INFLUENCE OF HOME BACKGROUND VARIABLES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT’S PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY
Chapter one
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Academic performance (most especially of senior secondary school students) has been largely associated with many factors. Most students in senior secondary schools in Nigeria are daily confronted with challenges of coping with academic under serious emotional strains occasioned by long walk to school, poor school environment, and being taught by unmotivated teachers. Couple with this, is an uncooperative-to-study attitude of parents who more often toil to provide for the needs of the family. These would definitely not augur well for academic success.
Education is the best legacy a nation can give to her citizens especially the youth. This is because the development of any nation or community depends youth. This is because the development of any nation or community depends largely on the quality of education of such a nation. It is generally believed that the basis for any true development must commence with the development of human resources. Much then is said formal education remains the vehicle for social-economic development and social mobilization in any witnessed prolong military rule and aborted civilian administrations, which necessitude the promulgation of decrees, edicts and levels. (Shittu, 2004)
Home variables factors are believed to be the common factor affecting students performance. Accordingly, Fraiser (1973), identified the family background as one of such factor. Family background as primary and social agent has important role to play in the academic performance of a child. Family background is the foundation for the child’s development. A child’s first contact with the world is his immediate family. The home is the premier agent of education to the child, therefore, the way he lives, the food he eats and his lifestyle is influenced by the home. Therefore, a family is very crucial in the education and orientation of Social Studies. It provides the basis upon which success or failure at all levels of education can be measured (Iverson and Walberg, 1982). In this view, family background which includes socio-economic status, parental marriage type, family size, parental educational background and parental disciplinary measures play an important role in the child’s social integration.
The effect of parental educational background is a powerful factor that influences the child’s academic success. It has been established that generally, the parental educational background is greatly connected to the educational attainment of their children (Sarigiani, 1990). Educated parents are quipped by virtue of their education to take cognizance of the fact that their involvement in the academic of their child enables the child to achieve higher grades and test scores, improves the child’s attendance in school, improves the child’s conduct and attitude and increase the chance of the child going on to higher education than parents who have little or no education. Parental disciplinary measures affect a child positively or negatively. Douglas (1964), stated that discipline is a teaching process. As a form of education, children should not associate discipline with intimidation or embarrassment. The family where a child belongs to serves as an incubator for his success in life. Lack of adequate and conducive family background could adversely affect the students performance in biology (Udoukpong and Okon 2005).
The size of the family in which a child grows affect his intellectual development. In a large family, a child may not be given maximum attention especially in his academics. The issue of home works, payment of school fees, attending of Parent Teacher Association (PTA), etc may not be convenient for the parents as they have to cater for many children, while children are well catered for and perform better in their academics in small size family. In Nigeria today, the family set-up has become more complex and sophisticated than it was a century ago. Faniran (1982) in Nwosu (2004), hinted that in many Nigerian homes today, the concept of monogamy is giving way to polygamy very rapidly, even among the educated people. It has been discovered that children from monogamous family perform better in school than children from polygamous family. This is because there is cooperation on the part of the parents from monogamous family. The parents put all their resources together to ensure that their children perform better in their educational career, but this type of cooperation is lacking in polygamous family, where it is the duty of each mother to cater for children and this can adversely affect the performance of the child in school.
It is against this background, therefore that the researcher wishes to investigated the influence of home background variables on secondary school students performance in biology in Uyo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.


1.2 Statement of the Problem
The advances in home background variables in student academic performance have rapidly transformed the students across the globe which has brought a great improvement in the educational sector. This has provided new tools for access student’s academic performance.
Unfortunately, there has been total lack of home background variables by students who are expected to maximally opportunity. Various reasons have been advanced for this seemingly low reflection of student academic performance. While some are of the opinion that students could be influenced by their socio-economic status of their parents, parental educational qualification, family size and family structure on the side of the parents, to mention but few, only, leaving students to fend for themselves. This contradiction therefore gives rise to this study which seeks to investigated the influence of home background variables on secondary school students performance in biology in Uyo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study was to examine the influence of home background variables on secondary school student’s performance in biology in Uyo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. While the specific objectives where:
To determine the relationship between Parental socio-economic status and students academic performance in Biology
To determine the relationship between family structure and students academic performance in Biology.
To determine the relationship between parental educational background and students academic performance in Biology
To determine the relationship between family size and students academic performance in Biology
Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated for the study:
What is the relationship between Parental socio-economic status and students academic performance in Biology?
What is the relationship between Family structure and students academic performance in Biology?
What is the relationship between parental educational background and students academic performance in Biology?
What is the relationship between family size and students academic performance in Biology?
1.5 Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated for the study:
There is no significant relationship between parental socio-economic status and students academic performance in Biology.
There is no significant relationship between family structure and students academic performance in Biology.
There is no significant relationship between parental educational background and students academic performance in Biology.
There is no significant relationship between family size and students academic performance in Biology.
Significant of the Study
It is envisaged that the findings of this study may expose some factors that might be responsible for poor performance of students in school. The identified areas where government at different levels could come in will be brought into focus in other to bridge the gap of educational attainment of children of low and high income earners in the society. The importance of achieving the objectives of education programmed among the general populace cannot be over emphasized. A researcher, Laosa, had posted as follows:
“The educational achievement gap has deep
root; it is evident very early in child’s lives;
even before they enter schools. Socio–economic
differences such as health and nutrition status,
home environments that provide access to
academically related experiences, mobility rates,
and financial assets can certainly influence
academic achievements” (Laosa, 2005:5)



1.7 Delimitation of the Study
The study was delimited to Home Variables and Students Performance in Social Studies. The home variables were family size, parental marriage type, parental educational background and parental disciplinary measures.
Spatially, this work was delimited to the secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

1.8 Limitation of the Study
It is inevitable that a survey research of this nature must have some constraints which impact on this study. The materials for a proper and effective research work constituted a major limitation and even the decision to use questionnaire in data collection constituted some limitation of the study, that is, how to get the true and required information from the workers.
Finally, there was an anticipation of the problem of convincing the respondents on the filling of the questionnaires and to give the true and required information. But for the quick intervention the class representatives the departments took time to clear the air and convince their course mates, helped me to accomplish my assignment.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Family Size: With regards to the context of this study, this refers to the total number of children in the child’s family in addition to the child himself. The family between one and four children is classified as a small family. The family with five or more children is classified as a large family.
Educational Background of Parents: With regards to the context of this study, this refers to the level of formal education acquired by the parents of the students’ The attainment is classified into high (secondary and tertiary education), and low (primary education and below).
Students Performance: With regards to the context of this study, this refers to the scores obtained by the students in biology at the end of the third term.

For complete Work call 08023560826 & 07037599895