THE EFFECT OF PARENTS' ATTITUDES REGARDING THEIR CHILDREN'S PRIMARY EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Primary education lays the groundwork for a child's educational pursuits. The quality of a child's elementary education will affect his or her achievement in secondary school and on the postsecondary level. It will also have an effect on his or her life beyond high school. As such, the critical nature of basic education cannot be emphasized enough.

Malotyre & Clarkj (1996) asserted in this regard that parents' attitudes influence the level of education their children or wards get in elementary school. Good parental attitudes have a positive effect on their children's performance and aspirations, contribute to the advancement of knowledge and comprehension, and enable academic success through parental engagement in their children's academic activities. On the other side, a parent's unfavorable attitude toward their child's education has a detrimental influence on their academic growth, resulting in low academic achievement and, as a result, the child's departure from school. This drives such youngsters to the streets, where they eventually become a nuisance to society.

However, Obodochi (2003) asserted that the majority of parents in rural parts of Nigeria are unconcerned about their children's elementary education and so have a negative attitude about their children's secondary education. This is because the majority of rural dwellers in Nigeria are more concerned with their children's immediate development and thus prefer to send them to learn vocational trades or assist them in farm work, whereas parents in urban areas have a more favorable attitude toward education of their children and wards due to their perception of education and the value they place on education and its effect on their children's future (Ekong 2012).

Wilkinson (1997) asserts that parents' attitudes toward their children largely determined by their perception of the value of education.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Primary education is the bedrock of education and is critical for the educational growth of a child (Okoh 2005).

Despite the critical role of primary school in children's educational development, parents' attitudes regarding their children's education are poor and continue to be a significant hindrance to primary education in the region studied. This is reflected in the high proportion of street hawking by primary school-aged children and the high percentage of vocational trade enrollment during school hours. This is attributed to a variety of nebulous issues ranging from poverty to cultural and religious constraints, as well as parents losing faith in Western educational institutions as a result of declining educational standards and a high rate of unemployed graduates combing the streets incessantly in search of work (Ekong 2012). As a result, the majority of parents' attitude toward their children's education becomes suspect.

Against this backdrop, the subject matter: Parents' attitudes about their children's elementary education is deemed worthy of investigation.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of the study is to examine the effect of parents' attitudes regarding their children's primary education. Specifically, other objectives of the study are:

i.          To ascertain parents' perceptions about the importance of elementary education for their children.

ii.        To determine the extent of parents involvement in their children's primary education.

iii.      To ascertain the parental attitudes that are detrimental to their children's primary education.

iv.      To recommend ways by which parents attitudes their children's primary education can be changed.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What are parents' perceptions about the importance of elementary education for their children?

ii.        To what extent are parents involved in their children's primary education?

iii.      What are the parental attitudes that are detrimental to their children's primary education?

iv.      What are the ways by which parents attitudes their children's primary education can be changed?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be greatly significant to the society as the findings of this study will reveal the significant of parents involment in children's primary education. The study will also be beneficial to the educational sector and policy makers as the results will help them make effective policies that will enhance parents involvement in their children's primary education.

Furthermore, this study will be beneficial to scholars and researchers as it will serve as an existing material for further studies and future references.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on examining the effect of parents' attitudes regarding their children's primary education. Specifically, this study will be focused on ascertaining parents' perceptions about the importance of elementary education for their children, determining the extent of parents involvement in their children's primary education, ascertaining the parental attitudes that are detrimental to their children's primary education and recommending ways by which parents attitudes their children's primary education can be changed.

Teachers and pupils of selected primary schools in Ikeja, Lagos State will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As with any human endeavor, the researcher experienced small impediments while performing the study. Due to the scarcity of literature on the subject as a result of the discourse's nature, the researcher incurred additional financial expenses and spent additional time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as during the data collection process, which is why the researcher chose a small sample size. Additionally, the researcher conducted this inquiry in conjunction with other scholarly pursuits. Additionally, because only a small number of respondents were chosen to complete the research instrument, the results cannot be applied to other secondary schools outside the state. Regardless of the limits faced throughout the investigation, all aspects were reduced to ensure the best outcomes and the most productive research.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Parents: A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child. A biological parent is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male through the sperm, and a female through the ovum.

Primary Education: Primary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in primary school, the elementary school or first and middle school depending on the location.

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