Influence of Broken Homes on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
This study is primarily focused on achieving certain objectives which are as follows:
- To determine the extent to which children living with their own married parents perform academically better than children living with foster parents.
- To determine the extent to which children who live with both parents perform academically better than children who live with single parent(s).
- To determine the extent to which broken home influence the level of parental attention given to children.
- To determine the degree of influence broken home exert on the level of academic motivation given by parents to their children.
- To determine the influence of broken home on the emotional atmosphere in homes.
- To assess the degree in which broken home affect the socio-economic status of parents.
- To assess the influence of broken home on the emotional stability of children.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter will focus on the review of related materials to this research work. The discussion here will be centered on theoretical and conceptual issues as well as an extensive look into practical work done by other researchers in this area which will come under the empirical studies. This chapter will end with the summary of all that has been discussed.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
The discussion here will be centered on the following major themes:
- Frustration – Aggression theory
- Relative Deprivation theory
- The looking glass self-theory
- Maslow’s theory of motivation
- The concept of a home
- The general role of the home
- The home and children academic performance
- The broken home
- The causes of broken home
- The broken home and children’s health
- The broken home and school dropout
- The broken home and academic performance of students
Frustration – Aggression Theory
This theory was developed by Dollard, Doob Miller, Mower and Sear in 1939 as published in monograph of aggression. The theory tends to provide a justification for behaving aggressively. As to the principal hypothesis, Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mower and Sear (1939) posited that “the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposes the existence of frustration and, contrariwise, that the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression”. Frustration, in this context, was specified as the thwarting of a goal response, and a goal response in turn was taken to mean the reinforcing final operation in an ongoing behavior sequence. The theory summarily revealed that: (a) aggression is always based on frustration and that (b) frustration always leads to aggression. Thus going by the context of the theory, it explains that frustration is at the root of conflict and therefore, it is only when people are prevented from achieving their goals that they are frustrated and eventually seek avenue with which to displace such frustration.
The relevance of this theory to a broken home is that broken home which deprives the child from attaining required height of achievement could lead to frustration and consequently aggression and emotional problems which could hamper academic focus.
Relative Deprivation Theory
The relative deprivation theory developed by Gurr (1970) is at variance with frustration – aggression theory. This they held that any form of deprivation could breed conflict: hence lend credence to conflict handling in homes. According to Gurr (1970), relative deprivation refers to perceived discrepancy between values expected or resources to which one feels entitled and value expected or resources to which one feels capable of acquiring and keeping. The above fact he labeled as “perceived discrepancy between values expectation and values capabilities” (Gurr, 1970, p.37).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals mainly with the following themes:
- Research design
- Area of study
- Population
- Sample and sampling
- Instrumentation
- Validation of Instrument
- Method of data collection and
- Method of data analysis
Research Design
This research is a survey designed to investigate the “Influence of Broken Home on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State”. With emphasis on some selected Senior Secondary Schools in Oredo Local Government Area. The research is such that data are collected at a particular time from the sample. Both secondary and primary data were used for this study. Student scores were collected from the dean of studies as prepared by their class teacher from terminal exam. The questionnaire was also used to collect data in this research and oral interview.
Area of Study
The study was conducted in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Oredo is a Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in Benin City. Oredo is a local government in Edo State, and its capital city is Benin city which also the capital city of Edo State. Benin city also remain the capital city of the Benin Empire. The Oba of Benin Omo’ Oba Ewuare II palace is also located here and many historic palaces and buildings are located in this city. Oredo is home to many including the Oba of Benin, Omo Noba Nedo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion the Esama Of Benin Kingdom, and other prominent princes and chiefs. It has an area of 249 km² and a population of 374,671 at the 2006 census.
Population of the Study
The population of this study comprises of one thousand two hundred and eight students (1208) from eight senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. The one thousand two hundred and eight students are the total population obtained from eight schools. It comprises the population of SSS 1 to SSS 3 of all the schools. The choice of Senior Secondary School is based on the fact that students at that level are considered more matured and sensitive to influenceively understand and provide answers to the questionnaire.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Introduction
The researcher in this chapter presented and analyzed the data collected from the field using the appropriate instruments. The hypotheses were treated based on the nature of problem they addressed and also the corresponding nature of data. The first two hypotheses which are directly linked with students academic performance has its data as students scores collected from the Dean of Studies of each of the sampled schools. The research questions were answered through the use of mean and percentages. The means scores of the first two hypotheses which were directly linked with academic performance are analyzed via the t-test on the basis of the variables; intact homes verses foster homes and intact homes verses single parent home.
