Influence of Home Environment on the Academic Performance of Secondary Students in English Language
Chapter One
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of home environment on English language performance in WAEC in selected public secondary schools in Enugu LGA, Enugu state.
Objectives of the study
The following are the objectives of the study:
- To establish the influence of economic status of parents on performance in English
- To determine the influence of the education level of parents on students performance in English
- To establish the influence of family size on performance in English
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The home environment plays a vital role in the development of a child‟s personality. A child constantly interacts with the family and is invariably influenced by the entire environment that surrounds him/her. Children need a pleasing and interesting environment, characterized by human care, particularly by the mother, and at the same time, providing various experiences and stimulations, (Caldwell, 1967). Therefore, parents are the most potent force in shaping the overall personality of children. Home environment vary in many aspect, such as: parents‟ level of education, economic status, occupation status, religious background, attitudes, values, interests, parents‟ expectations of their children, and family size, among others. Children coming from different environment have their academic performance affected differently.
Effects of economic status of parents on performance in English
According to Bell (1986), a large part of a person‟s intelligence can be ascribed to accumulation of experience and knowledge. Development in childhood thus forms the basis of a child‟s later intelligence. Bell states that it is imperative that a child receives good and adequate food, be protected against illness, be intellectually stimulated and be well-adjusted at childhood. Good parenting, supported by strong economic home background could enhance strong academic performance of a child. This further enhances sound academic performance, where a child is properly counseled in choice of courses and vocation that matches his/her mental ability, interest and capability. A child who has juvenile delinquent behavior has poor performance and such a child is likely to drop out of school when he/she is still oung because of parental deprivation of the essential needs.
According to Downie (1989), it would appear that quite apart from the fact that the impoverished child tends to be an under-achiever, it would seem that his poverty causes him to be even further behind in his schoolwork than his low intelligence would lead one to suppose. Downie (1989) also concludes that poverty is more closely linked to backwardness in schoolwork than to dullness. Unemployment coupled with meagre wages is the sole causes of poverty. Such factors as poor food, little sleep and unhygienic domestic conditions may have a deleterious effect on the child’s health which may result in a lowering of his capacity to learn. This may rob him of a background and general knowledge which is accepted as self- evident by most schools (Downie, 1989).
A study carried out by Ezewu (2003) points out that people of stable economic background normally value education more than those of low economic background. Such people often use their income on learning resources, resulting in good student support, hence good performance. Economic background is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation (Ezewu, 2003). Due to their poverty levels, families with low economic background may have inadequate or limited capital to buy learning resources and access to adequate information that can help promote and support students‟ performance (Hawkins, 1995).
Majoribank (1972) maintains that most of academic under achievers come from the lower economic backgrounds and that the psycho-social encouragement here contributes very little towards improving the intellect. The children of skilled parents perform better at school and are more likely to go on to higher education than the children of the unskilled and semi- skilled parents because the skill parents have higher ability of securing well paying jobs as opposed to semi-skilled which implies that they are able to meet their children‟s needs satisfactory. Skilled workers have higher aspiration for their children than unskilled workers (Banks Olive, 1976). When a child comes from a home where parents provide adequately for needs of the child, the foundations are firmly laid by the time the child goes to school. However a child whose parents are financially handicapped may have stunted growth, both physically and morally, due to inadequate provision of food, stimulus materials and comfortable sleep (Downie, 1989).
Children from low economic status households and communities develop academic skills more slowly compared to children from higher economic status groups, as noted by Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier and Maczuga (2009). Basic academic skills are correlated with the home environment, where low literacy environment and chronic stress negatively affect a child‟s pre-academic skills. Also the schools in low economic status communities are often under- resourced in terms of mentors, competitors and auxiliary services, thus, negatively affecting students‟ academic progress (Alkens and Barbarin, 2008).
