INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL BACKGROUND ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPIL IN ENLISH LANGUAGE IN ENUGU NORTH EDUCATIONAL ZONE

ABSTRACT

The research study examined the influence of parental background on academic achievement of primary school pupils in English Language in Enugu-North Educational Zone.  Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study.  An ex-post-facto  research design was adopted for the study.  The sample consisted of three hundred and eighty eight primary school pupils from eight schools from  the study  area.  An  instrument tagged  ‘Parental Background  and English Language Achievement  Test was used to collect data.  Expert judgements  were used to ensure face and content validity.  The Cronbach Alpha,  method was used in determining the internal consistency   reliability   co-efficient   of  the  Parental   Background   and  English   Language Achievement  Test.  The reliability of the instrument was 0.81  and this went to show that the instrument was reliable.  The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research question.  The t-test statistics was used to test the null hypotheses  at 0. 05 level of significance.  The results showed that the academic achievement of primary school pupils in English Language was influenced by parents’  level of education, parents’  occupation  and parents’  residential areas. Among others,  it was recommended that parents should endeavour to make out time and resources for their children’s academic pursuits.

CHAPTER  ONE INTRODUCTION

Background  of the Study

A home is a place where children live with their parents.  It is a place where children  learn the norms and values of the society in which they find themselves.  Home environment  influences the  overall  development  of children,  particularly   at the  formative  stage  when  their  minds  are highly receptive.  It provides the first impression which may last through the whole of their lives. Parents  are thus  responsible  for providing  the right  home  environment  that  facilitates  effective learning for their children (Oladipo, 2009).

According  to  Wehmeier  (2000),  a parent  is simply  a person’s  father  or  mother.  Thus, parents  are caretakers  of their off springs  and through  their influence;  they basically  mould and shape  their  children  into  adults.  In  a nut  shell,  parents  are their  children’s  first  and  foremost teachers, guidance counselors and nurturers  (O’Connor & Scott, 2007). However, the quality and effectiveness of parenting  depends essentially  on parental background.

Parental  background  refers  to the  overall  experience,  education  and training  of parents (Essien,  2002).  The  background  of parents  moulds  the  values,  aspirations,  emotions,  interests and attitudes of their children (Okeke,  2009).  According to Essien (2002), what children learn at home  and how  the  family  motivates them,  contribute  to their  success  in school.  Ebong  (2015) refers   to   parental   background   as  a  collective   terminology   comprising   social   class/status, economic  status,  educational  level,  occupation   and  other  factors  pertaining  to  one’s  parents. From  the  foregoing,  it  is seen  that  the  major  variables  of parental  background  are  education, social class,  occupation  and experience.

Education  is the unilateral  and intentional transmission  of information,  knowledge,  skills, morals  and values  from one person  to another  (Bruce  & Neville,  1979).  This definition  implies

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that  education  prepares  one for life since  it  is a process  of accumulating  knowledge  for future use.  The importance  of education  is stressed  in the opening  statement  of the National  Policy  on Education   (NPE)   where   it   is   maintained   that  “education   in  Nigeria   is  an  instrument  par excellence  for effecting national development”  (FRN,  2004: 1 ).  It also reshapes  human potentials for  desired  development.  Education  involves  a pedagogical  process  which,  if properly  carried out,  should  lead to the maturing  of the person  who  has received  it,  to the extent that he is in  a position  to think  and act meaningfully  and in relevant  interactions  with members  of the society for  their  mutual  benefit  (Etuk  ,   Ering  & Ajake,  2012).    Parents  play  significant  roles  in  the educational  development  of an individual.  How this task  is effectively carried  out depends, to a large extent, on parents’  level of education.

According to Bakker, Denessen and Brus-Laeven (2007), parents’ education provides opportunities  for parents  to discover their own strengths,  enhance  their parenting  skills and life competencies   and  learn  more  about  their   children’s  cognitive,   literacy   and  developmental growth.  Parents,  armed with adequate  education,  often get gainful employment.  Thus, with their level of income  and exposure,  they are better  disposed to procure  educational  materials  for their children. Without  doubt, a child surrounded  with  good magazines, books,  as well as intelligent discussions  could be expected to develop different  and perhaps,  better vocational  interests than a child not exposed to those things (Onyejiaku,  1987).

