HOME VARIABLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

HOME VARIABLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            Background to the Study

Home is the first and the most significant place for the child’s inclusive growth and development. The home provides not only the hereditary transmission of basic potentials for the child but also the favorable environment in terms of interpersonal relation and cultural pattern. However, education like in school at home must also strive to achieve the desired objective in principles with constructive ways of perceiving and making self-meaning. However, educational psychologist broadly maintained that in education development of a child, how and school are the twins that play complementary roles and also towards the social bringing of the children in the society. Omebe (2012), agreed on the ideology that, home is the forerunner of the school. He also expressed that; the home and school are the two notable institutions that cultures a child to be what he/she is in society. 

Egboh and Igba (2013) in their personal reflection added that the homes are the two stages that combined efforts to propagate a child or children to face the challenges in the society. Okpahone (2010) stated that home is the basic education formation, while school is hearing and based are responsible for the addition and supplement. Therefore, if the foundation laid by the home teachers is fragile, the child may not stand firm and benefit adequately from the secondary school education. But, when its natural or educational formation satieties and also effectively boosts its awareness toward the study, the school can feature to strengthen the foundation, Aboyi (2012) asserted that the failure of some students from meeting up to the demands within the family, school and society was the negative influence of students toward the utilization of the available wealth of the family. Nweke (2011) stated that the actual cause of students’ failure is as a result of the nature of family background and upbringing in terms of socio-economic status and other home variables, which can give birth to poor planning mechanism. Poor planning mechanism has to do with a situation in which parents do not have the will to set aside funds and use the funds based on budget. Interest in learning and academic performance among students cannot be separated from the home environment from which they grew up.

Home variables means those qualities in a family that is subject to change or varies; they include all the human and material resources present at the home that may affects the child’s academic outcome, such as the parent’s level of education (low, middle or high), their occupation, socioeconomic status (low, middle or high), parenting style (authoritative, permissive, democratic and neglectful), marital status, broken homes (single parenthood, divorce, separated etc.) and socializing facilities available in the house. Thus, the home is the basic institution for providing the child’s primary socialization and laying the educational foundation for the child upon which other agents of socialization are built. The education received by a child from parents at home is most likely to house highly significant and dominant effects on the behaviours of the child later in life. What the child learns at home and how his/her family motivates him/her towards education contributes to the child success of every individual. Furthermore, in students’ home background, some factors that influence their academic performance include parental educational background, parental economic status, parental marital status, parental home location etc.

1.2            Statement of the Problem

Over the years, the society had recorded a persisted increase in the rate of poor performance in economics in school Examination such as terminal examination, promotion examination, and external examination. Comment from education shows that the blame from a look has been as a result of neglect of and carefree attitude of parents towards academic works of their children. We understand that the home is the first school for a child where he or she has taught the basic norms and valves by a parent before the child learns for formal education. Contrary to the popular opinion, which states the “learning and reading begins in school, but the first foundation of the child begins at home”.

In recent years, there has been this assumption that the standard of education in Nigeria has fallen which manifest itself in poor performance of students. This has therefore led to a lot of argument of whom to blame, the teachers, the government, students, peer groups contribute to the students’ academic performance in economic but the home into which the students are born nature and spend most of his time is to be blamed more because the home is the major contributor to the student performance in economics. It is against this background that the researcher has decided to investigate the home variables and academic performance in economics among secondary school students in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

1.3            Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate home variables and academic performance in economics among secondary school students in Uruan Local Government Area.

Specifically, the study sought to:

i.                   To examine the influence of parental socioeconomic status on the academic performance of the student in Economic in secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area.

ii.                 To examine the parental level of education of academic performance in economic among secondary school students in Uruan Local Government Area.

iii.              To examine whether broken home influence academic performance in economics among secondary schools students in Uruan Local Government Area.

     

1.4            Significance of the Study

Hopefully, the finding of this study will be of immense importance to the students, parents, teachers, educational administrators and the government in the following ways:

i.       The study will help the parents to realize how high, average or low income can affect the academic performance of their children either positively or negatively. 

ii.                 The study will also help parents to yearn for higher educational attainments that will enable them to get the better-paid job, raise their status in society and assist their children in their educational problems.

iii.              The study will help parents to be aware of the effect of broken homes on a child’s poor academic performance.

iv.               The study will help the parents to understand the effect of home factors such as parental socioeconomic status, parenting styles, marital status on the academic performance of students and hence, improving their home conditions as to improve their children’s academic performance.

v.                 The findings of this study will serve as a source of knowledge and information to another researcher who will conduct their studies on related areas.  

1.5            Research Questions

i.       How does parental socio-economic status influence academic performance in economic among secondary schools Uruan Local Government Area?

ii.     To what extent does parental level of education influence academic performance in economic among secondary school in Uruan Local Government Area?

iii.  To what extent do broken homes influence the academic performance of students in economic among secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area?

1.6            Research Hypotheses

In order to guide the research work, the following null hypotheses were postulated:

i.                   There is no significant influence of parental socioeconomic status on the academic performance in economic among secondary school students in Uruan Local Government Area. 

ii.                 There is no significant influence of parental level of education on academic performance in economics among secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area.

iii.              There is no significant influence of broken homes on academic performance in economic among secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area.

1.7            Limitation of the Study

The constraining of the study was lack of fund and time as the research work was done alongside other academic activities. The available resources of the researcher were inadequate to cater for both the materials needed for the research work and academic activities.

1.8            Delimitation of the Study

The study was delimited to senior secondary school students offering economic in Uruan Local Government Area. The study focused mainly on the influence of home variables such as socio-economic status, parental educational level and broken homes on academic performance in secondary schools in the study area.

1.9            Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms will be used in the study as there are operationally defined.

Home Variables: There are home factors which in one or the other affects one’s life in society and in any institution of learning. 

Home: This refers to a driveling place used as a permanent or semi-permanent resident for an individual, family, or several families.

Variables: These refer to those elements, features or factors that are liable to vary or change.

Broken Home: Is a home that has split or separated due to a variety of reasons; or is a family in which one parent is absent, usually due to divorce.

Parental Level of Education: It is the levels of education attend by any given parent, which can also influence the academic performance of the child.