RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOME ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMY

ACHIEVEMENT IN GEOGRAPHY IN UMUAHIA

EDUCATION ZONE, ABIA STATE

BY

MADU SAMUEL

PG/M.ED/08/49421

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION,

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

SUPERVISOR: DR. E.K.N. NWAGU

APRIL, 2012

i

TITLE PAGE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOME ENVIRONMENTAL

FACTORS AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENT IN GEOGRAPHY IN UMUAHIA

EDUCATION ZONE ABIA STATE

BY

MADU SAMUEL

PG/M.ED/08/49421

BEING M.ED PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF

SCIENCE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF

MASTER OF EDUCATION (M.ED), DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY AND

EVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

SUPERVISOR: DR. E.K.N. NWAGU

APRIL, 2012

ii

APPROVAL PAGE

This research project report of Madu Samuel has been approved for the

Department of Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

By

-------------------------------- ----------------------- Dr. E.K.N. Nwagu Name -------------- (Project Supervisor) Internal Examiner Data ------------------------ Date ----------------- ------------------------------ -------------------------- Name ---------------------- Dr. (Mrs) C.R. Nwagbo External Examiner Head: Department of Science Education, UNN Date ----------------------- Date --------------------------

-----------------------------------

Professor S.A. Ezeudu Dean: Faculty of Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Date----------------------------

iii

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my motivator Chief Mr. and Mrs.

Darlington U. Madu (Agunecheibeya), my parents Mr. and Mrs. Izu Madu,

my sisters and above all, Almighty God whose heavenly grace have been

leading me.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My greatest appreciation goes to almighty God to have given me healthy

life through out the period of the programme.

My sincere appreciation goes to my supervisor Dr. E.K.N Nwagu who

inspite of his tight schedule found time to go through my work. His personal

effort and constructive suggestion at every stage of the work culminated into

making this research a success. I also thank the H.O.D, academic and non –

academic staff Department of Science Education for their efforts in refining

me.

My special thanks goes to my parents Mr. Izu Madu and Rosaline Madu

my brothers Chief Darlington Madu his wife Comfort Madu, God gift Madu,

My sisters Mrs. Patience O. Alaji, Mrs. Justina C. Akpagu, Miss. Blessing O.

Madu, Mrs. Gloria I. Madu, Miss. Charity C. Madu, and Juliet C. Chukwu ,

also Chima Madu, Maureen Madu, Bright Madu and Loveling Nneoma Madu.

There are numerous others to receive my appreciation because of their

personal, moral and material contribution. Unfortunately this space is not

enough to mention all but just a few such as Kenneth O. Ezeakor, Chika Obi,

Opanwa Chinoye, Uchechukwu, Madu, Mr. and Mrs. Shuibu Leonard, Mr. and

Mrs. Moses Adama, O,B Links System and Services precisely Obimoro Chike,

Arome Typist, Okpara Ikechukwu, Alaji Madukaego and Chukwuma Akpagu.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page ------------------------------------------------------------------ i

Approval Page ------------------------------------------------------------- ii

Dedication ------------------------------------------------------------------ iii

Acknowledgement -------------------------------------------------------- iv

Table of Contents --------------------------------------------------------- v

List of Tables -------------------------------------------------------------- viii

List of Figure --------------------------------------------------------------- ix

Abstract -------------------------------------------------------------------- x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study ------------------------------------------------- 1

Statement of Problem ----------------------------------------------------- 6

Purpose the Study --------------------------------------------------------- 7

Significance of the Study ------------------------------------------------- 8

Scope of the Study -------------------------------------------------------- 8

Research Questions -------------------------------------------------------- 9

Hypotheses ----------------------------------------------------------------- 9

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Conceptual Framework ------------------------------------------------ 10

Concept and Objective of Secondary Geography --------------------- 10

Objective of Secondary Geography Curriculum ---------------------- 11

Home Environment ------------------------------------------------------- 12

Academic Achievement -------------------------------------------------- 14

Relationship between Home Environment and Academic

Achievement --------------------------------------------------------------- 15

vi

Theoretical Framework ------------------------------------------------ 17

Theory of Achievement Motivation ------------------------------------- 17

Theory of Attribution ----------------------------------------------------- 18

Review of Empirical Studies -------------------------------------------- 19

Family Size and Academic Achievement ------------------------------ 19

Mother Level of Education and Student Academic ------------------ 20

House Location and Students’ Academic Achievement ------------- 22

Summary of Literature Review --------------------------------------- 24

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

Research Design ---------------------------------------------------------- 26

Area of the Study ---------------------------------------------------------- 26

Population of the Study --------------------------------------------------- 27

Sample and Sampling Technique ---------------------------------------- 27

Instrument for Data Collection ------------------------------------------ 27

Validation of Instrument -------------------------------------------------- 28

Reliability of the Instrument --------------------------------------------- 28

Method of Data Collection ---------------------------------------------- 28

Method of Data Analysis ------------------------------------------------ 29

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

Research Question 1 ------------------------------------------------------ 30

Hypothesis 1 ------------------------------------------------------ 31

Research Question 2 ------------------------------------------------------ 31

Hypothesis 2 ------------------------------------------------------ 32

Research Question 3 ------------------------------------------------------ 33

Hypothesis 3 ------------------------------------------------------ 33

Summary of Major Findings -------------------------------------------- 36

vii

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS,

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUMMARY

Discussion of the Findings ----------------------------------------------- 37

Research Question 1------------------------------------------------------- 37

Hypothesis 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ 37

Research Question 2------------------------------------------------------- 38

Hypothesis 2 ------------------------------------------------------------ 38

Research Question 3------------------------------------------------------- 39

Hypothesis 3 ------------------------------------------------------------ 39

Relative Contributions of Independent Variable to Students

Achievement in Geography ---------------------------------------------- 40

Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------- 40

Educational Implication -------------------------------------------------- 41

Recommendations -------------------------------------------------------- 42

Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------- 42

Suggestion for Further Study -------------------------------------------- 42

Summary of the Study ---------------------------------------------------- 43

References ----------------------------------------------------------------- 44

Appendices

Appendix 1: Questionnaire ---------------------------------------------- 49

Appendix 2: The Content of Geography Curriculum in Secondary

School -------------------------------------------------------- 62

Appendix 3: Computation of Data Collected for Reliability of the

Instrument ---------------------------------------------------- 69

Appendix 4: Answer to the Questionnaire ----------------------------- 70

Appendix 5: Public School in Umuahia Education Zone ------------ 71

viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Mean achievement scores of student based on

locations ---------------------------------------------------- 30

Table 2: Relative contributions (Beta weights) of the three independent

variables on students’ achievement in secondary school

geography ------------------------------------------------------ 31

Table 3: Achievement scores of subjects in relation with education

of their mother ------------------------------------------------ 31

Table 4: Mean achievement scores of student in relation with their

family size ---------------------------------------------------- 32

Table 5: Composite effect of independent variables (school location,

mothers education and family size) on dependent

variable ------------------------------------------------------ 34

Table 6: Analysis of variance --------------------------------------- 34

Table 7: Relative contribution (Beta weights) of the three in

dependent variables to students achievement in

geography ----------------------------------------------------- 35

ix

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1: Parsimonious Path Analysis --------------------------------- 35

x

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationship between home environmental

variables like location, mothers’ level of education and size of the family

and geography students’ achievement in secondary school in Umuahia

Education zone. Three research questions and three hypotheses were

formulated to guide the study. The study used a correlational survey

design. Data were collected from twenty sampled secondary schools

where two hundred SS3 geography students were purposively sampled.

Geography Multiple choice achievement Test (GMCAT) was used to

collect data. The research questions were answered using mean and

standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested by use of multiple

regression analysis at 0.05 alpha levels. It was discovered that there are

positive Beta values of 0.364, 0.174 and 0.539 between students

achievement and family size, mothers education and home location

respectively and that all the relationship are significant, equally, that the

variables account for 53.3 percent in student achievement in geography.

It was recommended among other things that female education should be

encouraged and that population education should be emphasized to

inform parents on the impact of high population and the implication of

having many children.

1

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The Child’s character is regarded as a product of nature –

nurture interactions. This view is supported by psychologists such as

Robert Plomin, Mc Clearn (1993). Whose viewed that the nature

aspect emphasizes that the child’s natural endowment is internal and

is inherited from parents; while nurture relate to all the external

influences including the environment of the child. In this context,

emphasis is placed on some external environmental influences

especially how they relate to geography as a subject in secondary

school.

Geography is taught at the senior secondary school level (SS1 –

SSIII) to science and social science inclined students. The subject

deals with the study of earth surface as a home of man or more

precisely a science of spatial relationship, which focuses attention on

the interaction between man and his environment. Indeed, particular

interest is the relationship between home environmental factors and

secondary school students’ performance in geography. It is important

to note that geography curriculum in secondary school aims at

assisting students to:-

- prepare for higher education

- choose career for which they can earn their living

- become future geography teachers’

- acquire knowledge of land and people and their interaction.

