Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
The responsibility of training a child always lies in the hands of the parents. This is congruent with the common assertion by sociologists that education can be an instrument of cultural change which is being taught from home. It is not out of place to imagine that parental economic background can have possible effects on the academic achievement of children in school. Whatsoever affect the development environment of children would possibly affect their education or disposition to it. Parental status is one of such variables. When a woman’s nutritional status improves, so too does the nutrition of her young children (Lisa cited in Ogunshola and Adewale, 2012).
Parents of different socio economic classes often have different styles of child rearing, different ways of disciplining their children and different ways of reacting to their children. These differences do not express themselves consistently as expected in the case of every family; rather they influence the average tendencies of families for different occupational classes (Rothestein, 2004). The home has a great influence on the child’s psychological, emotional, social and economic state. In the view of Ajila and Olutola (2000), the state of the home affects the individual since the parents are the first socializing agents in an individual’s life. This is because the family background and context of a child affect his reaction to life situations and his level of performance.
Education being one other major means of providing an opportunity in life and belong to a suitable social class, modern Nigeria family now plays crucial roles in the performance of children in school. It is widely recognized that many factors are involved in child’s academic performance such factors as parental educational level, occupation, income, social class and type of parenthood for instance the socio-economic characteristics of the family in school. All these factors have a bearing also on the duration of the student stay and achievement at school. On this premise, Hill (2004) pointed out that socio-economic status of parents has some influence on the academic performance of children.
Academic attainment is an important parameter in measuring success in students. Observations and reports have shown that success or high academic achievement has become a herculean task to accomplish by Secondary School Students in Biology in recent times. Hence, poor academic performance were recorded both at the junior and senior secondary school WASSCE levels of education in Nigeria (Tenibiaje, 2009).
The performance of students at all levels in educational institutions in Nigeria has attracted much criticisms from all and sundry from time immemorial. Poor academic performance of students has been of great concern to educationists, guidance and counsellors in particular. Despite all guidance programmes and counseling strategies mounted in schools to improve students’ academic performances, poor performances are recorded yearly.
Table 1: Performance of Candidates in SSCE Biology
The table is available in the paid version of this material
Source: National Examination Council, 2001-2006 Annual Report.
From the above results, performances in the secondary school students in Biology have not been encouraging. This can be traced to as far back as 1986 where then Minister of Education, Professor Jubril Aminu expressed his utmost disappointment over students’ poor performances in WAEC examination (Agboghoroma and Oyovwi, 2015).
Students’ academic performance in Biology has been largely associated with many factors. In Nigeria, agitations abound these days over the fallen standard of education. Although it is yet to be realized that education is every person’s business apart from the parents whom educationists describe as one of the three legs of educational tripod, while the teachers and the students constitute the other two legs (Uchechukwu, Jeribe, Opara, Christopher and Chinyere, 2013). Inyanga (2010) in his analysis noted that every society stands on a tripod. According to him, education is the formation of the mind and the character of the human person.
Education at secondary school level is supposed to be the bedrock and foundation for higher education. It is an investment as well as instrument that can be used to achieve a more rapid economic social political technological scientific and cultural development in the country, (Osonwa, Adejobi and Iyam, 2013). The National Policy on Education (2010) stipulated that secondary education is an instrument for national development that fosters the worth and development of the individual for further education and development, general development of the society and equally of educational opportunities to all Nigerian children irrespective of any real or marginal disabilities. In most African Countries and Western world, it is believed that economic status of a family is usually linked with the family’s income, parents’ education level, occupation and social status among the kits and kin and even at the global level.
The importance of achieving the objectives of education programmed among the general populace cannot be over emphasized. Thus, Laosa (2005) asserts that “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”.
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