ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Theoretical Framework
The study adopted the Theory of Demand by Berger (1980). The theory predicts that the number of ward in a family depend on family income, and the cost of rearing and training ward. Income plays a role in determining family size because families with higher incomes are more able to afford additional ward. In terms of the cost of rearing ward, direct cost associated with having ward include among others, food, clothing and health-care expenses. In addition to these direct costs, there is also the relative cost of having a child is affected by the opportunity cost of child, rearing as measured by the parents‟ wage to a lesser extent, which may affect the number of ward and adults in a family by altering the relative cost of having a child and creating incentives or disincentives to marry. More so, individual preferences will affect family size. Family size is also noted for its influence on variables like poverty, literacy, health, education among others. These results are also based on environmental, economic, cultural, and social factors. In agreement toBerger (1980),Alvin (1984) postulates that regardless of ability, youth from the higher social strata compared to the others do better in school, stay longer, and are ultimately prepared to move into higher status occupations. Although family size appears to have a strong direct effect on school performance in early childhood than in late adolescence, the advantages tend to be cumulative. Also, Nuttall (2000) in supporting the theory of demand for ward, concludes that boys from small families tend to have better academic achievement than boys from large families and are probably more influenced by peer groups who tend to have anti-academic values. More so, if ward developed verbal and cognitive skills through interaction with parents, those from small families will spend more time with parents than with peers and siblings, as compared to ward from large families. Also, parents are also to keep track of their kids, and their discussions to ensure prompt attention. Such parents even go to the extent of helping their ward with their homework.
The www.hhs.gov(2005) in supporting the theory of demand for ward posits that socio-economic status of parents often weights the effect of social class, as seen in the achievement of working-class givingmedication and nutrition, this has made ward from better socio-economic parents better off economically. Also, these families have comparatively been able to educate their ward to higher levels of educational attainment, compared with their compatriots with less socio-economic status. Educational attainment seems as possessing positive influence on their respective family sizes, particularly small family of 3 ward. Also, Eweniyi, (2005), notes that the family size educational level and parents‟ occupation significant influence students‟ performance and mental development. This is because providing a supportive learning environment at home requires parents‟ time and financial resources. However,Tenibiaje, (2009) points out that single parent have less time to help ward with homework and less likely to use consistent discipline, and less parental control and all of these conditions may lead to lower academic achievement.
The implication of this theory to the present study lies on the fact that students‟ academic performance in school is mediated by their upbringing which perhaps is influence by the socioeconomic status of the parents. Parents that have better socio-economic status would likely support their ward in their pursuit for academic excellence and this would go a long way in improving their academic performance.
2.2 Concept of Business Studies
Business study is an integrated approach to the study of business administration which comprises of five components: Office practice, book keeping, commerce, shorthand and typing. Business studies as a vocational subject, prepares students to acquire skills for selfreliance. Nwaokolo and Ahukannah (2001) noted that business studies is an integrated subject‟s combination which comprises of office practice, shorthand, typing, book keeping and commerce. The authors further explain the components of business studies, thus: Office practice is one of the components of business studies which deals with how clerical activities are being carry out in an office, such as receiving,recording, arranging, supplying and processing information and safe guarding assets etc.
Commerce is that branch of man activities which is concerned with the distribution and exchange of products of nature and of man. Commerce deals with the study of exchange and those activities that facilitate exchange of goods and services in our economic system. Book keeping has to do with recording of money transactions according to some principles. The records reveal such transactions whether is credits or cash transactions. Typing is the act of printing letters on paper by means of keys through using a machine called a typewriter. When these keys are struck with fingers, they make an impression on the paper through an ink-laden ribbon.
Adebusi (2001) equally defines typewriting as the act of producing print like character on paper by pressing keys on the machine called typewriter. This is to meet the need to communicate in most appropriate manner by writing. It helps students to produce mails documents at any giving time with emphasis of good techniques. Shorthand is the art of representing spoken sounds by written signs. These signs are represented using simple strokes as consonants and dots and dashes as vowels. More so, Adebusi (2001) also defines shorthand as a symbol method of writing rapidly with quick made symbols. Adebusi further points out that shorthand is an inevitable tool, because it works through the medium of language, it educative value can be seen in the area of temperament standard of work and attitude of the mind. It is a practical skills as well as basic scientific knowledge.