(National Education and Research Council 2006: 4)

Home environment is a place were one lives, or resides it is a

dwelling place together with a family or social unit that occupies it, a

1

2

household (Houghton 2009). Home environment consists of social

and physical make up. The social make up involves all the social

interactions within the home, which include emotional climate, eating

meals, doing laundry, playing games, concert, going shopping, picnic

among others. While physical environment covers those things that

can be seen or touch within the home that support lives. On the

contrary endanger lives of individual if care is not taken e.g. electric

socket, small objects, electronics, floor or walls, generator, chair and

table, kitchen intensive, and natural physical features among others

(Joseph, 2012).

Home environment includes the make up of the surrounding of

the child. Here, the child is catered for in terms of provision of food,

shelter, warmth, character molding, clothing among others. The

families are within the home and mostly determine the environment of

a child. The family is the first institution of the child which is

responsible for carrying out the functions of training children

according to the norms and values cherished by the society.

This position is in accordance with the views of Abubakar,

Ebute, Onoja and Yakubu (1990). They argue that many of the

fundamental beliefs, attitudes and ways of thinking which a child

carries with him to adult life are inculcated in him/her right from home.

In addition, the way a child responds to school life and his academic

performance are likely to be influenced by home environment.

Components of home environment include the parents, children,

buildings, as well as related facilities and the neighborhood. The

factors that will be considered in relation to home environment are

location of the home (whether rural or urban mothers’ level of

3

education and size of the family especially as they affect student

academic achievement in geography.

Usman (2000) defines academic achievement as the measure

of students’ learning acquisition of certain skills at the end of teaching

and learning activities. In this instance, achievement is the result of

an examination written by students which are often a reflection of

learning. The academic achievement of students has been of concern

to parents, guardians, students and even the wider society. Often

achievement in school subjects particularly geography has been

below expectation. The performance of students in Senior Secondary

Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by West African

Examination Council and National Examination Council (NECO),

shows that students’ performance has been poor over the years

(WACE 2005; 2006, 2007 and 2008). Students performed poorly in

geography West African Examination Council because of their

inability to draw outline map and locate a given features accurately,

poor construction of statistical map and interpretation of survey map,

poor explanation of points and violations of examination rubrics

(WAEC Chief Examiners Report May/June 2007: 75)

Apart from West African Examination Council Chief Examiners’

report, many other factors have been suspected to be responsible for

this ugly trend in the performance of students in Secondary School

geography. For instance, Lee (1999) pointed out that the differences

in students’ achievement in geography is due to factors like students’

attitudes to school, approach to learning and academic self –

concept. On the other hand, Doolittle, (2002) stressed that house

location (rural or urban), nature of classroom (space, organizational

4

size) as well as availability of educational facilities affect students’

achievement in school subjects. Location in this context is the setting

of settlement in relation to other areas. It could be rural or urban.

Rural settlement is an area, which has less than a population of

10,000 people and lacks basic social amenities such as roads, pipe

borne water, electricity, institution among others. Urban areas on the

other hand, are areas whose population exceed 10,000 people and

are more viable in economic and social activities (Welber, 2002). For

instance, Umuahia North and South Local Government Areas are

urban; Ikwuano and Umuneochi Local Government Areas are rural

areas. Agenyi (2002) observed that high academic achievement

derives from among other things, motivation; and possession of

certain facilities like visual aid, newspaper, computer, library among

others at home are likely to facilitate students’ learning in schools.

Most secondary schools located in the rural areas are ill –

equipped with learning facilities compared to schools in urban centers

that are better equipped with infrastructures and teaching facilities.

This could facilitate effective teaching and learning. This study set out

to find out how the factors mentioned earlier are related to students’

achievement in geography in Umuahia education zone which is made

up of rural and urban center.

Mothers’ level of education in this context refers to formal and

non – formal of education attainment by mother which could influence

students’ performance in school subjects, particularly geography. The

argument is hinged on the fact that mothers are always with their

children and are interested in their common needs. Non – formal

education refers to instruction that is not obligatory and structured,

5

and it is learnt outside the context of formal school. It is also known

as informal education. It was reported by Turncan and Books –

Grunn (1997) that maternal education is positively and significantly,

associated with children’s cognitive and educational outcomes and

noted that maternal education was positively associated with

measures of children’s intelligence. In another development,

Mclanaham (2004) investigated the impact of mothers’ level of

education on their children academic achievement in schools and

found out that mothers level of education is not a predictor of

negative outcomes though can have both positive and negative

effects on students’ learning outcomes. These inconsistencies are

part of what prompted this study to find out if mothers’ level of

education has a relationship with students’ achievement in

geography.

Family size refers to number of persons in a nucleus family.

There is no consensus stand point on what number of persons

constitutes the family size. The size of the family varies depending on

individual and or national view. For instance, the family size of

Japanese usually consists of three people, a man, a woman, and

their child. In Nigerian setting, there is no regulation of the family size;

hence, one can bear as many children as one deserves. This has led

to expansion of family sizes ranging from two to infinity. Family size

in this context means the number of children and parents in the

house. In this case, the family with five children and above is

regarded as large family, while those with one to four children is

regarded as small families. Information from literature shows that

children from large families are found to be poor academically than

6

those from smaller families. For instance, Powel (1993) argues that

children’s academic achievement depends on input of time and

money from their parents. The more children they have in the family,

the less of both inputs. This input is not money alone, but other

essential things such as time, attention and resources. Booth (2006)

confirmed that children from large families are always having low

level of education. The study is therefore directed towards

establishing whether home location, mothers’ level of education and

the family size of students are related to students’ academic

achievement in geography in Umuahia education zone of Abia State.

Statement of the Problem

It is generally acknowledged that students’ performance in

ordinary level geography examination conducted by the West African

Examination Council (WAEC) is poor. This trend is not only disturbing

but also very discouraging especially based on the persistent nature

of the problem as reflected in WAEC Chief Examiners’ report in 2005,

2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. Significantly, the trend of poor

performance in geography was widely attributed to teachers and

students related factors. However, this report did not recognize nor

emphasize the extent to which certain environmental variables may

have affected students’ rate of failure in geography. These

environmental variables include socio economic status of the parents,

home location, and number of siblings within the family and

educational background of the parents among others. Although this

position is not substantially conclusive, it is logical to assert that the

home environment from were the child is nurtured could influence his

7

or her perception and orientation towards learning. Thus, a child from

a home environment furnished with essential aids to learning such as

good neighborliness, electricity, televisions, computer among other

things is likely to learn better than a child from home where these

things are lacking. Although report by West African Examination

Council (WAEC) did not attribute the poor performance in geography

to home environmental factors alone, there are other studies showing

relationship between home environmental factors and learning

outcomes especially in other subject. It becomes imperative to carry

out empirical research to find out whether home environment

contribute to secondary school students’ academic achievement in

geography. The problem of this study, therefore, is how does a home

environmental factor contribute to secondary school students’

academic achievement in geography?

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to determine the

relationship between home environmental factors and academic

achievement in geography among students in secondary schools in

Umuahia education zone, Abia state. Specifically the purpose of this

study is to find out if:

i. Students’ achievement in geography is related to the

location of their homes?

ii. Mothers’ education has any relationship with student‘s

academic achievement in geography?

iii. Size of the family has any relationship with academic

achievement of students in geography?

8

Significance of the Study

This study will be of importance to the following people:

geography students, geography teachers, curriculum planners in

geography and parents. First, the findings of this study will assist

students to determine the extent to which environmental factors such

as family size, location of home and mothers’ level of education affect

their achievement in geography. This will enable them to device a

means of attacking the effect.

Second, the finding will expose geography teachers to the

effects of environmental factors such as location of home, family size

and mothers’ level of education on students’ achievements in

geography. This exposure will assist the teacher in re-evaluating

his/her teaching methods and rendering guidance services to

students.

Third, the findings of this study will equip curriculum planners

with information on the effect of environmental factors such as family

size, location of homes and mothers level of education on students’

achievement in geography and teachers teaching method. This will

enable curriculum planners to proffer solutions to these effects while

planning curriculum.

Lastly, this works findings will equip parents on the effect of

environmental factors on the performance of their children. This will

assist parents to combat the negative effect of these factors.

Scope of the Study

This study is restricted to the relationship between home

environmental factors and senior secondary school students’

9

academic achievement in geography in Umuahia education zone

Abia state. Environmental Variables like home location, mothers’ level

of education and size of the family are considered. The study will be

limited to Umuahia education zone of Abia state.

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

i. What is the relationship between students’ academic

achievement in geography and the location of their homes?

ii. To what extent does secondary school students’ academic

achievement in geography relate with the level of education

of their respective mothers?

iii. To what extent does family size of students relate with their

achievement in secondary school geography?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be formulated to guide the study

0.05 level of significance.

Ho1. There is no significant relationship (p<.05) between

Location of homes and academic achievement of students’ in

geography.

H02. There is no significant relationship (p<.05) between mothers’

level of education and academic achievement of students in

geography.

H03. There is no significant relationship (p <. 05) between family size

of students’ and their academic achievement in secondary

school geography.

10

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Literature is reviewed under the following sub – headings:-

Conceptual Framework

- Concept and Objectives of Secondary School Geography

Curriculum.

