TRUANCY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
TRUANCY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page- – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – — – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgments – – – – – – – iv
Abstract – – – – – – – – v
Table of Contents – – – – – – – vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – 6
1.3 Purpose of the study – – – – – 8
1.4 Significance of the study – – – – – 8
1.5 Research Hypotheses – – – – – 10
1.6 Delimitation of the Study – – – – 10
1.7 Limitation of the study – – – – – 11
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms – – – 11
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design – – – – – – 30
3.2 Research Area – – – – – – 32
3.3 Population of the study – – – – – 32
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique – – – 32
3.5 Instrumentation – – – – – – 33
3.6 Validity of the Instrument – – – – 34
3.7 Reliability of Instrument – – – – – 34
3.8 Administration of Instrument – – – 35
3.9 Method of Data Analysis – – – – – 35
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1 Data Analysis/ Presentation – – – – 36
4.2 Discussion of Findings – – – – – 39
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Summary – – – – – – – 41
5.2 Recommendations – – – – – – 42
5.3 Conclusion – – – – – – – 44
5.4 Suggestions for Further Study – – – – 45
References – – – – – – – 46
Appendix – – – — – – – 48
ABSTRACT
This research focused on truancy and academic performance in Economics among secondary school students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. The study adopted a survey research design. The population for the study comprised of all senior secondary one to three (SS1-SS3) students in all secondary schools in the study area.
A sample size of one hundred and twenty senior secondary one to three (SS1-SS3) students were selected through simple random sampling technique from four public secondary schools. Interview schedule entitled “Truancy Information of Students (TIS)” and past result of the students in Economics in 2021/2022 second terminal examination were used for data collection. The data generated from the instrument were analyzed using independent t-test statistic.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Truancy refers to the staying away from school without the permission from parent, teacher or school administrators. These encompass students staying away from a particular class or attending the class late may be after a particular process that makes the student to stay outside the class has been exhausted by teacher. This will therefore, make the student to miss the lesson of the day when it comes in the examination questions he/she will not be able to answer the question thereby failing in the examination at last.
Without reservation, truancy is one of the major antisocial discipline problems among secondary school students in Nigeria. Staying outside the classroom during school hours by students may result in various behavioural disorders like stealing, violence, drug abuse. Also, examination malpractice, and sexual abuse which have so undermined effective teaching-learning processes that some teachers have become helpless and disorganized in their task of imparting knowledge to the learners(King, 2013).
However, Ma’aruf (2019) asserted that some of the factors responsible for truancy in school include: Poor relationship between children and parents; poor physical conditions at home; use of corporal punishment in the house; as well as lack of parental interest in the child’s welfare.
Other causes of truancy according to Obe (2018) include a boring and boredom classes where the teacher is unable to manage the class or is not using relevant instructional materials during lessons. Thereby, engaging the students in abstraction lessons, harsh teachers who are difficult to approach by the students, an unconducive school environment, lack of writing materials such as pens exercise books, lack of recommended textbooks, and lack of other materials such as correct uniform and stockings.
TRUANCY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ECONOMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
The government is another major factor which causes students truancy. This is attributed to the fact that government do not pay teachers regularly and most of their allowance are being withheld, most teachers find it difficult to be committed and dedicated to their primary duties of teaching. When this occurs and the students do not find their teacher in the class, the next plan of action is truancy.
It is common these days to see students roaming the streets during school hours. Such acts have often been followed by incidence of aggressiveness assaulting other students, fighting, raping and other terrible negative actions like arm robbery, gangterism, drug abuse and cultism.
Similarly, according to Shyam (2010) some parents due to the nature of their jobs show nonchalant attitudes to their wards and as such the children grow up to be corrupt and aggressive hence the parents getting nothing and giving out nothing from the children afterward. Most parents do give too much money to their wards thus contributing to their truant behaviours as some students use the money to visit food canteens, betting shops and internet cafes thereby abandoning their lessons (Lazarus, 2014).
Therefore, the study of economics becomes a sure future for the development of social science field. Certainly, playing truants is a discipline problem and where do these truants go to and what they do during time of absence from school are related concerns. All these have drastically reduced the level of educational development in the country.
Moreover, so many studies have been conducted concerning the causes of truancy in secondary school but little attention has been given on the influence of truancy on academic performance of students. Therefore, it is against this background that this study intends to investigate the influence of truancy on academic performance in Economics among secondary school students with the aim of proffering some recommendations that could lead to improvement in the educational system.
1.2 Statement to the problem
Educational goal of discipline is to produce young people who will be responsible adults who should be able to take decisions and accept the consequences of these decisions. Adults who should be able to form their own image and not just moving in people shadow (Ekanem, 2006). This discipline role is carried out by the members of the school administration.
However, despite the disciplinary actions taken by teachers and principals, documentations from West African Examination Council statistics unit showed that in 2016 secondary school students who passed the senior certificate examination at an acceptable credit level of five including Mathematics and English language were 48.36% (Essien, 2017).
In an attempt to investigate the issue of poor academic performance of students, several studies have been conducted in different area in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district. Most studies tend to emphasize that factors such as age, gender, family variables, school variables as well as the environment influence the poor academic performance of students in Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts (Daniel, 2010; Ekanem, 2014; Annang, 2015; and Umoetor, 2015).
Moreover, it appears that few studies have been conducted in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area on truancy and academic performance of students where educational performance of students in secondary schools appears to be poor and also seem to be degrading. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by examining truancy and academic performance in Economics among secondary school students with a view of providing recommendations that would help reverse the situation.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The main purpose of this study was to investigate truancy and academic performance in Economics among secondary schools. Specifically, the study intends to:
- Investigate effect of absenteeism from class on academic performance in Economics among secondary school students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area;
- Investigate lateness to class and academic performance in Economics among secondary school students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
1.4 Significance of the study
- To school administrators: this study will examine and conclude on the effect of truancy on students’ learning thereby making recommendations which will help them as a vital instrument for effective school administration.
- To parents: the study will give them an insight on how and why their wards engage in truancy.
- The study will also be of immense value to graduate and undergraduate students who are studying educational administration as it will give them an insight on how to handle to handle truant students.
- To teachers: the study will help them in evaluating themselves and making necessary modifications with regards to their relationships with their students.
- To students: the study will help them understand the effect of their truant behaviours on their academic performance thereby helping them in adjusting or amending their ways.
- The study will serve as a source of data for future researchers on related topics.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
- There is no significant difference in academic performance in Economics among secondary school students who attend classes regularly and those who absent themselves from class.
- There is no significant difference in academic performance in Economics among secondary school students who come to class early and those who come to class late
1.6 Limitation of the study
The problems, which the researcher encountered that limited its scope was lack of fund to allow the researcher procure enough materials and stationeries for the research, also time constraints prevented the researcher to carryout extensive research. Lastly, there was also be unwillingness by some rural dwellers and native of Oruk Anam Local government to reveal confidential information.
1.7 Operational definition of terms
Truancy: In brief, this refers to the staying away from school without the permission from parent, teacher or school administrators. Thus, this includes absenteeism and lateness as used in this study.
Absenteeism: In brief, this is the staying away from class without the permission of the teacher or parent after the student has left for school in the house.
Lateness: This is the coming to class after the usual time for the commencement of the lesson when the student has left the house early to school but stops on the way.
Academic performance: In brief, this is the scores or grade obtain by students in Economics test or examination
Economics: This is a social science which deals with the study of human behaviour.
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