THE INFLUENCE OF BROKEN HOMES ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education has always been an important institution in most cultures and at all times, according to Agogo (2006), who cited Aliu (2001) who defined education as "the mechanism by which a society passes its knowledge, culture, and values from one generation to the next." It was also emphasized that education is an individual's eye, and that it is the process through which a person learns facts, gets skills, and develops the abilities and attitudes required for workplace survival. Indeed, education has grown into a massive government undertaking that has seen a steady expansion of government dynamic involvement and active participation (FGN 2004).

People today regard education as a right rather than a privilege, thanks to the current educational system. This gives everyone a sense of belonging in society since everyone perceives themselves as having a responsibility to fulfill. As a result, many people believe that education is the key to success, and as a result, education is seen as an individual's eye (Agogo 2006).

The house and family structure have a significant impact on child development (Adeyemo, 2001). Adeyemo (2001) goes on to say that no other socialization agent is as vital to a child's whole makeup as his or her family. A home is a location where pupils reside with their parents or guardians and are groomed. It is a location where pupils learn about the norms and values of the society in which they live (Ogbemudia & Aisha, 2013). In any civilization, the family is a social unit that provides early stimulation and experience to children.

According to Tenibiaje & Tenibiafe (2011), home is the first special agency that a kid belongs to and comes into touch with, and this has a significant impact on the child's physical, mental, and moral development. This is due to the fact that the socialization process is dependent on both parents, who perform modern roles in raising the child (Igbinosa, 2004). According to Ajila & Olutola (2000), the state of the house influences the kid since parents are the first socializing agents in a child's life. This is due to the fact that a child's familial background influences his reaction to life situations and performance. This indicates that the house can be viewed as an agency that plays the most important socio-cultural, socio-economic, psychological, and other dynamic roles in the history of individuals and society as a whole.

The family is the child's initial social organization. As a result, the children receive early education and socialization from their parents and other prominent family members. The family provides the psychological, moral, and spiritual framework for the child's overall growth. When and where there is harmony within the family, the child grows up in a happy home. In happy families, family members cohabit in a healthy and peaceful manner, which breeds healthy and happy children. Chances are that some homes are shattered, which means that the members are not living/staying together as a result of death, separation, divorce, or the like. In this sense, a broken household is one with a single parent as a result of divorce, separation, or the death of one of the parents.

According to Hammond, as reported by Alhassan, (2008), students from broken homes demonstrate many negative indicators such as distractibility, acting out, and withholding time from others, all of which have a significant impact on their academic performance in school. According to Kenkel, as stated by Alhassan (2008), a child in an incomplete family is socially and mentally deprived of a father-figure to emulate directly or to seek a model of the opposite sex. "In terms of additional long-term effects on children, parental disturbance has been linked to lower socioeconomic and academic success." According to Wiseman, as cited by Abbas (2010), Broken households can be deduced/inferred to have an impact on the development of children in many facets of their lives. As a result, children from shattered households may be emotionally unstable and psychologically sad.

A broken household is analogous to being estranged from one's mother or father and losing a chunk of one's body (Igbinosa, 2014). Life in a broken home can be challenging for both the child and the parent, and such families frequently face financial difficulties. When children from broken homes are compared to those from intact homes, the former have more social, academic, and emotional issues, according to Schutts (2006). The family and its structure, according to Rochlkepart (2003), have a significant impact on children's academic performance. Ayodele (2007) asserts that a child's environment has a substantial impact on his learning ability and, ultimately, his academic progress in school.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Over the years, examinations into the elements that influence children' academic success have piqued the interest of Nigerian teachers, counselors, psychologists, researchers, and school administrators (Wiseman 1998). This is due to widespread public outrage over the country's low educational standards (Imoge 2002). The country's declining educational quality, as characterized by poor academic performance and the breeding of graduates with little technical know-how, has resulted in a serious setback in the nation's industrial development in general, as well as a low turn-out of qualified students for admission into the country's various tertiary institutions.

Family discord mostly harms children, who require the care, love, support, and devotion of both parents. It also has an impact on children's social lives - physically, socially, and psychologically – as well as their health and personality (Alhassan 2008). As a result, whether family dissolution is desired or undesirable, children have developmental issues. Physical, social, and psychological difficulties, in turn, persist until school age and have a significant impact on children's academic achievement.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to assess the influence of broken homes on the academic achievement of secondary school students. Other objectives of this study are:

i.          To investigate the psychological effects of broken homes on students

ii.        To examine if broken homes has an effect on the academic performance of students

iii.      To determine the degree of effect broken homes exert on the level of academic motivation given by parents to their children.

iv.      To determine if children who live with both parents perform academically better than children who live with single parent(s).

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What are the psychological effects of broken homes on students?

ii.        Does broken homes have an effect on the academic performance of students?

iii.      To what extent does broken homes exert on the level of academic motivation given by parents to their children.

iv.      Do  children who live with both parents perform academically better than children who live with single parent(s)?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is expected that the results of this study, in addition to identifying the effect of broken home on the academic achievement of students, will be of great value to curriculum planners and teachers because this study focuses on the effect of broken home on academic achievement of secondary school students and the way forward in bringing about positive changes in student academic performance. This study is also expected to reveal the psychological effects of broken homes on students hoping that the government will be able to provide aid to these students.

Finally, this study will be beneficial to the scholars and students as it will serve as an existing material for further studies and future research.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on the influence of broken homes on the academic achievement of secondary school students. Specifically, it will focus on investigating the psychological effects of broken homes on students, examining if broken homes has an effect on the academic performance of students, determining the degree of effect broken homes exert on the level of academic motivation given by parents to their children and determining if children who live with both parents perform academically better than children who live with single parents.

Students of selected secondary schools in Onicha LGA in Ebonyi State will serve as participants for this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The researchers encountered minor obstacles when conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject due to the nature of the discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Furthermore, the researcher did this investigation alongside other academic activities. Furthermore, the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. Despite the constraints encountered during the research, all elements were minimized in order to provide the best results and make the research effective.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Broken homes: a single-parent household resulting from the divorce or separation of the parents.

Academic achievement: Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.

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