- Home Environment

- Academic Achievement

- Relationship between Home Environment and Academic

Achievement

Theoretical Framework

- Theory of achievement motivation

- Theory of attribution

Review of Empirical studies

- Family Size and Students’ Academic Achievement

- Mothers Education and Students’ Academic Achievement

- Home Location and Students’ Academic Achievement

Conceptual Framework

Concept and Objective of Secondary School Geography

Geography is the science of the earth surface and its

inhabitants (Walker 2000). It is a science in the sense that it is

systematically studied and organized. It has the order of knowledge

acquisition and systematic method through which the knowledge is

extended and the facts can be tested. Kerkpatric (1985) in Shiabu

(2005) sees geography as science that deals with spatial distribution

of all phenomenon on the earth surface. It describes the surface of he

earth and its inhabitant. Ofomata (2008) opines that geography is the

10

11

study of earth surface as a home of man or more precisely a science

of spatial relationship which focuses attention mainly on the

interaction between man and his environment. He further says that

geography literarily means description of the earth. Geography is

really a field of study that places man in a better position to

understand where he lives (environment). Richard (1959) in Ofomata

(2008) states that geography provides accurate, orderly and rational

description and interpretation of the various characters of the earth

surface. Geography encompasses the environment of the surface of

the earth and the relationship of humans to his environment which

include both physical and geographic features. Physical feature

include the climate, land, water, plants and animal life. Geographic

features include artificial entities, such as nations settlement, line of

communication, transportation, building and other modifications of

physical geographic environment. Geographers make use of

disciplines like economics, history, systematic, botany, geology and

mathematics etc which made it a broad field curriculum.

Objectives of Senior Secondary School Geography Curriculum

Geography curriculum for senior secondary school has the objectives

of preparing students to:

a. understand the concepts of differential character and the

spatial relationships of the surface features of the earth.

b. Understand the concept of man – environment relations (that is

to examine the life of man within his physical and cultural

environments and to explain their interaction).

12

c. Appreciate and develop a sense of responsibility towards ones’

own society and an intelligent interest in the formulation of

national goals and policies, especially as they influence the

different resources and regions of the area.

d. Develop sympathetic understanding of the people of other

lands, based upon the recognition that they may have different

assemblies of resources, different goals and different problems

from the people of their home area;

e. Organize and formulate principles according to acquired

geographic concepts which they can use analyze and interpret

spatial problems in their immediate and wider environments;

f. Develops skills and techniques for accurate, orderly and

objective geographical investigations to be carried out both in

the classroom and in the immediate environment. (National

Curriculum for Senior secondary school geography 1989

revised edition).

Home Environment

Home environment is a place where one lives; a residence;

physical structure within which one lives, such as house or

apartment; a dwelling place together with the family or social unit that

occupies it, a household; the place, such as a country or town, where

one was born or has lived for a long period of time (Houghton 2009).

Home environment consist social and physical make up. The social

make up are all the social interaction within the home, which include

emotional climate, eating meals, doing laundry, playing games,

concert, going shopping, picnic among others. while physical are

13

those things that can be seen or touch within the home that support

lives on the contrary endanger life of individual e.g. electric socket,

small objects, electronics, floor or walls, generator, chair and table,

kitchen intensive, and natural physical features among others

(Joseph, 2012). The constituent of home environment includes

parents, children, buildings as well as related facilities and

neigbourhood. Home environment is seen as the first place where the

child received care and training to enable him or her interacts with the

world.

The education a child receives from parents is most likely to

have a dominant effect upon his behaviour in later life and how a

child responds to school life and his performance is likely to be

influenced by his home environment. Achievement in school subjects

could be as a result of innate difference in intelligence, however it is

also accepted that home environment plays a part in academic

performance. Factors that have been considered as part of home

environment includes size of the family, education of the mother,

location of the family, parents’ attitude towards their children

education, motivation and availability of certain functional facilities at

home. If one is from a wealthy home there are greater chances and

opportunities to provide quality food, adequate clothing, good

housing, leisure or recreation quality home education and moral up

bringing for their children etc, are also reflected from home

environment (Stephen, 2000).

14

Academic Achievement

Academic achievement is the outcome of education:- the extent

to which a student, a teacher or institution has achieved their

educational goals. It is commonly measured by examinations or

continuous assessment. Academic achievement is an important

parameter in measuring students’ learning out come in various school

disciplines (Mclanahan, 2004). Research reports have shown clearly

that two individuals are never exactly alike or the same in overall

personality characteristics (Hussein & Postelthmic, 1991). This

means that no two individuals have equal potentials as far as learning

is concerned. It makes the learners to exist in different classes of

achievement level. Davenport (1991) explains why some children do

well and others do badly. According to him, some are well motivated

and others are given low expectation of achieving very much. He

categorized the classes of achievement as high, medium or average

and low ability levels.

By these levels of achievement, it is expected that the learners

ability corresponding with the level in terms of performance. The most

dominant value of operating in any educational system is

achievement. (Ndioho,2007). This is why the teacher in the

classroom setting applies different forms of achievement tests to

students’ daily in order to classify the students into different

achievement levels based on their potentialities.

In this classroom setting, Ndioho classifies students into two

subjective categories, as;

15

i. High - Achievers; those whose academic potentials are

above class average and their performance described as

good.

ii. Under – Achievers; students whose academic potential are

judged as below the class average while their performance

is described as poor.

Presently, it is the West African Examination Council (WAEC)

and National Examination Council (NECO) that perform the leading

role of grading the students according to their results in the senior

secondary school examination (Anyanwu, 2006). They conducted

achievement examination to show how much the students have

achieved after completion of the six years secondary school

programme.

Poor performance in geography and other subjects implies

obtaining low or failure grades by students in examinations. This

according to the examination bodies refers to grades from D7 to F9.

That is, D7, E8 and F9. Equally, employers of labour and institutions

of higher learning do not accept these grades as passes. On the

prevailing poor performance of students in SSCE geography, Ndioho

pointed out that a pass grade of A1 to C6 must be obtained by

candidates. The interpretation of the various grades and the marks

corresponding to the letter grades are shown in appendix 6

Relationship between Home Environment and Academic Achievement

Muola (2010) carried out a study on the relationship between

academic achievement, Motivation and Home environment amongst

standard eight pupils, using a sample of 235 standard eight Kenya

16

pupils from six urban and rural primary schools randomly selected

from Machakos district. Their ages ranged between 13 and 17 years.

It was discovered that a significant positive relationship was found

between academic achievement and each of six of the home

environmental factors studied, that is, father education, father

occupation, mother education, mother occupation, family size and

learning facilities at home. This indicates that the nature of the home

environment of pupils is related to how they (pupils) are motivated to

learn. In view of this, Musa (2010) recommended that parents should

be aware of the importance of their role in their children academic

achievement so that they can provide the necessary facilities at

home.

Mandeda, (1997) examined the impact of home environment on

pupil’s academic achievement. The findings showed that there is

constant relationship between parental structure and pupils academic

achievement. It was equally discovered, among other things that

there is a relationship between parental involvement and pupils

academic achievement, that children whose parents shows high level

of involvement perform better in their academic tasks than those

children whose parents are not involved in school matters. These

reviews are indicative of the fact that home environment factors have

influence on academic achievement of students in schools.

Fatola (2005) noted that there is significant difference between

academic achievement of rural and urban students’. He further states

that students’ perform better in a conducive atmosphere where the

teaching method is full of students’ initiated participation. On the

contrary, Temibiaje (2009) also observed that family size has no

17

influence on academic achievement of pre – degree students of the

University of Ado – Ekiti, Nigeria. Natasha and Gary (1998) also

reported that home academic culture exerted and indirect effect on

academic achievement through educational attainment. He further

observed that educational meaning and time on home work were

positively and directly related to academic achievement.

Theoretical Framework

Theory of achievement motivation by Barnes (2002)

Barnes (2002) proposed psychological theory of achievement

motivation which states that one reaches a socially perceived

definition of success through hard work and education. In the

contemporary view, factors such as gender, socio economic

background, social network and geography or location play crucial

roles in one’s level of achievement. Barnes (2002) pointed out that

success particularly in academics is best reached when one has

achievement oriented to accomplish one’s goal. According to this

theory there is a relationship between personal characteristic, social

background and achievement. Those personal characteristics are

directly linked with ones home background and people with whom

one interacts. That is, the numerous environmental factors viz – a -

viz number of siblings, social group of parental among other things. A

person with a strong need for achievement tends to exhibit such

characteristics as;

a. regarding the task as more important than any relationship.

b. having preference for tasks over which they have control and

responsibility.

18

c. seeking task that are sufficiently challenging to be capable of

demonstrating expertise and to gain recognition from others.

d. requiring feedbacks on achievements to ensure that success is

recognized, and

e. needing opportunity for feedback

Barnes also posits that there are external factors that influence

one’s personal characteristics. Such factors include parental support

and how rich the environment is at facilitating intelligence of

individual. This theory is related to the present study in that students’

achievement could be judged in relation to environmental variables

such as home background, particularly the location (urban or rural)

mothers’ education (educated or non – educated) and the family size

(large or small)

Attribution Theory by Weiner (1980)

Weiner (1980) proposed a psychological theory of attribution.

