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SOCIAL
PROBLEMS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
The study
basically examined the relationship between social problems in schools and
academic performance of students in selected secondary schools in Mushin Local
Government Area of Lagos State. Seven research objectives leading to seven
research questions and hypotheses were stated to guide the study. A total
number of 250 teachers were carefully selected from the entire population
through the method of stratified and simple random strategy. The research
design was descriptive survey in nature where questionnaire was developed to
gather the data used for the study. The Pearson Correlation Statistics was
employed to test the null hypotheses stated for the study using 0.05 Levels of
Significance in order to accept or reject them. Findings of the study showed a
significant relationship between age and promotion of maladaptive behavior that
lead to poor academic performance; there is a significant relationship between
school entry age and academic performance; Equally, results also showed
significant relationship exists between cult activities and academic
performance; significant relationship between examination malpractice and
academic performance. Other findings of the study showed a significant
relationship exists between deviancy/delinquency and academic performance of
students; significant relationship exists between truancy to school and
academic performance of students, Recommendations were made following the
outcomes of the research findings. They include. need for counseling services
in Secondary Schools in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State; Children
should be exposed to reading and writing at very early age; Government should
place indefinite ban all form of associations in secondary schools that are not
promoting students’ knowledge, skill and attitude; Government should also continue
in the fight against corruption in all its ramifications and punish offenders
to show deterrent to others; It was also recommended thatmaladjusted students
in secondary schools in Mushin Local Government Area should be given psycho-
socio therapy. Also, parents should ensure that their children get to school
early every day, and that the present curriculum on religion and national
values should be properly implemented
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the study
Social
problems are issues happenings which are frequently occurring in the society in
recent times. They are the issues that affect everybody in the society. The
issues are of great concern to both the young and adults. They are not personal
or individualized issues but general issues and as such require general
solution. Some of the social issues that pervade the length and breadth of our
country such as corruption, social inequality, ethnicity, limited resources,
poverty, criminality, and other socio-economic crises have manifested in
different dimensions in secondary school levels of our education system and
appear to be taking alarming proportions. It is important to consider the
effect social problems have on students’ academic performance. Although several
socio-economic and psychological variables like hard work and discipline,
family income, parent’s education, ability, interest and aptitude have been
identified to impact on academic performance, often lost in this inquiry,
however, is consideration of adolescent biological age, school entry age, cult
activities, examination malpractice, truancy/ deviancy and late-coming to
school which are some of the social issues happening in secondary school
students. The relative lack of attention to these prevalent social problems in
secondary schools is unfortunate given the academic and behavioural performance
problems noticeable in our country.
First,
adolescents’ age has been identified as identity crises. They are faced with so
many questions about life ‘what’,’ how’, ‘where’ and ‘when’. They are anxious
to get quick result; a situation that exposes them to different dangers. Our
mass media are filled with different reports of social evils perpetrated by
adolescent students in schools. Equally, school entry age may be a cause or benefit
to child’s education. In this way, parents’ socio-economic development dictates
the time a child will be exposed to learning in school. Research findings on
the relationship between school entry age and academic performance are in mix.
There is a need to strike a balance between these mixed results.
Second, cult
activities among secondary school students were a thing unheard of in recent
past. Today cultism has taken a center stage in the secondary schools. When
cults strike, chances are that there is some disruption in the stability of the
academic calendars (Olusakin, 2004). Students who are not serious with their
academic work, whose bulk are found (if not all) in the secret cults, usually
precipitate confusion capable of leading the closure of schools. The cultist
disturbs the peace of the academic environment through their violent
activities. The violent activities that happened at secondary schools in
Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and Adamawa State in 2012 were reported in the
daily Newspapers (Nation Newspaper, 2012; the Nigerian Tribune, 2012). This
situation may lead to closure of schools thereby keeping students home for very
long time which may affect their education. Some of the cultist when caught may
face suspension or outright dismissal from schools. Whatever may be the case,
cultism among students in secondary schools is necessary evil that affect
students’ outcomes in schools since those who engage in it pay less attention
to reading and studying in schools.
