PROJECT:
THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL ACADEMIC BACKGROUND ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
CHILDREN IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background Of The Study:
There
are various reasons to believe that parental academic background has some
influence on the performance of the children in science subjects in the
secondary schools with respect to Nsukka Local Government Area. Sociologists believe
in Social Stratification. That is, the way society is divided into layers or
social strata. The effects of this social stratification on education form
parts of the study. It is believed that uneducated parents are of low social
economic status, and may be unaware of the benefits of what parents of high
status who are identified through their educational and occupational level
enjoy. Uneducated parents are often poor and may not be able to provide certain
necessary school materials for their children. These children even lack support
and motivations at home. On the other hand, there are various contributions
educated parents make towards the academic success of their children over
science subjects in secondary schools such as, home tutorials especially on
science subjects, assess to home library, an early enrollment in school and
opportunity to attend some of the most prestigious schools. It is clear that
parental academic background promotes children’s performance in sciences and as
well provides educational life changed in children. Thus children of the middle
and upper class parents are better equipped for secondary education more
adequately than children from the lower social class structure.
In
the area of science subjects, children’s academic performance solely depends
greatly on the parental academic background with other family variables and not
on the children intellectual ability alone as assumed by many. It can be said
that the entire development of a child is determined by the environment and
heredity. Heredity is the transmission of traits from parents to offspring
through the process of reproduction which intelligence is one of the traits.
Environment on the other hand , refers to every influence with which the child
comes in contact with irrespective of the hereditary pattern the child
inherited.
Children
from educated homes are often provided with science subject’s practical
apparatus in secondary schools while children from uneducated homes are
provided with such opportunity, as a result of which their performance in
science subjects is affected. That is to say, the family background into which
a child is born is one of the major determinant factors which affect their
performance in science subjects. If some parents can provide good learning
environment and motivation for study and positive attitude towards the academic
study of their children, while other parents cannot because of their inadequacy
based on their academic background, then to what extent does this contribute to
the children’s performance is science subjects? Therefore, it is against this
background that this study set out to investigate the influence of parental
academic background on children performance in science subjects in secondary
schools in Nsukka Local Government Area.
Statement Of Problem
In
the society, there are educated parents and uneducated parents. It is clear
that members of each class will send their children to schools that will
benefit their class or level. Following the inequalities in parental academic
background, some parents can afford to buy expensive science text book and some
science experimental kits for their children while some cannot afford to buy
such materials. It is generally believed tat parental academic background may
have a powerful influence on the performance of children on science subjects in
secondary schools.
In
this research work, the researcher will look into the issue of children’s
parental academic background as it affects their performance in science
subjects
The Purpose Of Study
Many
believe that children’s performance on science subjects is only based on
teacher’s capability and the school standard. The performance of children on
science subjects cannot be blamed entirely on the teacher’s capability and the
standard of the school. It may be as a result of lack of science teachers, but
parental academic background may have a big role to play. The basic objective
of this study is to investigate the influence of parental academic background
on the performance of children in the science subjects in secondary schools in
Nsukka Local Government Area of Imo State.
Significance Of The Study
This
study will benefit the school management, parents, the students and the society
at large. The school authorities will know the effect of parental academic
background on students as regards to science subjects and as a result work
towards provision of adequate science equipment in schools. At least it will
enable children of poor parents to have asses to science materials at various
secondary schools especially at rural areas. By so doing, students will benefit
from the study as they make use of the science materials if provided by the
school authorities. Parents are another set of people that the study will
benefit. In this regard, parents will see the need to encourage their children.
Scope of the Study
The
scope of the study will be Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. It is
within this local government that the researchers investigate the influence of
parental academic background on Children in science subjects in secondary
schools
Research Questions
1. What
are the ways educated parents encourage their children in science subjects?
2. Do
uneducated parents encourage their children in studying science subject?
3. What
are the effects of parental academic background on the performance of their
children in science subjects in secondary schools?
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW
OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
This
chapter will be discussed under the following sub-headings: Conceptual frame
work, Theoretical frame work and Empirical frame work.
Conceptual Frame Work:
The
concept of children from educated family:
These are children who are from homes
where their parents had been taught and trained under the formal classroom
teaching and learning settings. They are also known as children who come from
homes where their parents have undergone some development through the process
of learning in a school, college or university. Some children’s level of
appreciation for science subjects depend on their parental educational needs.
Children’s academic performance in sciences sometimes depends on motivations
they get from their parents.
Children
whose parents are educated show more interest in education. They are motivated
to learn and are likely to be successful in their examinations. They are
encouraged to work hard and as well read their books at home. A child from an
educated home has more positive outlook to science related subjects on their
academic performance which is not so with a child from uneducated parental
background.
