FAMILY ATTRIBUTES AND SCHOOL CLIMATE AS CORRELATES OF MALE DROPOUT OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study sought to determine family attributes and school climate as predictors of male dropout in secondary schools in South East Nigeria. The study was guided by six research questions and six null hypotheses. The study adopted a correlational survey design. The area for this study was South East, Nigeria which comprised five states namely; Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu. The population of the study comprised 1087 male dropouts who had personal contact with the researcher in South East Nigeria. The sample for the study was 761 dropouts. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire developed by the researcher titled; “family attributes, school climate and reasons for male dropout questionnaire”. In order to ensure that the instrument is reliable, it was trial-tested with

30 dropouts from Delta state of Nigeria. The overall reliability coefficient of 0.89  was obtained.  Based  on  the  spread  of  the  population,  the  researcher  used  five  research assistants for collection  of data. Each research  assistant  was assigned  to  a state that he/she is familiar with. The assistants were directed on the modality for administering and collecting  the  instrument.  All  the  research  questions  were  answered  using  Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Coefficient of determination. The hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that there was a significant  relationship  between parenting styles, family climate, family size, school climate, age and students’ dropout of secondary schools. The implication of the findings were highlighted and it was recommended among other things that  the  parents  should  be  mindful  of  how  they  treat  their  children  especially  the adolescents. The parents should always use democratic parenting styles in dealing with their children. The limitations of the study were highlighted and suggestions were made for further research.

xi

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Low levels of educational attainment especially of boy-child represent a very serious constraint  on  development  in  most  countries.  This  constraint  hampers   progress  for individuals as well as for nations. At the individual level, education is the ultimate liberator, empowering people to make personal and social change. Education is described from the Latin word “educare” which literally means to deduce, extract and to acquire knowledge. The importance of education as veritable significant tool for sustainable human and material development is fully acknowledged  globally and  particularly in Nigeria today. Education which  is adopted  as an instrument  per  excellence  for effective  national  development  is defined by the Federal Government  of Nigeria as Learning about new things we did not know before and doing things in different ways (FRN, 2004).

One  of  the  major  goals  of  education  in  the  African  societies  was  to  use  the educational system and forum, to create the kind of personality and future-society that the culture thinks  desirable  (Anusiem,  2009). The goals of education  in this  case for each individual child were to guarantee that a child’s future is a happy and prosperous one, so that the child will bring out the best in him into the service of the society and community. The  purpose  of  education  was  to  foster  a  healthy  child;  physically,  spiritually  and psychologically.  In  the  modern  times,  the  way  of  achieving  these  goals  became  the prerogative of formal school education especially at the secondary level.

Secondary education is the education given to a child after primary education. It is generally  believed  that the education  children receive  immediately  after  primary  school

should be very purposeful in order to sustain them through the years ahead in life.

1

The purpose of secondary education therefore includes the acquisition of some basic skills which would enhance or facilitate effective interaction with members of the society (Anichebe,  2007).  It  is  also  to  prepare  the  young  adult for purposeful  organization  of oneself for achieving maximally one’s potential to be able to withstand the complexities of living in the environment. It is also meant to prepare young adults for further training and education which would lead to the acquisition of some specialised skills needed in different specific operations within the society. One  important aim of secondary education that is well  amplified  in  the  National  Policy  of  Education  is  the  provision  of  educational opportunities for the steady increase  of  primary school pupils who would want to equip themselves  further  for  faithful  living  in the  society  (FRN,  2004).    The  most  daunting challenge today in South East of Nigeria is that of promoting male education.

A number  of researchers  such  as Obikeze  (1999);  and  Ogbonnaya  (2007)  have indicated  that  in  the  past,  the  number  of  females  enrolled  in  secondary  and  tertiary institutions  was negligible  when compared  with their  male counterparts.  The  pursuit of knowledge has historically been considered the premise of men. In the history of education, women  have been outsiders  (Adegoke,  1999). However,  the  situation  in some parts of Nigeria today especially in South East has revealed greater female enrolment in institutions of learning (Nwosu, 2014). Moving back to 1988/89  academic session in Anambra state, one of the states in South East, Nigeria, enrolment trends in secondary schools was 33% for males and 67% for females (Anambra State Education HQ, 1999).

Currently, the situation seems to be worse as the enrolment in secondary schools has dropped  to  23%  for  males  and  risen  to  75%  for  females  (Anambra  State  Ministry  of Education,  2015). Obikeze (1999) again observed  that some boys’  secondary schools in Anambra state are on the verge of being phased out while a few others have changed into co-educational  institutions  due  to poor  male  students’  enrolment.  Male  dropout  for the

purpose of this study is adolescent students who quit school without completing a course of study for one reason  or the other such as socio  economic  status, parental  style,  family climate, school influences, and family size. In South East Nigeria, however United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 2011 reported that the most critical factor in determining whether a student drops out or not are within the individual domain in terms of academic achievement (81%), low attendance, rate (69%), retention (50%), misbehaviour (50%), and interest in or commitment to school (56%); other relevant factors are family related such as low socio-economic status of the family (50%), and school climate (38%). These differences, therefore, indicate that  the decision to leave school is influenced by a number of interrelated factors.

Family attribute simply means a clear set of family rules, values and beliefs  that establishes  expectations  about  acceptable  and  desired  behaviour  (Ozigi,  2006).  Family attributes for the purpose of this study are the characteristics of the family such as socio- economic status of the family, family size, family climate and parental style among others.

Dropout simply means early departure from school. A dropout according to Akpobi (2009) is a student who quits school before completing a course of study due to financial reasons or physical causes. Umeh (2008) defined dropouts as young people who left school or college before finishing their studies. About 10.5 million children dropout of school in Nigeria,  (UNICEF  2015).  Reasons  for their  withdrawal  usually  vary,  to some  financial problems and lack of proper adjustment, to others dissatisfaction, location of the school and parental influences among others. In the context of this study, the researcher views school dropout as early departure from school usually before graduation and inability of a pupil to continue  with secondary  school after primary education.  In this study,  family attributes encompasses socio economic status of the family, parenting styles, family climate, family size and age of students.

Socio-economic status has been reported by various researchers such as Srivastava and Thomas (2000), Kuppuswamy,  (2012) to be the single most influential  factor which plays a significant role in determining the success and achievement in human life and is positively correlated with creativity and intelligence. Socio-economic status as defined by Brown and Alder (1998), is the position of a person in relation to others in the society with respect to money, power and achievements. Socio-Economic Status (SES) is defined as a person’s  position  in  any  given  group,  society  or  culture  as  determined  by education, occupation,  wealth  and  social  class  (Thomas,  &  Ronald,  2000).  Kuppuswamy  (2012) showed that the three important variables that contribute to the socio-economic status of the people living in urban and rural areas are education, occupation and income.

Similarly,  Manaster  (2007),  indicates  that being of low socio-economic  status  is correlated positively with early withdrawal from school. The question that needs to be asked therefore  is why  is the  dropout  rate  higher  among  students  from  low  socio  economic families? He also added that many low socio-economic parents want their children to have more education than they did. Thus, Grinder (2008), posits that  dropout parents produce dropout children. Sometimes parents completely discourage their children from attending school.  Older  daughters  are urged  to  stay at home  to  babysit  or  keep  house,  sons  are expected to go out to get job to help and support the family. In the researcher’s own view, socio-economic   status  and  family  structure,   most  commonly  measured   by  parental education and income is a powerful predictor of school achievement and dropout behaviour.

Family climate is another important factor of male dropout. The family is a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting  with each other in their respective  social position of  husband  and wife, mother and father, son and daughter, brother and sister (Luebering; Mahajan & Sampaolo,

2006). The word “family” has its origin in the Latin word which could be translated to mean

“domestic group”. A domestic group is a group of people who habitually share a common dwelling and a common food supply (Olayinka & Omoegun, 2001: 185).

Family  climate  simply  means  the  reservoir  upon  which  the  child  depends  for meeting  his  or  her  physical  and  emotional  needs.  Its  warmth  and  intimate  contacts contribute to his feelings of security and belongingness (Hurlock, 2000). Family climate for the  purpose  of  this  study,  is  the  general  condition  of  the  home  with  respect  to  the relationship which exists between its members.

Family size is observed by Coleman (2013) as another factor towards dropping out of secondary schools. Family size refers to the number of people in a family or the number of children the parents have to cater for. For instance, the control of children  in a large family may not always be easy not to talk of sending all of them to school, if things are not really moving well with the said family. This may necessitate some of the children dropping out from school when their parents could not adequately provide for them.

