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ABSTRACT
This research examined the “The
Effect of Birth Order on the Academic Performance of the Adolescents in Secondary
Schools”.
A total of five Secondary School in
Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos State were used as sample of the study.
A further sample was made up of two hundred (200) students randomly selected
from the five secondary schools.
Four research hypotheses focusing on
the relationship between birth-order and adolescent students academic
performance, family size and adolescent students academic performance
socio-economic status of a student’s family and his academic performance and
significant difference between academic performance of the first child, middle
child and the last born.
The major tool used in gathering
data in the study was a set of questionnaire.
Person’s Product Moment Correlation
Co-efficient and Chi-Square analysis were used in analyzing the data.
Findings were made, conclusions
drawn and recommendation made based on the findings of the study.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of
the Study
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
1.4 Significance
of the Study
1.5 Research
Questions
1.6 Research
Hypotheses
1.7 Scope
of the Study
1.8 Limitations
of the Study
1.9 Definition
of Terms
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Family
Size (Forms of Family) Socio-Economic Status
2.2 The
Relationship between Home Environment and Intelligence
Quotient
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Population
of Study
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Techniques
3.4 Research
Instrument
3.5 Validation
3.6 Reliability
3.7 Method
of Data Collection
3.8 Method
of Data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Hypothesis
One
4.1.2 Research
Hypothesis Two
4.1.3 Research
Hypothesis
Three
4.1.4 Hypothesis
Iv
4.2 Summary
of Finding
CHAPTER
FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR
FURTHER RESEARCH
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Research
Hypothesis One
5.2 Research
Hypothesis Two
5.3 Research
Hypothesis Three
5.4 Research
Hypothesis Four
5.5 Conclusion
5.6 Recommendations
5.7 Suggestion
for Further Studies
Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Birth order is significant in child
rearing, Consequently, the family is first in the life of the child in several
ways. As Cooley puts it "the family is the cradle of personality". It
is primary in point of time in the processing or induction of the child into
society and culture.
The new individual's basic drives
and needs can reach fruition only with the setting provided by these people who
surround him. His interpersonal relationships will be reflected not in terms of
any cultural determinant alone but in terms of the various individual differentials
represented by family members. Therefore it is pertinent to note that
intellectual development in school subjects has to be viewed closely, putting
into consideration the family unit as being the key ingredients in the
formation of eventual IQ growth, along with environment variables of a
student's family.
A child's personality or
socialization trend may depend on his sibling position or birth order. The
impact of ordinal birth position upon the child and sibling relationship has
received considerable exploration nation wide, certain generalizations may now
be made if we remember that all of their birth positions are incident to the
social and emotional climate of the home. And this depends largely on the types
of homes, like the nuclear family, which can be looked at as a democratic home
with amount of minimum frustration, And the extended family with its
accompanying frustration. Again of these types of families, the socio-economic
status also counts in determining its correlation to personality development of
the individual student in general and their academic performance in particular.
In this study these generalization
will be grouped into the oldest child (as first born child) whose position in
the family structure is a unique one though various studies and writers
ascribe- different effects on the position.
The youngest child or the last child
in the family whose position is also a crucial position depending on the
economic condition of the family and accompanying cultural advantages for him.
The study of these age differences
will go a long way in helping teachers, parents and the society at large to
carry out effective investigation of the effects of birth order on academic
performance of adolescent students
Birth order as an integral part of a
child formative and development stages is the much that will be focused on as
it affects the learning ability and assimilation rate of the students in
school.
Coupled with this is the home and
parental status and environmental factors militating against students
achievement in school generally will also be focused as an area of study, being
an essential and a strong determinant of measuring students performance
in school.
Birth order or order of delivery of
children in this case will be further viewed or analyzed from the perspective
of the first born child, the middle born child and the last born child as
earlier indicated.
Huni (1966), supports the motion
that the environment of the child has a great influence on the acquisition of
basic knowledge and skill.
Kernes ( 1997), points out that for
the child to grow intellectually and socially with increased independence, to
meet daily-life situation, the child must be provided a conducsive environment
which helps him develop adequate motor skills and be motivated to learn.
The home is the foundation of
education, because it plays a central role in socializing the child. The child
spends his early years and learns his language at home.
The importance of the family was
stressed by Data (1984) that the environment of the home remains a principal
settings in which the child's initial experience have an enduring impact on the
physical, intellectual and personality development of the child".
According to Datta, the early social and physical environment that the home provides
for the child has an impact on his later social and cognitive development.
Obanya (1981) further asserted that
the environment of the learner affects his attitude to schooling as well as his
performance in school.
Uche (1984) claims that there is enough
evidence from past research findings, that a child's school performance is
related to his background and the activities which goes on in a child's home is
related to the social status of his parents.
He also believes that many lower
class parents, fail to provide even the minimum level of reinforcement and
stimulation for their children intellectual development.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The specific statement of the
problem is to analyze the extent to which birth order of the children or their
positions in the family affects their performance in school along with the
socio economic status of the family.
