ABSTRACT
The descriptive survey
research was adopted in this study. It is an attempt to investigate the impact
of deviant behaviour on the academic performance of senior secondary students
in Educational District VI of Lagos State Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area. A
sample of 200 randomly selected students were used, from four secondary
schools. Another sample of 50 randomly selected teachers were also used from
the above measured schools. A 5 point likert scale type questionnaire
containing 20 items and 30 questions in Mathematics and English Language were
also administered to the students. The content of the instruments were face
validated by my supervisor and other experts in the department. While the
reliability was ascertained at 0.9 significant level.
Two null hypotheses
were postulated and tested using the independent t-test. The first and second
hypotheses were analyzed at 0.9 level of significance. The result from this
study showed that deviant behaviour of students has a negative impact on their
academic performance.
Governments should
adequately provide the needs of the learner at school. Parents on their parts
should adequately provide for their children because this will go along way in
preventing deviance. Parents should show love and affection for their children.
Also parents, must control and prevent their children from watching unwholesome
mass media programmes.
Teachers should on
their part, show affection and care to their students. They should also have
interest in their teaching as a career and attend classes regularly in order to
prevent students from developing deviant behaviours.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
1.2
Conceptual Framework
1.3
Statement of the Problem
1.4
Purpose of the Study
1.5
Research Questions
1.6
Research Hypotheses
1.7
Significance of the Study
1.8
Scope of the Study
1.9
Delimitation of the Study
1.10 Limitation
of this Study
1.11 Definition
of Terms
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Theories of Deviance, Its Impacts on Learning
Activities
2.2
The Influence of Peer Pressure to Academic
Performance of Students
2.3
The Adolescent and Parental Responsibility and
Academic Performance
2.4
The Adolescent in the School Environmental
2.5
Indisciplinary Problems of Adolescents in
Secondary Schools
2.6
The Problems Associated with Youths in the
Society and Its Effect on Academic Performance
2.7
Summary of the Literature Review
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODOLOGY
1.1
Research Design
1.2
Area of Study
1.3
Population of Study
1.4
Sample Size and Sampling Technique
1.5
Research Instrument
1.6
Validity of Research Instruments
1.7
Reliability of Research Instrument
1.8
Procedure for Data Collection
1.9
Administration of Instruments
1.10 Data
Analysis Procedure
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Descriptive
Analyses of Teachers’ Bio-Data Based on Age, Sex, Marital Status and Duration
of Service
4.3 Descriptive Analysis of Data Collected
from Teachers
4.4 Descriptive
Analyses of Students’ Bio-Data According to Sex and Age Range
4.5 Descriptive Analysis of Data Collected
from Students
4.6 Hypothesis
Testing
4.7 Summary of
the Finding
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS,
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDIES
5.0
Introduction
5.1 Discussion
5.2
Summary of the Study
5.3
Recommendations
5.4
Suggestions for Further Studies
5.5 Conclusion
References
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the
Study
In everyday language,
to deviate means to stray from an accepted path. Many sociological definitions
of deviance simply elaborate upon this idea. Thus, deviance consists of those
acts which do not follow the norms and expectations of a particular social
group or society (Arnolds, 2005). In practice, a field of study covered by the
sociology of deviance/delinquency, is usually limited to deviance which results
in negative sanctions. Infact, the American Sociologist Marshal (2000), has
suggested that the term deviance should be reserved for those situations in
which behaviour is in disapproved direction and of a sufficient degree to
exceed the tolerance limit of the community.
Recently, there has been increasing concern in
the tertiary institutions that students’ behaviours have deteriorated. The most
concerning behaviours for teachers are those that involve minor violations of
rules and regulations, disruption to the smooth running of the classroom.
Violent behaviour in schools is also a major concern of most teachers,
although, extreme incidents of school violence are a global phenomenon
(Infantino and Little, 2004). There is considerable evidence that those
students who are deviate are not regular in school for whatever reason, have
limited lifetime opportunities, socially, professionally and economically
(Reid, 2004). They are more likely to experience unemployment, underemployment
and long term dependency. There are strong association, between deviant
behaviours like truancy, exclusion, crime and high students’ achievement in
school (McCarthy, 2004).
Deviant/delinquent
behaviours like poor attendance to classes is a major source of discontent among
teachers and it hinders socialization, teaching and learning (Macbeath, 2005).
Teachers are often frustrated by the persistent non-attendance of certain
students, particularly as helping them to catch-up takes time and distracts
from teaching the remainder of the class. Students who are deviant in school
fall behind in their work and frequently have difficulties within friendship,
McCarthy et al (2005).
