ABSTRACT: This study investigated deviant behaviours and students’ academic performance in Economics in secondary schools. The population of the study comprises of one thousand two hundred (1200) economics SS2 students in the study area. Simple random sampling technique was used in selection of the schools and one hundred and twenty (120) respondents from four (4) schools used for the study. Deviant Behaviours Identification Questionnaire (DBIQ) was used to collect information about student’s deviances, while the examination scores were used to determine their performance. The data generated from the instrument were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results from the analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between student’s deviances and their academic performance, also that this deviances has a negative influence on student’s academic performance. Based on the results, the researcher recommended among others that trained counselors should be posted to all the secondary schools so as to help counsel student against the danger of various deviances.
Deviant Behaviours and Students’ Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Every individual grows towards becoming functioning members of the society. In the process of growth he gains empowerment through school learning. Stakeholders in education industry such as government, parent, missionaries, and proprietors of schools had invested huge sum of money and materials to ensure high performance of student under their care (Bola, 2003).
There has always been diversity in the performance of student in secondary schools. While some student perform very well, others do the opposite and some cases, student are withdrawn from school for low performance. Various reasons have been attributed to this failure. Among them include the different levels of intelligence, some socio-economic factors, the school environment, students’ attitudes, and student deviant behaviors.
Deviant behavior simply means behaviour that students do that goes against the standard of the society, regardless whether the action is legal or illegal. Michael, (2004) defines deviant behavior as that type of behavior that is contrary to norms and the rules of the society. Such behavior or activities includes, crime, drunkenness, indiscipline, drug abuse, examination dishonesty, truancy and many others. It is reveal that students fails massively internal and externally administered examination in Akwa Ibom State and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area in particular. Stakeholders in the education industries such as parent, school authorities, teachers, officials of the ministry of education and the student themselves are restive and concerned at the high casualty rate of Economics students in public examination.
Nigeria society today is developing; therefore, it should stimulate the spirit of patriotism and lay the solid foundation for national and international understanding and corporation in students. Due to this fact, the education of the youth is very important in other to ensure the citizens to the social and economic development of the country as well as raising the standard of living generally.
According to Ehigie (2001), the family as agent of socialization could have significant impact on the child. This is evident from the fact that it is the first place where the child learns about leadership and what it takes, also basic skills and behavior pattern taught by parents in the home. The school as an organization should be able to deliver civilitarian services which geared towards the betterment of the society, such as the ability to teach morals, honesty, regularity, loyalty and dedication. This implies that the school should be able to provide disciplined students who will later become good citizens who are free from any deviant act or behaviour of any kind.
Deviant Behaviours and Students’ Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, the senior secondary certificate examination have not been encouraging (Ekanem 2007). The rate of failure and poor academic performance in Economics of senior secondary school system is a serious problem that requires the attention of all the stakeholders in education from the ministry of education to the students in Economics. This has therefore become a source of concern to educators and planners, parents, teachers, government and the public.
The persistence low performance in economics by students has been tackled in various ways by parents, schools, educationist and the government in a bid to solve the problem of poor academic performance in economics in schools. Parents teachers association (P.T.A) in schools have been bridging the gap between parents and teachers with the view of overcoming the root of this problem as such they have provided buildings, desks, laboratories equipment etc. in some of the schools on the basis of uplifting the problem of student poor performance, agencies like non-governmental organization and government have done their best in improving the educational performance in Nigeria.
Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Education Trust Fund (ETF), etc, have been building and supplying materials but the problem seems to be magnified. The government has averred teachers re-training but the root of the problem are yet to be resolved. Since all the efforts made so far have not been able to solve the problem of poor academic performance of student in Economics, the researcher is therefore motivated to find out if deviant behaviour does influence student’s performance in Economics.
