ABSTRACT: The study examined Home Variables and Academic Performance in Agricultural Science among Secondary School Students. To guide this study, two objectives, two research questions as well as two hypotheses were posited. Survey design was employed in the study. The population of the study was 1417 senior secondary two (552) students from all public secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area. A simple sampling technique was used to select the sample size of one hundred (100) senior secondary two (552) students from four intact classes in four (4) public secondary schools in the study area. Agricultural Science Performance Test (ASPT) and Achievement Test was used as the instruments for data collection.
Home Variables and Academic Performance in Agricultural Science among Secondary School Students
The independent t-test statistical method was adopted to analyze the data collected. findings showed that: There is a significant difference between academic performance of students whose parent educational level is high and those whose parent’s educational level is low, findings also showed that there is significant difference in the academic performance of students from family size and those from large family size in Agricultural science in Eket Local Government Area. Based on the findings, recommendation made among others includes: Government should encourage parents with low educational background to attend education through adult educational campaign, so that they can know how to encourage their wards academically also the free and compulsory educational programme should be maintained to help students from low parental background to have equal opportunities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The home is where every child is born into and makes first interactions (Ekpo, 2004). These interactions can contribute in shaping the feedings, emotions, and attitudes of the child permanently. The destiny of mankind depends on the child and the welfare of the child is closely linked to the home in terms of the innate tendencies drawn from the genetic transcription and the home environment. Some authorities hold that a child academic underachievement is a function of his/her characteristics and the forces operating in the learning environment (Isangedighi 2005).
The environment includes the home, the school and the society in which the child finds his/her self. Maduokonoam, 2005 and Uwe, 2005 amongst other researchers have acknowledged the importance of the home in the life of a child the general actions and inactions in the home have for more reaching impact on the child’s academic performance.
Common among these home related factors are parent imposition of subject on their wards irrespective of the latter’s poor performance in the subjects, non-monitoring at homes of child’s academic progress, lack of provision in many homes for education needs of wards (children), lack of basic amenities in the home, poor parental control, parents occupation, educational level of the parents, home size, educational aspiration of parents for the child, and the child birth order. (Bajah, 2006, Momoh, 2003, Ocrrepa, 2004). Other home related factors include early deprivation, rejection over indulgence, over protection, broken homes, death of either or both parents, siblings rivalry and home economic background. The variables usually have more significant impact on the adolescents (Bakare, 2005, and John 2006, Tucker and Asser, 2003).
The home variables is considered necessary because the level of educational attainment determine to a high extent the type of work parents engaged in, hence the economic background of the home. Academic performance of students in Agricultural Science have been influenced by a number of factors such as, the qualities of teachers, availability of instructional ,material and media, attitude of the students and social factors at home (Aniedi 2009). Kinder (2010) stated that the home plays a highly significant role in the intellectual development of the child.
Ekong (2008) also noted that the home is a man’s starting point in the larger society he finds himself. It is very important to the total make up of the child. He further supported that the home therefore remain the significant group to which a child is attached to throughout his/her life. Irrespective of their parent encouragement, children needs motivation to excel or expose their talents and when this is lacking, negative consequences may develop.
Furthermore, the home has been identified as an overwhelming factor affecting the students’ academic performance in schools. It would then appear that home variable such as socio-economic status of parents, parents’ literacy level, occupation of parent and social class placement, if it is in poor condition may present a serious danger to the emotional, personality and mental adjustment of the young adolescent. These have a noticeable effect on students’ academic performance. This study therefore was set to investigate home variables and academic performance in Agricultural science among students in secondary schools.
Home Variables and Academic Performance in Agricultural Science among Secondary School Students
1.2 Statement to the Problem
It is the desire of parents and government to produce knowledgeable and skillful citizen from all levels of learning. To complete the efforts of the Federal Government each state establishes a mass literacy agency as part of the overall national efforts to eradicate mass illiteracy in Nigeria (National Policy on education, 2003).
The aim cannot be achieve if some students are deprived of the opportunity of being literate by the home background they came to meet right from birth. This form the bases of this research which was to examine whether there exist an influence of home variables such as socio-economic status of the parent as well as parental educational attainment levels on the academic performance of students in Agricultural science