Parents’   education   is  an  important  index  of socio-economic   status  which  determines children’s educational  and behavioral  outcomes  (Osunloye, 2008). Singh in Igbo, Okafor, & Eze (2014)  asserted  that the education  of parents  can help their children  develop proper  personality characteristics  as  well  as  equipping  them  better  to  adjust  socially  and  academically.  Parents’ education  could  affect  the attitude  of their children  to school work.  According to the European

Union Monitoring Report (2013), those children whose parents have a tertiary level of education perform, on average, significantly better than those whose parents have only basic schooling.

Provision of educational facilities is an important way through which parents encourage their children to learn.  Educational  facilities are the facilities provided to students so that they can  use  every  opportunity  to  develop  their  full  potentials.  Educational   facilities  include buildings,  fixtures and equipment necessary for the effective and efficient learning and operation of the program of education. According to Abdulkareem and Fasasi (2009), educational facilities refer  to  non-human  and non-financial  resources  which  include  all movable  and  immovable materials which are used for teaching,  learning and other school activities.

Children whose parents are illiterates often lack home encouragement  because, as they rarely provide their children with needed textbooks, they are discouraging them from learning. David (2007) stated that textbooks and other learning materials at home aid studies after normal school  teaching.  Students  from  illiterate  parents  lack  assistance  because  of their  parents’ illiteracy  and ignorance.  Such parents  rarely  motivate, reinforce,  give reward  or punish  their children  on their  academic  performance  which  would  have  forced  them  to  be  serious  with learning.   On  the  other  hand,   literate  parents   have  interest  in  their  children’s  academic performance.  They  struggle  to  provide  their  children  with  needed  materials  and  give  them adequate  encouragement.  They  provide  adequate  motivation  and  reward  when  the  children perform  well in class assignments,  tests  and examinations.  Having known  the  importance of education,  they  draw  a reading  time-table  for their  children  and  also  arrange  for part-time teachers to teach their children.

Just  like  parents’   education  level,  different   occupations  engaged  by  parents  could influence  their  children’s  academic  achievement.  According  to  Ahukannah,  Ndinechi   and Arukwe (2009),  occupation is any productive activity in which a person is engaged permanently

and which occupies his productive  time.  It is likely that mothers or fathers who engage in menial jobs  like  sewing,  petty  trading,  hair  dressing,  farming,  catering,  among  others  may  not  have enough time for their children.  In addition,  some of such parents  may want their children to toe the  line  of their  trade  and  may,  as  a result,  not  bother  to  lay  much  emphasis  on  the  early intellectual development  of their children,  assuming they know how.   Others who work in places like banks or hospitals  as doctors or nurses may also not have time for their children. This could influence  the  vocabulary   and  communication  skills  of such  children  and  consequently,  their academic  achievement.  On the other hand, parents  in certain  lines of work  may be better placed and equipped to transmit a certain level of diligence,  focus,  work ethics and other skills that may be of advantage  to their  children’s  academic  achievement.    For this study, parental  occupation means parents’  usual work especially as a means of earning a livelihood.

In addition,  the locations  of parents’  residential  areas play significant roles towards  their children’s  academic  achievement.   Ngwoke   and  Eze  (2004)  opine  that  any  environment   that consists of human behavior, especially  social behavior  which  is acquired  through  the process  of interaction  with the environment  could be taken  as one’s  area of residence.  Also,  Onuoha  and Emeh (2008) explained that area of residence  signifies the environment  which can be referred  to as the  conditions,  circumstances  affecting a person’s  life.  Location  of parents’ residential  area poses  serious  challenges  to  their  children’s  education.  For  instance,  parents  living  in parts  of cities thickly populated  by poor people  characterized  by insufficient accommodation, very poor environments  that lack basic amenities  like water,  electricity,  good roads,  good schools,  medical care  are naturally  under  stress  and alienated  from  academic  interest  (Onuoha  & Emeh,  2008). This  is because  the parents  are all the time  struggling  for basic needs  while  the children  suffer academic neglect. For this study,  area ofresidence refers to where one lives and can be located.