Third,
students get involved in examination malpractice because of their desire to get
best scores without the corresponding efforts in preparation. Corruption in
private and public places and the twin sister, Nigeria orientations on
certificate have not helped matter. Every high school student knows that
examination malpractice is evil and corrupt, but many of them still get
involved. Today, the situation is so bad that some parents, teachers,
proprietors / proprietresses, and examination officials, who should champion
the campaign against examination malpractice, are also aiding it. In any case,
students are less likely to adhere to formal examination regulations where they
perceive that rewards are based on personal rather than professional criteria,
where they perceive widespread corruption in national and local government than
in societies where high levels of integrity are perceived to prevail (Okolie,
2004).
Third, it is
not uncommon to see students reacting aggressively when teachers try to control
them when they make noise and distract other students in class. In similar
vein, rape or sexual promiscuity, arson and wanton destructions of buildings
and properties and copying of foreign ways of life seem to be the way of lives
of many adolescent students. It should be borne in mind that when students set
buildings ablaze and destroy properties, the resultant effect is the closing of
the school. Hence, deviant and delinquent activities among secondary school
students are social issues prevalent in school that have become so rampant.
This affects students’ learning and invariably the academic performance.
Four, the
situation in our secondary schools regarding the issue of absenteeism and
truancy is pathetic. Absenteeism and truancy are presently major problems
facing our schools, and the damaging effects to students’ academic performances
have largely been overlooked.
However,
academic performance in the context of this study is students’ ability to do
well, fairly or poorly in an examination. The evaluation for determining
students’ academic performance is carried out through various forms of
standardized tests and examination. It is worthy of mention that academic
performance, including academic failure is often viewed in narrow terms, as an
individual behavior limited to the early life course. In essence, academic
performance has implications that play out across life stages and on multiple
levels. It is pointed out that academic struggles predict individual’s
short-term problem behavior and dropout, and can derail educational and
occupational trajectories of well into adulthood. It can also create disorder
and undermine the general mission of schools, and more so, widespread academic
failure has influence on rates of fertility, mortality, marriage, and
unemployment through its relation to educational attainment and the development
of human capital (Egenti, 2005). Thus, what appears merely to be an aspect of
the adolescent experience actually has far-reaching consequences across a
variety of social phenomena. This further justifies the need to examine how
social problems among students are related to their academic performance in
secondary schools.
Furthermore,
despite the law put against examination malpractices and the teaching of Civic
Education, Social Studies and Christian Religion / Islamic Religion at the
junior and senior secondary schools in Nigeria in order to promote good values
among students, yet social issues in secondary schools still persist. There is
therefore, the need to continue making inquiry on these problem areas among
secondary school students to stem the tide of circumstances.
Most
undeniably, the present Nigeria generation has been generation of youth
restiveness and moral decadence, corruption, arson and looting, kidnapping, and
terrorism among others are on the rise in deteriorated neighborhoods and large
cities like Lagos. Student participation in such activities is on a steady rise
and poses a serious threat to achieving our education objectives.
Undeniably,
academic and maladaptive behavior performance of students in the secondary
schools deserves a study of this nature. The impetus towards a research in this
direction is further reinforced by the trend in poor performance of the
secondary school students in their West African School Certificate
Examinations, and students’ emotional life. It therefore becomes a major part
of the educator’s responsibilities to be able to identify sources of emotional
stress in students to appropriate areas of professional and adult guidance in
school. It is against this background information that this research seeks to
examine the relationship between social issues in school and students’ academic
performance in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.2
Theoretical Framework of the Research
The
theoretical background for this study stems from four theories. These theories
are:
i. The
Social Control by Hirschi (1978)
ii. Labeling
and conflict theories by Howard Becker (1963) and Karl Marx (1867)
iii.
