EFFECTS OF BROKEN HOMES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN GOVERNMENT
ABSTRACT
In Nigeria today as well as so many other countries of the world, Broken Homes as a result of divorce among so many contributing factors do not affect just the partners (husband and wife) but also the offspring from the relationship. Though Broken Homes which has resulted in the wild spread of single parents mostly mothers has not been given much attention. This is because a lot of people now see it as a norm while others see it as being a soothing option for a relationship that can no longer hold ends.
In fact, some countries have made it a social norm and even passed it into law for legalization. But the societies at large pay little or no attention to its adverse effect on the physical, psychological, and social effects on the development of students especially those in secondary schools (Students)… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
A home is an essential place in the upbringing of a child as the first environment within a family. The home, which is the traditional nuclear family, is the smallest unit and microcosm of the larger society. Therefore, the family is a universal organization and it is hard to imagine how society can function without the family (Anderson cited in Ekeke and Dorgu, 2014). The family lays the foundation for the child before the child goes to school, and the personality that the child takes to school is determined by the home.
The family has a great influence on a child’s physical, mental, and moral development. Agulana (2000) pointed out that the family lays the psychological, moral, and spiritual foundation in the overall development of the child. Thus parenthood is faced with great responsibility that requires the full cooperation of both parents who must ensure the total development of their students… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
Statement of the Problem
There is a global awareness of the Importance of the home environment on students’ academic achievement. In Nigeria, most home are not intact as a result of issues of incompatibility of the couples, separation, divorce, death of a parent and the quest for the oversea trips to make more money, and at times marital infidelity.
This has resulted in the separation of couples and students. In some states in the federation, this is quite clear… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
Research Objectives
This study will be conducted with the following objectives:
- To find out the effect of broken home on students’ academic performance in Government.
- To explore the effect of single parental care on students’ academic achievement… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
The home is an agent of both socialization and education of the child. All these are elements of the development of students and adolescents. Without this process of education and socialization, it would be difficult for young person’s to be taught the ideas of right and wrong. The behavior that is approved by the group and ways to make correct judgment are characterized by home which is peaceful and in harmony.
Child development or behavior can be affected by a number of things that can later go on to affect his academic performance and social relationship amongst peers and the society at large, but a big factor may be the parents. Depending on the severity of a broken home, the parent’s relationship with each other, as well as their student, can affect how their student behaves and may even develop.. (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material).
Theoretical Framework
For Kurt Lewin, the behavior was determined by the totality of an individual’s situation, in his field theory, a “field” is defined as the “totality of coexisting factors which are conceived of as mutual interdependent” (Tognotti, 2008). Subsequently, field theory deals with the problem of how people gain an understanding of themselves and their environments and how using their cognition, they act in relation to their environments (Beronio, 2003).
There is basically a change in oneself if the environment changes. Thus, individuals participate in a series of living spaces such as the family, work, school, or church, and these were constructed under the influence of various forces (vectors Lewin, 1952; Tognotti, 2008)… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
Conceptual Framework
The following are items to be discussed thus;
- The modern view of marriage
- Meaning of broken homes
- Concept of marriage
- Causes of broken homes
- The effects of broken homes on the academic performance of secondary school students
- The influence of family on an individual’s behavior
- Relationship between parents and their student’s educational and social life
- Summary
Concept of Marriage
Marriage is the first step towards starting a family. Kiura (1999) indicated that if two people share a good marriage, then starting a family and taking good care of it would not be a problem. He adds that the vice-versa is true if the marriage is not built on a strong foundation. According to Durazi (2005), there are people who no longer view marriage as a means to personal fulfillment.
The majority of women today prefer taking care of their students single-handedly. They argued that being a mother is a better legacy than being a wife. Durazi quoted what one woman, Elizabeth, said; “The modern woman is against being taken for granted and that is what puts her off the whole marriage thing”. It is believed that formal marriage is slowly disappearing since the majority of the youth prefer live-in arrangements… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter describes the research design, the location of the study or study area, population of the study, sample and sampling procedures, instrumentation, data collection, and data analysis.
The Population of the Study
The population for this study comprises selected secondary school students in Bosso local government area of Niger State totaling four (4) altogether. A total number of four (4) secondary schools would be used for the purpose of this study. Teachers will be involved in the population for the study.
A population entails the total number of the target areas. The target population of the study is 120 respondents, having thirty (30) respondents from each school. The respondents from each school include both teachers and some selected students.
Sample and Sampling Technique
The sample for the study is 120 respondents out of the total population of the entire schools sampled for the research study. This is in line with the directions of the Gidan Kwanu secondary school headteacher who advised that we use 30 respondents from each school to avoid too many respondents and so as to ease the challenges of collating the data because so many of the respondents may not return their copy of the questionnaire… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
Introduction
This chapter is devoted to the presentation of data and analysis. The data were analyzed by the use of the proportional measure and percentage. The methodology of data collection is the use of questionnaires which were administered to the selected schools drawn from the area of study.
A total of one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to all the respondents and were retrieved. Section one of the questionnaire centered on the effect of broken homes on the academic performance of secondary school students.
4.2 Data Analysis
Section A: Demographic data of the respondents
Table 1: Gender distribution table of the respondents
| S/N | Gender | No of respondents | Percentage |
| 1. | Male | 40 | 33.3% |
| 2. | Female | 80 | 66.7% |
| Total | 120 | 100% |
Table 2: Age distribution table of the respondents
| S/N | Age | No of respondents | Percentage |
| 1. | 18 – 25 years | 25 | 20.8% |
| 2. | 26 – 35 years | 40 | 33.3% |
| 3. | 36 – 45 years | 35 | 29.2% |
| 4. | 46 – 55 years | 20 | 16.7% |
| Total | 120 | 100% |
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
An investigation into the effects of broken homes on the academic performances of secondary school students was carried out in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State. This study covered four schools from the Local Government Area which includes: Gidan Kwanu Secondary School, Saint Peters Secondary School, and Centre for Excellence Return and Abuturab Secondary School.
To properly investigate the effects of broken homes on the students’ academic work, a designed questionnaire was used to solicit information from the respondents. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires administered. The researcher identified the following as some of the causes of broken homes which include: drunkenness, adultery, the financial factor, early marriage on the path of the girl, physical violence, marital adjustment, and the type of occupation each member of the couple does… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
Conclusion
After the study, it was observed that certain factors contribute to the breaking down of marriage. Such factors includes the persistent indulgence in adultery as it is in the cause with any individuals, the financial factor, drunkenness, the kind of occupation the husband or wife does, and a host of related factors.
The effect of these on academic performances has taken a serious dimension. A student who comes from such families have too many strikes against them, they are never happy and more often than not, this is neglected in the student school performance.
Again, it was observed that fatherless boys are deprived of proper upbringing and opportunity to observe their father’s corrections or even get advice on their personal social crises; they also lack fatherly love and attention and of course deprived of proper upbringing. A situation as indicated above would have adverse effects on the social, physical, psychological, and academic development of the child… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
Recommendations
Based on the above conclusions, the researcher made the following recommendations:-
- Parents or guardians who are experiencing conflicts in their families should consider counseling options as soon as possible to avoid negative effects on their students.
- The schools and the Ministry of Education should consider training peer counselors among the students so that they can assist their fellow students… (Scroll down for the link to get the Complete Chapter One to Five Project Material)
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