A  child  is  generally  a human  between  the  stages  of birth  and  puberty  (Bisht,  2008). According to Article  1   of the United  Nations  Convention  on the Rights  of the Child (CRC),  “a child means every human being below the age of 18  years unless, under the law applicable to the child,  majority is attained  earlier”.  Children  are important  assets  of the  society.  Thus,  learning experiences  are provided  with a view to training them to be useful  members  of the society.  All round development  of the personality  of children is the goal of education.  Children are ultimately influenced  by factors surrounding  them.   In fact,  what a child becomes  is not solely determined by  his  genetic  endowment   but  also  by  the  environmental   forces  operative   around  him/her (Mishra & Bamba,  2012).  Family and school are two major  agents that determine  and direct the nature  and quality  of children’s  educational  experiences  and development.  The complementary role  of the two  agents  in child upbringing  is aptly  captured  by the  authors.  Mishra  & Bamba, (2012:  43) state,   “It  is a common  and plausible  assumption  that  families prepare  and reinforce the symbolic  attribution  required  by schooling  and that schooling builds upon and elaborates  the symbolic  resources  derived  from family membership.”  The family has the potential  to influence a child’s academic  achievement  because  it  is the first environment  he or she is exposed  to. The initial experience  that  moulds  the  values,  aspirations,  emotions,  interests  and  attitudes  a child exhibits  are offered  by the parents/family  (Okeke,  2009).  It is this experience  they acquire  that helps them  in their transition  from the home to the first level of education  which  is pre-primary education.

Pre-primary   education  is  the  first  level  of education  which  a  child  undergoes   before he/she  moves on to other levels starting with primary  education. Primary  education  is officially regarded  as the foundation  level of the educational  system in Nigeria.  Primary  education runs for six  years  and  is  aimed  at  developing   basic   literacy,  numeracy,   communication   skills  and transmission  of the  culture  of the  people  to  younger  generations  (Durosaro,  2005).  It  is very

important  in the Nigerian  educational  system  for a number  of reasons.  One,  it  is  the  only  link between   pre-primary   education   and  secondary   education   system.   Two,   it   has  the  highest patronage  because  it takes in successful beneficiaries  of the former and supplies entrants  into the latter. Finally,  it  is generally  regarded  as the very foundation  upon which the other strata of the educational  systems  are  built  (Olaniyan  &  Obadara,  2008).  It is  in  primary  schools  that  the foundation  for academic achievement  is laid after the home.

The  term  academic   achievement   is  usually  associated   with  the  standard  an  individual attains in educational  exercise.  Academic  achievement  is measured  in relation to what is attained at the  end  of a  course  since  it  is the  accomplishment  of medium  or  long  term  objectives  of education (Ganai & Mir,  2013).  What is important is that the test should be a standardized  test to meet  national  norm.  Academic  achievement   is  also  perceived   as  excellence   in  all  academic disciplines,  in  class  as  well  as  in  co-curricular   activities.  It  includes  excellence   in  sporting behaviour,  confidence,  communication skills,  punctuality,  arts,  and culture,  among others,  which can be  achieved  only  when  an  individual  is well  adjusted  (Huitt,  Huitt,  Monetti,  & Hummel (2009)  Academic  achievement  is not just  a school  issue.  Other  factors beyond  the  classroom such   as   parenting   practices,   young   children’s   nutrition   and   breastfeeding;   children   and adolescents  connection  with  long-term  mentors,  family  functioning  and  quality  of education after-school,   among   others   can   affect    whether    children   and   youth   excel   academically (Boccanfuso,  Moore & Whitney, 2010). The most  common  indicator of achievement  generally refers  to  pupils’  performance   in  academic  areas  such  as  English  Language,  as  measured  by

achievement  tests.