According to Owuamanam
(2003), deviant/delinquent behaviours refer to the problem of wrong doing by young
persons. It involves the problem of truancy, absenteeism, stealing, vandalism,
drug abuse, use and addict, terrorism, disobedience to laid down rules and
regulations of the school authorities, including other behaviours that are
against the social norms. Anyamele and Adeleke (2004), observe that adolescents
tend to move in groups because they are in the era of peer-group relationship.
They want to be seen acting in conformity with their peers, however,
unconventional such act may be. Hence, the need for some understanding and
responsible adults at the background, who would serve as role-models for the
youngsters to re-direct their energies towards the right channels that would
produce rewarding and satisfying pattern of behaviours in them. This patterns
of wrong behaviour enstrange them from their teachers and peers and the
resultant effect is low academic achievement and negative socialization.
1.2
Theoretical
Framework
Man has always found
the stage of human development interesting and fascinating. Consequently, man
has always entertained theories about the nature of development. One of the
ancient notions was known as pre-information, that is, man'’ tendencies and
attributes were thought to exist performed at birth. Then came the homonculus
view of human development which was an elaboration of pre-formationism and
which proposes that the sperm contains a fully form miniature man, who
simply-develops, once conception has taken place, in an incremental way until
maturity is reached (Herbert, 1981).
Theologians and
philosophers also speculated about the nature of man and his motives. While
some thought of man’s nature as selfish, and pessimistic, others fell that man
is not basically selfish and had optimistic views of man’s behaviour. One of
the controversies in developmental psychology concerns the concept of “stage”,
and its importance in describing the development of psychological processes
such as thinking and personality. Ausubel and Sullivan (1990) describe the
periods in which qualitatively new and discontinuous (inter-stage) changes in
personally organization are being formulated as transitional phases or
developmental changes. During this transitional periods, the individual is in
the marginal position of having lost an established and accustomed status, and
of not yet having acquired new status towards which the factors impelling
developmental changes are driving him.
These transitional
periods according to Eriks (1993) are ‘sensitive period and impose a heavy
burden on his adjustive capacities. Since each stage of development corresponds
with a particular form of social demand, the individual must deal with and
master a central problem in order to avoid a potential crises”. Various
theories of adolescent development have been formulated as far back as the
period of Plato and Aristotle, the great Greek Philosophers.
The next stage which is
between the ages of the five and twelve is described by Freud as the period of
‘latency’. This is a period of calm, when the attention of the child is focused
on the school work, play and friends. This period of calm is disrupted by the
onset of ‘puberty’. And once again the child relives the conflicts of early
childhood. Psychoanalysts are of the opinion that, the adolescent turmoil as
postulated by Hall is inevitable. They claim that without this turmoil, the
young person will not be able to make necessary adjustments which will help him
in his transition to adult life (Adamson, 1995). Psychoanalysts believe that at
adolescent stage, girls have strange feelings towards males, and boys also get
themselves attached to the females. However, both male and female engage in
forms of sublimation in order to meet the demands of society and in forms of
intellectualism and ascentism.
Morrish
(1978) on his part, suggested that deviant behaviour was not necessarily
delinquent or criminal behaviour. Although, it may of course, be the first step
to some anti—social behaviour which may come within the sanction of the law and
therefore irrevocably delinquent. According to him “deviancy” was relative as
well as contextual. He suggested that it was better to speak of deviant forms
than to stigmatize the individuals as deviants. Similarly, Tattum (2002), and
Brown (2004) subscribed to the belief that norm was genetically or instinctively
violent and aggressive. These writers haven maintained that human beings are
killers by nature, stating that it was a built-in characteristic which man had
inherited from his animal ancestors and instincts. The adolescent child begins
to manifest good reasoning power. He therefore begins to ask questions and to
challenge the adult authority at home, in the school and in the society at
large. There is need for proper guidance in order to curb indisciplinary
behaviours among the adolescent children since this is a common problem.
Certain actions embarked upon the adults should be explained to them in order
to carry them along (Adamson, 2000).
Adolescents get excited
because of their intellect. They begin to show interest in things of the mind
the arts and ideas for their own sake. They have certain interests which get
them excited and worked up when the adults are opposed to such. For example,
religion could be a bone of contention. Hence, many adolescents nowadays are
found trooping in large number to the new found ‘Pentecostal’ churches which
seem to satisfy their needs socially and intellectually when compared with the
Orthodox churches.
1.3
Statement
of the Problem
The study of
deviant/delinquent behaviours in our secondary schools and other institutions
of learning, have assumed greater attention. For sometime now, especially in
the last decade, it has become a common feature in our secondary schools and
universities to see students engage in street fighting, sports hooliganism or
carry out violent acts, and in the process engage in wanton destruction of
lives and property It has become a more common feature in Nigeria today, to
hear from one media or the other about secondary and tertiary school students
that engaged in crimes such as drug abuse or addictions, sex offences,
smuggling, armed robbery, pick-pocketing, snatching of cell phones, cybercafe
crimes, rapping, truancy and theft of all kinds. These no doubt, are heights of
deviant/delinquent behaviours and its resultant effect has been maladjustment
of the perpetrators (students) and consequently the dismal failure or downward
performance of students in our tertiary institutions. More so, students who
continually engage in the above negative character traits, exhibit negative
social adjustment in the society and the school.