In another development, Adeshina (2007) notes that business studies have some common competencies expected in a student, among them include the following:
Specific task such as managing sales, posting journal to the ledger and use of word processing.Students expected learning competencies expressed in the form of common office function such as structuring, assessing, capturing and dissemination of information.
Adeshina(2007)further points out that if we are producing junior federal college of education graduates for jobs, then, they must be produced for current jobs and not jobs that stopped existing some years ago. Also the instructional principles of competency based vocational curriculum content do not fall in line with conventional norm- referenced assessment techniques. The researcher further noted that for students of business studies to perform well, there must be:
- Qualified teachers of business studies
- Facilities and equipment for the activities in the curriculum.
- Administrative support from government and school authorities.
- Teaching aids and materials such as relevant and current text books, well equipped typing pool and computer room etc.
- Incentive for the teachers etc.
2.3 Socio-economic Status of parents
Socio-economic Status involves a combination of social and economic factors, such as parents‟ education, parents‟ occupation and family size, income and social position of persons. The socio-economic statustherefore is a way of dividing members of the society in terms of wealth, prestige and life chance. Hornby (2001) defines socio-economic as relating to society and economic of people from different background. The socio-economic status of a family affects the schooling of the ward either positively or negatively. Rothmas (2003) suggests that ward from low socio-economic conditioned families do not have a study environment in their homes to have a positive influence on their academic performance at school. In addition, Croll (2004) states that when compared with other students with a lot of opportunities, they achieve better results in some examinations, continue their education for a longer time, and have a better chance at pursuing higher education. Socio-economic status of the family has an important effect on the student‟s academic performance at school. According to the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) (2005), academic performance at school is not only linked with school- related factors but also with the socio-economic environment in which students are raised.
Socio-economic status of parents influence academic and educational success of students and their school work. It is obvious, therefore, that the quality of parents and home background of a child go a long way to predict the quality and regularity of the satisfaction and the provision of a student‟s functional survival and his or her academic needs. Poor parental care with gross deprivation of social and economic needs of a child usually result in poor academic performance of the child. Also where a child suffers parental and material deprivation and care due to divorce or death, the child‟s schooling may be affected as one of the parents may not be financially buoyant to pay school fees, purchase books and uniforms. Such child may not concentrate in school, thus the child academic performance may be adversely affected.
2.3.1 Parental Education and Academic Performance
The parental level of education is one of the socio-economic factors that play a vital role in the academic performance of students. Education of parents has an impact on ward‟s school achievement. De Broucker and Underwood (1999) point out that those parents with higher education provide the most conducive environment for their ward to study, thus providing the necessary motivation for them to proceed to higher education.
Musgrave (2000) states that a child that comes from an educated home would like to follow the steps of his family and by this work actively in his studies. That means that a child from a well-educated family with high socio-economic status would likely naturally perform better than a child from an illiterate family. This is because the child from the educated family has a lot of support such as decent and good environment for academic work, parental support and guidance, enough text books and academic materials and decent feeding .He or she is likely to be sent to quality schools where seasoned teachers will handle his subjects. Harmon and Walker (2000) and Chevalier and Lanont (2002) also noted that students‟ academic performance is closely related to family income, but that family‟s education is the most important factor. The researchers further stated that the educational preferences of the ward generally reflect family characteristics. More so, Eggen and Kauchak (2001) conclude that, students‟ academic performance influenced by the parents‟ educational expectations of their academic achievement and that Ward usually perceive whether adults have high or low expectations of their academic achievement. When parents expect the ward to do well on the specific task, ward generally gain confidence in their ability to carry out that task. Thus a child that comes from an educated home would like to follow the steps of his or her family.
In another development, Grissmer (2003) postulates that parents‟ level of education was the most important factor affecting student‟s academic performance. That is to say that parents‟ educational background influence the academic performance of their ward. This according to the researcher is because the parents will be in good position to be second teachers to the child, and even guide and counsel the child on the best way to perform well in education and provide the necessary materials needed by the child.
2.3.2 Parental occupation and academic performance
Parental occupation and income may influence students‟ academic performance. It deals with the career and income of the parents that is, sources of earnings of the parents.
Occupation-related income may determine access to learning opportunities and resources and so play a role in learning outcomes. The education and types of skills associated with different occupations and modeled by parents may motivate students to develop their own skills in particular ways. Parental occupation may also influence how students perceive the value of learning, their beliefs about the usefulness of the subject and the learning environment at home.According to Benneth (2003), occupation is considered as an indicator of parental skill use and it appears that students whose parents work in occupation with greater skill requirements also performed better in various subjects.
Benneth (2003) further noted that looking only at students whose parents are in professional or managerial occupations that is, occupation that typically require at least a college education and high than average incomes, considerable differences were found in students‟ performance. Students whose parents had occupation that specifically required strong mathematics skills, that is physical, mathematical and engineering science professionals, tend to have higher math‟s scores than other students. Students whose parents were in occupational category that includes legislators, senior officials, executives and managersperform almost one proficiency level lower than students whose parents worked in the mathematics intensive occupational group.
In another development, Wilson, Smeeding and Haveman (2007) were of the opinion that parental education and occupational class are more strongly associated with students educational attainment; parents of high socio-economic status have more positive attitudes towards their ward schooling and higher expectations for their ward since they have the economic empowerment to buy the advantages that money can. More so, the researchers noted that the education levels as well as income of parents are interconnected; this is because educated parents by virtue of their educational background possess the potential for increased income. Thus educated parents have the capacity to build bridges out of poverty and benefit from better quality of life. Parental education which leads to better income empower parents to give their ward a solid foundation for school and life success and enables them to build up strong partnerships between parents and school in order to sustain achievement standards.
2.3.3 Parental family size and academic performance.
Family size has to do with husband, wife/wives and ward in a family. Some families may consist of a husband, wife and their ward or husband, wives, ward and ward of relations. The family sizes do influence the academic performance of students in the sense that families with large size do not have enough resources to support their ward in schools. For instance a family with ten ward cannot be able to take care of them very well. Poonam and Balda (2001) report that family size was negatively correlated with Intelligence Quotient (I.Q) of ward and that small size families compared to large families are academically good. In supporting this fact, Devi and Kiran (2002) note that large family size, low educational status of parents, low parental involvement and low
Parental encouragement were found to be the major family factors associated with scholastic backwardness of federal college of education students. Polat (2008) noted that demographic factors as number of siblings or sibling birth order in the family also have an effect on students‟ performance.
In another development, when the birth order of the child among other siblings is considered, young ward in the family stands a higher chance to participate in education in developing countries because older ward help their parents in working in the house or in the field or farm or contribute to the home economy. The number of ward also has an important role. Polat (2008) Further observes that western societies and some developing countries have a negative relationship with this condition and the chance to participating in education, because the existing resources at hand have to be shared among ward. For this reasons families with a lot of siblings may not send their ward to school. Therefore the socio-economic Students of the family tend to be low due to the effect of large family size. Kean and Tsai (2005) noted that every action of the parent is a determiner that has an effect on the child educational outcomes. Polat (2008) points out that the number of ward has an important role and that in western societies and some developing countries, there is a negative relationship with this condition and the chance of participating in education because the existing sources at hand have to be share among ward. For this reason, families with a lot of siblings may not send each of their ward to school. Also the geographical factors of the location of the family residence also play a role in families giving their ward a chance to participate in education. In general, the ratio of ward participating in education can be seen to be higher in urbanized regions of a country.
Ali (2012) also observes that with increased education and cost of living, large family is no longer desirable. The author also noted that ward who range from 2-3 tends to be intelligent in few number of ward than ward from large families of about 15-20 ward. This is so because socio-economic status and other educational factors enjoyed by small families are often deprived by ward from the large home. Hence, Ali reported that there is a correlation between family size and intelligent. When ward in large families feels frustrated as a result of lack of child parental interaction, and parent care, they lose hope of higher attainments in life or getting the better things of life and lower interest for probable educational performance or schooling. Also, researcher further noted that parents who have few ward tends to adopts more time and attention to each individual child, they may also tends to expect more from each child than to parents who have many ward, and that in polygamous homes (with large number of ward and wives), there is always a beloved wife whose ward are also loved more than those from the other wives. In that case, there is always the tendency of the rest of the wives putting more effort to see that their own ward are not left behind. This helps those women to work harder and contribute towards the management of their ward. The husband cannot real train the entire ward, the care and the training of the ward rest upon their mothers; and in struggle to help their mothers to train them, they miss classes and their academic performances are affected negatively.
