The Effect Of Socio-Economic Background On Academic Performance Of
Secondary School Biology Students (A Case Study Of Enugu North LGA)
TABLE OF CONTENT
1
Title page ……………………………………………………………. i
Approval Page………………………………………………………….ii
Certification……………………………………………………………iii
Table of Content ……………………………………………………….iv
List of tables…………………………………………………………….v
Dedication………………………………………………………………vi
Acknowledgement………………………………………………………vii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………Viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study………………………………………………..1
Statement of the problems………………………………………………7
Purpose of the study ……………………………………………………7
Significant of the study………………………………………………… 8
Research Questions ……………………………………………………. 9
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Factors that affect academic performance……………………………...10
Nature and important of Biology……………………………………….15
Concept of socio- Economic status…………………………………….16
Summary of reviewed literature……………………………… ……….19
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CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design…………………………………………………………21
Area of the Study……………………………………………………….22
Population of Study……………………………………………………..22
Sample and Sampling Techniques……………………………………....22
Instrument for Data Collection………………………………………….22
Method of Data Collection……………………………………………...23
Method of Data Analysis………………………………………………..23
Validity of Instrument…………………………………………………..23
Reliability of Instrument………………………………………………..24
CHAPTER FOUR
Data presentation and Analysis…………………………………………25
Research Question 1……………………………………………………25
Research Question 2……………………………………………………26
Research Question 3……………………………………………………28
Summary of Findings…………………………………………………..29
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION, SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSION
3
Discussion of Finding………………………………………………….31
Recommendation………………………………………………………32
Educational Implication………………………………………… …….31
Conclusion……………………………………………………………..31
APPENDIX………………………………………………….. ………34
REFERENCE……………………………………………………. …. 38
List of Tables
Table
Title
4
1.0
effects of Socio-Economic Status of Biology
students on their academic performance.
2.0
The extent parents occupation affect the academic
performance of students in Biology.
3.0
Effects of parental educational background on
students academic performance in Biology.
4.0
Ways to solve the effect of Socio-economic
background on the students academic performance
5
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
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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.
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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 socioeconomic 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
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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
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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
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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.
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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 academic
performance 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.
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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.
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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?
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