Deviant/delinquent behaviour refers to the problem of
wrong-doing by young persons. It involves the problem of truancy, stealing,
vandalism, terrorism, drug addiction and other behaviours that are against the
social norms. Adolescents tend to move in groups because they are in the era of
peer group relationship. They want to be seen acting in conformity with their
peers, however unconventional such act may be, (Owuamanam, 1988). Hence, the
need for some understanding and responsible adults at the background who would
serve as role models for the youngsters to re-direct their energies towards the
right channel that would produce rewarding and satisfactory patter of behaviour
in them.
1.4
Purpose
of the Study
The
followings were the specific objectives of the study:
1.
To find out whether truancy of
students influences their behaviour at school.
2.
To examine whether stealing
influences students’ deviant/delinquent behaviours.
3.
To assess whether absenteeism
influences students’ behaviours in the school.
4.
To ascertain the influence of
deviant behaviours on social adjustment in schools.
5.
Find out whether armed robbery
influences students’ social adjustment in school.
1.5
Research
Questions
The
following research questions were asked in this study:
1.
Will truancy influence
students’ behaviours at school?
2.
Will stealing influence
students’ deviant behaviours at school?
3.
To what extent will
absenteeism influence students’ behaviours in school?
4.
To what extent does deviant
behaviour impact on students’ social adjustment in school?
5.
Will armed robbery influence
students’ social adjustment in school?
1.6
Research
Hypotheses
The
following hypotheses stated in the null guideed the study:
1.
There is no significant
influence of truancy on the behaviour of students in the secondary schools.
2.
There is no significant
influence of stealing on students’ deviant/delinquent behaviours in secondary
schools.
3.
There is no significant
influence of absenteeism on students’ behaviour in school.
4.
Students’ deviant behaviour
will not significantly influence their social adjustment at school.
1.7
Significance
of the Study
This
study focused on the beneficial of the following individuals:
(1)
The
Students: The findings and recommendations of this study
will be of great benefit to the students who would be enlightened concerning
the character they should put across in the society. This study will also
afford the students, the opportunity to know the effects of deviant behaviours.
This study will also lead them to avoid those behaviours labelled as deviant in
the society. With the recommendations of the study, students would be able to
identify the attributes of deviants. This study will also assist students at
all levels to stop the use of cell phones and watching of blue films in the
classroom when lesson is going on. The reason being that it makes students to
loose concentration in the class thereby affecting learning.
(2)
Teachers:
Would be beneficiaries of this study, because, the study will afford them the
golden opportunity of knowing how to detect students who exhibit deviant
behaviour and how to tackle them or remedy them. With the findings and
recommendations of this study, teachers would be able to know those activities
that would enable them to remedy the bad behaviour of the students who are
under their care.
(3)
The
School Authorities: With the recommendations of
this study, the school authorities would be able to solve the problem of
deviation of students or adolescents in our tertiary institutions. This study
also, will recommend to the school authorities all it takes to arrest the
dwindling or negative behaviours of students in our schools and the society at
large. Though some school do not allow the use of cell phones and other P3
equipment in schools, but some students smuggled them into the classroom and
used them to disturb learning in the classroom. Schools should be more
restricted and punished any child found in the classroom with any of this equipment
that can distract attention in the classroom while the lesson is going on.
(4)
Government:
Government would be opportuned to gather information concerning adolescents’
deviation in the society. It will be of great help to the government, if this
study is completed. This is because, it will afford the government the
opportunity to know how to go about solving the society’s problems which is
mostly on youths.
(5)
The
Parents: Parents would also benefit from this study
because, it will enable them to be able to know the characters of their
children and wards and how to go about solving the perceived problems. No
doubt, deviant behaviour of the youths has been one of the major problems of
the society, and government is interested in solving the problems of youth restiveness
in the society. Therefore, government will collaborate with parents and
teachers to solve this problem of deviance amongst the youths in our schools
and homes. They should observe their children and wards on the use of cell
phones especially in the schools because of its negative effect on learning.
(6)
Not only that, the society
will be able to benefit from this study, because it will help it to know or
identify the problems of deviation amongst the youths and how to help in
solving it.
1.8
Scope
of the Study
This
study examines the influence of personality variables on predisposition to
deviant/delinquent behaviour among adolescents in Ibadan South East Local
Government Area: Implication for Counselling.
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