2.4 Related Empirical Studies
During the course of this research, the researcher reviewed journals, and other related research works. Olayiwola, Salawu, Oyenuga, (2011) conducted a research title “On Statistical Analysis of Impact of Socio-Economic on Students‟ Academic Performance in Nigeria”. The population of the study was students from colleges of education, Polytechnics and Universities in Nigeria. Questionnaire was administered to 849 students in colleges of education, polytechnics and universities, these serve as sample of the study. Canonical correlation and multiple regression analysis were used in the analysis of the data.
The average values of the students‟ response to the questions were combined with their Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). The students CGPA were used as dependent variable and parental background, hostel facilities, peer group, students‟ health, students‟ attitude to studies, educational resources available, sport activities, students enrolment, lecturers‟ teaching methods and group discussion were used as independent variables. The findings revealed among others that parental financial status has a significant positive relationship with students‟ academic performance. The better the parental background is, the better the results of the students. Hostel facilities are positively related to the academic performance of the students. The better the hostels facilities, the better the results of the students. Peer group is negatively related to students‟ academic performance. Also, the findings revealed that the lecturers ‟teaching style is statistically significant to students‟ academic performance. The better the teaching methods adopted by lecturers, the better the results of the students. The study further revealed that the available educational resources are positively related to the students‟ academic performance. The better the resources, the better the result of the students.However, the researchers did not indicate the research design used objectives of the study, research questions, and no sampling technique and pilot study for the determination the reliability of the study and the study focused on colleges of education, polytechnics and Universities in Nigeria. The present study stands to benefit from this reviewed work on the area of parental financial status and the present study focused on socio-economic characteristics of parents on business studies‟ students in Government Junior federal college of education in Ogun state and this filled the gap of the study.
Olawuyi and Adetunji (2013) carried out a research, title “Assessment of rural household‟s poverty in Nigeria: evidence from Ogbomoso Agricultural zone of Oyo state, Nigeria.”Also, the population of the study was 657,417 from Ogbomso, Oyo state, the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the representative sample. Three local government areas were purposively selected from the identified local government areas. Ten households were selected with the aid of a document obtained from Ogbomoso Agricultural zone (ADP) zone office which contains listed households from each of the selected villages; this was done through random sampling technique to arrive at the total 120 respondents used for the study. Analytical techniques used include descriptive statistic such as frequency count percentage and mean values. Also, poverty indices were used to examine the determinants of poverty among households.
In another development, Peter, Nephat, and James (2014) carried out a research titled “Influence of Family Characteristics on Academic Performance of Students in secondary agriculture. The population of the study was seven hundred and fifty-four (754) students taking agriculture subject at form four in Rachuonyo North district, of Kenya. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample for the study. The sample size was two hundred and fifty-four (254) students taking agriculture subject. The items of the questionnaire were developed based on the objectives of the study. Co-relational research design was used. The items of the questionnaire were discussed with other experts for their validity. The instrument was pilot tested to ascertain for its reliability.
The reliability co-efficient was 0.75. The instrument was self-administered. Data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and multiple regressions) were used for statistical test with levels of significant set at 0.05 alpha. Statistical package for social sciences software (SPSS) were used for data analysis. The study found a positive correlation between level of education of the mothers and students‟ performance.Furthermore, multiple regression results on family characteristics found no significant influence of family characteristics on students‟ performance in federal college of education agriculture in Rachuonyo North district. Thus the hypothesis was accepted.
The study revealed that, it is evident that most parents from the district were generally poor. In spite of this, low family earnings did not influence performance of students in agriculture negatively, since students coming from families with the lowest monthly income had higher means scores as compared to students coming from families with highest monthly income. The study equally found out that students whose fathers had no formal education had a higher means score compared to students whose parents had university education. It implies that fathers and mothers education had little influence on student‟s performance. The students equally established that students coming from smaller family size had a higher means score as compared to students coming from large family size.
The researchers talked about family characteristics as it influences academic performance of students with emphasis on education, income and family size of the parents and Agricultural subject. However, parents‟ occupation was not pointed out. The present study stands to gain more from the study in the areas of parents‟ education, and income as it affects academic performance and this filled the gap on the area of parents‟ occupation on how it influence students‟ academic performance in business studies.