ABSTRACT
This paper
addresses parental divorce and its impact on students' academic performance in
selected secondary schools. The major objective of the study was to examine
thoroughly the nature and impact of parental divorce on children's academic
performance and determine whether parental divorce can result to poor academic
performance of students. A total sample size of one hundred (100) Students of
Senior Secondary School (SSS 2) students,were randomly selected from four (4)
schools. Data was elicited from respondents with the aid of the questionnaire
and findings indicated that students from divorced home or broken homes have
poor academic performances. The correlated factors to the poor performance were
poor financial support, psychological trauma resulting in lack of concentration
on school work. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that
parents should try and maintain their wards, and homes in spite of their
differences
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
DECLARATION
CERTIFICATION
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
1.2
Statement of Problem
1.3
Purpose of the Study
1.4
Significance of the Study
1.5
Research Questions
1.6
Research Hypotheses
1.7
Scope of the Study
1.8
Delimitation of the Study
1.9
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Nature/Nurture Theory
2.3 Empirical Studies
2.4 Effects of Marital Separation on Children
2.5 Social Problems
2.6 Psychological Problems
2.7 Appraisal of the Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
METHOD OF STUDY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Variable of Study
3.4 Area of Study
3.5 Population
3.6 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.7 Research Instrument
3.8 Validity of the Instrument
3.9 Reliability of the Instrument
3.10
Method of Data Collection
3.11 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
OF DATA
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Presentation of Result
4.3 Summary of the Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of the Research Findings
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendations
5.5 Contributions to Knowledge
REFERENCES
APPENDIX:
QUESTIONNAIRE
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.10
Background
to the Study
The
home is an important variable for the child’s personality development. It is
the smallest but most essential unit in the society whereby a child acquired
his first life experience. It determines the child’s inherited potential and
acts as a major factor in accelerating or retarding all aspect of the child’s
development. A good home gives the child a sense of security, love, belonging
and mutual respect among the individuals of the home, acceptance, sharing
responsibilities, feeling, pride of one’s parents and home (Asarjohwadia,
1995).
As
the child grows, he or she is introduced into the secondary socialization unit
which is the school, to received formal education. The school and the family as
socializing agent work hand in hand for the benefit of the child. Experiment in
education had shown that there is positive relationship between the level of
educational and occupational aspiration regardless of the social status of the
family.
Furthermore,
parental encouragement regardless of the social status of the family has
significant impact on raising educational aspiration. From all observations
therefore, for the school to achieve its set goals academically for the
student, a conducive atmosphere must exist at the students’ home.
It
can be said from the above that the home has the potential of continuing life
of student even when he is not the socialization setting like the school or her
place of work. But if the home is
separated, the children will be no doubt affected morally, socially and
intellectually and there is bound to be some psychological conflicts in the
personality and character development of the child. Frankly speaking, a child
from separated home lack love, care, protection, which are essential
ingredients for the psychological, emotional and mental development of the
child.
Accordingly,
this ugly situation can have adverse effects on the overall performance of the
student in which the psychomotor domain is unavoidably affected. This situation
therefore calls for scholars to have a critical look at the relationship
between marital separation and the academic performance of secondary school
students.
Marital
separation exists all over the world, it is a problem which has caused a lot of
harm to both broken couples and most especially on their children or the
children involved. In Nigeria for instance, marital separation are everywhere
which happen as a result of some contributing factors, which include
misunderstanding, death, disobedience or lack of humility for the wife.
For
the above reasons, serious consequences of parent marital separation, are
profound on student’s academic development at school and which produces several
administrative challenges to school administrations. This study sets out to
address these administrative problems.
1.11
Statement
of Problem
There
are proven cases of matrimonial disputes in Ughelli South Local Government Area
of Delta State. These cases range from
voluntary separation, maltreatment, desertion, ejection to dispute about
maintenance and the child custody. These marital separations have resulted in
different negative ways such as poor performance in the educational development
of children. This is so because the parents that would have played the role of
molding these children academically have parted relationship.
Marital
separation in Nigeria has become a cankerworm that has eaten deeply into the
fabric of the society. Both parents and the society look at this issue with
levity but its vice cannot be overlooked. A situation that has led to the
production of mediocre instead of intellectuals that a nation is to be proud
of; Children that were to be sources of happiness to the nation and parents,
are now sources of worries to them. Children are no longer interested in
academics but in thuggery, armed robbery, drug abuse, prostitution, examination
malpractices, truancy, forgery etc. The problem now is how marital separation
has impacted not only on the children academics but also in their conduct. Poor
school conduct creates serious administrative problems for school
administrators such as Truancy, lateness to school, thuggery, bullying and
improper dressing among others. This
study examines the relationship between marital separation of parents and their
children conducts at schools that presents administrative problems to the
school authorities.