In modern societies, schooling is an important influence on social mobility (movement from one status to another) whereby educational grades or overall examination marks are considered in gaining access to good secondary schools and later superior jobs and higher income that go with them. With this regard, people try to ensure the best possible education for their children, hoping that they would secure social and economic advantages in future. For example, in Britain, the sons of the upper class are likely to attend the handful of private schools which matter within the country. Also in the United States (US), children of different social classes often attend different schools; that is, children of upper class attend elite private schools; those of working class and lower classes attend inner-city public schools (Kohn 1963).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter comprises of the research design, target population, sample size and sampling procedures, research instrument, validity and reliability of the research instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis techniques that are used in this study.
Research Design
The researcher used descriptive survey design to investigate the influence of home environment on English language performance in selected public secondary schools in Nsukka LGA, Enugu state. According to Koul (1993) descriptive survey is the only means through which opinions, attitude and suggestions for improvements on educational practices and instructions can be collected. Since the study involved a large number of respondents, the descriptive survey design was the most suitable. The dependent variable is performance in English language, whereas the independent variable is the home environment.
Target Population
The arget population was composed of secondary schools in Nsukka LGA, Enugu state. The LGA has a total of thirty one secondary schools, according to the DEOs‟ office record in the year 2014. The respondents included the class eight students from the selected secondary schools in the LGA and teachers. Ten secondary schools were selected; five from the high performing schools and the other five from low performing schools. Performing schools will be taken to be those that had achieved a WAEC mean score of 50% and above in English in the year 2016, 2017 and 2018 WAEC.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION
Introduction
This chapter presents analysis and findings of the study as set out in the research methodology. The results were presented on the study to investigate the influence of home environment on English language performance in WAEC in selected public secondary schools in Nsukka LGA, Enugu state. The research sought to answer these research questions; To what extent have the economic status of parents influenced performance in English Language, how has the education level of parents influenced student‟s performance in English language and how has the family size influenced student‟s performance in English language?. The study targeted 150 students and 40 teachers out of which 130 students, 40 teachers responded and returned their questionnaires contributing to the response rates of 100% for the students and 100% for teachers. These response rates were sufficient and representative and conform to Mugenda and Mugenda (1999) stipulation that a response rate of 70% and over is excellent. This response rate was due to extra efforts that were made via personal calls and visits to remind the respondents to fill-in and return the questionnaires. The chapter covers the demographic information, and the findings are based on the objectives.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter presents the summary of findings, discussion, conclusion drawn from the findings and recommendations made. The conclusions and recommendations drawn focus on the purpose of the study.
Summary of Findings
The study found that the majority of the students (40%) were 14 years of age , 27% were aged 13 years 23% were aged 15 years ,5.3% were aged 15 years and above while 4.7 % indicated that they were below 13 years of age. According to the findings, 62.8 % were graduate with bachelor degree, 30% were diploma holders while only 7.2% had attained master‟s level. This information shows that the respondents were knowledgeable enough and could give valid and reliable information based on their high level of education. Half of the teachers had been in service for 6-10 years, 30% had been teaching for 1-5 years, while 10% had been in service for 11-15 years and above 16 years consecutively.
This shows that majority of the teachers had enough experience in teaching to give credible information with regard to the influence of home environment on English language performance in WAEC. Majority of the students‟ lives with their mother and fathers as shown by 60%, 20% of the students lived with their mothers, 15% lived with their relatives while only 5% of the students lived with their fathers. These findings illustrate that most of the students come from families with both parents. Most of parents /guardians had attained primary and secondary education, with just a few having attained tertiary and university education. This finding depicts that parents /guardians in the study had low levels of education. Majority of the student‟s parents/ guardians has other sources of the income as
indicated by students this was represented by 80% only 20% of the parents and guardians had no other sources of income. Among sources stated included dairy farming, poultry farming, small scale farming, bee keeping and small groceries and kiosks.
