THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS ON SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The education, employment, wealth, political influence, and social reputation of the parents establish their social economic standing. According to Ngele(2022), "Socio-economic Status is the word used to differentiate people's relative place in society in terms of family money, political influence, educational background, and occupational status." People are classified into social economic status classes or groups based on these variables. The upper class is defined as having a higher degree, a better job, a higher income, and some social standing, whereas the middle class has a lower income, less education, and less social status, and the lower class has none of these characteristics. Ahmed (2022) investigates the relationship between socioeconomic position and educational attainment. He determined that student from various courses do not accomplish at the same level. Lower-class pupils' performance was bad, and the cause he discovered was teachers' unsupportive attitude toward them.             Aundoveh (2021) investigated the impact of socioeconomic status, entrance style, and instructional factors on mathematics learning in a literate community. He came to the conclusion that socioeconomic status influences mathematical achievement. His studies also shown that classroom teaching had no substantial influence on mathematical achievement. Ishiaku (2020) did studies on socioeconomic status and general intelligence. He discovered no connection between intellect and socioeconomic level in high school pupils. Gregory (2021) conducted a study to investigate the "relationship of SES with achievement," and the findings revealed that students' socioeconomic status has a fairly significant effect on their achievement without providing a clear description of which socioeconomic status class has higher achievement and which performs poorly. Chile (2019) evaluated previous research studies on the same problem done between 1990 and 2000 in his study. The findings revealed a moderate to high link between socioeconomic level and achievement. Barry (2005) found the same thing, namely that high achievers had a higher socioeconomic level than poor achievers. Enwereji and Silas (2022) similarly concluded that socioeconomic status is a significant predictor of academic success. Academic achievement is the result of all the activities that occur in the individual's surroundings. This transformation happens as a result of absorption, accommodation, and adaptation to new concepts, according to Piaget (1969), as stated in Alaoma (2019).

According to Vygotsky (1978), as described in Matthew (2021), "every function in a child's growth occurs twice: first on the social level and then on the individual level." This suggests that social contact has an impact on individual intellectual attainment. It does not refute Piaget's point of view; rather, it provides a larger perspective that an individual's academic success is influenced not only by his own efforts but also by the social milieu in which he lives. According to Ogunloye (2021), in order to find its footing, the nation has implemented a slew of socioeconomic and educational policies, including structural adjustment programmes (SAP), austerity measures, universal primary education (UPE), universal basic education (UBE), and currency depreciation. These policies have not benefited the socioeconomic and educational standing of the country's households. They have instead exacerbated their misery and worsened the socioeconomic divide between families.

Bonlanle (2018) remarked that as a result of these harsh measures, parents have become impoverished, unable to effectively cater for their children's education. They can also no longer provide shelter, clothes, or special needs for their children at school (such as provision of text books, school uniforms and good medical care and so on). According to Bonlanle (2018), strong teaching, counseling, good administration, good seating arrangement, and good building complement environmental and socioeconomic elements to promote high academic accomplishments and performance. Buildings that are dilapidated, lack cognitively stimulating facilities, and have poor or no sitting arrangements will also be damaging. As a result, he underlined that a person's socioeconomic standing influences his or her attitude and life prospects. Positive or negative attitudes toward academics, eating, clothing, drug usage and misuse, and the group to which the individual belongs are examples of these attitudes.

Similarly, Aluede and Maliki (2018) stressed parental socioeconomic status as a crucial driver of students' attitudes toward anti-social activities. They went on to say that students from low-income households lack fundamental requirements of life and are both economically and socially miserable. Such kids have unfavorable psychological feelings, which often lead to dissatisfaction and might appear as low academic accomplishment. According to Kallaghan (2021), there is a favorable relationship between parents' socioeconomic level and students' views and behavior expressions. He believes that the association between the two factors may be due to the parents' economic advantage, which allows them to provide their children with items that money can buy. A youngster from a high socioeconomic background is given the essentials of existence and is exposed to interesting experiences, which results in a positive attitude toward life in general. Socioeconomic status is a person's entire social standing, to which both social and economic achievements contribute. When used in studies of children's academic success, it relates to the parents' or family's socioeconomic status. Individual achievements in education, job and occupational standing, and income and wealth define socioeconomic status.

Students from low socioeconomic status origins have lower academic and personal-emotional adjustment, as well as lower commitment to their university, than their classmates from better socioeconomic status backgrounds. According to Amato and colleagues (20210), children from low socioeconomic status families are more likely to exhibit the following patterns in terms of academic performance when compared to children from high socioeconomic status families, including lower levels of literacy, numeracy, and comprehension; lower retention rates (children from low SES families are more likely to leave school early), and lower higher education participation rates (children from low SES families are more likely to leave school early).