The theory is concerned with how individuals interpret events and

how this relates to their thinking and behaviour. The theory assumes

that people try to determine why people do what they do. That is,

attribute causes to behaviour. He focuses on achievement where he

classified attribution along three causal dimensions; locus of control

has two poles; internal versus external; stability dimension captures

whether causes change overtime; and controllability explains cause

one can control such as skill from causes one cannot control such as

aptitude, mode, luck and others action.

Attribution operates under three principles

1. That attribution is a three stage process which are

19

a. behavior is observed

b. behavior is determined to be deliberate

c. behavior is attributed to be of internal of external causes.

2. Causal dimensions of behavior are locus of control, stability and

controllability.

The implication of this theory to this study is that students’ variations

in achievement are attributed to the nature of their home

environmental status which either have negative or positive effect on

them and conversely on their achievement.

Review of Empirical Studies

Review of empirical studies is organized under the following

sub – headings

- Family size and students’ academic achievement

- Mothers’ level of education and students’ academic achievement

- House location and students’ academic achievement

Family size and students’ Academic Achievement

Temibiaje (2009) conducted a study on the influence of family

size on academic attainment of students in higher institution. The

sample comprised of 102 pre – degree students of university of Ado –

Ekiti, Nigeria. The population of the study was 1000 students

including males and female. The reliability coefficient was 0.69. The

data collected were subjected to statistical tests, specifically Analysis

of Variance (ANOVA). The analysis of the data showed that family

size had no influence on academic performance of pre – degree

students’ of the University of Ado – Ekiti, Nigeria.

Another study by Uwaito (2008) on the effect of family structure

and parenthood on the academic performance of Nigerias University

20

students used 200 students as sample size drawn from six randomly

selected faculties in Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, Edo State.

Adopted guidance and counseling Achievement test was used for

data collection. The data collected were subjected to statistical

analysis using t – test statistics. The three null hypotheses formulated

were tested at 0.05 level of significance and the result showed that

significant difference existed between academic performance of

students from single parents’ family and that of those from the two

parent family structures. The result also indicated significant

differences in academic performance of students from small family

size and that of those from large family size; those from small family

size performed better than students from large family.

From the review cited, it is observed that the finding of

Temibiaje (2009) indicated that family size has no influence on

students’ academic performance, while that of Uwaito (2008) shows

that family size has influence on students’ performance. It becomes

difficult to have a stand point on the influence of family size on

students’ achievement in school subjects hence the need for this

study to find out the relationship between home environmental factors

viz-a-viz family size and students’ academic achievement in

geography in secondary school in Umuahia education zone.

Mothers’ Level of Education and Students’ Academic Achievement

Magunson (2007) in a survey of maternal education and

children’s ‘academic achievement during middle childhood used data

from the national longitudinal survey of youth and children between

the age of 6 and 12. The study examined whether increase in

21

mothers’ educational attainment is associated with changes in

children’s achievement and the quality of their home environment.

The result suggested that children of young mothers with low level

of education performed better on tests of academic skills and have

higher quality in terms of home environment. That increase in mother

education does not predict improvement in the achievement of

students. The estimated effect of additional material schooling for

children appears to be more pronounced for children’s in reading than

mathematics skills.

The authors here have reported that mothers’ level of

educational attainment does not predict improvement in academic

achievement of their children. This study therefore is investigating

further the effect of mothers’ education on students achievement to

see the contributing effect of mothers’ education to students’

achievement. This is because mothers’ education and children’s traits

have direct relationship.

In a similar development, Danber (1998) carried out a research

on influence of mothers’ education on children’s literacy skills in

secondary schools’. It was found that maternal education was

negatively associated with special education placement particularly

for a learning disability. He stated that children of mothers with less

than a high school diploma were twice as likely to be in special

education as children of mothers with a high school diploma. In

addition, Byrd and Weitzman (1994) found that children of mothers

who did not graduate from high school were 14 times more likely to

repeat kindergarten or first grade compared to children of mothers

who had graduated from high school.

22

U.S department of Health and Human Services on Monday

October, 25th 2010 released result of the study on improving mothers’

literacy skills may be best way to boost children’s achievement. They

used 3000 families as sample size. Oral interview was used on the

families visited. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics

and the finding indicated that the program to improve maternal

literacy skills may provide an effective means to overcome the

academic difficulty of their children. Again, the finding reveals that

program to improve maternal literacy skills may provide an effective

means to over – come the disparity in academic achievement

between children in poor and affluent neighborhoods. While these

investigations were done using descriptive means of analysis, the

present study uses higher statistics to analyze data. Besides, the

study was carried out in the United States which might not present

the exact position in Nigeria. Again the present study is examining the

relationship between mothers’ education and students’ academic

achievement in secondary school using regression analysis which is

another step towards identifying the effect of home environmental

factors towards students’ academic achievement.

House Location and Students’ Academic Achievement

Fleming (1997) found that the mean standardized score of rural

children in Chemistry Physics and Biology tests were significantly

lower than those in urban groups. He also reported that a survey

carried out in England and Wales by the National Foundation for

Education and Research confirmed that urban students’ performed

better than their counterparts in rural schools. Arnold (1996)

23

compared the performances of rural and urban students in local

education authority’ secondary schools in selected examination and

found that the percentage of rural children was 36% while that of the

urban was 56%. Lewis (1989) studied the incidence of mental

deficiency and added a strong warning only on impetuous person

would conclude from contemporary data that rural inhabitants as a

group generally were inferior in mental endowments to the inhabitants

of urban areas. However, Treagust (1999) working in America,

disagreed and stated that rural children were definitely inferior in

general ability as a group to urban children. The researcher observed

that the main cause of academic disparity may not be the nature of

the rural and urban environment itself but the structure of socio –

economic group which the schools draw their students from. These

complexes have prompted the researcher to investigate further if

location has any influence on students’ achievement in geography.

A study carried out by Omale (2010) on the influence of teacher

and school variables on students’ performance in biology in Ankpa

education zone of Kogi state claimed considerable evidence to show

that home location has influence on students’ academic achievement.

A 60 item Multiple Choice Biology Achievement Test (MCBAT) was

administered on 260 SS3 students randomly selected from 12

secondary schools in 3 local Govt. Areas in the zone. These students’

included college students, (from rural and urban) and different social

classes (upper, middle and low). A t – test analysis revealed a

significant difference between the mean achievement score of

students in rural area and that of those in urban area (at 0.05 level).

Those in urban area performed better than those in rural areas. The

24

study therefore recommended the need to provide required

conditions for teaching and learning in all schools.

The present study in addition to the variable of location

considers the variable of family size and mother education as they

affect students’ achievement in secondary school geography.

Summary of Literature Reviewed

The literature reviewed, revealed that geography is one of the

subjects of study at secondary school with the objectives of preparing

students to have better knowledge of the earth and its related bodies.

Concepts of secondary school geography, home environment and

academic achievement were also reviewed. It was revealed that

secondary school geography has a well organized curriculum which

is aimed at enabling students acquire the objectives of secondary

school geography. It was seen that academic achievement of

students in geography over the years have been poor and home

environmental variables could be responsible. The school factors and

the environment in which students live should be carefully looked at,

as these influence the world view and behaviour of students.

Psychological theories by Weiner (1980) and Barnes (2002),

Weiner theory of attribution emphasized interpretation of events and

why people do what they do, that is, attribute causes to behaviour.

That students’ achievement is attributed to their home environmental

conditions which include the components of their homes which are

mothers’ education, size of the family and location of their home.

Barnes achievement motivation theory is related to the variable

mentioned as they influences the achievement of students in

25

geography particularly location of homes and how students receive or

are motivated by their home environmental conditions.

The empirical studies reviewed in this chapter touched on

relationship between family size and students’ achievements, the

influence of home location on students’ achievement and the

influence of mothers’ education on students’ achievement. These

variables reviewed show some relationships with students’

achievement in geography.

Based on these reviews it would appear that researchers on

these home environment related variable did not agree unanimously

that these variables affect students’ achievement. The literature

reviewed has opened the scope and perspective of the researcher to

what this work entails. These, however, are not exhaustive and there

are no identified single home environmental factors responsible for

the trend of poor achievement of students’ in secondary school

geography examination.

26

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter discussed the following; Research Design, Area of

the study, Population of the study, sample and sampling technique,

validation of instrument, Reliability of the Instrument, Method of data

collection and Method of data analysis.

Research Design

This study used survey design, particularly the correlation type.

The choice of survey design is because data will be collected from a

fairly representative sample of the large students’ population or

respondents so as to make generalizations on the entire population.

The correlation survey type also used to determine the extent of

relationship between the variables of the study topic. Correlation

survey is used because the study in correlating the students’

academic achievement with environmental factors such as home

location of students, family size and mothers’ level of education.

Beside the variables do not lean themselves to empirical

manipulation.

