THE INFLUENCE OF HOME ON A CHILD’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

THE INFLUENCE OF HOME ON A CHILD’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
 
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the influence of home on child’s academic performance in Abeokuta South Local Government. The study was limited to five secondary school with adequate sample and sampling techniques and for the purpose of data collection, the questionnaire were designed and administered to the parent and students. The data collected was carefully analyzed and was a deliberate discussion of finding that was observed at the time of this research work and two researchers therefore made recommendation based on the data collected and analyzed which we feel would be helpful to improve the efficient and effective to home on the performance of a child academic. The study was organized under five main data collection and interpretation. The questionnaires were validated and their reliability wore tested before being administered on the sample size. Using percentage method and four point likert scale as the statistical tool, data was collected, organized and discussed as could be seen in 4, 1-4.4. then some of the findings in this work include; the level parent education influence students academic performance; and the influence of family size on student. 
 
CHAPTER ONE
 INTRODUCTION
1.1        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
There have been several studies done within and outside Nigeria on the effect of home as well as the socio-economic status of parents on the academic performance of students (Ajila&Olulola, 2007; Uwaifo 2012). Research have found many factors that influence how well a student does in school and the amount of confidence the student have for themselves. However, in Nigeria, like other growing economics, families finding it more difficult to stay connected with their children’s education. This is most common to families living in mega cities such as Lagos where both parent work outside of the home. Carmen (2007) noted that the extended family has become significantly less extended as mobility has increased. Parent are becoming isolated from their children and finding it difficult to keep a careful watch on what needs to be done to help them succeed in school. Many families are not even led by a parent, but by a grandparent, guardian, or some other adult.
Prior to this time, in what is sometimes called a traditional Nigerian family environment, parent were able to monitor the school work of their children carefully and actively participated in parents teachers associations purposely to monitor the progress of their children. Report cards were valued and trusted in the home as an accurate reflection of academic performance. Parent were able to keep in touch with the school and the life of their children in the school, and to monitor success or lack. When children came home from school, homework were completed, assignments finished, other school works weredone.
With the changes in the family life and indeed in societal make up, schools are now finding it increasingly difficult to keep parent informed of an actively engaged in the day-to-day progress of their children (Deslander& Bertrand, 2005) teachers and administrators are discovering that the support they once received in getting student to do their homework is not there, because there are not home to insist that student complete there assignment.
Influence of home environment in students education has been a major topic of study for the later part of the twentieth century. Baumrind (1971) has been credited for defining three specific parental involvement and their consequence for children. These are a) authoritative (b) authoritarian, and (c) permissive involvement of parent in disciplining the child. Baumind describe how parental involvement affect measure of competence, achievement and social development.
Although, student are primary the ones for whom curricula  are designed, textbooks are written, and school built, parent are primarily the ones held responsible for preparing student for learning preparation physically, psychologically, behavoiurally, attitudinally, emotionally and motivationally.
Stenberg and his colleagues conducted surveys focus groups and individual interviews with high school students and parents to better understand how parents, peers and communities influence students commitments to school.
The 10-year longitudinal study collected data from 20,000 (twenty thousand) student and 500 (five-hundred) parents in the nine ethnically diverse school and communities. These researchers found that parentsbehavoiurs send clear and decisive message about their thoughtsand feelings on the importance of schooling, their also found that parenting style helps or hinders a child engagement in school; that encouraging a child to do well in school or insisting that homework be completed were important forms of promoting engagement. These three tenents communication, influence, and parenting style – are subsets of a larger domain, parental involvement.
The aforementioned studies are not the only onces that speak to the issue of parenting involvement, but, here serve only as a way of introducing the broadersphere in this present study, home environment was studied in references to is influence on the academic performance of student in secondary school.
1.2         STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Although, scholars have identified the correlation between parental influences on children academic performance in primary school, it must be noted that secondary school student are different from the typical elementary-aged children and therefore reacts differently to direct parent involvement in their academics. The focus and indeed the intent of this study concern the relationship between home, with particular references to parenting style and socio-economic status of parent, and secondary school students academic performance.
1.3           OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary aim of the study was to examine the influence of home on a child’s academic performance the general aim is expressed in the following specific objectives which are to:
Examine the correlation between home and academic performance of student in secondary schools Examine the factors determining the home environment. investigate the effects of the socio-economic status of parent on students academic performance Examine the perceptions of students towards their parents in regards to parenting style and their academic performance
1.4              RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions were asked to guide this study;
What relationship exists between the type of parental involvement and secondary schoolsstudents academic performance? Do socio-economic and educational background of parent affect their involvement in their children in secondary school? Do parenting style and parental involvement directly affect student academic performance? Do perceptions of student about their parent affect their academic performance?
1.5              SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The student was limited by a convenience sample of approximately 20 (twenty) students from three selected secondary school and 20 percent from Abeokuta South Local Government in Ogun State.
Apart from the shortage of funds and time frame, the following limits were found in the study;
1)      It is recognized that not every parent will fit neatly into a particular parenting style. These parent child pairs will be discarded from the sample.
2)      Some children will rate their parents as fair when in actuality they are not, therefore there will be some blasin the parents nominators.
3)      It is recognized that a parenting style may be chosen by a family due need rather than desire
4)      The study was limited to the student whose parent gave consent for their participation, as well as receiving the students assent.
5)      The accuracy of the data was limited by the skills of the researcher and validity of the tests administered.
1.6              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be useful to many people who may want to know the factors that could makesstudents academic performance. Therefore the study is significant in the following regards.
(1)   It has provide empirical evidence to school,parents and students about the nature of parental involvement and how it affect the academic performance of student.
(2)   It offers a reference for future research that might investigate the same variables.
1.7              DEFINITTION OF TERMS
Home:             Home refers to aspect of peoples domestic lives that contribute to their living conditions.
Parent:            The term parent as used in this study includes in addition to a natural parent, a legal guardian or other person standing in loco parent is such as a grand parent or step parent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for a child welfare.
Parenting style:The overall emotional climate of the parent child relationship an effective context of sorts that sets the tone for the parents interactions with the child.
Students academic performance: This term refer to the student overall average in science, social studies, English and mathematics expressed as a percent grade.