Studies like those of Loiyd and Gage – Brandom, (1999); Okojie, (2001)  indicate that the size of the family has been found to impede boys’ school attendance and attainment. It was found that the number of younger siblings negatively affects boys’ chances of ever attending school. Oldest boys from large families, especially in rural areas are less likely to be in school.

Parenting style is another factor which has been implicated in a number of studies related to male dropout of secondary schools. The type of parenting style may have great effect on the behaviour of children. Parenting style simply means the  different methods which parents employ in trying to control and socialize their children (Baldry & Farrington,

1998). For example, in homes where parents adopt the laissez faire parenting style, children are  given  too  much  freedom,  they  receive  very  little  or  no  guidance,  directions  and

restrictions  from their parents.  Children are allowed  to be in charge of their  day-to-day activities. According to Brenner (2008), children take over and become empowered as well as think of themselves as clever. Parents are not aware of the unhealthy influences and thus, by the time they realize what is happening, it is already late. Thus, such parenting style may be associated with adolescents social incompetence, especially lack of self-control to which school dropout belongs.

Similarly, the autocratic parenting style which is marked by excessive limits, strict rules, barking order as well as extreme shouting has its own negative effects on children and adolescents. According to Brenner (2008), children learn that acts of power and the control of others, is the prize to be attained. The parents are known as the harsh parent because they always  exert  power  over  their  children.  The  use  of  power  thus,  teaches  children  that dropping out is the only way to get what they want. This type of parenting style, depending on   a   child’s   temperament   produces   either    extreme   obedience   and   passivity   or revengefulness. How parenting style can be a possible link with dropping out of secondary school behaviour is one of the subjects of this study.

In the same vein, democratic parenting stresses choices. When using a democratic parenting  style parents treat children as equals. This does not mean that  they get to do whatever they want or that they get the same run of the house that the adults do. What this means  is  that  all  members  of  the  family  are  respected  equally  and  treated  the  same. Everyone has a voice and everyone works for the good of the family unit. The adults in the house are like directors or mangers they have more experience so they get to set the rules. The rules, however, are discussed with the  children and explained as to why they are in place and how it benefits the family to have the rules, for instance you might tell a child to pick their dirty clothes up from the bathroom floor because if they stay there someone could trip on them and get hurt. Children can even be involved in setting their own punishments if

the rules are not followed. A child might decide that if they don’t pick the clothes up they cannot watch the TV or have to do an additional chore the next day.

Male dropout of secondary schools may also result due to age difference between the parents and the out-school adolescents. This is a situation where value changes which the adolescents are confronted with conflicts with the traditional values which parents have grown up with parents who are middle aged tend to compare today’s youths and their life styles to the way things were when they were growing up neglecting the fact that the world is  dynamic.  According  to  Rice  (2009),  “Parents  become  a  little  cynical  about  human character, some-what disillusioned  about trying to change the world and everybody in it, while adolescents on the other hand, are still extremely idealistic and very impatient with adults who  are the establishment.  Adolescents  want to reform  the world  overnight  and become very annoyed at their parents for not agreeing with their holy crusade”. Thus, these differences in the ages of parents and their children is likely to be a sustaining factor in the dropping out of secondary school.

Researchers (Baldry & Farrington, 1998) have found that marital relationship is an important   support   for   parenting.   When   parents   report   more   intimacy   and   better communication   in  their  marriage,  they  are  more  affectionate  to  their   children  and adolescents.  However,  where  the demonstration  of love  is lacking,  and affectional  ties between parents and siblings appear to be weak, dropping out of school may result (Gryche,

2002). For instance, in a home where the parents see themselves as “cat and dog” there is a likely problem because, the emotional climate of such home is faulty which may result to their children dropping out of school especially male children. This is because they lack the love to supervise them properly. According to Olweus (2008), a negative attitude between parent and child, especially mother and son as well as a negative relationship between the

parents and the temperament of the child are among the factors which can contribute to a child’s dropping out from school.

School climate is an important factor in the issue of school dropouts. School climate simply means all the involvement in the school such as the principal’s  leadership  style, teachers, students, peers, school environment including classrooms, Okeke (2003). Studies that explored  the effect  of student-teacher  relations  on their  decisions  to  dropout  from school are limited but revealing. According to Farmer (2001), a supportive teacher at school who has high expectations of his or her students has been found to come immediately after parents and peers in terms of influencing student career choices and plans. Similarly, Clark (2001) found that teachers can have a significant impact on students’ decisions to stay in or leave school. Their study found that students who have dropped out typically have weaker relationships with their teachers than other students in the same class. However, receiving the necessary support both inside and outside of class has been found to have a greater impact on dropouts, than on students who are not at risk of dropping out (Croninger and Lee, 2001). Moreover, a study by Hanushek (2008) indicates that teachers can not only have a positive effect on students’ emotional wellbeing and decisions to stay in school, but also on their academic achievement.  He found that the difference  between a good  and  a bad teacher can amount to up to a year’s worth of learning.