Area of the Study

This study was conducted in Umuahia Education zone of Abia

State. Umuahia education zone consists four Local Government Area

namely Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwauano and Umunneoche

Local Government Areas respectively. The choice of Umuahia

education zone is due to its proximity to researcher, which will ensure

effective coordination in the process of data collection.

26

27

Population of the Study

The target population of this study is 103 SS3 geography

students’ from 31 secondary schools that offer geography for

2010/2011 academic session in Umuahia Education zone. The

students in this level would have at least, covered some reasonable

topics in geography as at the time of this study which gives them the

opportunity to respond to the achievement test questions.

Sample and Sampling Technique

A sample of 200 geography students’ was drawn from 20

secondary schools across the education zone, 5 from each zone.

That is, 10 students from each school were selected. A purposive

sampling technique was used. The use of this technique was to

ensure proper representation of the variables under study. See

appendix seven.

Instrument for Data Collection

Geography Multiple Choice Achievement Test (GMCAT) was

used. The instrument was adopted from the West African

Examination council (WAEC) questions. Its adoption was based on

the fact that the questions are standardized and students at that level

(SS3) would have covered all SS1 – SS3 syllabus in geography.

The instrument has two sections 1 and 2. Section 1 contains

information about students’ home environmental factors where

students’ are expected to respond by providing required information

or tick (v) as appropriate. Section 2 contains 50 item questions

adopted from WAEC. The questions adopted covered the major

28

contents of the syllabus. The students’ were expected to choose the

correct options that best answer the questions.

Validation of Instrument

The questionnaire was face validated by 3 lecturers in the

Department of Science Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka. They

approved the face validity of the instrument and endorsed the

questionnaire as having content validity after removing items that

were found to be of less importance to the study.

Reliability of Instrument

The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by using

Pearson product moment correlation co – efficient. Trial testing for

the instrument was carried out in four schools that are not part of the

sample by the use of test and re – test procedure to sample 20

students’ from SS3 classes. The test questions were administered

again after two weeks delay to ensure that the respondents did not

remember exactly their previous responses. The scores obtained

were correlated and the reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained,

thus, indicating that instrument was consistent and reliable.

Method of Data Collection

The researcher with the aid of two research assistants visited

the schools and administered the instrument so as to ensure

orderliness and avoidance of attrition. Given instruction on how to fill

the questionnaire followed their distribution. The respondents filled

the instrument immediately and return them on the spot.

29

Method of Data Analysis

Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research

questions while regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.

Path analysis was used to illustrate the relative influence of the

variables on students’ achievement. The decision criterion for

accepting or rejecting any of the hypotheses is 0.05 significant level.

30

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

This chapter deals with data presentation, analysis and

interpretation. The results are presented and analyzed in line with the

research questions and hypotheses formulated for the study. Data

analysis was done using the statistical package for social science

(SPSS).

Research Question 1

What is the relationship between students’ academic

achievement in geography and the location of their homes?

Table 1: Mean achievement scores of students based on locations.

House location

N0 of subject

Mean Std Deviation

B (Beta weight)

Mean difference

Rural 100 47.05 10.418 .54 16.40

Urban 100 63.45 11.445

Table 1 shows that the mean achievement score of students in rural

area was 47.05 with a standard deviation of 10.42. This mean is less

than that of the students in urban area which was 63.45 with a

standard deviation of 11.45. This difference in mean achievement

score of 16.40 is in favour of students in urban schools. The

correlation coefficient ® or Beta value (B) of .54 indicates that there is

a relationship between house location and academic achievements’

in geography

30

31

Hypothesis 1

There is no significant relationship between home location and

students’ academic achievement in geography.

Table 2: Relative contributions (Beta weights) of the three independent variables on students’ achievement in secondary school geography.

Model under standardized coefficient standardized coefficient t. cal sig.

Under standardized coefficient standardized coefficient t.

Model B Std error Beta t. cal Significance

Constant 44.161 1.018 10.418 43.389 .000

Family size 9.998 1.914 .364 5.224 .000

Education 4.777 1.742 .174 2.743 .000

Location 14.820 2.021 .539 7.334 .000

The calculated value of t with respect to location is 7.334 which is

greater than the table value of 1.96. Hypothesis 1 of no significant

relationship between students’ home location and achievement in

geography is rejected. The conclusion is that, there is a significant

relationship between home location and students’ achievement in

geography (as P < 0.05).

Research Question 2

To what extent does secondary school students’ academic

achievement relate with the level of education of their mother?

32

Table 3: Achievement scores of subjects in relation with education of

their mother.

Mothers education No of subject Mean Std Deviation Corr. Coeff. Mean difference

Formal 100 63.69 11.654 0.176 21.18

Non – formal 100 42.51 7.016

Results in Table 3 reveals that the performance of students

whose mothers’ attend formal education obtained a higher mean

achievement score of 63.69 with a standard deviation of 11.654

compared with their counterparts whose mothers’ did not attend

formal education with a mean achievement score of 42.5 and

standard deviation of 7.016. The difference in the mean is 21.18 in

favour of the students whose mothers’ attend formal education. The

table also reveals a correlation coefficient of 0.176 which is positive

but weak.

Hypothesis 2

There is no significant relationship between mothers’ education

and their children’s academic achievement in secondary school

geography.

Results in Table 2 reveal that mothers’ education is a significant

factor in achievement in secondary school geography as P < 0.05.

Thus, hypothesis 2 is rejected. This means that there is a significant

relationship between mothers’ education and their children’s

academic achievement.

33

Research Question 3

To what extent does family size of students’ relate with their

achievement in secondary school geography?

Table 4: Mean achievement scores of students’ in relation with their

family size.

Family size No of subject Mean Std Deviation (r) Corr. Coeff. Mean difference

Small 141 63.69 12.16 0.364 18.99

Large 59 44.70 9.33

Table 4 shows that there is 18.99 difference in the mean

achievement score between students whose family size is small and

those whose family size is large; and this difference is in favour of

those whose family size is small. This implies that students from a

family that is small perform better than those from a family that is

large. Equally, the result shows that there is a positive relationship

between family size and students’ achievement in geography.

Hypothesis 3

There is no significant relationship between the family size of

students’ and their achievement in geography.

The results in Table 2 indicate that the calculated t value with

respect to family size is 5.22. This value is greater than the table

value of 1.96, hence, hypothesis 3 is rejected. This implies that there

is a significant relationship between family size of students and their

achievement in geography.

34

Table 5: Composite effect of independent variables (school location,

mothers’ education and family size) on dependent variable (Achievement in Geography).

Multiple correction (R) R square Adjusted R square Standard error of the estimate

.735 .540 .533 9.416

From Table 5, it is observed that the percentage contribution of all the

independent variables taken together to the variance of the

dependent variable equals 53.3, This implies that the variables under

consideration account for 53.3 percent of the variance of student

achievement in SS 3 geography.

Table 6: Analysis of variance

Sources of variance Sum of square Df Mean F Sig.

Regression 20428.282 3 6809.43 76.80 .000

Residual 17379.229 196 88.67

Total 37807.511 199

Table 6 gives the analysis of variance. At P < 0.05, the value of F is

significant implying that the value of multiple regression is not due to

chance.

35

Table 6: Relative contribution (Beta weights) of the three independent variables to students’ Achievement in Geography.

Independent Unstandardized Std Standardized t Significant Rank

Variable coefficient Error coefficient Beta

Constant 44.166 1.018 43.389 .000

Family size 9.998 1.914 .364 5.224 .000 2nd

Education 4.777 1.742 .174 2.743 .007 3rd

Location 14.820 2.021 .539 7.334 .000 1st

Table 7 shows that location, mothers’ education and family size

have relative effects on students achievement in geography in the

order; .539, .174 and .364 with location having the highest effect and

occupying the first rank, family size follows in the second rank while

mothers’ education occupies the third rank.

Therefore, the regression equation is given as follows.

Y = 44.16 + 9.998 X1+ 4.777 X2+ 14.820X3

Where Y = students achievement in geography (dependent

variable)

X1= family size

X2= Mother education

X3= Home location of students

The path analysis is as shown in figure 1

Figure 1: path analysis, parsimonious model

.539

.

X3

X1

X2

y ..364

Exogenous

.174

36

Summary of Major Findings

1. the finding of this study shows that:

(a) There is positive relationship between house location and

students academic achievement in geography.

(b) There is positive relationship between mothers level of

education and students academic achievement in

geography.

(c) There is positive relationship between family size of

students and their achievement in geography.

2. from the test of hypotheses, the following results emerged:

(a) Significant relationship exists between house location and

students’ academic achievement in geography.

(b) Significant relationship exists between mothers’ level of

education and students’ academic achievement in

geography.

(c) Significant relationship exists between family size of

students and their academic achievement in geography.

37

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS,

RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY

Discussion of the Findings

The study identified the relationship between home

environmental factors and secondary school students’ academic

achievement in geography in Umuahia education zone of Abia State.

Students’ performance in geography was collated and analyzed. This

was done under the following research questions and hypothesis.

Research Question 1

What is the relationship between students’ academic

achievement in geography and the location of their home.

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship (p<.05) between

house location type and academic achievement of students in

geography.

