THE EFFECT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND ON ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN ENUGU NORTH LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE
Abstract
This
study determined the effect of socio-Economics background on Academic
performance of Secondary school Biology Students in order to study this
topic, effect four research questions were raised and answered
literature reviews related to this study were reviewed in the following
subheadings. They are important of Biology concept of Socio-Economics
Status. The design of the study is the sampling techniques were random
sampling. The instrument used is questionnaire. The instrument was
validated by two experts in the school of science Education. The
reliability of the instrument was obtained data. Data obtained were
analyzed using modified linkert scare and mean. The result showed that
SES of the Biology students affects their academic performance of the
students in Biology to a high extent. Parent educational background has
effect on the academic performance of the students in Biology and there
are measures that the students in Biology and there are measures that
can be taken to the academic performance. Therefore, the following
recommendations were made by the researchers. Counselors should be
recruited to various secons any schools to help guide and counsel the
students from poor SE background and their should be uniformity in
teachers dealing with the students from the different background.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Statement of the problems
Purpose of the study
Significant of the study
Research Questions
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Factors that affect academic performance
Nature and important of Biology
Concept of socio- Economic status
Summary of reviewed literature
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Area of the Study
Population of Study
Sample and Sampling Techniques
Instrument for Data Collection
Method of Data Collection
Method of Data Analysis
Validity of Instrument
Reliability of Instrument
CHAPTER FOUR
Data presentation and Analysis
Research Question 1
Research Question 2
Research Question 3
Summary of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Discussion of Finding
Recommendation
Educational Implication
Conclusion
APPENDIX
REFERENCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study:
Education
is the best legacy a nation can give to her citizens especially the
youth. This is because the development of any nation or community
depends youth. This is because the development of any nation or
community depends largely on the quality of education of such a nation.
It is generally believed that the basis for any true development must
commence with the development of human resources. Much then is said
formal education remains the vehicle for social-economic development and
social mobilization in any witnessed prolong military rule and aborted
civilian administrations, which necessitude the promulgation of decrees,
edicts and levels. The inconsistence continuation of government, due to
coup de tat de-emphasized the continuity in the implementation of
educational laws and polices since 1970’s till the present time. This
gradually laid the foundation of fallen standard in education at the
primary and secondary school levels (Shittu, 2004)
Frequently changes
of ministers and commissioners of education by successive government
coupled with the politicization of education by political parties that
emerged in the country’s political parties that emerged in the country’s
political scene 1979 have also brought about disparity in educational
practices, which
caused differential academic performance and classroom functioning of both teachers and students, from state to state.
Material academic performance and classroom function of both teachers and students from state to state.
According
to Olotu (1994) in the quest of finding survival feet, the nation has
evolved series o socio-economic and educational measures and policies
such as structural adjustment programmes (SAP), Austerity measures,
universal primary education (UPE), Universal Basic education (UBE) and
devaluation of the Naira. .These measures have not improved the social
economic and educational status of families in the country.
They have rather increased their suffering, and widened the socio-economic gaps between families.
Johnson
(1996) lamented that parents become poor due to there hard measures
such that they can no longer provide shelter, clothing and special need
of their children in school/such as provision of text books . school
uniforms and good medical care and so on high level of illiteracy,
poverty and law socio-economic status coupled with high rate of paternal
and maternal deprivation of student academic needs which was
necessitated by poor socio-economics situation of the country has thrown
many farmers and other ruler dwellers into untold financial problems
such as poverty, lack of money to purchase necessary text books and
working materials for their kids.
Also many rural and sub-urban
dwellers can no longer pay the school students to deposit of school to
engage in subsistence farming and become housemaids or engage in other
mental jobs to support their academic pursuit. Hence, many student have
since taken schooling as a secondary assignment and school attendance or
rational basis.
The resultant problem posed by this poor academic
performance in school examination National Examinations council (NECO)
and West Africa Examination Council (WAEC). This trend is posing huge.
Problems to parents, government, political parties and stakeholders in
education. This paper thus examines the socio-economic factors
responsible for the poor academic performance of secondary school
students, in the local government area of Oyo state Nigeria. Basic
issues Home background: Home background according to PISA (progamme
international student Assessment, 2000) influences academic and
educational success of students and schoolwork, while socio-economic
status reinforces the activities and functioning of the teachers and
students. From the above, it is reversed that the quality of parents and
home background of student goes a long way to predict the quality and
regularity of the satisfaction and provision of a child’s functional
survival and academic needs. poor parental care with gross deprivation
of social and economic needs of a child, usually yield poor academic
performance of the child. On the other hand, where a child suffers
parental and material deprivation and care due to divorce or death, or
ascending of one of the parents the child schooling may be financially
buoyant to pay school fees, purchase books uniforms, such child may play
truant, thus his performances in school may be adversely affected
(Shittu, 2004). Similarly, good parenting supported by strong economic
home background could enhance strong academic performance of the child.
This
further predicts academic performance where the child is properly
counseled in the choice of his/her courses and vocation that matches his
mental ability, interest and capacity where as the children to the care
of the illiterate mothers will find themselves roaming about the street
laboring to make ends meet.
