Effects of Family Background Variables on Secondary School Students' Academic Achievement in Biology in Ekiti State

ABSTRACT The primary goal of this research study is to investigate the effects of family background variables on secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology in Ekiti State. The research design used for the study was a descriptive designs of a survey type which allows the description of the participant of this research in an accurate way, and enables information to be obtained from a representative sample of the population. The sample size for the study consists of one hundred (100) students randomly drawn from five (5) schools in Ado-Local Government Area of Ekiti State.. The instrument for the collection of data was a self-designed questionnaire. The instrument named “effects of family background variables on secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology questionnaire” (EFBVSAABQ) was designed and used for this Study. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts in Science Education, Test, Measurement and Evaluation, and the researcher’s supervisor for face and content validity. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained at a reliability coefficient of 0.96. The data collected were analyzed and interpreted using frequency counts and simple percentage. The study revealed that there significance difference in the academic achievement of student from high economic status and students from a low economic status family, because students from higher economic backgrounds often have enhanced access to essential educational resources, such as textbooks, technology, and lab materials vital for subjects like biology. The study showed that there significance difference in the academic achievement of student from monogamous home and students from polygamous home, because monogamous families often create a stable environment that can provide better emotional and psychological support for students. Such stability typically allows these families to have the financial and emotional resources necessary to invest in their children's education effectively. The study revealed that there significance difference in the academic achievement of student from literate family and students from illiterate family. This is because the attitudes of parents and family members toward education and specific subjects play a crucial role in a student's academic achievement. Based on the findings of this research work, it was recommended that Parents, guardians or sponsors and the government should acknowledge the contribution of family background to effective teaching and which would eventually determine the extent to which students would perform in their academics. Efforts should be made by parents guidance not to allow their parents’ socio-economic and educational background, level of income and family size influence their academic pursuits either consciously or unconsciously. This will assist to improve on their performance. Parents should endeavour to control the size of their families to a manageable on. This will enable them make good use of the available resources to care of the education of their children, and could lead to the high level of academic performance of such students.