From analysis of data in Table 1, it was observed that there is a

relationship between house location and academic achievement of

students’ in geography. The results of students’ achievement as

found in Table 1 shows that the achievement of students from urban

area with a mean of 63.46 and standard deviation of 11.445 is higher

than that of students from rural area with mean of 47.05 and standard

deviation of 10.418, indicating that those in urban centre perform

better than those in rural environment. The test of hypothesis as

shown in Table 2 indicates that the relationship is significant at 0.05

alpha levels. This could be adduced to the fact that students in urban

area have more access to favourable opportunities that are present in

their environment such as libraries, computer, and internet services.

37

38

Besides, more teaching amenities are available in urban schools than

rural areas. In another dimension, classroom environment are more

conducive for students’ learning which in most cases are absent in

rural schools. Abdullahi in Shaibu (2011) stated that poor

environment does not enhance good perception and this agree with

this findings. The researcher further found that the technical

environment we operate on is very poor, few television are in the rural

areas, all these tend to act negatively on students’ performance

which is in line with this finding.

Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 2

Research Question 2: To what extent does secondary school

students’ academic achievement in geography relate with the level of

education of their mothers?

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant relationship ( p <.05) between

students and mothers’ level of education and academic achievement

of students in geography.

The results of students’ achievement as shown in Table 3

indicate that the mean performance of children from literate mother is

63.69 and standard deviation of 11.654 was higher than the mean

performance and standard deviation of students’ whose mothers did

not acquire formal education with mean performance of 42.51 and

standard deviation of 7.016 indicating that student whose mother are

educated performed better than those whose mothers are not

educated. The test of hypothesis 2 on this particular variable as found

on table 2 indicated that there was significant relationship between

mothers’ level of education and students’ academic achievement in

39

geography. This result could be explained with respect to the training

that are available in the homes of students whose mothers are

educated compared to houses where the mothers are not educated.

This finding is in accordance with Magnuson (2007) when he

asserted that students of mothers with formal education perform

better on tests of academic skills and have higher quality home

environment for learning. This result is supportive of home teaching

which is common to students whose parents are educated in Nigeria.

However, the result is at variance with Ekpeyong (2000) finding that

there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of

rural and urban students in geography when exposed to the same

method of teaching.

Research Question 3 and Hypothesis 3

Research Question 3: To what extent does family size of students

relate to their achievement in secondary school geography?

Hypothesis 3: There is no significant relationship (p<.05) between

family size of students and their academic achievement in secondary

school geography.

The result from students’ achievement in Table 4 shows that

the achievement of students from small family size with a mean of

63.69 and standard deviation of 12. 16 is higher than that of students

from large family size with a mean of 44.70 and Standard deviation of

9.33 indicating that student from small family size performed better

than those students from large family size in the study area. The test

of hypothesis 3 on the particular variable as found in table 2 indicate

that there was significant relationship between family size and

40

students’ academic achievement in geography. This could be

adduced to the fact that parents with large number of children will be

over weighed with burden of responsibilities in catering for their

children in terms of provision of food, clothing, quality educational

requirements among others compare to parents with small family

size. In addition, Powell (1993) observed that children’s academic

achievement depends on input of time and money from their parents.

The more children they have in the family the less of both inputs. This

input is not money alone but other essential things such as time,

attention and resources. Booth (2006) equally confirmed that children

from larger families are always having low level of education.

Relative contributions of independent variables to students achievement in geography.

Location of homes exert the highest effect with beta weight of .539

compared to that of family size which is .0364 and mothers’ education

background with the least value of .174. The analysis of variance at

p< 0.05 shows that the t value is significant implying that the

relationship are not due to chance and that there is a 53.3% effect of

the variables under consideration on achievements of students’ in

geography. While other variable account for 46.7 percent this imply

literature reviewed open the scope and perspective of the study.

Conclusion

From the result obtained in the relationship between home

environmental factors and secondary school student’s academic

achievement in geography in Umuahia Education Zone, conclusion

was made.

41

Home environmental factors determine students’ academic

achievement in geography based on the following variables

- Student achievement in geography is related to the location of

their homes.

- Mothers’ level of education is related to students’ academic

achievement in geography.

- Size of the family is related to students’ academic achievement

in geography.

Educational Implications

The findings of this study have some educational implications

for parents, students, and the entire society. One of the findings of

this study is that there is significant relationship between students’

academic achievement in geography and mothers’ level of education

in Umuahia education zone of Abia State. That is, students whose

mothers are educated do well academically than those students

whose mothers are not educated. This indicates the need for mothers

to improve themselves educationally as this will enable them to

participate in educating their children.

The fact that facilities in urban centre enhance learning by

students in the areas indicates that it is important to provide facilities

and other enabling condition in rural areas to make for favourable

learning environment.

On the final note, family education should be encouraged to enable

people to make informed decision about the number of children they

give birth to, with respect to their economic status.

42

Recommendations

The following recommendations have been made in the light of

findings, the discussions, educational implications that have been

highlighted;

a. Government should provide learning materials that can

facilitate learning in the rural areas.

b. Female education should be encouraged

c. Population education should be encouraged.

Limitations

The study was constrained by a number of factors, prominent

among them are;

a. The study being restricted to one education zone; the result of

the findings may not be generalized to the whole state due to

limited number of sample used.

b. Difficulty in movement to and from the sampled schools as a

result of time and money in the course of this study.

Suggestions for Further Study

Based on the findings and the limitations of this study; further

researchers could address the following areas;

a. Carry out a study in the entire Abia State on the

relationship between home environmental factors and

students’ academic achievement in geography.

b. The influence of birth order on students’ academic

achievement in geography.

43

Summary of the Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship

between home environment factors and students’ academic

achievement in geography. In pursuance of aforementioned

objectives, three research questions were asked and three

hypotheses postulated. The instrument used was geography Multiple

Choice Achievement Test (GMCAT). Review of related literature was

done under the 10 headings which provided the researcher with the

information on what has been done in the area as well as a sound

conceptual framework of the study.

Sample for the study comprised 200 geography students in

Umahia education zone of Abia State. The research questions were

answered using mean score while the hypotheses were tested using

multiple regression.

The results revealed that:

1. There is a significant relationship between house location and

students’ academic achievement in geography in the study

area.

2. There is a significant relationship between mothers’ level of

education and students’ academic achievement in geography

3. Academic achievement of students in geography is significantly

related to their family size.

44

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49

APPENDIX 1

QUESTIONNIRE

SECTION 1

School: ________________________________________________

Sex: Male: _____________________ Female: _________________

Family size:

Large family: Family with five children and above ( )

Small family: family with one to four children ( )

Mother Education:

Ph. D ( )

M. Sc/MA/M. Ed ( )

B. Sc/BA/ B. Ed/ HND ( )

OND/NCE ( )

SSCE ( )

FSLC ( )

No Formal education ( )

House location

Urban – more than 10.000 people in a settlement with basic

amenities ( )

Rural- less than 10.000 people in a settlement without basic

amenities ( )

Score in geographical test ( )

Grade in geography test ( )

50

Section 2

Tick the appropriate answer for the following. Each question

carries 5 marks

Time allowed 1 hour

1. The earth rotate on it axis ___________ direction

[a] anticlockwise

[b] circular

[c] clockwise

[d] diagonal

[e] horizontal

2. A good example of calcareous rock is

[a] coal

[b] dolomite

[c] lignite

[d] limestone

[e] pest

3. which of the following statement is not true of meridians

[a] meridians have East to West orientation

[b] meridians are used in determining time

[c] Pair of opposite meridian from great circles

[d] they are equal in length

[e] they coverage at the poles.

4. Rocks texture refers to the _______ its minerals grains.

[a] color

[b] concentration

[c] movement

51

[d] sizes

[e] weight

5. It is erosion plain formed in arid region. This types of plain is

know as _______ plain

[a] deltaic

[b] flood

[c] outwash

[d] Pedi

[e] pene

6. The major disadvantage of the Greek classification of climate is

that it is based on _______________only

[a] clouds

[b] humidity

[c] rainfall

[d] temperature

[e] wind

7. It is a rainfall type caused by the convergence of two air

masses with different temperature. The description above

refers to

[a] condensation

[b] conventional

[c] frontal

[d] orographic

[e] relief

8. The major difference between weather and climate is that

weather is

[a] a function of humidity while climate depends on temperature

52

[b] deduced from climate condition

[c] dynamic while climate is relatively constant

[d] forest daily while climate estimated monthly

[e] measurable while climate is not

9. Which of the following climate region does no have district

season?

[a] desert

[b] Equatorial

[c] Mediterranean

[d] Monson

[e] polar

10. When the end point of a closed traverse does not coincide

with the point of the origin of the traverse error of ___________

has been introduced

[a] closure

[b] commission

[c] compensation

[d] transfer

[e] walk ins clinometers

11. It consist of series of dumb – bell shaped links of steel wires

joined together by three small rings. The description above

refers to

[a] arrow

[b] Gunter chain

[c] offset staff

[d] steel band

[e] walk ins clinometers

53

12. If the forward bearing of point A from b is 330 what t is the

back bearing of point B to A

[a] . 30

[b]. 45

[c]. 90

[d] 150

[e] 180

13. Which of the following is NOT a natural intervention in our

environment

[a] climate change

[b] cloud seeding

[c] drought

[d] earthquake

[e] volcanism

14. Which of those constitute inorganic compounds of the

ecosystem

[a] animal and bacterial

[b] climate and soil

[c] plant and animal

[d] water and microbes

[e] water and plants

15. Baobab trees are commonly found in __________ vegetation

in West Africa.