Danesy and Okediran (2012) lamented that
street hawking among young school students have psychologically imposed
other problems, like sex networking behavior, Juvenile delinquent
behavior, which takes much of the student school time that necessitated
the poor academic performance and drop out syndrome noticed among young
school students. Nevertheless, they also lamented that the materials and
patterned deprivation of the essential needs of the young student have
prompted their poor performance in public examination, such as JSSC,
WAEC and NECO. Learning Environment: The learning environment that is
free of Barriers, or obstacles or distractions such as noise, gas/smoke
pollutions and so on can constitute a health hazards, which in turn
affect or reduces student’s concentration or perceptual or conceptual
focus to learning (spr in thrall, 1987). Markets and garages located
near school have always posed a threat to students. Noise and pollution
from these sources have always endangered students’ life and
concentration. Therefore for an effective learning and high academic
performance, schools a both ruler and sub-urban and urban areas should
be located off zones, characterized with smoke/ gas pollutions, market
centers or garages.
As conducive learning environments stimulate
learning, understanding and high perception. Other factors according to
Danes (2004, complementing environmental and socio-economic factors to
produce high academic achievements and performance include good
teaching, counseling, good administration, good seating arrangement and
good building. Dilapidating buildings lacking mental stimulating
facilities that are characterized with low or no seating arrangement
will also be destructive. Danes, however, lamented that the innovative
environment do stimulate head start learning and mental perception, not
only that, it has also been proved that student that come from
simulative environment with laboratory equipments or those that are
taught with rich instructional aids, pictures and allowed to demonstrate
using their functional nerves like, eyes, hands, and sense of taste.
Performed better than those trained under theoretical and canopy of
abstraction. Thus teaching and learning should be done under organized,
planned and fortified environment with learning instructional aids to
stimulate students sense of conception, and concentration to facilitate
systematic understanding and acquisition of knowledge in them. SsIn sum a
combination of a healthy family background living in good environment
plus the child being educated in a conducive environment with a
fortified learning or instructional aids or motivational incentives will
prompt academic performance. Furthermore, it has been played that some
factors which are present in the family contribute greatly to the
academic performance of the student. Among these are parental
educational background income exposure, parental relationship, with each
other strength of the family determines to a grater extent the
readiness of the child to learn. Never the less, the influence of other
factor like mental and physical disabilities can account for poor family
background being an umbrella in the initiation of the child in the
world should provide favorable conditions which will improve the
academic performance of the child irrespective of the constraints
encountered in the academic pursuits.
Furthermore, it has been
X-rayed that some factors which are present in the family contributed
greatly to the performance of the student.
Among these are parental
educational background, income, exposure parental relationship with each
other strength of the family/ population, religion sex difference
action, occupation etc. the interplay of these factors in the family
determines the to a greater extent the readiness of the child to lean.
Nevertheless, the influence of other factor like mental and physical
disabilities can account for poor academic performance in biology. In
the whole, the family background being an umbrella in the inflation of
the child into the world should provide favorable conditions which will
improve the academic performance of the child, irrespective of the
constraints encountered in his academic pursuits.
Statement of The Problem
Observations
and reports from examination bodies like WAEC, NECO and Jamb revealed
that a high percentage of secondary school students continue to do
poorly in biology examinations. This poor performance is likely to be
caused by some factors such as lack of parental care, poverty and lack
of interest in education hence. This study sought to investigate the
extent to which these variable determine the biology achievement of
secondary school students in Eungu North local government area of Enugu
State.
Purpose of the Study
This research work aim at the following:
To find the effect of socio-economic status of biology students on their academic performance in Eungu north L.G.Area
To determine the extent to which parental occupation affect the academic performance of students in biology.
To
determine the effect of parents educational background on student
academicvperformance in biology in Eungu North L.G.Area of Enugu State.
To
determine the effect of parents educational background on students
academic performance in Biology in Enugu North L.G.Area of Enugu state.
Find solution to the effect of socio-economic background on students’ academic performance.
Significant of the Study
The
usefulness of this research work in the educational system cannot be
over emphases. If the result of the study is properly utilized, it is
going to be benefit to
the students, teachers, parents and government.
1. The research work will expose the students to various effects of socio-economic status on the academic performance.
2. it will help the parents to understand the need for adequate parental care on their school children.
3.
It will educate the teachers on how to attend to students, since their
parental background is not the same. It will also help the school
administrators to adjust not only the time table but also reediting put
into their meals.
a. The government would from this exposure know how to assist the school administrations in funding the schools.
Scope of the study:
The
researchers confine the study to secondary schools in Eungu North local
government area. Specifically designed for senior secondary schools
students who are engaged in biology science.
This means that the
application of the research findings in generalization within the
geographical area of Eungu North local government area.
Research Questions
In order to achieve the derived objectives the following research questions were raised to guide the study.
1. What are the effects of socio-economic status of biology
students on their academic performance?
2. To what extent does parental occupation affect the academic
performance of students in biology?
3. What are the effects of parental educational background on
students academic performance in biology in Eungu North L.G.Area?
4. What are the solutions to the effect of socio-economic
background on student’s academic performance?