could be released
for school. They therefore, would resume
their hawking business whenever they return from school having little or no
time for school work and assignments.
Capitalist societies to which Nigeria
belongs had carried three social statues, which to Musgrare (1979) are “the
lower or working class, the middle class and the upper class”. This social stratification, though, has been
a subject of controversy to some people and in several quarters. Karl Marx divided the social strata into two
namely; the bourgeois and the proletariat.
This study will be restricted to the lower or working class and the
upper class. It is pathetic to note that
teachers on their part are no longer interested in the teaching profession which
should be a noble profession. Their
salaries were being delayed coupled with the unconducive environment of the
profession. Hence, the incessant
industrial actions embarked upon to press home their demand and or
grievances. It was night marish to see
the noble profession going head-on down the drain.
On the whole, education is Nigeria’s
greatest and the largest industry, embracing classes of her citizens and taking
precedence over other sectors in the budget of the state and the Federal
government. These and more are the
reasons why it was necessary for this research to be carried out so as to know
the extent to which the counting and, or parental socio-economic status had
affected the academic performance of students (learners).
Statement of the Problem
The country was plagued with legion of
problems, which had grossly affected education.
A number of these had reared their ugly heads in the performance of the
students in their academic pursuit. For
instance, many families find it extremely difficult to feed well due to their
low socio-economic status. Bread-winners
of some families were retrenched indiscriminately hence, the high rate of
unemployment which had engulfed the country, thereby making it difficult for
many to provide for their children or wards’ educational requirements.
The academic background of parents would play
a crucial role in the performance of the students in and out of school. The socio-political status of parent was also
a contributing factor.
Non availability of teaching and
learning aids both in school and at home endangered the learner’s academic
performance. A situation whereby there
are no chalk and chalkboard for the classroom, lack of textbooks, tables, desks
for writing, leaking roof had made both teachers and learners to lose interest
in teaching and learning under these deplorable condition. The type of school attended also would have
positive or negative effects on the academic performance of learners. Children who attended urban schools are
better than those who attended schools in the rural areas. This would be so because the availability of
materials and adequately equipped teacher determined the quality of learners
that would be produced.
The private schools are made to thrive
despite exorbitant fees they charge the parents. The private schools are not meant for every
Dick, Tom and Harry but for those that have the where withal to afford the
state of art equipment and learning aids for their children’s education. In the contrary was the situation in the public
schools where the teachers were not even committed to the teaching
profession. The extinction of external
academic programmes like excursion, literacy and debate competition on diverse
topics or subjects that should pose challenges to the students’ growth and
development was another bane of learner’s academic performance. With all these problems encountered by the
children of the lower class parents, some of these children still perform
better academically than their counterparts from the high class. As such, this study attempts to asses the
socio-economic status, parents’ occupation, attitude on the academic
performance of secondary school students.
Purpose of the Study
the purpose of this study is to examined
between children academic performance in
public secondary schools and parents socio-economic constraints; To ascertain
the causes of the present socio-economic constraints.
·
To identify measures that can eliminate or
reduce the negative effects these factors have on the academic performance of
learners.
·
To access parental occupational effect on the
children’s academic performance.
·
To assess family environmental on the
academic performance of the child.
·
To assess the extent parental educational
level and the role on the academic performance of the child.
Research
Question
·
Will parent’s socio-economic status affect
the academic performance of secondary school students?
·
Will parent’s occupation, attitude towards
education and encouragement affect the child’s academic performance?
·
Does the family environment affect the
leaner’s academic performance in public secondary school?
This study will make some
recommendations, after investigating the above, regarding the bridging of the
educational gap between the children from the high and lower classes.
Research Hypotheses
The
following propositions were raised to subject data collected to more complex
analysis.
1.
There is no significant relationship between
parental socio-economic status and student’s academic performance.
2.
There is no significant relationship between
the environment and the child’s academic performance.
3.
There is no significant relationship between
parental interest and motivation and academic performance of a child.
Significance of the Study
The study will be significant to a number
of people-the government, the parents, the teachers, the community or society
as well as the students and educational planners, administrators, policy makers
and so on.
·
It will be useful to the teachers and school
principals to know the areas where the students will need more attention and
the causes of their poor performances.
This will then give them ample opportunity to diverse ways to help the
students to excel despite the socio-economic constraints.
·
This study will be useful to the government
as it exposes the effects of lack of funds and socio-economic constraints on
education, and that its survival requires prompt funding. And unless these problems are identified and
decisively addressed, the nation will suffer for it, as the greater percentage
of the populace will be illiterates.
·
The study will be of immense usefulness to
the students as it exposes their problems to them so that they can make
necessary amends and therefore aspire to perform excellently well in their
academic pursuit. If they know their
problems, it will be easier for them to make amendment than a teacher trying to
pinpoint the problems for them.
·
The study will be useful to policy makers as
it will enable them uplift the socio-economic status of workers so as to
improve their living standard.
Scope and
Delimitations of the Study
The scope of the study in terms of the
focus has to do with (or limited to) the relationship between the child’s
environment and the academic performance of the child.
The study was limited to Local Education
District 1 of Lagos State. It was
limited to the public secondary schools.
It does not involve the primary and tertiary institutions. Notwithstanding, the primary schools is still
the foundation on which the child’s educational pursuit is built. It is the stepping stone to admission to the
secondary school where he will have to reach for a successful future so as to
proceed to the tertiary level.
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