[a] equatorial rain forest

[b] mangrove

[c] mountain

[d] temperate

54

[e] tropical grassland.

16. Karst region is mainly characterized by

[a] absence of surface damage

[b] deep fertile soil

[c] luxuriant vegetation

[d] presence of consequent stream

[e] presence of marshland

17. The permeable rock in which underground water is stored is

called

[a] aquifer

[b] coombes

[c] doline

[d] geyser

[e] playas.

18. A drainage pattern developed on homogenous rocks or bed of

equal resistance is called _______________ pattern.

[a] centripetal

[b] dendritic

[c] in sequent

[d] radial

[e] trellised

19. Which of the following is an agent of soil erosion

[a] aridity

[b] climate

[c] deforestation

[d] snow

[e] weather

55

20. A short spit which joins an offshore island to the coastline is

called a/an

[a] arch [

b] headland

[c] nehrung

[d] promontory

[e] tombolos.

21. Which of the following fold mountains is found in Africa?

[a] Himalayas

[b] alps

[c] Atlas

[d] rockies

22. Resurgent springs usually occur in

[a] rift valleys

[b] u – shaped valleys

[c] limestone areas

[d] glaciated areas.

23. Which of the following landform is not produced by faulting?

[a] fault scarp

[b] rift valley

[c] sill

[d] horst

24. the process of removing soluble substance such as mineral

salt into lower layers of the soil is called

[a] translocation

[b] leaching

[c] eluviations

56

[d] illuviation

25. Which of the following is not a process of chemical

weathering?

[a] oxidation

[b] attrition

[c] hydration

[d] carbonation.

26. Sea tides are caused mainly by the influence of

[a] earths rotation

[b] asteroids

[c] the stars

[d] the sun.

27. The most important active factor of soil formation is

[a] time

[b] relief

[c] slope

[d] climate

28. Which of the following has the highest level of salinity?

[a] Baltic sea

[b] Antarctic ocean

[c] Mediterranean sea

[d] Atlantic ocean.

29. Which of the following is not a form of precipitation?

[a] Hail

[b] Dust

[c] Dew

[d] snow

57

30. Which of the following is not a major benefit of Savanna

vegetation?

[a] livestock farming

[b] arable crop cultivation

[c] aqua culture

[d] Game reserves

31. The role of transport in economic development of any nation

include all except

[a] national disintegration

[b] movement of goods and services

[c] opening up new lands and areas

[d] provision of employment

32. All the following are benefits of irrigation farming except

[a] provision of employment

[b] making early planting possible

[c] making farmers depend solely on rainfall

[d] bumper harvest

33. It is possible to harness solar energy in all the following

countries except

[a] Angola

[b] Australia

[c] Greenland

[d] Thailand

34. The most important trading of Anglophone West African

countries is

[a] Canada

[b] Korea

58

[c] France

[d] United Kingdom

35. The smallest ocean in the world is the

[a] Indian ocean

[b] Pacific ocean

[c] Arctic ocean

[d] Atlantic ocean

36. One of the major problems of manufacturing industries in

Tropical Africa is

[a] high demand for manufactured products

[b] inadequate raw materials

[c] high quality of industries labour

[d] high cost of labour

37. Man made distribution of water to farmlands in areas which

suffer from inadequate rainfall is called

[a] water resource management

[b] irrigation

[c] mulching

[d] Arable farming

38. In which of the following vegetation belts is lumbering an

important economic activity?

[a] Sahel savanna

[b] Tundra

[c] Sudan Savanna

[d] Tropical rainforest

39. Lumbering is a very important activity on

[a] Libya

59

[b] Namibia

[c] Liberia

[d] Algeria

40. All the following countries lie on the Equator except

[a] Kenya

[b] Ghana

[c] Somalia

[d] Gabon.

41. The part of the lithosphere which from the ocean floor is

[a] sail

[b] Sima

[c] Niked

[d] Nife

42. Which of the following lines could be described as a great

circle? The

[a] Tropical of Cancer

[b] tropical of Capricorn

[c] Equator

[d] Artic Circle.

43. The northern and southern limits of the apparent movement of

the sun is marked by the

[a] Tropic of Capricorn and Equator

[b] Tropical of Cancer and Capricorn

[c] Horse Latitude

[d] North pole and south pole

44. Which of the following is a true characteristic of sedimentary

rock? They

60

[a] are laid down in strata

[b] are crystalline

[c] have high resistance to erosion

[d] are basaltic in nature

45. The forest is both dense and luxuriant and contains a great

variety of plants with broad leaved trees.’ This statement

described the

[a] Savanna

[b] Tropical rain forest

[c] Mediterranean woodland

[d] Warm temperature forest

46. Which of the following is not a major benefit of Savanna

vegetation? [a] livestock farming [b] arable crop cultivation [c]

Aqua culture [d] game reserve

47. The study of the continuous interaction between living things

and their environment is known as

[a] Ecology

[b] energy cycle

[c] Biology

[d] Geology

48. Which of the following has very dense population?

[a] The equatorial lowland of south America

[b] The northern region of Canada

[c] The north eastern seaboard of U.S.A

[d] The western region of Australia

61

49. “It is an area of great industrial and agricultural activities and

hence supports great concentration of people.” This statement

best describes

[a] the Amazon basin

[b] the North East of U.S.A

[c] The Niger valley

[d] North Africa.

50. “It is the slowest and cheapest means of transport and is used

for transporting bulky goods over distance among nations. “This

statement best describes

[a] road transport

[b] rail transport

[c] air transport

[d] sea transport

62

APPENDIX 2

The Content of Geography Curriculum in Secondary School

The content of geography curriculum as specified by the federal

ministry of education for senior secondary schools include the

following

Class: SS 1

Term:- 1st term

Subject:- Geography

Week 1 Definition of geography (b) importance of geography

Week 2: Geography of the Federal Capital territory (a) Location,

position, size and political division (b) physical setting of F.C..T

Week 3; (a) population and peoples in F.C.T (b) Mineral resources (c)

agriculture

Week 4: (a) Industry (b) Commercial activities

Week 5: The solar system (a) The earth and other planets (b) The

shape and size of the earth

Week 6: (a) Earth and revolution (b) Latitude and Longitude

Week 7: The structure of the Earth (a) Outer Zone of the Earth (b)

Interior of the earth uses of rocks

Week 9 Major land forms mountains types. Mode of formation and

uses

Week 10: Plateaus. Types, Mode of formation and uses

Week 11: Oceanic Basing parts, ocean currents and uses

Week 12: Revision

Week 13: Examinations

63

2nd term

Week 1: weather and climate

Definition weather and climate and the instruments used in recording

them.

Week 2: a some elements of local weather b. Factors affecting

weather records

Week 3: a. The importance of weather and climate (b) keeping

weather record

Week 4: Soils a. Definition local types and characteristics of soils, b.

importance of soil

Week 5: Vegetation a. Definition and factors affecting its development

and distribution

Week 6: a Local vegetation types b. importance of vegetation

Week 7 Resources a. Human Resources, b. Atmosphere resources

Week 8: a water resources b. vegetation resources c. Mineral

resources

Week 9; Mapwork a. definition types and uses of maps b. scale

Week 10; a measurement of distance, b. Map enlargement and

reduction

drawing a map of the school compound.

Week 11: a. direction and bearing b. conventional sign/symbols c.

drawing a map of the school compound.

Week 12: revision

Week 13: examination

3RD TERM

Week 1; Nigeria a. location position, size and political direction of

Nigeria

64

Week 2; Physical setting a. relief and Drainage b. (i) Problems of

relief and Drainage (ii) Importance of relief and drainage

Week 3: a Climate

Week 4: a Vegetation

Week 5: Population

Week 6: Distribution of minerals and power resources in Nigeria

Week 7: agriculture in Nigeria

Week 8: Industry in Nigeria

Week 9: Transportation system in Nigeria

Week 10: Commercial activities

Week 11; revision

Week 12: Examination

Class SSII

Term 1st term

Subject: geography

Week 1 Internal process of landform development earthquake

Week 2: Volcanicity

Week 3: Other tectonic processes

Week 4: The Action of underground water

Week 5: External processes of landform Development weathering

Week 6: Mass Movement

Week 7: Effect of climatic elements Temperature

Week 8; Rainfall

Week 9 : Atmospheric pressure

Week 10: soils

65

(a) processes of soil formation

(b) (b) Soil Profile

(c) Importance of soil

Week 11: Revision

Week 12; Examination

2ND TERM

Week 1: Vegetation Forest areas of Africa

Week 2: Grassland of Africa

Week 3: world population – Growth and distribution

Week 4: settlement. Type of settlement

Week 5: Patterns of settlements

Week6: Functions of settlements

Week 7: Map work a. relief representation b. contour representation

of land forms.