1.12
Purpose
of the Study
This
study is designed to find out the impact of marital separation on the academic
and moral conduct of the students in Ughelli South Local Government Area of
Delta State. The question raised by this study tends to know why children from
broken marriage perform not only poorly, unsatisfactorily in their academic
pursuit but also engage themselves in antisocial vices such as truancy,
juvenile, delinquency, impudence etc.
Also
to proffer solutions to the effect of marital separation in Ughelli South Local
Government Area of Delta State.
This
study will specifically find out the following:-
i.
Whether “united families”
parenthood in united families has impacted on the students academic performance
and moral conduct at school
ii.
Whether separated home
has impacted on the academic performance and moral conduct of students from
broken homes.
iii.
Whether gender affects
academic performance of the students from broken homes.
iv.
Whether children from
broken homes exhibit more administrative problems of truancy, lateness
absenteeism, delinquency than those from united families.
1.13
Significance
of the Study
This
research work will be of benefit to parents in the area of child upbringing to
make them know the various ways in which they can train their children to be
academically and morally fit and sound through parental love, care and
encouragement. It will also help both parents and children to understand the
impact of marital separation on their educational development of secondary
students in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
This
study will also be of significance to the classroom teachers as regards to
effective classroom teaching and management, putting into cognizance the
different family background of their students. This will enable the teacher to
vary this method to teaching in the most effective way for good classroom
management especially among students from different home backgrounds.
This
study will help parents and the children to retain their marriage so that their
children would not lack parental motivation, care and educational attention. It
also enable the government and society at large to know that marital separation
is one of the contributors to students academic poor performance.
Moreover,
this study will provide new information to curriculum planners, designers and
policy makers on how best to enhance/improve teaching/learning environment for
students from different home backgrounds.
1.14
Research
Questions
This
study tried to answer the following research questions
1.
To what extent does
separation of parents affect the academic and moral standards of students?
2.
Are students from broken
homes more administratively difficult to handle than those from united unbroken
homes?
To
what extent does gender affect performance of students from different home backgrounds.
3.
To what extent
does gender affect performance of
students from broken homes.
1.15
Research
Hypotheses
In
order to guide and direct this study, three hypotheses were formulated and
tested at 0.05 level of significance.
1. Ho1:
There is no significant difference in the academic performance of male students
from separated families and those from united families.
2. Ho2: There is no significant difference in the
academic performance of female students from separated families and those from
united families.
3. Ho3:
There is no significance difference in the administrative challenges of
students from separated families and those students from united families.
1.16
Scope
of the Study
The
study is centred round the relationship between marital separation and the academic
and moral status of secondary school students. It measured on the impact of
marital separation on the academic performance of male and female students in
secondary schools. It relates urban, semi-urban and rural areas. It also
examined the attitude of the students towards their studies.
This
study is limited to three (3) areas, urban, semi-urban and rural areas of
Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. This study is also limited
to four (4) schools in Ughelli south local government area of Delta state. This
schools include: Otujeremi Grammer school, Owor Grammer school, Okpera Grammer
school, Gbaregolor Grammer School.
A
total of 120 students participated in the study. In all, there were equal
representations from urban, semi-urban and rural areas. It is believed that
conclusions made from the investigation would present a generalization for
other local government area not involves in the study.
1.17
Delimitation
of the Study
This
study was limited to some secondary schools in Ughelli South Local Government
Area of Delta State; it is delimited to selected secondary schools, parents,
children and teachers in the local government area. This is so because the
impact of marital separation on the academic and moral status of students, this
area would present a generalization for other local government areas not
involved in the study.
1.18
Definition
of Terms
The
following operational terms were used in this study
United Family
– A family that lives together that is, they are not broken or separated.
Marital Separation – The
family that is not structurally living together as a result of a serious
disagreement or occupational separation due to the nature of the spouse’s job
or the legally separated which is permanent separation.
Academic Achievement
– Performance in academic that is educational success. In other words, it is
ones success in the educational industry.
Administrative Challenges
– This refers to the several problems school face in dealing with students at
school especially in relation to their home backgrounds. Such challenges include truancy, delinquency,
poor dressing, stealing, noise-making etc.
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