IMPACT OF BROKEN HOME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

IMPACT OF BROKEN HOME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of broken homes on academic performance and psychosocial adjustment of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State. The descriptive survey design was used in this study. The research instrument used for this study was a questionnaire tagged (BHAP) which was adapted by the researcher. The population of this study covered the teachers in selected secondary schools at Kosofe Local Government, area Lagos State where data was collected using simple random sampling. Collected data was analyzed using chi-square and descriptive statistics. Demographic data such as gender, age, and qualification were used. Findings showed that broken homes has a significance on student’s academic performance. It was concluded that there is a significance difference between students from broken homes and students from intact homes. It was therefore recommended parents should be educated on the importance of living together and the negative effect of broken home on the academic, social and emotional state of the child.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Family is the basic unit of a society and it’s the most important component of the society. According to Alfred Adlers (1973), a family which parent are separated or divorced would affect the individual because every child has a problem in which both the mother and father are to attend to, for example the mother is supposed to teach the child some moral attitudes or behavior while the father is supposed to teach the child (son) how to be a responsible man and to be responsible for the society and to be able to overcome the individual psychological problems like problems of work, problem of friendship, problem of love. It may be alternated to the word “house” but a house is more appropriately referring to the material structure whereas home refers to the intangible things that bind together the family members. It has the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father and their children. The family is an essential factor for a human well-being, everything about a man, his background, attitude, all his achievements, his honour and dignity, rallies on the structure of the man’s family. Marriage on the other hand can be seen or viewed at as a legal union of two people i.e. a man and woman in love as husband and wife. In Nigeria marriage is regarded as an institution which every person gives much importance.

Umahi, (2009) states that, marriage is a system by which a society recognizes a man and a woman bounded by love to stay together as couples, have a sexual relationship and expect children which they will bring up together. In Nigeria when a person is married he or he is expected not only to have children but also to give them the psychological emotional, moral and economic support with adequate education which will be of help to them in future. Couples have the duty to give their children education which will enable them live happily, be stable emotionally, and acquire worthwhile knowledge, understanding and skills.

IMPACT OF BROKEN HOME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS