HOUSEHOLD FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN OYO AND OGUN STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

Secondary education occupies a critical position in the education system because of its dual role of preparing students for higher education and the labour market. Inspite of this it has been observed that most students perform poorly in core subjects, particularly, in English Language and Mathematics in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations. Previous studies have largely focused on school and student-related factors without due consideration to household factors. This study, therefore, investigated the extent to which household factors (parents' education, occupation, income, household size and parent's involvement i.e provision of educational needs and time spent with children on academic concerns) predict secondary school students' academic achievement in Oyo and Ogun States, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design of the ex-post facto type was adopted. Multistages, and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 1800 year two Senior Secondary School (SS2) students and one parent per child in 60 secondary schools (36 public and 24 private); three public and two private senior secondary schools participated from each of the selected 12 local government areas of the two states. The local governments consisted of one rural and one urban selected from each of the six senatorial districts of both states. Two questionnaires: Household Factors Questionnaire for parents (r = 0.91) and Secondary School Student's Household Factors Questionnaire (r = 0.83) were used. These were complemented with Mathematics Achievement (r = 0.83) and English Language Achievement Tests (r = 0.86). Four research questions were answered and six hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Parents' education, occupation, income, involvement and household size had significant composite contribution of 9% (F(27,1338) = 5.57; R2 = 0.09; p < 0.01) and 11% (F(27,1338) = 6.87; R2 = 0.11; p < 0.01) to the variance in academic achievement of secondary school students in English Language and Mathematics respectively. Parents' education (?=-0.9; t=-2.19; p < 0.05); parents' occupation (?=0.09; t=2.10; p< 0.05); parents' income (?=0.06; t=2.27; p<0.05) and parents' involvement (?=0.07; t=2.70; p<0.05) made significant relative contributions to academic achievement in English Language. Parental involvement (?=0.11; t=4.12; p<0.05) made significant relative contribution to academic achievement in Mathematics. However, household size made no significant contribution to academic achievement in English Language. Parents' education, occupation, income and household size made no significant contribution to academic achievement in Mathematics. Household factors are important predictors to Academic Achievement in English Language and Mathematics. All household factors except the household size were essential impetus for improving academic achievement in English Language. Parents should make adequate provision for educational needs and spend more time with their children on academic matters so as to enhance the academic achievement of secondary school students in English Language and Mathematics. Policymakers and stakeholders should also pay more attention on strategies that will help to improve the involvement of parents in the education of their children.