Abstract
This study was carried out on birth order and academic performance
of pupils in social studies in Obot Akara Local Government Area. Population of
the study consisted of 3830 pupils. 200 pupils were randomly selected for the
study. Three research questions were raised to guide the study and three
hypotheses were also used for the study. The instrument used for data collected
were analysed using independent t-test formula. Survey design was use for the
study. The findings reveal that there is significance between birth order and
pupils academic performance. The study recommended that parent should always
have the number of children that the can sponsors in school and cater for. The
study conclude that birth order is very significance to the academic
performance of pupils
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the
study
Much money has been invested in education in
Nigeria with a strong belief changes and development. Education has been
identified as the bedrock of knowledge and value structure in Nigeria. As
Nigeria entered the 21st century, considerable attention is being
paid to education as a key to sustainable development, peace and stability.
Such recognition makes education indispensible means for effective
participation not only in the socio-economics development of Nigeria but also
in the rapid globalization (Akpan 2001). (Adams 2000) stated that it is within
the family that the child acquired and organizes his first experience and the
move to the school for his secondary experience. One question often addressed
focuses on children’s academic success. The effectiveness of the school and the
family in assisting intellectual development of the child. Oscar (2000)
asserted that family size refers to the total number of children in the child’s
family in addition to the child himself, while the birth order refers to the
child’s position in the birth order.
However, the family types that a child comes
from either monogamous or polygamous family usually has impact on the child’s
academic performance. It is important to note that either of the family type
monogamous and family dictates is peculiar to Africa in general and in Nigeria
in particular. According to Uba (1998) first birth or the oldest child is
usually advantages by a good deal of attention and warmth during the early
stage of life.
Every family is composed of individuals
of different ages and each member will
have interest related to his own development level. If the family cannot cater
for the developmental interest, then academic progress will be a burden for the
parents to handle. Parents who have few children can cater for the development
needs of the children and can be sure of a steady academic progress. According
to Amos (2008) modern families do not clamour for more children so that the
children can be conveniently cater for parental care should not be over looked,
from infancy, a good parent is very much concerned with the up bringing of the
child. As the child enter school, the parental love and care would continue
provided that the economy of the family remains stable. It can be seen that
birth order is one of the real causes of pupils academic performance going down
in secondary schools.
Pupils who are few in the family perform
better than those who are many. (Halton 2007) was one of first scientists of
venture into the field of birth order. While his primary motivation for doing
so was to perfect the human race by eradicating those he considered an
desirable, he did in fact uncover statistical information through his creation
of research involving birth order among scientists. Scientists, who now accept
the birth order effects, have devised several theories to explain birth order’s
impact on the family. Zasonc (2009), states that there are three key factors in
birth order effects: parents with few children have more time and attention for
those children, first born children are exposed to more mature language, thus
enabling them to be more successful academically, and the family’s intellectual
environment becomes less mature and intelligent with each new addition to the
family. Upon this background this research project seeks to examine the
influence of birth order and academic
performance of pupils in social studies.
1.2 Statement of the
problem
Poor academic performance of pupils in
recent times has been a worrisome, poor academic performance is a multi
facetedproblem caused by many and varied factors some see this poor performance
by pupils as a reflection of perceived falling standard of education in our
society brought about by birth order.
Some believed that the child position in the birth order determine their
academic performance in school it usually arise in an effort to cater for the
developmental need of the children, including education. Parents who do not
plan the birth order of their families do, themselves more harm than good
therefore it is imperative that this research examines birth order and academic
performance of pupils in social studies.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The purpose of the study was to examine
birth order and pupil academic performance in social studies. Specifically the
study sought to:
(i) Examine
the influence of first birth order on academic performance of pupils in social
studies.
(ii) Determine
the influence of last birth order on academic performance of pupils in social studies.
(iii) Examine
the influence of the middle birth order on academic performance of pupils in
social studies.
1.4 Significance of the
study
This study intends to be of great benefits to many people who will come across
it with reference to parents teacher, pupils, educational planners and the general public. The study will make
parents to be aware of the influence of their home background on their children
negatively or positively in relation to their academic achievement.
- The
study would also suggest to parents to make good use of the home to make their
wards comfortable in school by providing them with all necessary school
materials
- To
the educational planners, the study would enlighten them on the importance of
planning the school curriculum with flexibility to suit different cultural
environments and the importance of providing quality teachers and adequate
classroom factors.
The
information here will be important to the government to provide essential needs
to the good pupils or even awarding them scholarship.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were
formulated to guide the study
(i) How
does first birth influence academic performance of pupils.
(ii) To
what extent does last birth order influence academic performance of pupils.
(iii) How
does middle birth order influence academic performance of pupils.
1.6 Research Hypotheses
For the purpose of this study the following
hypotheses were formulated.
(i) There
is no significant relationship between first birth order and academic
performance of pupils in social studies.
(ii) There
is no significant relationship between last birth order and academic
performance of pupils in social studies.
(iii) There
is no significant relationship between middle birth order and academic performance
of pupils in social studies.
1.7 Limitation of the
study
This study is mainly to assess the birth
order and academic performance of pupils in social studies. During the research
exercise, the researcher met with certain problems that rendered to militate
against the successful completion of the work, among which were;
-
Financial constraint: This arouse due to
high cost of transportation. As a result of this, the researcher has not enough
money to enable him essential for this rudiment.
-
Time within which the research study is to
be completed.
1.8 Delimitation
This study delimited to birth order and
academic performance of pupils in ObotAkara Local Government Area. Only public
primary school shall be selected for study in ObotAkara Local Government Area.
1.9 Definition of
terms
Birth order: Refers to the child position in the family.
Academic performance: This is defined as the level of achievement in social studies
whether good or bad.
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