In  contrast,  Nestrogel  (1995)  examined  the  potential  negative  effects  of  a  bad teacher. Based on the research in schools, the author argues that teacher’s lack of training results in poor teaching methods, insufficient learning materials, and lack of interest and motivation  to  teach.  This  combined  with  low  salary  and  consequent  involvement  in additional  jobs as well as lack of commitment  to children’s  learning  and progress,  has strong repercussions on students’ interest in school and can contribute to students leaving school prior to completion.

Under  school  climate,  leadership  styles  in  the  educational  organization  are  no different from leadership styles in other organizations. In addition, they include aspects of task orientation and orientation towards people. As a school principal is the  leader of the school team, his leadership style has great impact towards dropping out of students. The school principal’s leadership style is one of the crucial factors in team success, due to its effect on satisfaction, commitment motivation, quality and level of teacher performance, as well as its indirect effect on student achievements, (Okeke, 2003). Researchers claim that transformational  leadership succeeds in coping with educational challenges in a changing environment  and  contributes  to  the  school’s success  in  implementing  innovations.  The influence  of these leaders is  expressed  in the school’s  culture and vision as well as in planning, structure and organization, Coleman (2004).

The secondary school principal would find that in the course of his or her duties, he or she is of necessity bound to take decisions on a variety of issues. For a school to be run efficiently,  it is essential that the principal holds consultation with members  of  his staff thereby ensuring that the students are being taken care of both in intelligence (creativity) and adjustment and by so doing, the issue of dropout will reduce drastically.

Discipline is another important means of ensuring the successful academic of any secondary school. It is essential that discipline should be maintained in schools in order to create  an  atmosphere  conducive  to  effective  learning.  It  is  only  when  discipline  is maintained that the functions of the school can be carried out effectively and attention can be directed at the more important problems relating to the efficient and smooth running of the school, (Peters 2009). Evidence abound that there is high positive correlation between the level of discipline and the academic achievement of a school hence the dropout rate will reduce drastically.

Though experts are tackling the problem of male dropout of schools, the  desired result so far appear to be elusive because they tend to be digging the surface without getting at the root of the problem. It is against this background that the researcher is investigating family attribute and school climate as correlates of male  dropout in secondary schools in South East Nigeria.

Statement of the Problem

The rate of male students dropout of secondary schools in Nigeria particularly in South East Nigeria in recent times increased  tremendously.  UNICEF put the  number of dropouts in Nigeria at 10.5million.  It has been seen that males constitute  about 49% of Nigeria total population but 61% of the total male population are illiterates as against 37% illiterate female population. Observation have shown that some boys’ secondary schools in South East are on the verge of being phased out while a few others have changed into co- educational institution due to poor male students enrolment. It would therefore appear that the increase in school dropout of male students in secondary schools is as a result of family attributes.

Any  country  without  adequate  male  education  may  suffer  a  serious  setback  in economic and scientific development. General observation shows that females underachieve in a variety of courses especially in the physical sciences, engineering and technology. It is also observed  that males seem to achieve better in science  engineering  and technology. Therefore,  if male dropout in school is not checked, it would pose human capital problem in Nigeria,  weaken  traditional  value  system  and  heighten  the  desire  to  get  rich  quick syndrome as has been identified in south east Nigeria. Apart from these, thousands of boys who  dropped  out  of  schools  in  south  east  Nigeria  are  victims  of  child  labour,  moral decadence  and  religious  fanaticism.  Could  there  be any relationship  between  parenting styles, family climate, socio-economic status of the family and male dropout of school? Is

there any relationship between the school climate and male dropout from secondary school? These questions constitute the problem of this study.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study was to determine the correlates of male dropout in secondary schools in South East Nigeria. Specifically, the study intended to:

1.   Find out the relationship  between parenting  styles and reasons  for male  dropout from secondary school.

2.   Find out the relationship between the family climate and reasons for male drop out of secondary school.

3.   Find the relationship between socio-economic status of the family and reasons for male dropout of secondary school.

4.   Find  the  relationship  between  family  size  and  reasons  for  male  dropout  from secondary schools.

5.   Find the relationship between the school climate and reasons for male dropout from secondary schools.

6.   Find  the  relationship  between  age  and  reasons  for  male  dropout  of  secondary schools.

Significance of the Study

This study has both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, the findings of this study are considered significant because there is need for empirical information for explaining the reasons of male dropouts of secondary school and its prevalence, the factors, the consequences and so on.

