CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education is the key to building a vibrant, productive society that provides chances and justice to everyone. Education is the most valuable legacy that parents can leave to their children. The evolution of a country begins with the family. When a family is successful in instilling positive values in their children, the country as a whole improves. It is widely assumed that the foundation for any meaningful progress must begin with the development of human resources. Formal education is the manifestation of such goals to construct a healthy and strong economy in an effective and efficient manner.
In Nigeria, the primary activities of educational institutions are to create and develop human potential to meet the nation's development needs at all levels. According to the forewords to the National Policy on Education (2013) edition, education is viewed as an investment for economic, social, and political development; an aggregate tool of empowerment for the poor and socially marginalized groups; an effective means of developing full capacities and potentials of human resources, as well as the development of competent work force through the acquisition of practical life skills relevant to the world of work as a veritable means of ostracization. It is crucial to underline from the outset that educational institutions in Nigeria are loaded with huge obligations, but there are circumstances working against their accomplishment. When such differences in scores are investigated, it is more typically determined that family history is a substantial contributory element. It is therefore critical to investigate the extent of such contributions and their impact on children in order to provide valuable recommendations to parents and teachers, educational planners, and the government.
According to a recent study, socioeconomic status is one of the most explored and disputed factors among educational experts that influences students' academic achievement (Muola, 2019). The most common claim is that learners' socioeconomic position influences the quality of their academic achievement. Most experts say that pupils' poor socioeconomic level has a detrimental impact on their academic performance since their fundamental needs are not met, and hence they do not do well academically (Adams, 1996).
Parental participation may take various forms, including effective parenting at home, providing a secure and stable environment, intellectual stimulation, parent-child interaction, positive examples of constructive social and educational ideals, and high expectations for personal fulfillment and good citizenship. Contact with schools to provide information is also required, as is involvement in school activities, engagement in school work, and participation in school governance (Desforges and Abouchaar, 2021). Many research have examined parental participation and its influence on children's learning and behavior, but few have investigated what drives parents to become involved. According to Ogbemudia and Aiasa (2019), these pupils' parents or guardians are responsible for creating a favorable home environment for their children's effective learning. Furthermore, parental educational background, history, parental economic condition (at least an average financial level), parental marital status, and parental home location all have an influence on a student's academic achievement in their home environment. Much emphasis will be placed on sound human relations when evaluating the parental marital status on students' academic performance, as a home environment that is tense due to divorce or an unhealthy atmosphere of quarreling, fighting due to polygamy cannot foster learning, as the pupils' minds will not be settled in order to allow for creativity.
Importantly, a child's capacity to perform in school is determined by how well his or her parents manage the youngster at home. It is a setting in which the kid may learn the skills, attitudes, and behaviors that will shape them into a productive and successful student. However, not every child is born into a family that can provide them with the necessary educational resources for academic success. A parent's socioeconomic status plays an important role in providing these educational resources and appears to have the greatest impact on the child's educational outcomes (Vellymalay, 2020). When compared to other characteristics, socioeconomic position has a rather substantial influence on parental participation in kids' academic accomplishment.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The dilemma of student performance in schools has been a subject of concern since the inception of modern education. Many countries have recognized that students are at the heart of the educational process and that without great performance, all educational advancements would fail. According to Uyanga (2022), many countries are dissatisfied with the current condition of education, and parents are to blame. Hence the disparity in student performance and academic performance quality is a cause of tremendous anxiety and discomfiture for both parents, school administrators, policymakers, and various governments responsible for secondary school education.
Experience has shown that there are some differences among secondary school students that influence student academic performance, such as some students being able to pay their school fees promptly, while others were frequently sent away for non-payment of school fees, and some students having a problem with the provision of school uniform but others do not. Similarly, some students were inspired by their parents by providing educational equipment such as computers, textbooks, and exercise books, while others were not, and some students came to school fully fed while others did not. The question then becomes whether the effect of familial background played a role in these situations or whether variables like parents level of education, income level or occupational type affect parents involvement towards child’s academic attainment. Upon this premise this research seeks to examine the impact of parental socioeconomic status on students' school involvement and academic attainment
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of parental socioeconomic status on students' school involvement and academic attainment. These specific objectives are to.
i. To determine if parents type of occupations influences their involvement towards student’s academic achievement.
ii. To examine whether parents level of education affects their involvement towards student’s academic performance.
iii. To investigate whether parents level of income impacts their involvement towards student’s academic attainment.
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the purpose of this research work the following research hypotheses have been formulated;
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
The following hypothesis will be tested to guide this study;
HO1: Parents type of occupations does not influence their involvement towards student’s academic achievement.
HO2: Parents level of education does not affect their involvement towards student’s academic performance.
HO3: Parents level of income does not impacts their involvement towards student’s academic attainment.