ABSTRACT
The study investigated the parental upbringing on academic performance in public junior secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State. The objectives of the study were therefore to establish parental roles, parental economic factors, cultural practices and parental background influencing academic performance in public junior secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State.
A survey design was adopted for the study. One hundred and ninety respondents (comprises 10 Principals, 40 Teachers and 140 JSS 3 students) were drawn from a total of 10 schools in the zone. Descriptive statistics was employed for the analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
The study revealed that economic factors and cultural practices of parents do have significance influence on student’s academic performance in JSS 3 examination. The result also revealed that Parental background also do have significance influence on student’s academic performance in JSS 3 examination.
Based on the findings, it is recommended that Parents should always discourage absenteeism of their ward(s) from school, respect for teachers should be cultivated by parents to enhance learning, parents should be educated on the need to create a conducive home environment for their children and students should not be abused at home to promote learning.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of Content v
Abstract vii
Chapter one: introduction
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of Problem 3
1.3 Objectives of the Study 4
1.4 Research
Questions 4
1.5 Significance
of the Study 5
1.6 Delimitation of the Study 5
1.7 Limitation
of the Study 5
1.8 Operational Definition of Key
Terms 5
Chapter two: Literature review
2.1 Introduction 6
2.2 Parental Roles and Student
Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary Schools 6
2.3 The Economic Factors among
Parents and Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary Schools 7
2.4 Cultural Practices among Parents and the Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary
Schools 8
2.5 Parental Background of Students and the
Academic Performance of Pupils in Public Junior
Secondary Schools 9
2.6 Theoretical Frame Work 10
2.7 Conceptual Framework 10
Chapter three: Research Methods
3.0 Introduction 13
3.1 Research
Design 13
3.2 The Study Population 13
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Techniques 13
3.4 Research
Instruments 14
3.5 Data Collection Techniques 14
3.6 Administration
of Data 15
3.7 Method
of Data Analysis 15
Chapter four: data presentation, analysis
and interpretation
4.1 Introduction 16
4.2 Questionnaires Response Rate 16
4.3 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents 17
4.4 Parental Roles Influencing Academic Performance
in Public Junior Secondary Schools 23
4.5 Parental Economic Factors
Determining Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary 27
4.6 Cultural Practices among Parents Affecting Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary
Schools 30
4.7 Parental Background Affecting
Academic Performance in Public Junior Secondary Schools 43
Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion and
Recommendation
5.0 Introduction 39
5.1 Summary
of Major Findings 39
5.2 Conclusion 42
5.3 Recommendation 41
Appendix 43
Reference 44
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Education is very important for the economic development of any
nation in the world. According to UNICEF (2007), an educated population is an
asset to the future development of a country. The basis of an educated
population is the performance at the secondary school level. The academic
performance of any secondary school is highly influenced by its parents. It is
the role of parents to motivate pupils from home in order to perform well at
school. It is the role of parents to avoid divorce and other irresponsible
behaviours which create stress to students. In addition, parents have other
roles to play in order to promote academic achievements of their children. They
have to ensure that children are not overworked with domestic work at the
expense of school work. Children have to attend school regularly and at the
right time when schools open. As parents, they need to ensure that they
participate in school activities e.g. attending meetings (Open days,
fundraising etc). When children are encouraged and supported in learning by
parents, they do well in schools. It is the responsibility of parents too, to
avoid local traditions and customs such as early marriage and Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM) that hinder children from going to school. Some parents in
Nigeria are indifferent about schools unless when a controversial issue occurs.
Parents do not attend meetings and this discourages school management.
In Nigerian societies, it has
been noted that absence of a parent from home creates tension and motivational
problems hindering academic progress of the pupils (Booth, 2006). According to
Mustapha and Keshinro (2006), to promote academic success of their children in
school, parents need to communicate valuable information about their children
to teachers. This is because they know their likes and dislikes in addition to
their strengths and weaknesses. When their weaknesses are known by teachers,
appropriate plans are made to cater for their needs in good time. Most parents
in Nigeria however, do not communicate the weaknesses of their children to teachers’
especially medical details. Parents have a great impact on a school and its
operations. If parents do not support school programmes, learning will be
adversely affected (Bello and Nwachukwu, 2007).
Parents need to discuss with their children the acceptable and non-acceptable
behaviours to avoid indiscipline cases in schools. This is rarely done in most
homesteads in Nigeria leading to low academic performance (Ngozi, 2008). In
some instances, parents have supported early marriages of their daughters. In
2001, students’ indiscipline and unrest in both secondary and secondary schools
were reported among 250 schools at different levels. Where such indiscipline
and unrest occurred, performance was adversely affected. Parents need to play
an active role in guiding their children from home. They need to realize that
bad behaviours among teenagers is not the fault of teachers or the education
system. The parents need to be aware that teenagers are currently spending most
of their time alone learning more from the peers, media and other community
influences than the past generations. Lack of time by parents to guide youth
has led to indiscipline among the students leading to poor academic
performance. According to Ngozi (2008), student who are well supported by their
parents develop high esteem, social competence and better academic achievement.
Today, most pupils lack parental support and the provision of basic needs
leading to academic under achievement. Unlike in the past, parents rarely guide
their children on acceptable behaviours in school due to lack of time and
commitment to their parental roles. In addition, children lack role models from
home. Quite a number of them tend to copy the behavior of their peers or their
parents some of whom abuse drugs. Such children take these undesirable
behaviours to school leading to poor academic performance. Some parents do not
provide a conducive home environment for their children due to frequent
quarrels at home. Such children have no time to do assignments or private
studies.
