PROJECT:THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL ACADEMIC BACKGROUND ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CHILDREN IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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.

 TO GET THE FULL PROJECT , PROCEED TO PAY:

#5000

TO ACCOUNT NO: 6171742627

BANK: FIDELITY

FOR BARGANININ OR FURTHER ENQUIRIES CALL OR WHASTAP +23407064532617

 

Previous Post Next Post

Contact Form