CHAPTER ONE

1.0            INTRODUCTION

1.1            Background to the Study

          In a society that demands a high level of education and skill for a successful and stable future, a decent education is becoming increasingly important.

A child’s education is the shared responsibility of the school and the home outside the school, the home is the most salient source of learning, encouragement and support for a child.

However, parental influence is often overlooked in discussion of a child’s academic performance.

Alison Rich; (2002) examines the different ways that parents influence their children’s education. The components of parental influence are discussed under three (3) main heading:-

(i)                Parental resources

(ii)             Parental support

(iii)           Parental involvement

Parental Resources: Refers to income levels parental education and parental employment. A high family income can increase education opportunities and means that there is more likely to be educational materials in the home such as books, computer, and so on. Having a parent who has a high level of education is also an important factor.

Resource shows that children from highly educated families often follow in their parent footsteps are more likely to complete high school and undertake further study. In addition, a parent employment may affect their children’s education.

Children with unemployed parental are less likely to complete school, are less likely to do well at school. Parental involvement in a child’s education can be crucial in developing a child’s academic ability and confidence; parents can actively contribute to the functioning of their child’s education by taking part in school committees attending sporting and social events attending parents’ teachers association, volunteering and so on. By so doing parents positively influence their child’s schooling experience and children are more likely to see the importance of education if their parents are involved.

Also parents can influence their children’s educational outcome by maintaining an interest in their progress at school and their post school plan.

Rich (2002) argues that the home environment should be conductive for learning. In the years prior to school, parents can do a lot to build strong foundations for a successful and positive school experience. Parents can continue to help, develop their children’s skills and abilities by talking to their children about certain issues or school related topic.

If parents cannot invest time in active school participation, or cannot afford to provide educational materials or lack the academic ability to help with school work, they can at least provide parental support this can be done by making an effort to enforce good study habits and by holding high aspiration for their children’s progress.

Parents who value education can win the fight against all odds to ensure that their children achieve academically.

Any schooling reform that does not acknowledge the importance of the parents will fail.

Rich (2002) moves forward to discuss issues affecting students study habit and academic performances as he cited family breakdown and how this influences children’s education. It is clear that family life has a significant impact on children’s education in many ways. In light of this, family structure is a serious issue in education, especially given the increasing rate of divorce and family breakdown due to number of reasons.

1.2            Statement of the Problem

Over the years, cases of mass failure have been recorded in secondary schools across the country; both in internal and external examinations. This failure is tied to many reasons as the students of this age are distracted by a lot of things most especially with the advent of technology.

However, one of the things that have contributed towards the increase in failure amongst the students is the fact that most parents delegate the whole duty of training their children to the teachers; forgetting the popular saying that “charity begins at home”. Similarly, they do not look into the activities of their children, most especially their academic performance.

Due to such poor parental attitudeby parents in training their children, the rate of exam malpractice, failure, and other social vices associated with youths, etc. are on the increase. Most parents are way too busy chasing money and even pleasure in some cases that they do not bother to create time to look into their children’s educational activities.

Another notable problem of this study is the stigma on Africans with regards to poor reading. There is a saying that if a person wants to hide something from a black man it should be hide in a book. Blacks, Nigerians in particular are lazy to read; that notion is in the air and students are not reading instead they are seeking for fast means of making good grades.

However, this study seeks to examine and proffer solutions to the problems of parental influence on study habits of students.

1.3            Purpose of the Study

This study is meant to inform, educate, sensitize and enlighten the general public, especially parents of their influence on the study habit of students.

The study serves as a reminder to parents that they have a role to play in improving the study habit of their children and that it is not solely the duty of the teachers to improve academic performance of the students.

However, this study seeks to remind policy makers that they should formulate policies that will promote students’ study habit across schools in Nigeria.

In addition, the media have a role to play. They could come up with programmes that will spur parents and improve students reading habit.

Stated above are the purposes of this study.

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1.4            Research objectives

                                           I.            To determine the influence of parents education on students study habit.

                                        II.            To find out the influence of parental occupation on students study habit.

                                     III.            To find out the Influence of parental level of motivation on students study habit.

                                    IV.            To discover the influence of family size on students study habit.

1.5            Research Question

                                           I.            What is the influence of parents’ education on students study habit?

                                        II.            Does parental occupation influence students study habit?

                                     III.            Does parental level of motivation influence students study habit?

                                    IV.            Does family size influence students study habit?

1.6Research Hypothesis

Ho1: There is no statistically significant influence of parental influence on students study habit.

1.7Significant of the Study

The finding of this research work will contribute to the knowledge of the researcher, parents, children, teachers and the entire general public, the contributions would also aid to the existing literature for further studies.

It is expected that this research work will:

a)     Serves as a reference point to other researchers who are interested in the area of parental influence.

b)    Encourage more researchers in this area to examine possibilities of other home based factors that are not included.

c)     Help and encourage parents of low background to improve their home environment to enable their children go to school and acquire the culture that goes with it.

d)    Be a source of benefit to teacher and other educational administrators in identifying the area of strength and weakness of their student and the influence of the home particularly of the secondary school student.

1.8Scope of the Study

The subject of parental influence on the student study habits and their academic performance is critical, wide and consistency and dynamic changing with evolving trend in global environment.

The scope of the study would be limited to:

(i)                Bright Star International Group of School, Oyo

(ii)             Ojongbodu Grammar School, Oyo

(iii)           Community High School, Awumoro, Oyo

(iv)           Baptist High School, Isokun, Oyo

(v)             Opapa Grammar School, Oyo  

1.9Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this work and clarity the following terms were used according to how they are defined:

(i)                Marital Status: Is a stage of an individual in relation with an internal union with another person in marriage.

(ii)             Home Environment: Is a place where people live, interact with each other and family homes ethnics and value are inculcate in the home.

(iii)           Educational Achievement: Is the learning outcome which is the end conduct of any academic investment of an individual in an educational setting.

(iv)           Effect: Is the ability of power to change how people behave, ethnic and feel about what happens.

(v)             Socio-economic Status: Is a state of how social and economic condition relates with each other.

(vi)           Occupation Status: Is the position an individual occupies which includes vocational role at a time to a living.

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