PERCEIVED FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR BROKEN HOMES AND ITS IMPACT ON  THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The family is the child's first and most important point of interaction with the outside world. Consequently, the kid receives an initial education and socialization from his or her parents and other prominent individuals in the household. According to Agulana (2000), the family is the most important factor in the whole development of a kid since it provides the psychological, moral, and spiritual basis. Families and houses are either structurally damaged or structurally intact, depending on the situation. In this context, a broken household is defined as one that is not structurally whole as a consequence of a divorce, a separation, the death of a parent, or the illegitimacy of the child. According to Frazer (2004), psychological home circumstances are caused mostly by the illegitimacy of children, the label of adopted kid, broken families, divorce, and parental loss of parental authority. According to him, such aberrant settings in the home are likely to have a negative impact on the child's academic performance in the classroom. For both the kid and the parent, growing up in a single-parent household or a broken home may be a traumatic experience. Such families are confronted with the difficulties of having insufficient financial resources (children defense find 2004). According to Schults (2006), when adolescents from unstable households are compared to those from stable homes, it is evident that the former have more social, scholastic, and emotional issues, whilst the latter do not. According to Rochlkepartain (2003), the family and its structure have a significant effect on the academic achievement of children.

Broken home refers to the division or separation of parents who have been together for a long period of time and have suddenly divorced or terminated their relationship, or to the reunification of the once agreed marriage knot after exchanging material vows and having lived together for a long period of time. Marriage is an institution that plays a critical part in the upbringing and development of human beings. It is the union of two adult individuals who have made the decision to spend the rest of their lives together. As a result, they are sharing shared care and duty for their children, who are the products of their marriage (Frazer, 2004).

Marriage facilitates the fulfillment of several fundamental human wants, such as the desire for social status. Companionship, procreation, and the need for sexual closeness and fulfillment are all important aspects of human development. In reality, the institution is steadily losing its standard worth, as shown by data that demonstrate that it is rapidly declining as a result of the large number of residences that have been destroyed. The issue of single parenting is quite concerning in contemporary culture, and the reasons for a failed marriage include, among other things, disinterest on the part of the spouses, parental intervention, religious problems, poverty, and a lack of understanding between the spouses. The increasing tendency of this pheromone was discovered in the fundamental basis of this investigation.

1.2     Statement of the Problem              

 An increasing number of people are becoming aware of the importance of the family environment in terms of kids' academic progress. In Nigeria, most families are not intact as a consequence of factors such as incompatibility between the partners, the loss of a parent, the desire to go abroad in order to earn more money, and, on occasion, marital adultery, among other things (Chador, 2008). Couples and children have been forced to separate as a consequence of this. This is particularly evident in certain states of the federation, where the majority of young females forsake their families and go abroad in order to earn money. In other regions, however, this is less obvious. Some men who migrate overseas forsake their houses and refuse to connect with their family back home, leaving children from such households in a difficult situation, particularly when it comes to adjusting to their new environment. Chador (2008) points out that the environment in which pupils grow up may have a significant impact on their ability to succeed in school. A kid's emotional well-being, personality, and academic success may all be affected by the impacts of a parent's divorce or separation on the family's internal structure, and therefore on the child. Both internally and externally administered examinations revealed that students in different courses of study did not do particularly well in terms of their academic achievement. The majority of students fall short of expectations. The social and moral views of students are not improving, as shown by the occurrence of examples of bad performance in the educational system. Many students hold their professors responsible. The instructor, for their part, assigns responsibility to the kid, their parent, or even the government in certain cases. As a result, it is necessary to explore the perceived elements that contribute to fractured families, as well as their influence on the academic success of secondary school pupils.

1.3     Objective of the Study                

The general objective of the study is to investigate the perceived factors responsible for broken homes and its impact on  the academic achievement of secondary schools students. Specifically, the study will be guided by the following:

i.          To examine the factors responsible for the breakage of homes.

ii.        To find out the impact of broken home on the academic achievement of secondary school students.

iii.      To investigate the influence of broken homes on the emotional adjustment needs of the secondary school students.

iv.      To ascertain the influence of broken homes on secondary school students’ social adjustment.

1.4       Research questions

The following questions have been prepared for this study:

i.          What are  the factors responsible for the breakage of homes?

ii.        What are the impact of broken home on the academic achievement of secondary school students?

iii.      Does broken homes influences the emotional adjustment needs of the secondary school students?

iv.      What are the influence of broken homes on secondary school students’ social adjustment?

1.5     Significance of the Study                    

The study  is significant  to the school management, teachers and parents because it will serve as guidance to the classroom teacher and help the parent on how best to take care and bring up their children well. The case study is also significant in that it sought to illuminate the salient factor that makes it difficult for academics objectives to be realized. Hence to may serve as an eye opener to researcher and parents in one hand and the society or government in the other hand. This research will help educationist to know that broken homes are creating a great hock to the disciplinary aspect of children.

Above all, this study is significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6     Scope of the Study                  

The study will examine the factors responsible for the breakage of homes. The study will also find out the impact of broken home on the academic achievement of secondary school students. The study will further investigate the influence of broken homes on the emotional adjustment needs of the secondary school students. Lastly, the study will ascertain the influence of broken homes on secondary school students’ social adjustment. Hence the study is delimited to Ondo State.

1.7       Limitation of the study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8     Definition of Terms        

Broken Home: In the ordinary sense broken home can be defined as a situation where by their separation in between a wife and her husband, which simply refers to divorce.

Impacts: Is the powerful effect that something has on somebody or something. It is to have an effect on something and also it is the act of one object hitting another the force with this happens.

Academic Performance: the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects

Student: This is a person who is studying at a school, especially a secondary or primary school. It is also a person who is very interested in a particular subject

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