There
is a positive correlation between parent’s level of education and their
children’s performance. Children from educated homes show better academic
achievement than those from uneducated homes. Once a child knows the extent of
concern the parents have for his future, the child may be motivated to work
harder academically thereby performing better than his counter parts.
Concept of children from uneducated
family background:
These
are children who come from homes where their parents had never gotten in touch
with anything inform of formal education just like the exact opposite of the
educated parents. They have not been trained or taught under a teaching and
learning setting. Again the parents of these children have not passed through
the gateway of education and its rudiments. Children from uneducated background
are limited in many ways of life. They lack exposure, confidence and sense of
direction. They are more rural than urban and often lack scientific initiative.
At
early stage of learning, a child whose parents are uneducated lack the courage,
strength, view and the mind for going further in academics. Therefore, these
children from uneducated parents need more positive and active encouragement
from their schools
There
are certain problems facing children from uneducated parents academically.
Firstly,
they usually have a self-concept that is low which is not good for academic
excellence.
Secondly,
they don’t work hard in harmony with their teacher because of different sets of
poor learning values which they uphold.
Thirdly,
they have a very limited experience with the use of language, especially the
kind of language he is expected to use at school. They are used to local
dialect and have additional task of coping and learning Standard English
Language in school; where as their counterpart from educated homes are familiar
with some educational scientific terminology.
The
last but not the least among the problems is that they are sent to rural
schools where there is acute shortage of science teachers, no scientific
equipment, no good science subject text books, just to mention but a few while
children from educated home enjoy lots of the above benefits. A number of
writers have suggested that the less privileged children have short attention
span; this is because they were not exposed and used to the teaching and
learning setting of science subjects and as a result of which unable to inhabit
the psychomotor skill required for science subjects
Concept of the Characteristics of
Educated Parents in helping their children
Educated
parents as earlier said are people who has been taught or trained under the
formal classroom teaching and learning. They had acquired both knowledge and
skills. Educated parents do not only transfer material benefits to their
children but also pass on knowledge to their children. Educated parents who are
exposed will wish their children to enroll in sciences and will as well provide
the necessary books and non-book materials with financial support. In other
words, educational aspiration cannot be separated from their own personal
educational level. Education parents understand the value of science subjects
and so motivate their children to learn and study sciences. Also provide some
incentives to reinforce the desire to learn and study, as a result of which are
much likely to be successful in science related subjects than children that are
from uneducated homes.
Educated
parents sometimes hire teachers to teach their children science subjects at
home. They often encourage them to do their home work, read their books and as
well influence them directly by teaching them to value sciences. Educated parents
do not scare away their children from offering science subjects as uneducated
parents do rather; they motivate them by maintaining a close relationship with
their children. These will enable these children to do better in their school
work because while they are very close to their parents, they will be free with
their parents to share their challenges at school. Consequently, the academic
level of the parents determines their rate of interest towards their children
education. Educated parents usually buy all the necessary school materials that
the children need in their school for sciences like scientific calculator,
mathematical set, logarithm table, and many other science subject materials.
They know that those materials will motivate the children to learn more and get
acquainted with problem solving that will involve calculations which are the
major parts of science subjects.
Furthermore,
educated parents encourage their children in their home work by praising them
when they do well and strengthen them academically when they perform very poor
in their expected home work result. This serves as positive reinforcement which
helps the children to improve in the success they make in science subjects.
Educated parents who fall under higher social scale or class are more inclined
to make a determined effort to secure an academic type of secondary education
for their children based on schools with high performance on science subjects.
Concept of the Characteristics of
uneducated Parents contribution towards their children Education:
Uneducated
parents are those who have neither attended nor trained in a school setting.
They are limited to a lot of many things. They lack exposure, confidence and
sense of direction. They are more of rural than urban. In the society today a
child whose parents are uneducated lack the courage, strength, view and the
mind for going further in their academics? They lack the capacity and ability
to enroll in science related subjects and courses. They are known as children
of unskilled parents and their future are often said to be in the hands of God.
Uneducated parents do not provide their children with a home atmosphere that
will be conducive to the formation of good study habits. The motivation to
learn appears to be totally lacking in the children from uneducated home.
Uneducated parents often times do not have close relationship with their
children who as a result fail to disclosure their academic challenges, which in
turn hamper their academic performance. Uneducated parents most of the times
send their children to schools without minding the quality of school or
considering number of qualified teachers for science subject. Uneducated
parents send their children to schools that are poorly equipped with science
subjects experimental equipment apparatus. Under this condition the quality of
learning is bound to be adversely affected and chances of the children from
this system to perform well in science subjects
Effects of Parental Academic Background
on Performance of their Children:
Parental
academic background seems to be a determining factor in the performance of
children in science subjects in secondary schools. For a better academic
development of a child towards science subjects, the parents have enough roles
to play. The difference in parental attitude towards science subjects, so far
affect the children school work and examination as well. Educated parents
provide opportunities for extra-curricular learning for their children which
aid deeper understanding of knowledge. This is good for academic performance of
their children on science related subjects.