Functional and interactionism theories by Daphendof (1959), and
iv. Social
cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1977 – 1986)
Social
control theory by Hirschi (1978)
The theory
asserts that ties to family, school and other aspects of society serve to
diminish one’s propensity for deviant behaviour. As such, social control theory
posits that crime occurs when such bonds are weakened or are not well
established. Control theorists argue that without such bonds, crime is an
inevitable outcome. Unlike other theories that seek to explain why people
engage in deviant behaviour, control theories take the opposite approach,
questioning why people refrain from offending. As a result, criminality is seen
as a possibility for all individuals within society, avoided only by those who
seek to maintain familial and social bonds. Hirschi, believes that these bonds
are based on attachment to those both within and outside of the family,
including friends, teachers, and co-workers; commitment to activities in which
an individual has invested time and energy, such as educational or career
goals; involvement in activities that serve to both further bond an individual
to others and leave limited time to become involved in deviant activities; and
finally, belief in wider social values. These four aspects of social control
are thought to interact to insulate an individual from criminal involvement
(Siegel and McCormick, 2006). Researchers have closely examined bonds, schools,
community and religion to determine the strength of social control theory as it
specifically relates to young people. It is proposed that for young people, a
key aspect of social control is found within the family, particularly through
interactions with and feelings towards parents. Of the studies that have
examined the impact of social control on delinquency, a large proportion has
found a negative relationship between parental attachment and delinquency. As
such, it has been found that the greater the attachment to parents, the lower
the likelihood of involvement in delinquent behaviour. Empirical evidence
supports the notion that parenting practices and parental support can impact
violent offending by youth. In conjunction with parental attachment, adolescent
attachment to school is seen by Hirschi’s social control theory as a
fundamental means of establishing social control. A significant number of
studies pertaining to social control theory include measures of the role of
school attachment and school support in the lives of young people. It is to be
noted, however, that strong attachment to school was associated with less
violent offending. The role of the community and neighborhood as agents of
social control has also been assessed in the social control literature. In
light of the fore-going, this theory is relevant in explaining the relationship
between social issues happening in secondary schools in Mushin Local Government
Area of Lagos State and students’ academic performance.
Labeling and
Conflict theory by Howard Becker (1963) and Karl Marx (1867)
This is
another theory that strengthens the research investigation. As propounded by
Howard Becker (1963), this theorist viewed deviance as the creation of social
groups and not the quality of some act or behavior. He believed that social
groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction creates deviance, and
by applying those roles to particular people and labeling them as outsiders.
From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act the person
commits, butrather a consequence of the application of rules and sanctions to
an’ offender’. The deviant is one to whom the label has been successfully
attached.
The conflict
theorists reject the idea that social problems can be solved by reforming major
contradictions in the way society is organized; contradiction that lead to
large-scale conflict between those who have access to the “good life” and those
who do not.. In “The communist Manifesto” and “capital” and other works, Marx
attempted to prove that social problems like unemployment, poverty, crime,
corruption, conflict and violence, and so forth, are not usually the fault of
individuals or of poorly functioning organizations. An evitable outcome of
capitalism is class conflict, especially conflict between those who own the
means of production and those who sell their labour for wages. Conflict is a
fact of life in modern industrial societies.
Functionalist
and Interactionism Theories by Dahpendorf (1959) and Thomas (1923)
The
functionalist theory looks at the way social institutions like the family,
education, economy, polity, religion and their sub-systems function.
Functionalist sociologist do not focus on the behaviour and problems of
individuals, instead they see social problems as arising out of the failure of
institutions of society, like the family, education, economy, polity, and
religion to adapt to changing social conditions. Every part or institution of
society is seen as having a function in the sense that it contributes to the
smooth running of the society. Hence, when one part of the society is out of
the line with the others, there is pressure for its reintegration with the
other related parts. In this way, stability in society, by and large, prevails.
It is not only stability based on functional necessity but stability based on
consensus of values. Individuals in society, according to this theory, share
the same basic values and are thus agreed on the way they behave towards each
other as individuals or as members of groups.
The
functionalist theory of deviance-disorganization can be fruitfully used in the
study of such current problematic condition in Nigeria as, examination
malpractice, cultism, deviant and delinquent activities among students in
secondary school that affect academic performance as well as society’s criminality,
violence, as well as, poverty, unemployment, population problem, problem
families, environmental degradation and pollution, and homelessness, and
insecurity.
Interactionism
theory offers an explanation which gets us closer to the individual level of behaviour.