These findings hold true regardless of how socioeconomic status is evaluated or whether the research are based on individual or aggregate data (Chris 2018). Similarly, longitudinal studies of children's educational attainment have revealed that socioeconomic background remains one of the key drivers of educational disparity. In other words, educational attainment is heavily influenced by one's parents' socioeconomic standing. Adebayo (2020) noticed that an individual's social status is a mirror of their economic position, and he went on to clarify that socioeconomic status is typically a measure of an individual's income and employment, regardless of his or her educational or social standing. According to him, this has a significant impact on student behavior. According to Ezenwoke (2017), socioeconomic class might influence pupils' academic achievement in terms of early attendance, attendance at the finest schools, and supply of essential resources. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds would have a tough time obtaining his necessities from his parents. As a result, he or she may be enticed to engage in antisocial behavior in order to fulfill his or her demands. Giddens (2016) discovered that children with behavioral difficulties came from low-income homes in a longitudinal study on the effect of parents' socioeconomic status on children's behavior. Okon (2016) noted that a person's socioeconomic situation influences his or her attitude and life chances. Positive or negative attitudes toward academics, eating, clothing, drug usage and misuse, and the group to which the individual belongs are examples of these attitudes.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

`           The problems that are inherent in students’ social adjustment and academic performance cannot be over emphasized. This is because the high rate of failures among student has been attributed to high level of illiteracy, poverty and low socio-economic status coupled with high rate of paternal and maternal deprivation of students’ academic needs, which was necessitated by poor socio-economic situation of the country. The crucial factor in poor homes is that Parents of low economic status cannot fulfill the legitimate needs of their children. This financial incapability makes students vulnerable to the deceit of anti social behavior, which may affect the academic performance of the child either positively or negatively. Parent of low economic status may not be able to pay the school fees of the children, purchase their educational materials such as books, uniforms and other necessary items for the child’s success in school. When a student lacks the privilege of being provided for and supported to succeed in his or her education, the child may not have high educational achievement (Ayomide 2021). Parents who cannot afford the basic necessities for their children as a result of low economic status would not help the children in optimizing his potentials and capabilities to excel as expected. The above problems, give rise to the examination on the influence of socio economic status on social adjustment and academic achievement of secondary school student

1.3 OBJECTIVES  OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine  the influence of socio economic status on social adjustment and academic achievement of secondary school student. Specifically the study seeks to :

i.          To investigate factors in the environment that militates against students’ academic performance and social adjustment.

ii.        To find out if occupation of parent have effect on students’ academic performance.

iii.      To determine if parents level of education influences their involvement in student academics.

iv.      To ascertain whether parents’ level of income have influence on student social adjustment and academic performance.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research is guided by the following research questions:

i.          What are the factors in the environment that militates against students’ academic performance and social adjustment?

ii.        Does the occupation of parent have effect on students’ academic performance?

iii.      Does parents level of education influences their involvement in student academics?

iv.      Does parents’ level of income have influence on student social adjustment and academic performance?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings will be of immense worth to parent and adults to know the impact of socio-economic status and social adjustment in their children’s academic performance and to know the consequences there-in. The study will also help the students greatly because it will enlighten them on some variables attributable to their academic failure and to consult the school counselor who would be of help in resolving the problems. The study would also be of benefit to the school counselors, psychologists, sociologists, educators, government and general public with a thorough understanding of different socio-economic -, the associated problems and the extent to which these problems influence students in school. At the end of the research work,  the government and policy makers will see need for providing all secondary schools with adequate counselors, sociologists and psychologists who would help in student related problems such as; the socio-economic status, parental influence and variables so as to help foster their academic performance.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on  the influence of socio-economic status on social adjustment and academic achievement of secondary school student. The study perused parents social economic status like level of income, education level and type of occupation as determinant factors affecting student social adjustment and academic performance. The study is however delimited to selected secondary schools in Afikpo Local government Area in Ebonyi State.

1.7   LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

It is possible that the report of this study may suffer some weakness in sampling. Also there may be other factors like culture, orientation and values in some areas that may affect the generalization of conclusion drawn from this study to the whole country. The application of the questionnaire was aimed at obtaining some ideas about the current situation that can represent the generality of the students in Nigeria. It is a well-known fact that academic performance and level of adjustment   among  students in secondary schools in Afikpo Local government Area in Ebonyi State may vary along so many factors like socio-economic educational and family constellation of students among others. Due to time and financial constraints this research used only three schools in the local government area of study, therefore the results, conclusions, Suggestions and recommendations that emanated from this study will be based on the data that was generated from the sample used for this study not for generalization.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Social Economic Status: This is the term used to distinguish between people’s relative position, rank in relation to others in the society in terms of family income, political power, educational back ground and occupational prestige.

Academic Performance: This is referred to as the result of a task given to student in an academic environment.

Social Adjustment: This is the ability to integrate successfully with others in a defined environment.

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