Analysis of the position of the
children, that is; the first child, middle child and the last born child in the
family will be studied closely in order to determine their academic performance
in school.
In order to ascertain the reasons
for the different levels of performance of the students with respect to their
individual positions in the family, the study is investigating the effects of
birth order on adolescent students academic performance.
Miner (1969) has pointed out that
the socio-economic status of the child was related to the level of achievement
attained.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is aimed at
stressing the indispensable effects of birth order on adolescent students
academic performance. Consequently, parents, teachers and the society will be
able to appreciate the various differences in the students throughout their
schooling periods. Thus, it is expected that through this study the glaring
effects of ‘Birth Order’ be enumerated enough for parents and the society at
large to make redress where necessary, and maintain an appreciated standard of
breeding children so as to attain a desired result of intelligent,
well-motivated children as products of good and sound education.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The significance of the study lies
in the fact that, it would create a sort of awareness about birth order in
education achievement.
Obviously, it would give an insight
into the reasons why certain students perform excellently in social studies,
than the others. At the long run, the finding of this study will help
educationists, parents and teachers and the society at large to realize the
fact that students' academic performance is not based on intelligence alone, neither
is it base solely on the socio-economic back ground of the students not on
family size.
Thus, this study may be useful to
educational planners, administrators, educational policy makers and other
societal issues Planners. This will make them to be aware of the fact that
apart from Intelligent, Quotient(IQ), attitude of the child and the parents'
education and standard of the school the child attends, others factors such as
socio-economic status of the family, Birth order have impact on the academic performance
of students in the school.
To the parents, this study will also
be significant in child rearing. Parents tend to discipline their first born
more than their other children and give them more attention.
Bringing out the real picture of the
contribution of the family to the academic performance of the child, thus
making the parents to bear a part of the blame that would normally be on the
child alone for his or her poor performance in school.
The school principals will find the
study invaluable in that it will help in understanding the child better so as
to know why he or she performs in a particular way.
1.5 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The fundamental question which are
considered in this study are -
1. Is there
any significant relationship between birth order and students educational
development?
2. Is there
any significant relationship between family size and students academic
performance?
3. Is there
be any significant relationship between socio-economic status and adolescent
students academic performance?
4. Is there
any significant difference in the academic performance of adolescent students
of the first child, middle child and the last child?
1.6 HYPOTHESIS
OF THE STUDY
1. There is
no significant relationship between birth order (first, middle and last born
child) and adolescent students academic performance
2. There is
no significant relationship between family size and adolescent academic
performance.
3. There is
no significant relationship between socio-economic status of a child
family and his academic performance.
4. There is
no significant difference in the academic performance of the first child,
middle child and the last born.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The study take a look at the effect
of Birth order on students performance and educational development in Ajeromi
Local Government Area, Lagos State.
1.8 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
The research experienced some forms
of limitation in the process of the study. The researcher experienced financial
constraints which inhibited the number of contacts that were made at the
various destinations and the number of questionnaires that were provided and
administered.
There was also general reluctance to
give information and other factors like accessibility to source of information
due to the formal protocols required by the Principals. Also insufficient
availability of Secondary data poses a constraint to the study.
The research is also limited
to Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. Thus
there is a limit to which the result of the students could be generalized.
1.9 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Nuclear Family: A
family which consists of a man, his wife and children. This is a smaller family
unit living a separate existence, in contact with relatives but not
inter-dependent on them.
Extended Family: The
extended family may be a nuclear family or a polygamous family, it includes,
aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents, wives of sons and their children as all
members of the family.
Polygamous Family: In
a polygamous family a man is legally married to more than one wife. Thus
polygamous family is made up of a man, his wives and their children.
Socio-Economic Status: This
refers to the social and economic position an individual can find himself or
herself. It is regarded as the most significant predicting factor responsible
for the academic achievement of students depending on the family.
Environment: This
is the immediate physical surrounding of the child in the physical environment.
There exist forces such as temperature, humidity and pressure which affect the
individual and consequently, his learning.
Academic Performance: It
can be defined as the result or outcome of a student during the course of
study. It can also be said to be a phenomenon used to grade the successful
outcomes of students in particular.
Intelligence Quotient(IQ) can be
said to mean Judgment, good sense, the ability to comprehend and to reason well
and to adapt one self to circumstances.
Home Environment: This
is used to refer to the atmospheric nature of an environment of which
a family lives.
Family Size: This
include the total number of children and parents in an immediate family or
extended family.
Birth Order: It
is the order of child delivery, the position in which a child comes e.g. first,
second and third etc.
Educational Development: this
refers to how far a child is able to go academically and how well he does in
every aspect or area of his academics.
TOPIC: EFFECT OF BIRTH ORDER ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE ADOLESCENTS, IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Format: MS Word
Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email
Delivery: Email
Number of Pages: 65
Price: 3000 NGN
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