English  Language  is an  essential  pre-requisite   for propelling  the  educational  wheel  of Nigeria.  It is a medium  of instruction,  a compulsory  and core subject  that must be offered  and passed  at  all  levels  of  education   in  Nigeria’s   educational   system.   Success  in  any  form  of

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education, training and work generally depends on the ability to comprehend  and use the English Language   effectively  and  proficiently.   Realizing   the   importance  of English   Language   for enhancing academic achievement  as well as improving communicative  competence, the Nigerian government   has  made  it  a  core  and  compulsory   subject  which  must  be  passed  at  credit  or distinction  level,   in  addition   to  other   subjects,  to  be  able  to  gain  admission   into   higher institutions.  The main aim of teaching  English  Language  in our  schools  is to equip pupils  with the techniques  of reading,  listening, writing  and speaking  which are the four basic skills needed in language learning (Odesina & Ikegulu, 2002).

Looking carefully at these aims,  it can be seen that the efforts  of the Nigerian  educational system at improving  the quality of English  Language  in our schools are not yielding  substantial results because inefficiency and poor academic performance have persisted (Falayajo,  1997; Ogbemudia  & Aiasa,  2013).  In Nigeria  today,  there has been a continuous  high rate of failure in English  Language  at both  internal  and external  examination.  To illustrate  this, available records of Junior  WAEC  results  between   2012  and  2013  indicate  a  downward  trend   in  academic achievement  of school children.  Their achievement  level,  based on the statistics presented  by the WAEC  boss,  indicates that  in 2012,  749,156  candidates  which  represents  36.81  percent  of the total candidates  who sat for the exam had credit pass and above  in English  Language.  In 2013, the figure reduced to 630,270 candidates which represent  33.57 percent  (WAEC, 2013). This has remained  a source of great concern to educationists,  guidance counselors,  Parents,  professionals, academicians   and  other  stakeholders   alike  are  worried   that  primary   school   leavers  cannot effectively   communicate    skills   learnt   to   a  reasonable   degree   of  proficiency.   This   ugly development  which  has  posed  challenges  to  learners  at  all  levels  is  attributed  to  inadequate attention by parents.  The challenges  are even greater  at the initial  stages of education  where the learner is expected to know the fundamentals  of English Language  in order to make a good start.

Scholars like Fakeye (2010) opined that language development begins at birth and centers on the child’s interactions with his or her parents. What this implies is that home environment determines and shapes children’s language development. One of the home environmental factors that significantly  impact  on the language development  of children is parents’ education.   It  is against  this  background  that  the  researcher  decided  to  investigate  the  influence  of parental background  on the academic achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language in Isi Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu North Education Zone ofEnugu State.

In Isi Uzo Local Government Area, the performance of primary school pupils in English Language in internal examinations  is abysmally poor. The Three-Year Middle Basic Education Continuous Assessment/Examination Scores for Transition into Upper Basic School shows that less than ten percent ofprimary six pupils in Isi Uzo Local Government Area scored fifty percent and above (Examination Development  Centre,  Enugu State Ministry of Education,  2014).   Poor knowledge  of English  Language,  particularly  the  skills  of writing  and  speaking  is  on  the increase. Lack of sound linguistic basis hamper  further learning in secondary,  vocational  and tertiary institutions since English Language is the medium of instruction.  There is a high rate of boys’  and girls’  drop-out  from school and secondary  school leavers not being able to secure either admission into tertiary institutions or meaningful jobs due to their inability to comprehend and use the English language proficiently.  In addition,  boys of school age are into commercial motor-cycle  transportation,  known as okada.  In view of this,  the researcher  was motivated to examine  the  influence  of parental  background  on  academic  achievement  of primary  school children in English Language in Isi Uzo Local Government Area.

Statement of the Problem

Parents are major persons involved in raising their children. Whatever parents possess in terms  of skills,  knowledge  and  expertise,  they  bring  to  bear  in raising  their  children.  Poor

parental  care  with  gross  deprivation  of social  and  economic  needs  usually  result  in  poor academic  performance   of children.  In  Isi  Uzo  Local  Government   Area,  the  natives  are predominantly peasant farmers and petty traders with little or no formal education. Parents leave early  in the  morning  and come back  late  in the  evening taking  care of their  farms or their businesses.  Pupils,  after school hours, help their parents in carrying the farm produce home and to the market, especially on Afar market days. During farming season, pupils abandon classes for farming in order to assist their parents. As a result, pupils neither  study nor do their English Language assignments at home since they often spend their time assisting their parents to make both  ends meet. Poor knowledge  of English  Language, particularly  the  skills of reading  and writing are on the increase.  They rarely speak correct English.   This lack of basic literacy skills hampers further academic pursuits.  This has resulted in a high rate of attrition of boys and girls since they fail to make their papers in WASSCE and NECO and do not pass examinations into higher institutions of learning.   One wonders  why pupils  not only perform poorly  in English Language examinations but also lack sound linguistic and communicative skills. Could it be as a result of their parents’ background?  It is  against this background that the researcher  sought to investigate  the influence  of parental  background  on academic achievement  of primary  school pupils in English Language in Isi Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu North Education Zone of Enugu State.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study was to examine the influence ofparental background on the  academic  achievement  of primary  school  pupils  in  English  Language  in  Isi  Uzo  Local Government Area, Enugu North Education Zone.  Specifically, the study sought to:

1.  Determine   the  extent   to  which  parents’    level  of  education   influences   the  academic achievement ofprimary school pupils in English Language.

2.  Find  out  the  extent  parents’  occupation  influences  the  academic  achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language.

3.  Determine  the  extent  parents’  residential   areas  influence   the  academic  achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language.

Significance of the Study

This  study  has both  theoretical  and practical  significance.  The  study  is anchored  on Parental  Attachment  Theory  propounded  by  Bowlby  in  1988.  Parental  Attachment  Theory reveals that a child develops a strong emotional bond with another person (caregiver) during childhood with lifelong consequences. The theory explains emotional development of children as well as providing useful and reasonable  insights for parents and guardians on the need to form secure attachment bond with their children.  The study will either affirm or refute the theory.

The study will be beneficial to the following: parents, the Nigerian government, teachers, curriculum planners and other students.

This study will be of enormous  importance to parents.  The findings of the study will enable parents understand that their level of education influence  academic achievement of their children in English  language.  This work will enable them have clear definition of their roles, particularly   encouraging  positive  parents/child   relationship   as  well  as  providing   adequate learning aids at home.

This study will be of immense benefit to the government. The findings,  when placed in government  gazette,  will  enlighten  the  Nigerian  government   on  the  influence  of parents’ background on academic achievement  of primary school children in English Language and the

major roles expected of the governments  in terms of funding,  supervision,  planning,  personnel management and maintenance ofprimary schools in the country.

The results of the study,  when communicated to teachers through organized conferences and seminars,  will sensitize the teachers to pay adequate  attention to individual  differences  as they  carry  out  their  pedagogical  activities  in  the  classroom.  They  will  see  their  areas  of weaknesses and improve on them after attending conferences.

The significance  of this study to curriculum planners  is that it will serve as a guide to them in policy making and in planning educational strategies for Nigerian pupils.

Finally, this study, when kept in both the departmental and school library, will serve as a guide to students and other researchers who may wish to carry out further inquiries in this area or similar areas.

Scope of the Study

The scope of this study was limited to Isi Uzo Local Government  Area,  Enugu North Education  Zone.  The content  scope of this study was  limited to finding out the influence of parents’  level  of education  on  academic  achievement  of primary  school  pupils  in  English Language,  the influence  of availability of educational facilities at home influence  on academic achievement  of primary  school  pupils  in  English  Language,  and  the  influence  of parents’ involvement on academic achievement ofprimary school pupils in English Language.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1.  To  what  extent  does parents’  level  of education  influence  the  academic  achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language?

2.  To  what  extent  does parents’  occupation  influence  the  academic  achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language?

3  To what extent do parents’ residential areas influence the academic    achievement  of primary school pupils in English Language?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses guided the study and will be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

1.    There is no significant difference in the mean responses of primary school pupils on their academic achievement in English Language based on their parents’  level of education.

2.   There is no significant difference in the mean responses of primary school pupils on their academic achievement in English Language based on their parents’  occupation. 3                       There is no significant difference in the mean responses ofprimary school pupils on their academic achievement in English Language based on their parents’  residential areas.

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