Page 1 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 76
Effects of Home Background Characteristics on
Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement
in Agricultural Sciences in Katsina State, Nigeria
1&2H.A Abdullahi, 2M.R.S Mlozi and 2G.K Nzalayaimisi
1Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.
hussein.abdullahi@yahoo.com +255766034980 or 07087712649
2Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro,
Tanzania mrsmlozi@yahoo.com +255787022609 and ganzlayaimisi@yahoo.uk.co. +255655305825
Abstract
The National Policy on Education (NPE) in
Nigeria has guaranteed the right of
education for all. The future success of
students’ educational process depends on
academic achievement and successful
completion of secondary school education.
However, several factors contributed to the
concerns regarding the talent pool of
students at this level. This study intends to
determine the extents to which students’
home background characteristics affect their
academic achievement in agricultural
sciences in Katsina state which has remain
to be clarified. The study purposively
selected secondary schools under the
Katsina State Science and Technical
Education Board (STEB). Three hundred
(300) respondents were randomly selected
for the survey. The instrument for data
collection was a structured questionnaire
administered to respondents and key
informant interviews with parents and
school principals. Multiple regression model
was used and produced an R2 (.920)
implying that 92% of the total variations in
students’ academic achievement was
accounted for by the independent variables.
The model was also statistically significant
at p≤ 0.005 confidence level. Of the nineteen
variables, ten variables were statistically
significant. Among the significant variables
were: parent education, parent occupation,
family feeding, resource materials, visits to
schools, pocket money, and residential type.
These factors positively influenced students’
academic achievement, while perceived
religious involvement, family type and age
category of parents had inverse or negative
relationship with students’ academic
achievement. It was recommended that
parents should feature prominently in future
educational reforms. This is intended to
increase more support to education.
Education, effect, students, academic
achievement, home background
INTRODUCTION
Education is the process by which
individuals develop and actualize their
potentials and capacities to live a successful
life. The National Policy on Education
(NPE) document of 2004 in Nigeria has
guaranteed the right of education for all
Page 2 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 77
(FME, 2006). The policy has recommends
for a comprehensive and continuous
assessment of students to determine their
level of academic achievement in schools
(FME, 2006). Students’ academic
achievement refers to their actual
performances and traits validly and reliably
measured through educational training
(Kpolovie, 2002; Ololube, 2008). According
to Xinyi (2006) students’ academic
achievement has remained a subject of
concern particularly at secondary schools.
This is, because, it is a pivot of the entire
educational system in Nigeria (Alaka, 2011).
Therefore, the future success of students
depends on their academic achievement and
successful completion of secondary school
education (Alam and Farid, 2011).
However, it is acknowledged that family is
the first place of contact and an initial
training centre for children (Ajila and
Olutola, 2007). Also, that students’ home
background benefit children, and schools in
the learning process (Tella and Tella 2003).
This is because parents play an invaluable
role in laying foundation for their children’s
learning and discipline. Further, the study
findings by Adesoji (2008) and Umanah and
Wonu (2010) have shown that students’
home background is a major predictor of
their academic achievement in schools.
Students’ home background remains an
important indicator that continue to affect
their academic achievement either positively
or negatively (Ajila and Olutola, 2007).
Still, several factors raised concerns
regarding the talent pool in the area of
agricultural sciences. Katsina state being an
agrarian society is increasingly depending
on the ability to develop human resources
capable of dealing with current economic,
scientific, technological and environmental
challenges (Ibrahim and Bin Jamil, 2012).
Therefore, concerns regarding the supply of
such human resources stem from the
decreasing number of qualified candidates to
gain admission into the field of agriculture
and agricultural related fields (West African
Examination Council, (WAEC) 2012;
WAEC, 2013). While, students’ academic
achievements in the national examinations
have improved in 2013, notably there
remains a significant gap in the relative
levels of students’ achievement. This gap is
associated with different attitudes and levels
of parental involvement broadly conceived
(Ibrahim and Bin Jamil, 2012).
Similarly, under representation of secondary
school agricultural sciences in most of the
researches conducted provide a basis for
Page 3 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 02
March 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 78
concern (Oribhabor and Okodugha, 2010).
This is fundamental to argue that academic
achievement of students in agricultural
sciences can be affected by students’ home
background factors at anytime.
Unfortunately, there is no clear enough
evidence of such information in Katsina
State particularly when the current
information on students’ academic
achievement is disaggregated into secondary
schools, tertiary institutions and among
science subjects. The extents to which
students’ home background factors affect
their academic achievement in agricultural
sciences and in Katsina State remain to be
clarified. Therefore, the aim of this study
was to assess the home background factors
of students in order to establish information
for better understanding and decision- making with the aim of improving
secondary school students’ academic
achievement not only in agricultural
sciences, but also in other subject areas with
similar conditions.
Therefore, the study objective of this
research was to assess the effect of students’
home background factors on their academic
achievement in agricultural sciences. The
study hypothesized that there is no
significant effect of students’ home
background factors on their academic
achievement in agricultural sciences.
METHODOLOGY
This study was conducted in Katsina State,
Nigeria. The study was an ex post facto and
adopted a cross sectional design for its high
degree of accuracy and precision in social
science research (Creasey, 2006 and Miller,
2006). The study purposively selected
students from secondary school under the
Katsina State Science and Technical
Education Board (STEB). The choice of
these students was justified by the fact that
they take agricultural sciences as a
compulsory subject. Candidates for entry
must sit and pass an entrance aptitude test
unique to STEB. Students were also kept in
boarding house hence, easier to be accessed.
Sample size for the study was drawn from
the study population. A multi-stage
sampling procedure was adopted to select
the respondents. Under the technique, all the
science secondary schools under Katsina
state STEB were purposively selected and
two secondary schools were randomly
selected each from the three senatorial zones
of Katsina State by folding the names of
each school, then cast and drawn making a
total of six science secondary schools.