In Ado-Odo/Ota local
government, academic performance has been low probably due to the failure of
parents to discipline their children from home. According to UNICEF (2007),
children will do well at school if only they are well nourished at home and
provided with the necessary learning resources. Most children from developed
countries are therefore at an advantage compared to most pupils in Nigeria.
According to Ayo and Briggs (1992), many parents find it economical when their
children work on the family farm at the expense of formal education. In this
case parents do not discourage absenteeism and truancy among the pupils.
According to Ngozi (2008), some parents abuse drugs due to economic hardships.
Cases of divorce are common among such families and the academic performance of
the children is adversely affected. Many families in Nigeria today are not able
to support education of their children. To improve access to education for most
children, the government started Universal Basic education (UBE) in 2003 as a step towards
achieving universal Primary Education by 2005 and a key strategy to attaining
the overall goal of Education For All (EFA) by 2015 ( Silsil, 2009).
In Ado-Odo/Ota, the academic
performance of most students is average and below. This could be due to
economic inability among most parents. According to Caroline and Clauss (2006),
there are some cultural aspects that hinder academic success of pupils at
school. Some families encourage early marriages and this discourages formal
education. Most pupils in developed countries fail to do well due to some home
practices. According to UNICEF (2007), some local traditions and customs such
as early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevent children from
going to school. The culture of a society and attitude towards education seem
to influence the academic achievement among the pupils (Ayo &Briggs, 1992).
According to Murtala (2003), girls who
are circumcised perceive themselves as adults and despise their colleagues and
teachers. This leads to poor academic performance. Studies have shown that
initiation rite of passage breeds indiscipline in schools. This is common in
some rural areas of Ado-Odo/Ota local government area.
According to Carl and
Christine (2009), a child needs to be provided with all the basic needs at home
in order to do well at school. A hungry pupil will not concentrate in class
leading to academic under achievement. The failure to meet these needs by some
parents in USA makes some students not to do well in school. To promote
learning at home, children need to be provided with a conducive learning
environment which includes additional reading materials as well as controlled
watching of television (Caroline & Clauss, 2006). According to UNICEF
(2007), children need to be challenged by parents from home in order to do well
at school. Parents should always avoid giving out too much pocket money to their
children without guidance regarding its use. Some children get into drug abuse
and other malpractices (MOE, 2001). Children need to be trained to be
independent, disciplined and responsible. In addition, when children feel
appreciated at home they do well in school. This is common in most African
countries including Nigeria.
In Ado-Odo/Ota local
government area, some parents do not provide a conducive home environment due
to their ignorance and low academic level (D.N, January, 19th 2012). In Ado Odo/Ota local
government area, the continued low academic performance has been a challenge to
the Zonal Education Officer and other stakeholders.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
The academic performance of a child is influenced by the parental
background, social, economic and cultural practices. Parents need to play their
role fully in order to promote the academic performance of their children in
school. They are expected to ensure that children have enough time to study at
home and avoid certain traditions that would hinder learning of their children.
A student performance in BECE is used as criteria for certification and also
determines the kind of department a student will belong to in senior secondary school
one would join. Despite of the commitment of the Nigerian Government to provide
high quality Basic education, outstanding academic performance has been a
challenge in public secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area.
This poses a serious threat to the socio-economic development of the area, the
state and the country at large. The overall problem is that parents seem to
have a great influence on the academic performance in public secondary schools
within their locality.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The purpose of the study was
to investigate the implication of parental upbringing on student academic
performance in public secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area. This
study sought to achieve the following objectives:
i). To establish the parental
upbringing that influence academic performance in public secondary school in
Ado-Odo/Ota local government area.
ii). To establish the
parental economic factors that determines the academic performance in public
secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area.
iii). To find out the cultural practices among parents that affect
academic performance in public secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local
government area.
iv). To find out the influence of parental background on academic
performance in public secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area.
1.4 Research
Questions
The
study sought to answer the following questions
i.
Are there parental upbringing in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area
that influence the academic performance in public secondary schools?
ii.
Do the parental economic factors among Ado-Odo/Ota local government
area parents determine the academic performance in public secondary schools?
iii. Do the cultural practices
among Ado-Odo/Ota local government area parents affect academic performance in
public secondary schools?
iv. Does the background of the
parents in Ado-Odo/Ota local government affect academic performance in public secondary
schools?
1.5 Significance
of the Study
The findings of the study would be useful to the stakeholders as it
could help the Ministry Of Education to come up with seminars to educate the
parents on their roles in promoting academic performance in public secondary
schools. The findings could enable the school administrator to identify the
cultural practices among the parents that hinder the academic success among
students. As a result, students would be advised accordingly. In addition, the
findings could enable the parents to see the need of meeting the basic needs of
their children and develop positive attitude towards education.
1.6 Delimitations
of the Study
In this study, the influence
from religious leaders and politicians who could also influence students’
academic performance was not considered. Only the head teachers, teachers and
JSS 1-3 students were involved in data collection ignoring those from private
schools.
1.7 Limitations
of the Study
The respondents in the study
sample constituted the head teachers, teachers and JSS 1-3 students only
leaving out other stake holders like the P.T.A, community leaders and ZEO
office. The study also limited itself to one district due to time. In addition,
the study limited itself to a few public primary schools in the district. The
study was also limited by time constraints. Inability to meet with the parents
of the sample students for interview and lack of funds.
1.8 Operational Definition of Key Terms
Cultural factors: Issues related to the customs
and beliefs of a community
Economic factors: Issues related to situation which leads to
ability or inability to acquire basic needs due to lack of funds
Influence: To have an effect on
performance such as examinations
Parental role: The duty of a parent
Performance: Ability of a pupil to get marks in an
examination that will enable him join secondary school
Parental background: The level of education attained by parents and
other experiences that can affect child’s learning at home.
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