Title: Familial Factors Predicting Academic Underachievement Among Secondary School Students In Obio/Akpor Local Government Area Of Rivers State
Authors: Akuwudike, Theresa , Amadi, Cajetan N., PhD, Onyekuru, B.U., PhD
Volume: 8
Issue: 11
Pages: 14-21
Publication Date: 2024/11/28
Abstract:
The study focused on familial factors predicting academic underachievement among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. Correlational and expost-facto designs were used in the study. The population for this study consisted of 16, 760 junior secondary school students in public schools in Obio/Akpor in 2020/2021 academic session. A sample of 580 students was drawn using the multistage sampling technique. The instrument for collecting data for the study was a researcher-made instrument titled familial Factors and Academic Underachievement Questionnaire (FFAUQ) patterned after the 4-point Likert scale of SA= Strongly Agreed, A= Agreed, D= Disagreed, SD= Strongly Disagreed. It has two sections (A & B). Section A elicited information on the respondents' demographic profile (birth order), while section B contained logically developed items based on the independent variables of the study. Section B is further divided into two sub scales (I - II). Sub-scale I contains 12 items on parental commitment and sub- scale II contains items on parenting style. Furthermore, sub-scale II which contains items on parenting style, is further broken into three subsections measuring authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting style. The reliability was estimated using Cronbach alpha method of internal consistency with indices of 0.66, 0.78 and 0.78 for parental commitment sub-scale, parenting style sub-scale and birth order sub scale respectively. Data were analyzed using simple regressions, multiple regressions and ANOVA. Findings showed that parenting style (p=0.023<0.05) and birth order (p=0.000<0.05) are significant predictors of academic underachievement. On the contrary, parental commitment (p=0.783>0.05) was insignificant predictor. Based on this, it was recommended among others that authoritarian parenting should be encouraged since it is found that authoritative and permissive styles predict underachievement..