The last three hypotheses which talked about parental attention, motivation and students emotional status were treated through administered questionnaires hence they are more of opinion and personal judgment. 400 questionnaires were administered in all to eight sampled schools based on the schools population. A total of 356 questionnaires were collected out of the administered 400.
The chi-square (X2) statistical instrument was used to test the 3 hypotheses that draw’s data via questionnaire. In this chapter, only summaries of calculations are presented while details of calculation can be found in the appendix section.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND SUGGESTIONS
Introduction
This research was carried out in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State to appraise the influences of Broken Homes on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students. Eighty Senior Secondary Schools in the Local Government were selected and used as sample. This chapter is made up of the following components;
Summary
Recommendation
Conclusion
Limitation of Study
Suggestion for Further Study
Summary
The main purpose of this research was to find out the Influence of Broken Homes on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Oredo Local Government of Edo State.
The background of the study was clearly articulated and the statement of the problem was clearly made along with purpose of the study. Some research questions and hypothesis were also drawn to guide the study.
This study also discussed some theories that are related to the problem on hand and also clarify concepts that enhance understanding of the problem under review via literature review. Theories like the frustration-Aggression theory, Relative Deprivation theory, looking glass self theory and Maslow’s theory of Motivation were discussed in relation to the study. The concept of home was explained and the general role of the home was also discussed. The concept of broken home, its cause and influences on children’s health and general academic performance were also discussed under the conceptual frame-work. Some empirical works previously carried out in this area were also revealed.
The research design, area of study, population of study, sample and sampling technique, instrumentation, validation and reliability of instrument, method of data collection and analysis to be used were also discussed.
After carrying out the research, data was presented, analyzed and findings were discussed.
Recommendation, conclusion, limitations and suggestion for further study shall be offered in due course.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are made:
- The government and school proprietors should employ school counselors in all secondary schools to provide the necessary assistance to children from broken homes.
- Parents especially single and foster parents should adequately supervise children to boost their self-esteem.
- Government and voluntary organizations should identify children from broken homes and provide scholarship and other supporting programmes that could enhance their academic performance.
- Curriculum and programme planners should employ flexible scheduling when planning school activities so that single parent that must work may be able to become more involved in their children schooling.
- Teachers should be enlightened on the need to apply the knowledge of individual differences especially with regard to students from broken homes.
- Teachers and other stakeholders in the school system should avoid stereotyping children from broken homes since some of the problems faced by these children may be caused by expectations based on inaccurate and harmful stereotypes.
- Adolescent from broken homes should be encouraged by their parents/foster parents and teachers to be involved in sports, hobbies and other extra-curricular activities that will keep their mind occupied.
Conclusion
Broken homes exert a lot of influence on the academic performance of secondary school students, ranging from poor
motivation and parental attention, un-favourable home environment and emotional instability. Owing to this, there is the need for all stakeholders, including guidance, foster/single parents, teachers among others to carrying-along children from broken homes by identifying their individual problems and profiling solutions to same.
Limitations of Study
The researchers could have chosen more aspects to cover but because of financial constraints and time limit, owing to the fact that they have to go into the field to collect and analyze the information within a limited time and coupled with other problems such as transportation and fear of distortion in information, sampling was done to reduce the population to a manageable size.
Suggestions for Further Study
Since this study is limited to few schools, it is therefore suggested that this study should be carried out in more schools and more local government areas in the state and country as a whole. Some other areas like the following could be researched on:
- “The influence of broken homes on academic performance of primary school pupils”.
- “Way of reducing the influence of broken homes on academic performance of secondary school students”.
- “Fathers absent and its implication on the education of the girl child”.
- “Mothers absent and its implication on the girl child education”.
REFERENCES
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- Agogo, P. O. (2006), Dr. George Akume giant strides in education subsector in Edo State (1999-2007) in P. O. Terfa (ed) towards functional and qualitative education in Nigeria: A tribute to Dr. George Akume (p. 8-9). Makurdi:Destiny Ventures.
- Best friend (2009), Social issues 2011, allfreeessays.com.retrieved http%3A%2Fwww.allfreeessay.com/essays/brokenfamily /24768.html.
- Bichery, P. R. (1996), In Salami S. O. and Alawode, E. A. (1998). Influence of single-parenting on academic achievement of adolescents in secondary schools. Implication for counseling child development: an introduction. Boston; Houghton Mifflin.
- Broken Home (n.d) retrieved March 15, 2011 from Wikipedia, wiktionary, the free dictionary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/broken-home.
- Cooley, C. H. (1998), Self and social organization ed. Schubert H. J. Chicago: University of Chicago press.