Theoretically,   the   findings   of   this   study  will   further   the  understanding   of psychological  theory by Erick  Erikson,  social  learning  theory by Albert  Bandura,  and behavioural counseling theory by B. F. Skiner. The outcome of the study will particularly prove the functionality or otherwise of the social learning  theory by Albert Bandura on which this study is hinged on. Hence, it may be a gate-way to understanding clearly if the factors as theoretically proposed by Bandura could contribute to deviant behaviour and by implication male drop out of secondary schools.

Practically,  the findings of the study will be of immense benefit to the  guidance counsellors,   parents,   adolescents’   researchers   and   the   entire   society.   For   guidance counselors, this work will enable them to understand how such factors as parenting style, family climate, family size and socio-economic status can bring about male drop out from secondary schools. They will then be in a better position to enlighten parents and care givers on the need for providing enabling home climate and parenting styles which inadvertently will lead to a reduction in male dropout of schools.

For parents, the enlightenment programme provided by the guidance counselors in form of seminars and workshops will make them realize how their parenting styles and the home environment they create at home affects the behaviour of their children and wards. This  will  make  them  to  improve  their  parenting  skills,  provide  adequate  nurturance, supervision, appropriate discipline practices and modeling of positive social behaviours to their children and wards.

On the part of potential adolescent male dropouts, there will be a positive change in their behaviour when parents provide enabling environment and improve on their parenting styles. These will in-turn, enhance interpersonal relationship between them and their parents and a more positive home environment that will facilitate their optimum social, emotional and physical development. This is because, the emotional climate of the family is said to

have the most influences on the adolescents and subsequently reduce the cases of dropping out  from  schools.  For  the  society,  when  incidence  of  male  dropout  is  reduced,  better learning  atmosphere  may ensue  which  makes  it  possible  for  students  to  learn  to  their optimum and hence may contribute their quota to the nation.

Finally, the results of this work will add to the resources in the library and serve as a reference  material  to  other  researchers.  The  results  of  the  study  will  be  disseminated through workshops, seminars and journals including postings in the net.  The society will also  benefit,  this  is because  when  posted  in the  net,  disseminated  through  workshops, seminars and journals, they will be enriched on how the factors  such as socio economic status of the family, family size, family climate, parenting style and age can bring about dropping out of school.

Scope of the Study

The study is de-limited to male dropout of secondary school in South East Nigeria consisting the following states: Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi. The content was limited to the extent to which parenting style, family climate, socio-economic status, family size, age of student and school climate as variables relate to male dropout from secondary schools.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study.

1.   What is the relationship  between parenting styles and reasons for male dropout  of secondary schools?

2.   What  is the relationship  between  family climate  and reasons  for male dropout  of secondary schools?

3.   What is the relationship between socio-economic status of the family and reasons for male secondary school dropout?

4.   What  is the  relationship  between  family  size  and  reasons  for  male  dropout  from secondary schools?

5.   What is the relationship  between school climate and reasons for male dropout from school?

6.   What  is  the  relationship  between  age  and  reasons  for  male  students’  dropout  of secondary school?

Hypotheses

The study was guided by the following null hypotheses to be tested at 0.05 level of significance.

HO1:   Parenting styles will not significantly relate to reasons for male dropout of schools in South East Nigeria.

HO2:   Family climate will not significantly relate to reasons for male dropout of secondary schools in South East Nigeria.

HO3:   Socio-economic  status will not significantly relate to reasons for male dropout of secondary schools in South East of Nigeria.

HO4: Family size will not significantly relate to reasons for male dropout of  secondary schools in South East Nigeria.

HO5: School climate will not significantly relate to reasons for male dropout of schools in

South East Nigeria.

HO6:  Age  has  no  significant  relationship  with  reasons  for  male  students’  dropout  of secondary schools in South East Nigeria.

₦5,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :