Family Size and Students Academic Performance in Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

FAMILY SIZE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IKONO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

 

ABSTRACT

This study examined family size and student’s academic performance in Agricultural science in secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Four secondary schools were randomly selected for the study. The ex-post facts research design was adopted. A sample size of 100 respondents was chosen for the study. The results of the selected students in the 2014 promotion examination in Agricultural science in respective schools were the instrument used for the study.

The data collected were analyzed using t-test statistics. The results showed significant difference in the academic performance of small, middle and large family sizes in their Agricultural science. This was evident in the calculated t-value of 6.17 and 2.51 as against the critical table value of 1.96, rejected at -0.05 significant level. It was therefore recommended among others that parents should at least have maximum number of four (4) children to enable them to take proper care of them.

 

Family Size and Students Academic Performance in Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the study

It is an established fact that every member of the society belongs to a family. It is incontrovertible that the secondary school students like every mortal come from a home. While some come from extremely poor homes others have well-to-do parents. There are also those whose parents are illiterate while others have educated parents. Still some come from polygamous families while others come from monogamous families. Similarly, some students come from large families’ size while other comes from small families’ size. Which ever category a learner belongs, it has either positive or negative effect on his or her academic life and brings with him/her to formal education or schooling a way of functioning which carries the imprint of his/her upbringing at home.

Accordingly, the family provides what the students take with him/her to school. Herein, the importance of the family in the cultural, moral, social, educational and general upbringing of a child can not be over-emphasized. Apart from serving as a breeding ground for human continuity, the family which is regarded as a primary social unit in the society is the institution that sets the socialization process on course. It was in position of the unique philosophy of the family that Maduakonam (2016) asserted that should an evaluation of the social influence of the home be carried out, one would find that the home has a greater influence.

The home lays the foundation for goals and motivation early in the life of a child. A child first learns what is important through the values or goals that are considered most important in the society by emulating the parents. Children most often absorb the values of the parents but even if they reject them, they will be deeply influenced by them. Essien (2015) observed that discipline and indiscipline behaviours among children is a function of the family.   Ezewo (2016) equally asserted that the preponderance of delinquents among school population were from polygamous homes and large families.

However, it is a common knowledge that a number of home variables discussed above have a significant influence on the education of the child. For instance, inspite of the government policies on family planning, a number of parents are still producing an uncontrollable number of children, such parents in this era of global economic recession may not be able to cater for the socio-economic and educational needs of the family members. With the limited resources of the family, it is indisputable that priority attention will be given to the education of some children while others will be survival of the fittest.

 Malu (2016) stated that the home background of a learner has a significant influence on his educational achievement in school. He maintained that the home is the most important primary group and the smallest social unit in the society. It has its roots in biological and social nature. As such, it is universal in the sense that no human society could possible exist or has ever existed without some form of home organization. This is because parents, siblings and family members help to shape the characters, behavioural pattern, academic life and personality of a young child.

1.2  Statement of the problem

Every child in school performs in a different way in terms of academics which may either be positive or negative. It may be positive in the sense that the child or student would have a focus that leads to his or her upgrade and improvement in the social activities that is also due to the way he/she was brought up. In a  negative way may not be good in the sense that his parents did not teach him basic things, a child has to learn (for example respect for elders, non usage of foul languages and even some bad habits like smoking and drinking) which will definitely affect the child negatively.

It is therefore shows that the family which a child comes from has a vital role to play for a student to succeed. Apart from the way a child is learning at school for better academic performance many other factors still influence him/her especially, the family size in which the child or student comes from.

 

1.3  Objective of the study

The overriding objective of the study was to examine students’ family size and their academic performances in Agricultural Science in Secondary School in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Specifically the study sought to:

• Compare the academic performance of students’ of small family size and large family size in Agricultural Science in secondary school in Ikono Local Government Area.
• Examine if there is a difference in the mean academic performance of students from middle family size and large family size in Agricultural science students in Ikono Local Government Area.

Family Size and Students Academic Performance in Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

1.4  Significance of the study 

Increasing significance of this study as it works to promote the value and the contribution of the family size towards the academic performance of children in schools.

• The content of this study will be beneficial generally as it demonstrates the respect and recognition in the reflection to improve the children or students towards their academic performance in the school.
• It will reveal if the poor performance of students in agricultural science is associated with their family size.
• It deemed necessary for the parents to know the numbers of children they should have and to help parents in planning their family size.
• The study will also help the educational administrators to plan better academic curriculum to benefit the Nigerian child.

1.5  Research Questions

(i)    Is there any significant difference between the academic performance of students of small family size and large family size in Agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area?

(ii)   Is there any significant difference between the academic performances of students of medium family size and large family size in Agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area?

Family Size and Students Academic Performance in Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

1.6  Research Hypotheses

The understated hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.

• There is no significant difference between in the mean academic performances of students from small family size and large family size in Agricultural science in Ikono Local Government Area?
• There is no significant difference between the students of small family and large family size in Agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area.

 

1.7  Limitation of the study

The limitation of the study was necessitated by the resources within the disposal of the researcher. These limited resources include finance, time frame for the research and the researcher’s academic work load.

1.8  Delimitation of the Study

 The study was limited to select secondary schools in Ikono Local Government Area taking students performance in SSCE as the basis.

 

1.9  Definition of Operational Terms

The following operational terms used in the study were conceptualized by the researcher as to help explain the concept of the study.

Family: This is a group of people who live together and are related one to another, usually consisting of parents and children.

Size: This is how large or small the family is or can be.

Family Size: This is the total number of people (consisting of parents and children) that make up a family.

Small Family Size: This is a family with less than five (5) people i.e. the father, mother and the children, living together as a unit.

Middle Family Size: This is a family with not more than seven (7) people i.e. the father, mother and five children, living together as a unit.

Large Family Size: This is a family with more than seven (7) people living together.

Academic Performance: The performance of students as indicated by their test/examination scores their in respective subject.