Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate Family Background and Acquisition of Computer Education in Secondary School in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area. The population were all the senior secondary two (SS2) students in the study area which amounted to three thousand and fifteen (3015) students. One hundred and fifty (150) sample sizes were selected using simple random sampling techniques from five (5) public secondary schools in the study area. Three (3) research questions were formulated for the study.

The design adopted for the study was a survey design. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed using simple percentage, mean and standard deviation. The result of findings reveals that family background does influence the acquisition of computer education among secondary school students. It was recommended that: parents should encourage and motivate their children in all school programmes and also government should make provision for computer accessories to be available in all public schools in the area of study. 

Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

A well-developed scientific and technological base economy are vital conditions to any national human and material development. Nigeria is classified as a developing nation but has continued to make breakthroughs by emphasizing much in science and technology thereby making inclusive steps with Computer Education in the curriculum of both the junior and senior secondary schools.

During the Ministerial Council Meeting of the National Council on Education in 1987. The Federal Government of Nigeria introduced Computer Education into the nation’s secondary school system. This was followed by the inauguration of the National Committees on Computer Education that same year.

The functions of the committee among others included, planning for dynamic policy in computer education and literacy in Nigeria as well as devising clear strategies and terminologies to be used by the Federal Government and State Government in the introduction of computer education.

The general objective of the policy were;

1. To bring about a computer literate society in Nigerian secondary schools.
2. To enable the present secondary students acquire and appreciate and use the computer in various aspect of life and in the next future. Notabilities for achieving the stated objective were also setup as follows:

• Training teachers and associate personnel
• Provision of hardware facilities
• Curriculum development and evaluation
• Software development and evaluation
• Maintenance of hardware etc

These stated strategies can promote or affect the acquisition and learning of computer among secondary schools students depending on family background.

Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

The family is the first and primary foundation of the child learning process. Every child is unique and so he/she must react to the school environment in his/her own way. Since the child’s behavour is the product of heredity and environment (a child family background, his upbringing, his peer group and all forces of his environment), that play a major role in his school performance. Apart from materials stimulation, needed by the child and provided by his family for his intellectual development, a child also is expected to be emotionally balanced. This will enable him to curb all the social ills that would disturb him at school.

All families ills do not have equal economic and social status since children from different homes and background different problems therefore, various children under this face condition would be disturbed at school much effort is therefore required of the teachers in identifying the child’s problem’s which may be traceable to his family. The teacher should study the child’s family background and correlate them with the child performance in the acquisition and learning of computer in schools.

The family backgrounds are details of a person’s family, education, economic status, experience etc. the family is the immediate group of people in the surrounding in which the student find themselves. It also referred to as the physical and psychological condition that affects children (Durojaiye, 2013). The parents or guardian of these students are responsible for providing the right home environment that will facilitate effecting learning for their wards. Furthermore, in a student’s family background, some factors that may impede the acquisition of computer education include parental education background, parental economic status, marital status and location of the home.

Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

Abdu-raheem (2015) study also agrees that family educational background and socio-economic status play pivotal roles in the learning process of a child. Parent’s education or background is such a motivating force for a child which paves the way for his/her future. Saima (2015) admits that children from educated parents are more confident, resourceful and experience than children whose parents lack education. In summary, the family background of a student can help to improve or impede the acquisition of computer education school ageing students.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Computer knowledge acquisition deals with the knowledge and ability to use computer and related technology efficiently with a range of skills covering level elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving. In Etim Ekpo Local Government Area where this research work was carried out there are scarcity of computer science teachers, the rural people perceive computer knowledge acquisition as a game learning skill in a computer center and not a subject in school, family setting and background also is a major hindrance to the children who would have seen the study of computer Education as a serious investment.

The study aims at investigating the associated problems in the acquisition of computer Education in secondary schools with a research look at family background, provision of facilities, trained personnel, financial constraints and organization constraints. It is against this background the study sought to investigate family background and the acquisition of computer Education in secondary schools in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Family Background and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary School Students

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate family Background and the acquisition of Computer Education by secondary school students in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area. Specifically the study;

1. Examine the effect of parental occupation and the acquisition of computer education in secondary schools.
2. Investigate the effect of parental economic status and the acquisition of computer education in secondary schools.

1.4 Research Questions

To guide this study, the following research questions were formulated;

1. To what extent does parental educational background affect the acquisition of computer education of students in secondary school?
2. Does parental economic status affect the acquisition of computer education of students in secondary schools?
3. To what extent does parental occupational status affect the acquisition of computer education of students in secondary schools?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study is very essential to the extents that it will be beneficial to the following;

1. The Family: The study is intended to inform various families that; their setting, location, financial implication and economic status should not be a barrier to the acquisition and learning of computer education of their ward in secondary school.
2. The Students: The study will enable the students to understand that computer education is not for play but for real imprecation of understanding knowledge and social improvement.
3. The Government: The study is also intended to disclose to government that the acquisition of computer education should be seen as their primordial goal by providing facilities and improving the condition of families that are of low affluence.

1.6  Limitation of the Study

The researcher encountered challenges in the cause of the research work. Some of the challenges encountered were; financial constraints and means of mobility to cover the whole study area.

1.7 Delimitation of the Study

The study is delimited to:

1. Educational background and the acquisition of computer Education by secondary schools students in Etim Ekpo L.G.A.
2. Economic status of parents.
3. Parental Occupational status.
4. The need for computer studies in secondary schools.

1.8   Operational Definition of Terms

The following were defined for the better understanding of the study.

Family: This is a group of people who are related to each other, by blood or marriage especially father, mother and children.

Family background: The details of a person’s family.

Acquisition: The act of getting or acquiring something, especially knowledge, and skill, etc.

Computer: Is an electronic machine that can store, organize and retrieve information, do calculations and control other machine computer Education.

Secondary Schools: (high schools) are schools or institutions of learning that provide education to children after primary level and before the tertiary stage.

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