Research based on this perspective looks at the processes whereby different
people become part of a situation that the larger society defines as a social
problem. The interactionism approach focuses on the ways in which people
actually take on the values of the group of which they are members. It also
explore how different groups define their situation and in so doing “construct”
a version of life that promote certain values and behaviours and discourages
others. From the interactionism perspective, an individual or a group’s
definition of the situation is central to understanding the action of that
individual or group: “situation people define as real are real in their
consequences (Thomas, 1923). Above all, labeling theory as discussed earlier is
a major application of the interactionism perspective that offers an
explanation for certain kinds of social problems. The interactionism
perspective of the “definition of the situation”, peer group interactions and
labeling can be related or applied to the understanding of some current
problems in Nigeria , which include: crime and delinquency, violence, human
trafficking, prostitution, drug abuse , child abuse, prejudice and
discrimination, corruption, and insecurity that affect student’s academic performance..
Social
cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1977-1986)
Social
cognitive theory rests on several basic assumptions about learning and
behaviour. One assumption concern triadic reciprocality or the view that
personal behavioural and environmental factors influence one another, a
bidirectional and reciprocal fashioning is a product of a continuous
interaction between cognitive behavioural and contextual factors. For instance,
classroom learning is shaped by factors within academic environment experienced
by oneself and by another. At the time learning is affected by student’s own
thoughts and self belief and their interpretation of the classroom context.
A closely
related assumption within social cognitive theory is that people have an agency
or ability to influence their own behaviour and the environment in a
purposeful, good-directed fashion (Bandura, 2001). This belief conflicts with
earlier form of behaviourism that advocated a more rigorous form of environment
determinism. Social cognitive theory does not deny the importance of the
environment in determining behaviour, but it does argue that people can also,
through forethought self-reflection and self-regulatory processes, exert
substantial influence over their own outcomes and the environment more broadly.
A third
assumption within social cognitive theory is that learning can occur without an
immediate change in behaviour or more broadly that learning the demonstration
of what has been learned and distinct processes. One reason for this separation
is that social cognitive theory also assumes that learning involves not just
the acquisition of new behaviour, but also that of knowledge and cognitive
skills, concepts, abstract rules, values and other cognitive constructs. This
division of learning and behaviour is a shift from the position advocated by
behavioural theories that students can learn but not demonstrate the learning
until motivated to do so.
This theory
emphasizes cognitive compression as the cornerstone of adolescent behaviour.
The adolescents here acquires the mental activity to deal with the world around
him, with this developed mental capacity, he perceives and examines his
environment, form ideas and make inferences. The basic explanation of deviant
behaviour or delinquency is on mentality. Jean Piaget brought about the stage
concept of cognitive development, when people go through series of moral stages
beginning early in childhood and continuing through the adult years. Each stage
of development assumes a relatively a variant order in the course of
development. Also each stage is marked by a different view of right and wrong.
1.3
Statement of the Problem
The problem
that necessitated this research is students’ indiscipline which could be seen
in their poor academic and behaviour performance in various secondary schools
in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The rate of
late coming to schools and absents from schools among students is very
disturbing which appear to make students to miss some topics taught in schools.
The end result may be too devastating to the students and parents.
Most
students nowadays are too stubborn and don’t seem to take corrections. Rather
than reading and studying hard for their school works, they students tend to
distract while teaching is going on in classroom, fight and act in a manner
calculated to disrupt the teaching and learning process. All these down facing
attitudes among students are threat to achieving better students’ outcomes in
schools.
Today’s
students see shortcut as a means of passing examination. Every year, several
students’ results are cancelled and withheld in some examination centers where
cases of examination malpractice are reported. This causes gear deal of damage
to the students, parents schools and government in terms of repeating the
examinations, paying the school and examination fees all over again. The destructive
effect this may have on our country’s image is such that this menace should be
fought at all vehemence.
More
problems arise from students’ cult activities, deviancy / delinquency which
make students to resort to violent means in achieving their academic ends.
Every now and then, we experience disruption of academic activities because of
students’ cult activities, and other violent crises happening in our secondary
schools. At times, human lives are lost and school properties destroyed. This leads
to closing of schools for months and when schools eventually re-open, students
may likely forget what they have learnt. It may also cause high school dropouts
among students who can’t cope with academic learning. This is a great threat to
our country’s education system in training the right personnel that will occupy
in various sectors of our economy and provide solution to socio-economic
development of our country.