Maority of the students had their fees paid by their fathers as shown by 40%, 35% had their fees paid by their fathers, 15% of the students fees was being paid by sister/brothers with 20% of the fees payment being done by guardians. This shows the economic status of the parents under this study was low. Students attested that economic status of parents influence general performance of students in English in secondary schools as shown on by 90 % while only 10% were for the contrary opinion. This finding depicts that parent economic status affects English performance in secondary schools. From the study findings; how often do students Miss English lessons because of school levies, how often parent/guardian organize for their tuition in English language and how many of the following learning recourses do they have at home? (Story books, dictionary, English course book, Composition guide book, writing materials had the greatest effect on performance of students in English in public primary as shown by mean scores 3.5, 3.2 and 2.3, respectively.
The aspects on whether students were always given enough food at home, provision of enough uniforms and bag to carry your books and provision with their own bed and blankets, sheets and a mosquito net was rated with less effect to English performance as shown by mean scores 1.5, 1.7 and 1.8, respectively. Student strongly agreed on the statement that often does their parent/guardian speak to them in English, how often does their parent/guardian help them in their English assignments at home and how frequent does their parent/guardian consult with their English teacher about their performance or visit the school to know how they were doing had greatest effect on students‟ performance in English as shown by mean scores 2.6, 2.5 and 2.2 respectively. On the other hand, Apart from their parents, were their brothers, sisters, cousins and other relatives who had passed well in WAEC and whom they would like to perform like or do better than them, on whether parent encourage them to listen to English programs over the radio or TV and on whether they think that their parents and other relatives at home have assisted them to improve in English had least effect on their English performance as shown by 1.3, 1.7 and 1.8, respectively. students strongly agreed that; they are often unable to learn in school well because they think that they will miss some things at home like food, water, clean clothes, bicycle, etc, because their brothers or sisters might have finished them, especially, last lesson to lunch and evening, How many siblings are there in their family and whether they experience any interruption while studying English at home had greater effect to their English performance as by mean scores 3.7, 3.3 and 3.0, respectively. On the other hand they disagreed that the performance was affected when their study rooms and bedrooms were always clean, whether they compete with their brothers and sisters in academic performance and whether they feel proud of their family size, when they consider how helpful it is to their academics as shown by mean scores 1.5, 1.6 and 1.9, respectively.
Conclusions
Majority of the student‟s parents/ guardians has other sources of the income. Among sources stated included dairy farming, poultry farming, small scale farming, bee keeping and small groceries and kiosks. Most of the students come from families with both parents. student strongly agreed on the statement that how often does their parent/guardian speak to them in English, how often does their parent/guardian help them in their English assignments at home and how frequent does their parent/guardian consult with their English teacher about their performance or visit the school to know how they were doing had greatest effect on students‟ performance in English.
Students strongly agreed that; they are often unable to learn in school well because they think that they will miss some things at home like food, water, clean clothes, bicycle, etc, because their brothers or sisters might have finished them, especially, last lesson to lunch and evening, How many siblings are there in their family and whether they experience any interruption while studying English at home had greater effect to their English performance. Students disagreed that the performance is affected when their study rooms and bedrooms were always clean, whether they compete with their brothers and sisters in academic performance and whether they feel proud of their family size, when they consider how helpful it is to their academic. There was statistically significance effect on learner‟s academic performance on combined dependent variables F (6, 2) =0.333 p =.875 wilks‟ lambda = .50 with partial eta squared = 0.5.this therefore indicated that level of home environment influences academic performance, especially in English language at WAEC.
Recommendations
- The study recommends that teachers should serve as bridge between students and home environmental on the variation in academic performance and how to organize to see that every student is carried along no matter his or her environmental factors
- The study recommends that government, curriculum planners and examination bodiesin policy making and in planning educational strategies to reconsider the influence of home environment on academic performance for Nigerian
- Since the study has revealed that economic status of parents affect the performance ofstudents in English, the government should make available necessary learning material g. text books, novels so as to bridge the gap
- Illiterate parents should be encouraged to go to school, in that their literacy willenhance their children academic achievement in schools.
- Parents should endeavor to encourage their children to read and do their home work athome rather than spending their time on things that will not benefit them academically
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