Influence of Family Socio- Economic Background on Academic Performance in Agricultural Science

Influence of Family Socio- Economic Background on Academic Performance in Agricultural Science

Abstract

The study investigated family socio-economic background and student academic performance in agricultural science in Secondary Schools in Uyo Local Government Area. A survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of 2480 Senior Secondary two (SS2) students in all the twelve Secondary School in the study area. Two hundred students were drawn out using simple random sampling techniques from four schools out of the twelve Secondary Schools in the study area. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide this study.

200 questionnaires with a ten item questions were distributed to the respondents. The instrument was validated by the supervisor. Pearson product moment correlation co-efficient(r) was used to analyze the data obtained. Findings shows that parents’ occupational background, parents’ educational background influence the academic performance of students.

The study further revealed that there is a significant relationship between parent occupational background, parent educational background and students’ academic performance in secondary school in agricultural science in Uyo Local Government Area. Based on the conclusion of the findings, it was recommended among others that parents should support their children in providing learning materials on time to enhance learning.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The responsibility of training a child always lies in the hands of the parents. It is out of place to imagine that parental socio- economic background can have possible effects on the academic performance of children in school. Whatsoever affects the environment of the children would possibly affect their education or disposition to it. Parental socio-economic background is one of such variables. Parental socio-economic characteristics to a greater extent determine students’ performance in Schools and in their adjustment to life.

The poor performance of students’ in examinations especially agricultural science in school in recent times could be attributed to the changing life pattern in some families coupled with the present economic hardship which has made most families unable to meet up with their responsibilities of ensuring a healthy and literate family.

The size of the family in which a child grows, affects his intellectual development; this is because in a large size family, a child may not be given the required attention especially in his/her academics as the family will have more persons to carter for. The socio economic background of a family impacts negatively on the gross performance of the child. Family financial resources, which are associated with parents’ occupation and educational attainment, often imply increase in learning opportunities both at home and in school.

 Parents of different occupation classes often have different styles of childrearing, different ways of disciplining their children and different ways of reacting to their children. These differences do not express themselves consistently in the case of every family; rather they influence the average tendencies of families for different occupational classes. In previous local findings, there is a significant difference between the rates of deviant behavior among students from high and low socio economic background.

The healthy status of the children which could also be traceable to parental socio economic background can also be another factor that can affect that can affect the academic performance is greatly hindered. This assertion is again hinged on nature of parent socio economic background. Moreover, when a child get proper nutrition, health care stimulation during preschool years, the abilities to interact with, take optimal advantage of the full complement of resources offered by any formal learning environment is enhanced.

Influence of Family Socio- Economic Background on Academic Performance in Agricultural Science

Considering agricultural sciences many branches and vast applications in every field of human endeavor; its importance in a nation’s economic development cannot be emphasized. It therefore becomes very necessary that efforts are geared towards finding a lasting solution to students’ poor performance in the subject to this end, several factors have been identified by researchers as being responsible for the persistent poor performance recorded in agricultural science especially at Senior Secondary certificate examination .

Some of these include lack of teachers, lack of educational facilities like laboratories, overloaded syllabuses, laziness, poor attitude and lack of interest on the part of the students, poor teaching methods by the teachers, large class size/high teacher-student ratio and family background has influence on children’s performance in school, considering the fact that education starts from the home, not much empirical studies have been carried out in recent times to support this assertion.

Beside, much of the data available on this topic are theories and opinions of individuals. It is also not certain that such study has been carried out in agricultural science as these researchers could not lay their hands on any. Hence, there is need to carry out this study to obtain an authentic and current information on how family socio-economic background influences students’ academic performances in agricultural science.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

In Nigeria, education is taken as instrument per excellent in effecting national development and it has a long lasting impact on one’s life. The acquisition of knowledge and skills and all other things that is worthwhile which are transmitted to a person through formal and informal education determine his/her potential in future. Societies all over the world strive to achieve quantitative education for her citizenry in order to achieve this noble course.

So many factors must be put into consideration. Amongst them is the family socio-economic background of a child. The family has a great role to play on the overall development of the child and his educational upbringing in particular. The gap in performance between students and academic excellence constitutes a great source of worry and serious concern as well as discomfiture to parent, school manager, policy makers and various governments responsible for the education of the students in Secondary School.

Experience has shown that among the Secondary School students there exist some differences which influences students’ academic performance, such students’ abilities to pay their school fees promptly, ability to possess the required school uniforms and other learning materials like text books and exercise book, others do not, where as some student comes to school properly fed, other were not.

One then wonder whether influence of family socio-economic background plays a role in the light of this, the main problem is to find out to what extent family socio- economic background in Uyo Local Government Area affects students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the influence of family socio- economic background on academic performance in agricultural science in Uyo Local Government Area. The specific purposes include;

1. to determine the extent to which parental occupation affects the academic performance of agricultural science students.
2. to determine the effects of parental educational background on student academic performance in agricultural science.

1.4     Significant of the Study

This study will benefit the students, teachers, parents and the governments in the following ways;

1. This research work will expose the students to various effects of socio-economic background on the academic performance.
2. It will help the parents to understand the need for adequate parental care and motivation of their school children.
3. It will educate the teachers on how to attend to the students, since their parental background differs.
4. The government might identify areas where she could at different levels comes to bridge the gap between educational attainment of children of the low and high income earners in the society.

1.5     Research Questions

In order to achieve the derived objectives the following research questions were raised to guide the study.

1. what influence does parental occupation have on the academic performance of students in agricultural science?
2. what is the influence of parental educational background on students’ academic performance in agricultural science?

1.6     Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide this study.

1. there is no significant relationship between parental occupation and student academic achievement in agricultural science.
2. there is no significant relationship between parent’s educational background and students’ academic achievement in agricultural science.

1.7     Limitation of the Study

The study was limited by time as the time frame to turn in this study was too short to accomplish a more detailed research. Secondly, financial limitation made the research to be restricted to some schools within the locality of the researcher and so the findings and outcome of the research may not provide an authoritative results.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

The study was divided to family socio economic background and students’ academic performance in agricultural science in uyo local government area.

1.9     Operationalization of terms

1. Socio economic background: this refers to the position of recognition which one finds himself in the society such position may not be hereditary but acquire through personal efforts like education, wealth, occupation and social class.
2. Academic Achievement: This refers to students’ successes in meeting short or long term goals in education.