Week 8: Interpretation of Topographical maps

Week 9: Drawing of Relief profiles

Week 10; Slope measurement and calculation of gradients

Week 11 : Graphical Representation of statistical data

Week 12: Revision and Examination

3RD TERM

Week 1; Regional Geography of Africa with particular reference to

w/Africa location, position, size and political division

Week 2; Physical setting of Africa (a) Relief and drainage

Week 3: climate and vegetation

Week 4: population distribution with emphasis on west Africa

Week 5; Lumbering in Zaire

66

Week 6: Irrigation Agriculture in the Nile Basin

Week 7: Bush fallowing in west Africa

Week 8: plantation Agriculture in East Africa

Week 9; Fruit Farming in the Mediterranean Region

Week 10: Mineral Exploitation in Africa (i) Copper (ii) Petroleum (iii)

Gold

Week 11; (a) Major Hydro – electricity power projects in Africa (b)

International Economic Cooperation in west Africa [ECOWAS)

Week 12: Examination

Week 13; Revision and Examination

Class SS III

Term 1st term

Subject; Geography

Week 1; External processes of Landform development Action of

Running water

Week 2: action of wind

Week 3: Action of waves and classification

Week 4: classification of climate (a) Greek system of classification (b)

Koppens Classification

Week 5: Major climate types (a) hot Climate Equatorial land and

tropical (b) temperature warm and cool

Week ^: 9a) Cold Climate (b) Desert climates hot and cold

Week 7: interpretation of climate data

Week 8: aspects of environmental interaction

(a) land Ecosystem

(b) (b) Environmental Balance

67

(c) Intervention within the natural environment

Week 9: Environmental hazards

(a) soil erosion (b0 effects and prevention of soil erosion

Week 10: Desert encroachment (b) Drought (c) deforestation

Week 11; coastal erosion (b) Flooding (c) Pollution

Week 12; Revision

Week 13; Examination

2ND TERM

Week 1; word vegetation types tropical

Week 2: tropical Grassland

Week 3: (a) cool Temperature woodland (b) Temperature Grassland

Week 4: transportation (a) Types of Transportation (b) Transport and

Economic development.

Week 5 (a) factors of Industry (b) Industrial Location

Week 6: (a) Industrial development in Tropical Africa (b) contributions

of Industrial sector to the Economies of Tropical Africa

Week 7 Word Trade (a) Major commodities (b) trade between Nigeria

and the outside world

Week 8. Geographical Regions of Nigeria (a0 Eastern Highlands (b)

Eastern scarpland (c) Western Highlands.

Week 9: (a) North – Centre Highlands (b) cross River Basin (c0

southern Coastlands

Week 10: (Niger–Benue Trough (b) Sokoto plain (c) Southern

Coastlands

68

Week 11: Map interpretation (a) Relationship within physical features

(b0 Relationship within cultural features (c) Relationship between

physio – cultural features

Week 12; revision and Examination

3RD TERM

Week 1; Elementary land surveying

(a) chain surveying method (b) Compass traverse

Week 2 – 3; Field project (Excursion)

A study of any Three of the project

(a) land Use (b) Industrial activities (c) Traffic flow (d) market survey

(e) Patterns of journey to work (f) rate of erosion in the locality

Week 4 – 8 General Revision

Week 9 – 11; Examination (Mock & SSCE)

69

Appendix 3

Computation of data collected for reliability of instrument

Scale X Y X2 Y2 Xy

A 0 0 0 0 0

B 10 8 100 80 80

C 4 4 16 16 16

D 3 6 9 36 18

E 3 2 9 4 6

F 0 0 0 0 0

Total ΣX =20 ΣY = 20 ΣX2 = 134 Σ Y2 = 120 ΣXY = 120

n Σxy – (Σx) (Σ y

n Σx2 (Σ x2) (n Σ y2 – (Σ y)2)

6(120) – (20) (20)

r = (6 (120 – (20)(20)

720 – 400

r = (804 – 400) (720 – 400)

320

r = (404 – (320) 320 r = 129280

r = 32

359.6

r = 0.88 very high relationship

70

APPENDIX 4

ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE

(1) C (29) B

(2) D (30) C

(3) A (31)A

(4) A (32)C

(5) D (33)C

(6) C (34)D

(7) C (35)C

(8) C (36)A

(9) B (37)B

(10) E (38)D

(11) D (39)C

(12) D (40)D

(13) B (41)B

(14) B (42)D

(15) D (43)D

(16) A (44)A

(17) A (45)B

(18) B (46)C

(19) D (47)A

(20) E (48) C

(21) C (49)B

(22) C (50)B

(23) C

(24) B

(25) D

(26) A

(27) D

(28) C

71

APPENDIX 5

PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN UMUHIA EDUCATION ZONE UMUHIA NORTH L.G.A

1. GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UMUHIA

2. IBEKU HIGH SCHOOL UMUHIA

3. GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL UMUHIA

4. WILLIAMS MEMORAL SECONDARY SCHOOL UMUHIA

5. COMMUNITY SECPNDARY SCHOOL

6. AFUGIRI GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL

7. SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL OFEME

8. SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL AFARAUKWU

9. OKAIUGA – NKWOEGWU

10. AMUZUKWU GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL

11. AMUZUKWU GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL

12. GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL UMUHIA

13. OSSAH COMM. SECONDARY SCHOOL

14. COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL ISIEKE

15. ORIEAMAENYI SECONDARY SCHOOL

16. NDUME OTUKA SECONDARY SCHOOL

UMUAHIA SOUTH L.G.A

1. EVANGEL HIGH OLD UM

2. UMUOPARA SECONDARY SCHOOL

3. COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL NSIRIMO

4. UBAKALA SECONDARY SCHOOL

5. SANCRTRCRUX SECONDARY SCHOOL

6. HOLY GHOST SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

7. SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL UMUNWANWA

72

8. NSIROMO SECONDARY SCHOOL

9. AMKAMA COMMUNITY SCHOOL

10. OLOKORO GIRLS SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

11. OHIYA COMMUNITY SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

12. MBGARAKUMA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

IKWUANO L.G.A

1. OBORO SECONDARY SCHOOL

2. IKWUANO SECONDARY SCHOOL ARIAM

3. IBERE COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL

4. AWOMNEAEBO SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

5. SENIOR SCIENCE SCHOOL ARIAM

6. COMMUNITY GRAMMAR SCHOOL OLOKO

7. AMBASEDORS COLLEGE OBI IBERE

8. NNONO SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL NNONO

9. OGBUEBULE COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

UMUNNEOCHI L.G.A

1. NNEATO SECONDARY SCHOOL

2. USUOCHI SECONDARY SCHOOL

3. LOKPANTA SECONDARY SCHOOL

4. UMUAKU SECONDARY SCHOOL

5. NGODO GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL

6. COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY UMUCHIEZE

7. OBINOLU SECONDARY SCHOOL

8. LERU SECONDARY SCHOOL

9. MBALA COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

TOTAL: 46 PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UMUAHIA EDUCATION ZONE OF ABIA STATE OF NIGERIA

73

APPENDIX 6

Table 1: WAEC Grades and their corresponding score range

Grade Score Range Interpretation

A1 75 – 100 Excellent

B2 70 – 74 Very Good

B3 65 – 69 Good

C4 60 – 64 Credit

C5 55 – 59 Credit

C6 50 – 54 Credit

D7 45 – 49 Pass

E8 40 – 44 Pass

F9 0 – 39 Fail

Source: West African Examination Council

74

APPENDIX 7

Table 1: Distribution of 20 sampled school based on student variables

S/N Name of school Home Location Family Size Mothers education

Urban Rural Small Large Formal Non Formal

1 Obaroh - 10 4 6 3 7

2. Ikwauano SS - 10 2 8 4 6

Ariam

3. Ibere Comp. SS - 10 3 7 2 8

4. Ambassadors Coll. - 10 3 7 3 7

Ibere

5. Ogbuebule CSS - 10 2 8 3 7

6. Mbala CSS - 10 3 7 2 8

7. Usuochi Sec.Sch - 10 2 8 3 7

8. Umuaku Sec. Sch. - 10 4 6 4 6

9. Nneato Sec Sch. - 10 2 8 2 7

10. Leru Sec. Sch. - 10 5 5 6 4

11. Govt. Coll. 10 - 7 3 8 2

Umuohia

12. Ibeku High Sch. 10 - 6 4 7 3

13 Ohuhu CSS 10 - 8 2 6 4

14. Sec. Tech Sch. 10 - 6 4 4 6

Afaraukwu

15. Ossah CSS 10 - 7 3 7 3

16. EHO Umuahia 10 - 5 5 16 4

75

17. CSS Nsirimo 10 - 8 2 8 2

18. Holy Ghost Sec. 10 - 7 3 7 3

Sch.

19. Amakama C.H.S 10 - 8 2 8 2

20. Ohiaya CSS 10 - 9 2 6 4

Total 100 100 100 100 100 100