In an
attempt to find lasting solutions to myriads of social problems in the country,
government has tailored the curriculum of our compulsory education with a view
to solving some of the problems and also towards achieving the objectives of
the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) policy initiatives. One of the major
outcomes of the committee was the integration of social studies, civic
education, Christian and Islamic religion and security education into Religion
and National Values. The innovation carried out was both national and
pedagogical in nature.
It is not
certain whether efforts taken by government to curbing these behaviours have
yielded any fruits in the past. Student participation in anti-social behaviors
is on a steady rise. At same time, the alarming effect of this behavior
constitutes a major challenge to teachers, parents, guardians, and the
government, the stake-holders in the educational sector and even among the
well- meaning Nigerians at large.
In the light
of the overall challenges of social problems in schools, this study sets out to
examine the relationship between social problems and academic performance of
students in secondary school in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.4 Purpose
of the Study
The purpose
of the study is to examine the relationship between social problems happening
in schools and academic. Specifically, the study is aimed at finding
1. The
relationship between age and students’ moral behavior in relation with academic
performance.
2. The
relationship between school entry age and academic performance.
3. The
relationship between cult activities and academic performance.
4. The
relationship between examination malpractice and academic performance.
5. The
relationship between truancy and academic performance.
6. The
relationship between deviancy/delinquency and academic performance.
The Research
Questions
The
following research questions will guide the proposed study:
1. What is
the relationship between age and students’ moral behavior in relation with
academic performance?
2. How does
school entry age have relationship with academic performance?
3. Is there
a relationship between cult activities and academic performance?
4. How is
examination malpractice related with academic performance?
5. What
relationship exists between truancy and academic performance?
6. Is there
relationship between school deviancy delinquency and academic performance?
7. Is there
relationship between social problems and academic performance of students?
1.6 The
Research Hypotheses
The
following null hypotheses will guide the proposed study.
1. There is
no significant relationship between age and students’ moral behiour in relation
with academic performance.
2. There is
no significant relationship between school entry age and academic performance.
3. There is
no significant relationship between cult activities and academic performance.
4. There is
no significant relationship between examination malpractice and academic
performance.
5. There is
no significant relationship between truancy and academic performance.
6. There is
no significant relationship between deviancy/delinquency and academic
performance..
1.7
Significance of the Study
This
research study has implication for addressing social problems in our society
and specifically the problem of anti-social behavior associated with urban
secondary school students the Lagos metropolis. In view of the prevailing
undesirable behaviours in youths, this study will expose the students to the
harmful effects of deviance on academic performance and thus serve as a cautionary
measure for students. It will enlighten teachers and school managers or
administrators on the behavior pattern of students thereby helping them to use
education to adjust the maladjusted students in their anti-social behaviours.
This research study will equally educate parents on the associated risk
behaviours of adolescents which their children sometimes involved themselves
that contribute to their poor performance in school work. This will help
inculcate in the students the behavior pattern that the society expected of her
citizen, more so, now that the present democratic dispensation is bent on
eradication of all corrupt practices. It will also contribute to the existing
literature on social problem of among secondary school students and academic performance
in the Lagos Metropolis.
1.8 Scope of
the Study
The scope of
the study is limited to the entire secondary school student in Mushin Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
1.9
Limitation of the Study
The study
examined social problems happening in secondary schools with particular
emphasis on age, school entry age, cult activities, examination malpractice,
truancy, deviancy/ delinquency and how the relate with academic performance of
students in secondary schools. Also, obtaining materials used for the study
poised some constraints.
1.10
Operational Definitions of Terms
Academic
performance: This is the behavior of a student that can be directly observed by
evaluating what he/she has learnt during a course of study. This behavior can
be measured through class work, homework, class participation and tests.
Absenteeism:
Absenteeism is regular persistent absence from work or school.
Deviance:
This refers to possibility of an individual or group deviating from an
established norm. Any behavior which does not conform to the rules,
regulations, norms, and values of a given time is viewed as deviance.
Delinquency:
this is the behavior pattern that breaks certain rules or laws enacted by
constituted authority.
Social
problem: A social problem exists when a significant number of people in a
society believe that a certain condition is in fact a problem
Examination
Malpractice: a deliberate act of wrong doing contrary to official examination
rules and is designed to place a candidate at unfair advantages and
disadvantages.
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