Influence of Family Structure on Children’s Motivation to Learn And Academic Achievement in Minna Metropolis, Niger State.

The sought to investigate the influence of family on children’s motivation to learn and achievement in Minna , Niger State. To guide the study, four research questions were posed and answered while four hypotheses were  formulated  and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

The study adopted ex-post facto or causal comparative research design. The of the study comprised of all the primary five children in Minna metropolis, Niger State totaling 9,995.

A total sample of 425 primary five children in public schools in Bosso and Chanchaga Local Government Education Authorities were  used for the study. The academic achievement scores of children for a session were collected using children’s result for three terms.

The instrument named influence of Family Structure on Children’s Motivation to Learn Questionnaire was used for data collection. Mean and  Standard Deviation were used in answering the research  questions,  while  analysis  of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses.

The findings of the  study revealed  that; children from monogamous family structure had the highest mean motivation to learn followed by the children from multiple transition family structure while children from polygamous family had the lowest mean motivation to learn.

Further analysis showed that family structure significantly influences children’s motivation to learn. Children from single parenthood family structure had lower mean achievement score than children from monogamous and multiple transition family structure while children from polygamous family structure had the lowest mean achievement score.

However, it was  further  revealed  that  family structure has no significant influence on the children’s motivation to learn and children’s academic achievement. Gender has no significant influence  on  children’s motivation to learn and academic achievement.

Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that parents should be fully involved in the education of  their  wards  by  assisting them in their home works and getting other relevant materials for study ready for them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page                     ii

Approval page          iii

Certification                  iv

Dedication            v

Acknowledgements           vi

Table of Contents                         vii

Abstract                          x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study                            1

Statement of the Problem                          9

Purpose of the Study                     10

Significance of the Study           10

Scope of the Study                             11

Research Questions                            12

Research Hypotheses                 12

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Conceptual Framework                                   14

Concept of Family                                     14

Concept of Family Structure                    14

Concept of Motivation                              23

Concept of Learning                   26

Concept of Gender                                      28

Concept of Achievement and Concept of Academic Achievement        29

Relationships Among Family Structure, Children’s Motivation to Learn and Academic Achievement  31

Theoretical Framework                                32

Sensitivity and Responsibility Theory by Mary Ainsworth                     32

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory                                                         33

Review of Empirical Studies                                                                        33

Studies on Influence Family Structure on Children’s Motivation to Learn and Academic Achievement 33

Studies on Influence of Gender on Children’s Motivation to Learn and Academic Achievement   36

Summary of Literature Review                                                                  37

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

Design of the Study                      41

Area of the Study                                                 41

Population of the Study                             42

Sample and Sampling Techniques                               42

Instrument for Data Collection           43

Validation of the Instrument                                 44

Reliability of the Instrument               44

Method of Data Collection                                       44

Method of Data Analysis                                     45

Summary of Findings                                51

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSION, SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Discussion of Findings                                                 52

Conclusion                                                                          55

Educational Implication of the Study                                   55

Recommendations                                                                 56

Limitations of the Study                                                   56

Suggestion for Further Studies                                          57

Summary of the Study                                  57

References       59

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Children’s lives are influenced by the number of parents and siblings that they live  with, as well as by whether their parents are married. Parents with children make up a family.

A family is a group of people who share Affinal, Consanguinal and adoption ties and  are  within two generations (Oti, 2005). Fairly is a close knit group of people who care about and respect each other (Hughes, 1999).

The fairly is a social group characterized by common residence, economic corporaton and reproduction. It  comprises  adults of both sexes, at  least  of two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or  more  children own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.

Family is a group of two or more people that are related by blood, marriage, adoption, step or fostering and who usually live together in the same household. This includes newly wedded couples without children, couples with dependants, single mums  or  dad  with  children, siblings living together.

Family is the focal socializing unit in the society especially Africa (Oti, 2003). The family as an institution provides for the rearing, socializing and education of the child. It is a forum for the child’s initial contact with the society. It is the basic  group  for individual’s  social identity. It is the most common unit of socialization.

The stability of the family and its antecedents are important in the child’s education.

REFERENCES

Aduwa, S.E. (2004). Dynamizing the instructional system: An Inquiry for Effective Childhood Education in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Curriculum Studies 11(2):239-245.
Ainley, M.D; Hidi, S. & Berndorff, D. (2002). Interest, learning and the psychological process that mediate their relationship. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 1 – 17.
Ainsworth, M.D.S (1969). Object relations, dependency and  attachment:  A  Theoretical  Review of the Infant-Mother Relationship. Child Development, 40, 969 – 1025.
Ainsworth, M.D.S (1973). The development of infant mother attachment. In B. Caldwell & H. Ricciuti (Eds). Review of Child Developmental Research. 1 – 94. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ainsworth, M.D.S (1978). Ainsworth, M.D.S (1973). The development of infant-mother attachment. In B. Caldwell & H. Ricciuti (Eds), Review of Child Developmental Research. (p.1 – 94) Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Akanbi, T. (2005). Gender difference in achievement in science: A Review. Ilorin Journal of Science Education, 1 (2), 29-38.

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