More
so, children who come from the educated homes are of great advantages more than
the children from educated homes are taught by their parents how to speak
English Language at home, which is the medium of instruction at school.
Furthermore,
television, radio, newspapers and magazines are available at homes of children
from educated parents. And it helps children to understand some concepts of
science subjects taught at school. There is a great difference in qualitative
education attainment between children who come from educated family and those
from uneducated family. Children from educated home are exposed to sciences
right from pre-nursery schools to secondary school level, even to university
while their counterpart from uneducated homes have no such opportunities. This
has continued to create a gap between the academic performances of children on
science subjects.
Theoretical Frame Work
The
influence of parental academic background on the children in the science
subjects cannot be discussed without looking at one or two learning theories or
studies.
According
to Piaget Theory of Learning, he said that learning proceeds in stages which
should coincide with the level of maturity and development of the individual
learner. Children from educated homes enjoy this privilege because they are
enrolled in school at early age and their learning proceeds in stages which is
what is required for good performance in science subjects. That is, good
foundation, always present at school, no withdrawal from school or class
repetition, etc while children from uneducated homes are enrolled late in
school which does not correspond with the level of maturity and
development of the individual learner. They lack good education
foundation.
Hilgard
and Bower uphold the idea that the background of the leaner affects his
academic performance. They say that children bring with them to formal school,
a way of functioning which carries the imprint of their upbringing at home.
That is to say those children who come from educated homes benefit from
environment which promotes learning while children who come from uneducated
homes do not enjoy this benefit.
Empirical Frame Work
Here,
previous studies that are related to influence of parental academic background
on children performance in Science Subjects in Secondary Schools will be looked
into
These various studies will help the
researcher arrive at the aim of his research work an as well answer his
research questions.
Ogunlade
(2003) has this to say; Children from different social classes do not generally
achieve the same degree of academic success. He again noted that there is a
cumulative disadvantages for children whose parents do not help or assist them
academically at home.
Swift
(2007) stated that children of well educated parents will do better than
children of less educated parents, the richer the parents the more academically
able the child will be. Swift concluded that better educated people will have a
way of looking at the world and solving its problem which are likely to make a
difference to the child’s performance at school.
Nwahiri
(2002) stated that parents from high school or academic background visit their
children’s schools more often, in order to encourage their children to work
hard, arrange the best possible schools and the same time provide school
materials for their children.
Folu-ola
(2005) on his work said that children from the less privileged home sometimes
are withdrawn out of school due to lack of finance. And a child who is always
withdrawn from school does not do well academically in related subjects.
Levine
(2007) emphasized that educated parents take time to look into their children
book and also takes time to visit the school and work closely with the teacher
in solving their problems encountered in Science Subjects.
Bank
(2003) said clearly a direct link is feasible between the intellectual level of
the parents and educability of the home which can express itself in such a
practical way as helping with home work as well as share hobbies of an
intellectual kind and great plessure for educational success. He further said
that parental academic background determines the way and manner, parents provide
the necessary school equipment for their children.
Wisdom
(2000) confirmed that educational aspiration of parents for their children
could be an influence on productivity of differences between children’s
parental academic background on such criteria as Continuation rate or course
chosen.
Ogunlade
(2003) pointed out in his study that a child who is from educated background is
known to perform better in their academics to those children who are from
uneducated background.
Parsons
and Bales (2003) pointed out by stating the lack of encouragement to the
children by their parents who have low educational background may arise since
those parents would not visit the school to assist in the progress of their
children.
Folu
Olafunmi in the Tribune Newspaper (2005) said that parents who cannot afford
one square meal a day are now withdrawing their children from the school. This
trend is not good because a child who is always withdrawn from school will not
certainly perform well in Science Subjects because it needs regularity in
class.
Ukagha
(2007) pointed out that educated parents constitute good models and also use
them in learning. Some children from educated homes have books and toys that
are Science oriented which facilitate learning of Science Subjects.
Summary of Literature Review
From
the concept of children from educated parents and those from uneducated
parents, it was found that children from educated parents are encouraged and
always get assistance from their parents towards promotion of their academics
while children from uneducated parents lack encouragement from their parents
towards their academic goals with respect to Science Subjects.
Previous
studies uphold the view that children from educated parents perform better in
Science Subjects than children from uneducated parents. Nweahiri (2002)
supported this view by stating that parents from high academic background visit
their children’s Schools more often, encourage their children to work hard,
arrange the best possible schools and at the same time provide school materials
for their children.
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