INFLUENCE OF HOME BACKGROUND ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN CIVIC EDUCATION IN LOWER BASIC SCHOOLS, IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examined the influence of home background and students’ academic performance on civic education in lower basic secondary schools in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Two objectives, research questions and null hypotheses were formulated. The design of the study was correlational design. The population of the study consist of all the lower basic public secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria, with the total number of one hundred and eighty-five thousand nine hundred and eighteen (185,918) The sample size of the study was three hundred and eighty-four (384) male and female students. Two instruments were used for this study. Family Background Questionnaire (FBIQ) and Academic Performance of Students. All null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation and Kruskal Wallis inferential statistics was used to test the hypothesis 1-2. The results revealed that parental education influence students’ academic performance through helping them to solve assignment, extra home lesson, checking their academic progress and providing them with the required learning materials in civic education in Lower Basic Education in Kaduna state and respondents are of the same opinion (p=125). Also, parental income level influences students’ academic performance through payment of school fees, buying of school uniforms, writing materials and feeding them well in civic education in Lower Basic Education in Kaduna state and respondents are of the same opinion (p=262). Based on the findings of this study it was concluded that: Parental education and income level improve students’ academic performance in civic education in Lower Basic Education in Kaduna state Parental occupation as well as marital status enhance students’ Journal of Professional Counselling, Vol. 8, No. 1 114 academic performance in civic education in Lower Basic Education in Kaduna state. It was recommended that counsellors, educational psychologist should encourage parents and stakeholders to acquire education at all levels since their educational background positively influence students’ academic performance in civic education in Lower Basic Education in Kaduna state.